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:

• 

  Great Car - 1996 Chevrolet Corsica
  By brent1996123 - January 14 - 11:24 pm

  Very Reliable strong v6 engine and strong transmission, ABS works great never had to replace a thing.

• 

  Great Crossover - 2010 Chevrolet Equinox
  By bradley2 - January 10 - 7:52 pm

  Purchased December 2009, now 22k miles, mostly HWY. Average 27 MPG, at 75+ MPH. No glitches, rattles, problems or issues. Looks great, is comfortable and a big improvement over the 2005 NOX we had (which we also liked and served us well). It looks, drives and feels like a $35k car.

• 

  Black on Black 1ss - 2011 Chevrolet Camaro
  By jhorton42 - January 9 - 1:05 pm

  Awesome performance and styling. Fun to drive and a pleasure to own.

• 

  I remember it fondly. - 2003 Chevrolet SSR
  By boyracer3 - January 9 - 9:29 am

  I am not usually not sentimental when it comes to automobiles. I generally long for something every 6-30 months. And though I only owned it for a year I still smile whenever I see one...I was living in SoCal and only recall having the top up twice. I really loved that truck. It was a little short on legroom and was a little tight with the top up but it made up for it with a joyful temperament. It had a wonderful exhaust note and when the top was down it felt more like a wake boat than a truck. It was nimble and a blast to drive. The designers did a great job,it was seamless from inside to outside. Youd almost expect to find a repurposed Pontiac sun fire interior in it but no! Cont...

• 

  2009 Chevrolet Cobalt - 2009 Chevrolet Cobalt
  By jjcarter11 - January 7 - 7:17 am

  I just purchased this amazing car and from the very beginning have enjoyed everything from the color to the handling of the car. The acceleration is outstanding! Would highly recommend this car to any car enthusiast who is looking for outstanding value matched with performance.

• 

  Imma Chevy Girl - 2004 Chevrolet Impala
  By latashas - January 6 - 9:45 pm

  Ive been blessed with the opportunity to drive multiple cars ranging from a 7 series BMW, a Cadillac Eldorado, and multiple chevys. I love my chevy as a courrier I travel about 8 times more than the average person. Bought the car in 2007 with 50,000 miles and here it is three years later and I have over 194,000 on it. Every day I get in and it cranks right up regardless of what may be going on with it. I have had to make the obvious repairs to do wear and tear but I can tell you this, if you take care of your car it will take care of you.

• 

  Great so far! - 2008 Chevrolet Equinox
  By jdeluca1 - January 5 - 11:22 am

  My wife and I bought the Equinox LT2 AWD used with about 19k miles on it. Due to Chevrolets hit or miss reliability, we purchased the additional full warranty through 75k miles coverage. Since we bought it, we have put a ton of highway miles on it and now has 78k miles on it. The entire time we have had it--no problems thus far. The only thing we have noticed was the paint bubbles from road debris which isnt covered. I was completely surprised to read all of the terrible reviews about the Equinox on this site. We have had NO water inside, no transmission problems, no engine misfiring or anything. It has been a great buy for us and we would recommend!

• 

  Rear Panels Leaking - 2010 Chevrolet Avalanche
  By psmith179 - January 3 - 6:56 pm

  I bought my new 2010 avalanche after trading in my 2007 avalnache. The only problem i have with this truck is, it leaks water on ther rear while the panels are on. They have replaced them already and Im waiting on them to replace them again. Is anyone else having this problem?

• 

  I enjoy this car - 2010 Chevrolet Malibu
  By seadog5 - January 2 - 9:34 pm

  I just went over 10000 on my LTZ and have not had a single problem. We have taken two long trips in it and found it to be comfortable and quiet. Handled really nice in some heavy winds when other cars were being blown all over. I have not yet driven it in the snow but it has good traction in the rain. The dealer is great and I love all the little toys in the car.

• 

  2010 Camaro - 2010 Chevrolet Camaro
  By alanjxn1 - January 2 - 5:38 pm

  I have had my 2010 Camaro for almost 2 years and the only problems I have had is the tire pressure sensor and the paint. Mine is black and I have had alot of people wanting to see it up close to include police officers.