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:

• 

  No HP (yes I know its only a 1.6,4-Cyl) - 2007 Chevrolet Aveo
  By Chris .S. - August 27 - 1:46 am

  I bought my 07 Aveo in October (4,649 Miles and tagged at $11,000). The vehicle does really good in city driving, but leaves something to be desired at highway speeds. I own the manual transmission and had to upgrade with an aftermarket intake just to feel like I was moving faster then a stagecoach. All in all, the car is fairly "stable" once you reach your goal speed (as long as it isnt windy) but takes a long time to accelerate even when you lean on the higher RPMs. And it would be a good car for the price if you dont care about looks or horses thanks to the the MPG and dependability factor. But thats all it has going for it to be honest. My opinion is buy another vehicle like the Cobalt.

• 

  Nice while it lasted - 2001 Chevrolet Camaro
  By cre92468 - August 25 - 4:45 pm

  Was fun to take the t-tops off and drive around, and got pretty good fuel mileage. Had to keep replacing the passenger side turn bulb because the bulbs kept melting. Had to hand wash it because if I went through the automatic car wash, water would always come in.

• 

  Klunky - 2006 Chevrolet Cobalt
  By JB - August 25 - 12:52 pm

  Bread truck handling, braking, and acceleration. Rattles and clunks. Cheapest kind of plastic and mouse fur interior. Air conditioning takes a long time to cool down on a hot day. That the vent always defaults to "open" doesnt help. The LED multi-function odometer tries to do too much. Noisy engine when pushed. Automatic transmission cant decide which gear it wants to be in. This cars begging for a stick shift. Gas gauge hard to read.

• 

  Mileage stinks - 2003 Chevrolet TrailBlazer
  By Jo - August 25 - 10:47 am

  I only have 17,500 miles on this vehicle. I get 11 mph in town and 16 mph highway. I have the v6 engine. Thought about trading it even though it is in mint condition and very well maintained. Decided that the difference in cost for a new vehicle would buy a lot of gas.

• 

  Not Pleased - 2006 Chevrolet Equinox
  By Kristin - August 23 - 1:15 am

  For more than a year, I never had a problem and then suddenly it started acting up. It was still under warranty and the dealership has offered to extend the warranty free of charge and give me free roadside assistance, but it still isnt worth it. Sometimes when I am driving it stops suddenly. Usually it happens shortly after starting it up, but it has happened once while I was driving down the road. Other times it doesnt start at all. But it is inconsistent and the dealership cant find anything wrong with it. Ive done some research online and found that this problem isnt only happening to my Equipnox.

• 

  Counting the days till I return! - 2005 Chevrolet Equinox
  By unhappyMA - August 21 - 3:16 pm

  This was the first GM car I have ever bought and it will be the last. I had to replace the struts and strut mounts as well as the front axle at 14,000 miles. The front brakes and rotors at 35,000 and the rear brakes have been deglazed 3 times the first was at 10,000 miles. The car is so loud, you hear ever bump in the road. The car handles horribly and does not feel safe. The only thing I am happy about is that I did not purchase the vehicle instead I used the smart buy program and I will be returning it early in December. The worst part is GM knows the issues with the safety of the car an ignores them.

• 

  Reliable small car - 2001 Chevrolet Cavalier
  By Darwin - August 20 - 2:03 pm

  Bought this car new and now have 86000 km of mixed city and highway driving. Also have a trailer hitch and frequently pull a utility trailer and a small boat trailer with no problems. Automatic transmission is reliable and smooth. This is not a race car or very flashy but good reliable transportation. Had to replace the front wheel bearings - driver side last fall and passenger side this spring.

• 

  No Frills Ride - 2004 Chevrolet Cavalier
  By Monkey Man - August 18 - 10:33 am

  Nothing really surprising about it. The EcoTec engine is much more powerful than the clunker they used to put in Cavaliers. The sheetmetal is paper thin and dents easily. I damaged my quarter panel and was able to repair it by removing it, stomping on it a few times with my sneakers and putting it back on. The metal is that thin! It has been pretty reliable so far without problems, but Im nowhere near the 100K mile mark yet. Interior and road noise is higher than in the late 90s versions. Ride is choppier too due to the tighter suspension and the 14" wheels. Styling is nothing exceptional but it looks better than it used to. Ugly toilet flusher style interior door handles, ugh.

• 

  Beware - 2007 Chevrolet Uplander
  By Dom - August 17 - 6:05 pm

  Out of 1 year I have owned vehicle, it has been in the service shop 6 times because of passenger sliding door problems. Its either the door gets stuck in fully opened position (2x), pops back open after closing, closes partially then stops. Door has been out of alignment 4 times, and the the front passenger door was out of alignment once. Other consumers have reported door opened while car was in motion. Chevy has been unable to fix and seems to be stymied.

• 

  Gas hog - 2007 Chevrolet Colorado
  By Dave - August 14 - 11:21 am

  The back seat head rests are so big you cannot see out the back window. I have to keep the back seat folded down to have better visability. My in town mileage is 13 to 14 miles per gallon with the straight 5 cylinder engine. This really upsets me.