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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  Good, but needs improvements - 2005 Chevrolet Equinox
  By rms492 - March 31 - 1:43 pm

  Bought an 05 Equinox, used at CarMax. Had about 26,000 miles, I put about 15K a year. Now approaching 60K. The Equinox is an average SUV, nothing remarkable about it. It goes about its business well. I replaced the front brakes (rotors and pads) at about 35K, the cheap rotors they came with were warped. I bought Bendex rotors, great rotors! Also, the usual starting problem, the engine will not fully turn over, without pressing the gas (appears to happen to many people, according to here). Also, high beam light flickers on and off when you use turn signals. Overall an okay SUV, but cheap interior.

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  2007 Cobalt LT - 2007 Chevrolet Cobalt
  By bigbadjim - March 31 - 11:21 am

  I am a larger man at 62" and I find that the Cobalt has the best leg room of compact cars. The Cobalt also offers a quiet ride and very good stability. We owned a 2005 Focus SES and this is hands down a better car and it is less "tinny". The power is decent and it offers a full compliment of standard features for a decent price. We paid $11,500 w/ only 13,500 miles on it.

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  Happy with My Equinox - 2008 Chevrolet Equinox
  By Sandy Miller - March 31 - 11:07 am

  I have only had the vehicle one week and so far I am very happy with it. I am impressed with all the features it has for the amount of money it cost. I especially like the automatic start. I am a single woman, and this is a good feature for me. I also like the OnStar feature and hands free telephone. I drive to work every day, a 52 mile round-trip day, so far I am getting approx 21 MPG. I hope to get better as the car breaks in, of course this is a lot better, than what I was getting with my Chevy Avalanche. My friends are very impressed with the looks of the vehicle, inside and out. So far I think I made a good decision to buy an Equinox.

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  2004 Impala - 2004 Chevrolet Impala
  By Duclz - March 31 - 10:15 am

  Have had very few break downs, only problem have been the brakes but it is not that much of a problem. Also it gets pretty good gas mileage for a 4dr Sudan. Though I found the default radio deck controls kind of confusing at first, as I am use to simpler buttons, but there not that hard to understand.

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  Great for the money - 2000 Chevrolet Cavalier
  By ryan - March 31 - 8:56 am

  Its a car. I only put about 3000 miles on a year but reliability is great. Extremely uncomfortable seats, dasboard cracks, stereo system ok, car is black and only after 7 years the paint is in horrible condition, but is expected for color. Reliability is great and most parts if needed are extremely cheap for someone who can install themselves. Never had any major problems with anything else

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  Problems with my HHR - 2006 Chevrolet HHR
  By Linda - March 31 - 7:15 am

  I love driving my 2006 HHR. It comes with many standard features that on most cars you would pay extra. My problem since I have owned it include having to get keys reprogrammed, radio making noise when not on and would pop when turning on (had to be reprogrammed), had to get gear shift replaced because not unlocking doors when put out of gear and now in shop twice for oil leak (replaced gasket but still leaking a puddle of oil when sitting. I have 29,000 miles on my vehicle.

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  Cruze is nice, but not great - 2011 Chevrolet Cruze
  By chevy68 - March 31 - 6:33 am

  Huge step up from the Cobalt in styling, ride and handling, interior, and features. However, I am only achieving 28 to 29 mpg on 98% highway driving with the 1.8L engine with 6-speed automatic transmission. The EPA highway rating is 35 mpg. I always achieve highway EPA mpg ratings on my cars with my driving style. I took the Cruze back to the dealership to check out and I got 32.9 mpg on the loaner Malibu! They found no issues but I am very disappointed in the poor fuel economy.

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  Good ol truck, but still helps - 1990 Chevrolet S-10
  By toyoracing2008 - March 30 - 6:18 pm

  Good truck. Its been dependable as can be for it being almost 17 years old. But, compared to other vehicles of different brands, the metal used for the body was very poor, the bed panel rusted out and now theres a gaping hole, the bottom of the doors have rusted, as has the left door jams. I love the truck, but I still think chevy could have done better even with the new S10s, I mean, come on, it has only .3 liters less than Fords 4.6 V8, and yet only around 200 horses? I love my truck, enough said..

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  Great cheap minivan - 1997 Chevrolet Venture
  By bigdog - March 30 - 5:55 pm

  We bought this minivan used in 05 for $5000 with 77,000 miles on it. Excellent paint job- little to no rust for a 11 yr old New England van! Weve put on 35,000 miles in 2.5 yrs of owning it and spent $5000 in repairs including an engine rebuild and power steering work. That was largely the result of purchasing from an unscrupulous dealer. After the initial expenses, the minivan has done amazingly even in VT winters and I have used it extensively. It came with a roof rack, keyless entry, power windows and cruise control. Assuming if I can keep its annual repair costs under $ 1000, I will keep this car until the rust takes it down!

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  Great truck - 2006 Chevrolet Colorado
  By Tom - March 30 - 5:15 pm

  Just a touch underpowered but good fuel mileage and comfortable ride is worth it. 24 mpg on the highway. When going on the beach, wouldnt want any other truck. I have pulled every other model out. More F150s than any other. Even had some refuse help cause they drove a Ford. O well, I just drove on by.