Overview & Reviews

Chevrolet sells an impressively wide range of vehicles, from subcompact hatchbacks to huge vans and SUVs. If you're looking for a reasonably priced vehicle, odds are that Chevy will have something to fit your needs.

Chevrolet got its start in 1911. After William C. Durant had been ousted from General Motors, he joined forces with Swiss-born racecar driver Louis Chevrolet to found the Chevrolet Motor Car Company. The company's first offering was the Classic Six. Introduced in 1912, this five-passenger touring sedan could top 65 mph, fast for the time. Chevrolet's storied bowtie logo -- reportedly inspired by the wallpaper of a Paris hotel room that Durant stayed at -- made its first appearance in 1914.

By 1918, Chevrolet's profitability allowed Durant to purchase enough shares in GM to regain control. Chevrolet became another division of GM, and was its largest volume division by the mid-1920s. By 1927, Chevrolet outsold rival Ford, with sales in excess of 1 million units.

In the mid-1930s Chevrolet introduced independent front suspension, which provided a smoother ride over the rough roads of the day. The 1940s saw continued success with affordable coupes, sedans and pickup trucks catering to American families, farmers and businessmen.

By the mid-1950s, Chevrolet, GM's entry-level division, had added a V8 engine, power steering and brakes, power windows and air-conditioning to its list of available features, allowing luxury for those on a tighter budget. Around this time the iconic Bel Air model -- available in coupe, sedan, convertible and wagon body styles -- proved very popular. The company introduced its alluring Corvette in 1953; the vehicle was the first mass-produced car with a fiberglass body.

The 1960s saw the unveiling of the popular, air-cooled Corvair compact, which held the distinction of being the first domestic production car with all-around independent suspension. That decade also witnessed the launch of the compact Nova, the midsize Chevelle and the sporty Camaro, the latter Chevrolet's answer to the wildly successful Ford Mustang. The Camaro proved an instant hit, comprising 10 percent of Chevrolet's total sales in 1967, its first year of production.

In the 1970s, Chevy responded to changing preferences by introducing small cars like the Vega and the Chevette, and by downsizing larger models such as the Caprice and Malibu. The company combated the market domination of foreign nameplates in the 1980s by rolling out the Cavalier. By the end of that decade, trucks and SUVs had started to become increasingly popular with the general consumer, and the brand's mid- and full-size models continue to this day to be some of the most popular on the road.

The '90s and the early 2000s saw the company raising the performance bar with its Corvette (notably the Z06 and, later, ZR1 variants) and reincarnated Impala SS. Chevrolet's Silverado pickup truck and Tahoe/Suburban SUVs continued to be hits as well. By 2010, the Camaro had returned to the lineup after a seven-year hiatus.

Modern times have seen Chevrolet make significant improvements in its small and midsize car models and introduce the Volt plug-in hybrid. The latter provides a nearly 40-mile range on electric power alone, and adds to the company's already well-rounded lineup of cars, trucks and SUVs. Though today's marketplace is very demanding, Chevrolet seems poised to remain a power player through its affordable and innovative vehicles.

User Reviews:

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  My Faux MB/BMW/Lexus - 2005 Chevrolet Equinox
  By jsStarPilot - April 12 - 12:23 am

  I am amazed at the quality this Chevy has attained. Not to par as the top Luxury models, BUT, getting there. The design is a definite leap forward for Chevy. It has the looks without looking like a clone of everything else. Aggressive and yet sporty looking. I am particularly happy with the interior. It reminds me of a Mercedes in looks, texture, and feel. I am a sports car person, and would love more performance with a sportier handling package. However, for a first year vehicle, it is above par for a domestic. Also would love the city gas mileage to be a little better. My only problem has been some wind noise from the top of the drivers door. I highly recommend this SUV!

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  Lemon in Green - 2002 Chevrolet TrailBlazer
  By DHToy2 - April 11 - 10:00 am

  Bought the LS in Hunter Green a little over a year ago. Have had major problems with the elctronic system on board. At one point, the dealer had the car for 3 weeks and had to rent me a loaner. Radio changes stations all by itself, A/c quits and starts all by itself. Gas mileage is aweful. I have a Tahoe that gets better mileage than this SUV does 10 mpg city, 16 mpg highway. Car has spent a total of 6 weeks in the shop and yet GM will not buy it back as it hasnt been enough problems to warrant replacement. My next car will be a Honda. Dealership was a good as could be expected dealing with a design error.

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  Beauty is skin deep - 2004 Chevrolet Silverado 1500
  By HowieinVA - April 11 - 10:00 am

  I must admit, I took a look at the Silverado SS and it is a nice looking truck. It looks mean, has 4WD and has a bed you can actually use. After driving it, it just felt like a more powerful Silverado. This is not a sport truck. I was actually considering trading in my Honda Element for this bad boy....not after driving it. It drives OK but its bouncy and jolting at the same time. If you need something that will haul a lot and has a lot of speed, I guess this is a good choice. But compared to my Honda Element, it feels cheap and doesnt handle nearly as good...even if the Chevy does look and sound meaner.

