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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  Pros & Cons - 2003 Chevrolet TrailBlazer
  By vachevyguy - January 27 - 10:00 am

  I had a 98 Blazer for 4 years before I got my new 03 Trialblazer LT. New new Trailblazer is light years ahead of the old Blazer. However, they are really getting choosy with the option packages. Its not enough to get the basic LT package. There a lot of things I wish were included that arent

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  Last Chevy S10 - 1998 Chevrolet S-10
  By mbcinos - January 26 - 8:08 pm

  Junk, junk, and more junk from the GM people. I owned an older S10 (1985) and put 169,000 miles on it. This one has been one nightmare after another. I used to be a GM mechanic, so I saved myself a lot of repair bills. But fuel pump,O2 sensors, map sensor, two coils, various distributor caps, they say napa has the best one, Im going to try it next. K&N filter helps on gas mileage just as long as you dont spray much oil on it. Intake gaskets leaked antifreeze out instead of in ,so it didnt blow motor, lucky! The check engine light is almost always on and I cant get my brake lights to go out, which by the way is a common problem usualy caused by the master switch.

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  Nit picked to death - 1998 Chevrolet Malibu
  By Ron - January 26 - 2:49 pm

  Bought for step daughter at 120k, now with 175k. Drive train held up till about 170 with no issues, then head gasket went and tranny that you can not service, had to be replaced. I did not mind those due to mileage but the rest of the vehicle a disaster, abs, ignition, passlock, heater control, ABS sensors and more, majority items where maintenance can not be done.

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  Not a great experience. - 2005 Chevrolet Uplander
  By Rawiri - January 24 - 7:09 pm

  We leased this van in April 2005 and have been counting the days till April 2009 when it goes back. It has been mechanically reliable but weve had too many trips to the dealer for electrical, build quality and handling problems for us to call the van reliable. It constantly pulls to the right - wheel alignment doesnt help - and sways all over the road at highway speeds. My wife wont drive it, preferring our 97 F150! Cabin space and comfort is adequate although front storage is very limited as is the trunk area compared to other vans out there. We were seduced by the long list of features for the money compared to Honda and Toyota but next time will pay way more attention to quality.

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  Worst Ive ever owned - 1995 Chevrolet Suburban
  By Large - January 23 - 5:48 pm

  Purchased it used with ~80,000 miles in 2002. Felt comfortable doing this as I purchased it from the 1st owner that had all service records (dealer maintained). The engine failed at 92k miles. Replaced it with a new GM crate motor (5.7L). From there, it has been one constant failure after another. It now has $187,000 miles, but has had literally everything under the hood replaced (2 a/c compressors)as well as a transimission overhaul last month. I lost my shirt on this vehicle and am forced to keep it given what Ive had to invest. Ill donate it later this year to a charity as I cant sell this vehicle to anyone in good faith.

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  Uncertain - 2006 Chevrolet Equinox
  By garcia2107 - January 20 - 7:50 pm

  I bought my Nox in 2006 with 9 miles on it. At first I thought it was a great buy, but two and a half years later, its one thing after another with this wagon. It acts up every other day, refusing to start, the check engine light is always popping up and it feels as though I really have to step on the pedal to reach thirty mph. I have thought about trading in for a car but I would be in the hole about 4k. I do not recommend anyone buying this car.

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  Im very optimistic though - 2008 Chevrolet Equinox
  By consider ur options - January 20 - 10:47 am

  Well I traded in my 02 Envoy for the 08 Equinox sport, and by far I miss the smoothness of the ride the Envoy had. I had 150,000 miles on it and it still rode better. I like the Equinox, I dont love it. I do like the mpg better though. The turning radius is not good. Lots of blind spots! Its kind of a flimsy car. My buddy sat on the hood and it dented so easily, but I guess that is just how cars are built today. It handles very nice, but does not shift smooth at all. When I have the cruise control on it annoys me. It is good in the snow, but wish I would of got AWD. I love the remote start and the heated seats. I have the good stereo, but for some reason it does not get loud enough.

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  ABS Brakes / car fax reports - 2005 Chevrolet Uplander
  By rutter - January 14 - 12:27 am

  Ive only had my used 05 Uplander for less then a month. And here are the problems Ive had. 1- ABS bad sensor? Light comes on when Im going in reverse and step on the braks. Plus, I swear it sounds like grinding metal when the ABS kicks in. 2-front rotors warped? Wow, Im going to get a copy of the CARFAX report. The car only had 32,000 miles on it when I got it. So Im hoping to make this car last. My last car a Saturn VUE died just like my friends did at 159000. cracked head gasket and blown piston. Ive read alot or reviews, and Im hoping for the better side of them all. The one thing I miss is getting over 25 MPG with my Saturn, with all the driving I do.

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  EQI-NOT - 2005 Chevrolet Equinox
  By Puzzled Owner - January 13 - 11:31 pm

  At 30,000 miles a rear wheel bearing had to be replaced. The front brake rotors showed serious warping at 30,000 miles. The standard tires were substandard. The vehicle overall has bad gas mileage. It is a very handy vehicle for shopping, hauling. I have always been a GM man even when they rusted out in 3 years. Thank God the Japanese introduced their line. Even though I accumulate GM dollars, I will go foreign the next time around.

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  Good, Bad and the Ugly - 1993 Chevrolet Lumina
  By big dog - January 13 - 10:12 pm

  We got this car brand new! The handling was excellent. ABS worked great the one night I needed it. We had 230K miles when it gave up the ghost. The steering wheel had a great feel. The Bad: The cloth seats wore fast. The beverage cup holder broke so often the dealership sold them at cost to me. The back seat was horrible for any body over 8 years old. Alot of wind noise. The Ugly: The 4 wheel disc brakes had a recall / class action. Spent almost $1000 on replacing front brakes every 30K miles until I spent $1200 getting the entire brake system replaced. I got $43 in the class action. The tranny went south at 200K /$900 repair. Needed a engine rebuild at 230K. Got a brand 2005 Ford Focus.