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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  Stay Away - 2006 Chevrolet Equinox
  By Disaster - April 13 - 3:50 pm

  This is a love-hate relationship. We bought the car because it was (1) quiet, (2) roomy and (3) cheap and it still is all of those thongs, with the emphasis being on "cheap". Mechanically this thing has been a disaster since the day it was bought. Its been in the shop 11 times (not counting regular service), has had both front wheel bearings replaced at separate times, front brakes redone three times, emissions system fixed, tires replaced because tread blocks were falling off, engine is hard to start and other various engine trouble lights and wheel vibration problems. I will never (repeat NEVER) buy another GM vehicle and have filed a Lemon Law suit against them.

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  Great GAs Mileage, poor quality - 2001 Chevrolet Monte Carlo
  By Tony Z - April 13 - 7:23 am

  Car would be great if it was not for the poor quality on certain things. AC is out at 85,000 miles, both front hub assemblies replaced by 80,000 miles, moon roof shorts out, replaced radio amp, initially had a coolant problem which years later turned out to problematic, and a catalytic converter problem. There were a few more but I have forgotten. So it has been pretty expensive once the warranty was out. I take car of my cars and do not drive them hard. This would be an awesome car if it was more reliable. It looks sharp great gas for the size. I do get 28mpg. I would pay an extra grand at the beginning for better quality.

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  Not again! - 1996 Chevrolet Suburban
  By cassiopia - April 12 - 12:23 pm

  Comfortable on long trips, adequate power. Electronic brain replace within two weeks as was steering wheel. Headliner had holes in it at the same time and was not replaced. I have put in 4 fuel pumps, 3 alternators, 1 starter motor. the 4 wheel drive went in 80,000 miles and the head gaskets in under 100,000 miles not replaced under warranty, even though I paid $1000.00 for an extended warranty it wasnt honored. Plastic parts are dropping apart. Window and internal door switches have all failed. Build quality was very poor for such an expensive vehicle. Customer service from the mfg was pathetic. GM could take a leaf from Toyota who is still fixing my 17 year old 4runner under warranty.

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  A car that LOVES to eat oil - 2000 Chevrolet Prizm
  By morningland - April 10 - 11:49 pm

  I was a little disappointed with this car. It is VERY reliable, had it 2 years, 20+k miles without a single mechanical problem but there are other things that annoy me. It relentlessly eats oil especially if you drive on the freeway. I drive 200 miles on a freeway and find that I am a quart and a half low, it doesnt burn up or leak it just disappears. The car stalls on when you start it up and try to drive right away no big deal since you should let any car warm up first but I had a couple times where the car almost stalled on my first turn onto a main road with oncoming traffic. It stinks on the snow and the interior design is cheap, the door handle has already feel ff and is hard to fix.

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  Poor Transmission - 2001 Chevrolet Silverado 1500
  By Galalod - April 10 - 2:00 am

  After about 36000 the transmission will start slipping and goes out. The 96 mph governor also puts a damper on freeway passing

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  Pile of Garbage! - 2008 Chevrolet Silverado 1500
  By hacks - April 6 - 11:26 am

  As much as I like this vehicle for its performance, styling, and comfort, the reliability is absolutely horrible. In a recent 5 week span, Ive had it in the shop 4 times, once to have a valve replaced, twice for major transmission work that involved its removal, and twice for fuel injection problems. This does not include the cracked transmission cooler, Belt Tensioner, body molding, and numerous Slip Yoke problems I have had with it. And the service at the selling dealership has been equally as horrible, and I caught them billing GM for work they did not perform. Needless to say, I filed a Lemon Law Claim last February on the vehicle. Absolutely would not recommend this vehicle.

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  manufacture that wont stand by engine - 2006 Chevrolet TrailBlazer
  By miss fire problem - April 5 - 12:00 am

  I purchased a new 2006 chevy trailblazer 4dr ls 6 cyl in 2005. As soon as the warranty is up my check engine lite came on and then went out, and they tell me that I have a miss fire in the head of the engine. I took it into a dealership and they tell me that it will cost me $4,000. for a new head that they wont stand behind because it is not a recall yet. The service writer tells me that they are having this problem in the Colorados too. And that it is a manufacture flaw that the heads they used need new sleeves. In the mid year of 2006 they changed their warranty to a 5 year 100,000 . I have the 3yr 36,000. My blazer has just under 50k miles.

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  Comsumer Beware - 2004 Chevrolet Express
  By Disappointed - April 4 - 6:24 pm

  While I like the design of the van especially the exterior look and the rear doors (hinges designed to maximize access/storage)I have been disappointed with the reliability. I have had to replace the fuel pump ($600), the water pump, and one of the side windows fell out, yes fell out ($1000). The mechanic told me (kingman az dealership) there is a design flaw in the fuel pump which manifests itself primarily in higher elevation, hotter climates. He told me that Chevy knows but wont replace them. All these repairs were needed while the vehicle had less than 75,000 miles.

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  My Last Chevrolet - 2005 Chevrolet Equinox
  By Tom - April 4 - 4:43 pm

  We were impressed by the looks of the Equinox. We have had no mechanical issues. We have had many other issues, which made me vow that this is my last Chevy. When traveling on the interstate the road noise is awful. The AC noise is really loud also. We had to have two of the rear seatbelt latches replaced because they didnt latch. A strut on the hatch went out. The interior is very cheap. Water stains the seats. When you follow the instructions in the owners manual on how to clean the interior, it just looks worse. Had to buy seat covers to hide the stains.

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  Nice SUV but not "Built like a Rock" - 2007 Chevrolet Suburban
  By Tom - April 4 - 8:49 am

  This is a nice SUV when we purchased it it was much more expensive than they are today. The truck is used for both work and play. The truck has served us well but it has had many service issues from the trans going out to the DVD/ CD player that stopped working at 38K. Please keep in mind it had maybe played 20CDs and 10 movies in its life. GM has been poor when it comes to standing behind this SUV. After over 30 GM cars in my life this for me is the last one my wife will only drive GM so I will have one in my garage. In the end this is a very expensive car to maintain out of warranty.