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  70 year old great granny with a 2017 Premier Rally - 2017 Chevrolet Cruze
  By Annie - April 9 - 10:06 am

  I am really having a ball driving this car as I have been very conservative with previous rides - been driving Chevrolet products exclusively since my first 1972 Chevette. The only 2 problems I find with the car is the rear/side visibility when merging into traffic. I am only 5 tall and look around as best I can, cross my fingers and go for it. So far, so good. I also find the vehicle lacking in electronic connections. Despite my age I am a techie and have several items to plug in - dash cam, laptop, etc., and the car just doesnt have the capacity to utilize all Id like to.

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  Not a horrible SUV - 2017 Chevrolet Traverse
  By Meathead1986 - April 9 - 8:32 am

  Ive always been a Ford guy so impressing me is hard with the way most GM products work. This thing packs a pretty decent bang for buck as we tested an explorer, Santa fe, and pathfinder. If the deal would have gone right wed honestly have the pathfinder as that had the most overall refined feel and features for the price. As the dealership that had it was horrible we found the traverse as a happy medium with the lt2 package. Sound from the radio is amazing and between that and the quiet cabin it really drowns out the subpar engine as it winds up to use every ounce of power it has to get moving. Im not kidding when I say this thing lacks power... its really bad and I find myself 2nd guessing myself passing quite a bit. Inside the cabin is quite roomy with a couple quirks that dont ruin your experience. For instance, when you turn the car off with Bluetooth audio on youd expect it to be the first thing that comes up when you get back in the vehicle. This isnt the case at all and its slightly annoying. Also the cup holders in the middle part of the cabin are right on the door (w/captains chairs). Not sure if the bench is the same but this is a disaster with children slamming doors on road trips. Last thing is the auto windows. Theyre only auto down... not up. Not sure who thought of this but having to roll this thing up and down 5 days a week to show an ID at a gate makes this very irritating. It really seems small but makes a huge difference. Other than that features on this are very good and it seems very well put together and kid proof. Cargo space is very lacking with all seats up but if you can fold a seat this really opens up the area. If you cant Id suggest a full size SUV and not a crossover. Visibility out of the front and behind you is adequate but there is a huge blind spot on the vehicle thats caused me to buy bubble mirrors. Gas mileage is about the same as our old F150 with low 20s for mixed driving so we can afford it. Others may find this bad and Id agree and suggest the fix is an engine that wont work as hard to get this thing moving (drive the explorer with the ecoboostto see what I mean). The vehicle handles turns and bumps extremely well with what youd expect from this body style of car with the standard dead feel in the wheel. So far there are very few manufactures that can really put feel into their cars and give then soul so this isnt a killer for me. Over all we like it and were pleased with the purchase and look forward to having this thing for some time.

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  My Kalos! - 2005 Chevrolet Aveo
  By limee - April 7 - 8:23 pm

  Got a great deal on this little car which is one I had been researching for a while now. It was the Aveo or the Scion Xa. The Aveo won out on price. Have owned a number of GMs in the past with lousy build quality and reliability. This is a Daewoo and appears to be well put together with tight seems and no sqeaks/ rattles, etc. It is a blast to drive, especially in the city where it excels. Its amazingly quiet at speed after it has been wound up, and cruises comfortably at 80 with minimal fuss. Not that impressed with the fuel economy at 27 MPG (I get that from my V6 Honda Accord and feel the push in the back of the seat!) It makes me feel like Im living in London again. The size is ideal.

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  Great Truck Overall - 2000 Chevrolet Silverado 1500
  By labguy - April 2 - 6:23 pm

  I have towed and hauled heavily with this truck and have had no major problems. The only problems I have had is the driver side window motor needed to be replaced after about 4 years and the fuel gauge dances around due to a bad sending unit which I have not replaced. Gas mileage is average for a truck this size. Id have to say that I amd very satisfied with the truck overall. It has so far been very reliable. Just replaced the original tires at 77,000 miles. I havent notice any noise or squeaks in the interior as some have noted. Did have a squeaky powersteering belt but that has been fixed.

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  Replaced transmission at 38,000 miles - 2006 Chevrolet Impala
  By Joel - April 1 - 11:40 am

  I bought this car in Oct 05. At 38,000 miles the transmission had to be replaced due to what was called a catastrophic failure. I didnt have the extended warranty, but after a call to the BBB and several calls to GM, they agreed to reimburse me for the repairs. At 47,000 the rack and pinion steering broke and needed to be replaced. I am in the military and have the car with me overseas in Guam and am at the mercy of the only certified GM dealer on the island. The car looks great but the repair costs are outrageous. I have not been able to get the tire pressure monitors fixed for over a year now.

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  Smooth - 2007 Chevrolet Impala
  By mrmike - March 31 - 3:23 pm

  This car is roomy, very comfortable and nice to drive. A few more places to store items woud be nice. Maybe a second glove box under the dash. It is a little difficult to get in and out of, (old guy) but once in its great!

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  Awesome Truck - 2004 Chevrolet Silverado 2500HD
  By SportyChica - March 30 - 2:00 am

  This is my dads first truck since his ford in the 80s. Let me just say this is an awesome truck. I driven a few times and it is great. The power is awesome. We have great interior features and if it werent for the great deal he got he never would have bought it. My dad was a ford man before this but i convinced him to take a look because the dealership was having good deals. The features are really nice and the seat is comfortable. Chevy definately has a great truck