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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  2003 Silverado, is the Truck to Buy - 2003 Chevrolet Silverado 1500
  By ChevyDriver - January 14 - 2:00 am

  5.3 V8 is a great engine. Powerful and quick, even for a truck. The ride is very smooth, not too much bounce. Its a great looking truck.

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  Hoping For More - 2005 Chevrolet Colorado
  By pricezright - January 13 - 8:15 pm

  I talked myself into buying this Chevy because I didnt want to pay an extra 4K for the Tacoma. I tried to look past the Consumer Report ratings, but they are pretty much dead on. The gas mileage is not bad, but not great either for a 5 cyl. I average 18.5 MPG in the summer with a mix of hilly and flat driving. Winter (with warming the car up) it averages 15.5 MPG. Towing a small trailer isnt too bad, except going up hills. Handling is good. Extended cab access is good. I like the size of the truck. Interior is cheap, seats are cheap. Ive had it to the dealer 3 or 4 times in less than a year, luckily the warranty covered it all. Bed feels like its made of tin. Wont buy again.

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  Great vehicle - 2008 Chevrolet Equinox
  By lap - January 13 - 2:59 pm

  So far, I love my Equinox! Its sporty and fun to drive. I can take the grandkids and all their stuff to their sporting events and yet I am comfortable driving it to a high profile meeting.

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  Two Transmissions in 150K - 2002 Chevrolet Venture
  By Heather Thurs - January 13 - 12:25 pm

  Overall, I love the Venture. No problems with entertainment system, power doors, or comfort etc. Dissappointed to replace transmission at 104,000 miles. Extremely disappointed to have replaced again at 150,000. Proper maintainance schedules have been followed.

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  Critique - 2005 Chevrolet Equinox
  By J. Pritchett - January 13 - 12:00 pm

  Equinox has good styling but limited visibility when driving due to back seat headrests. Has long turning ratio, which is not good. Noticable when parking. No glove box light, cannot see in at night. Cowls have more vinyl covering the interior, dash and door panels.

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  A little iffy - 2005 Chevrolet Equinox
  By Steph - January 13 - 3:36 am

  Have had the Equinox for 6 mths. I am very satisfied with the comfort and room in the interior. The only problem, the seats stain really bad when rain gets on them. The exterior is beautiful. Other than the bumpers fading, its great. As far as the vehicle itself, I am very unsatisfied. Been in the shop several times and never found a problem. Have problems starting it sometimes, check engine light comes on almost everyday. I went from a 2000 Protege to this, a brand new car, and would much rather have my old car back, never had any problems.

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  High Smileage Red Hauler - 2005 Chevrolet Colorado
  By BK Culbertson - January 13 - 1:03 am

  This is a great truck! I traded out of luxury cars to trucks and never looked back. Mileage is very good, comfort on long trips is excellent, hauling ability is terrific, and Colorados fun to drive!! I looked at Toyotas(high price, low value), Dodge(felt like tin, too hard to drive), ford(your grandpas truck, sluggish and sloppy), Nissan(all sizzle, no meat). Chevy built an absolute winner with the Colorado and GMC with the Canyon. As soon as I got mine, 2 friends bought em! Get one!

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  is okay to drive - 2005 Chevrolet Equinox
  By m.diaz - January 12 - 11:40 pm

  Fun, very easy to park, excellent to drive on extreme weather. The only thing that the designer has to improve is the windshield area, when it snows you get a lot of acumulation there, you actually have to stop and clean the snow to continue driving safely.

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  Fuel Injector problems - 2003 Chevrolet Silverado 2500HD
  By Kurt & Cindy - January 12 - 8:40 pm

  Paid all cash and had hopes for many years of good use. At about 90K we had fuel injector problems which were repaired under warranty. 50K later at 140,000 we began to see smoke from the tail pipe. Took the car into Chevy service and was told that two or three injectors were beginning to fail, but that they still tested to be acceptable by GM standards. The car billowed smoke, a few weeks later we found fuel in our motor oil. Still no budge from GM to repair the injectors which were covered under a extended warranty but still tested within their standards. GM didnt care if we blew our motor as it wasnt covered. Were done with GM.

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  Money Pit - 2003 Chevrolet Tahoe
  By Kiki - January 12 - 5:32 pm

  I love my Tahoe, but I have had many problems with it. The intermediate shafts gone out twice. The actuator for the vent controls going out (will eventually lose control over where the a/c and heat come out). Speedometer cluster went out. Passenger windows getting slow. Steering wheel and driver door sqeak uncontrollably (door bolt costs $100 to fix). Chevy says actuator, intermediat shaft, and speedometer cluster problems are common in Tahoes with this body style. Not sure if Ill ever buy another one. All of the problems have been expensive and made me dislike the car that I once loved. Not worth the money. The new ones would have to be totally different for me to buy one.