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 truck - 2002 Chevrolet Silverado 3500
  By doug - December 28 - 3:50 pm

  I have had all three brands of trucks. This one hauls and rides the best. As far as reliability, I have been more than pleased. GM hit the right cue when putting this truck together. Duramax/Allison, best combination. I tow a 44 ft trailer @ 26000lbs and get 10-11.5 mpg. I will be hard pressed to go back to a different brand. Great work GM!

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  Fun to drive - 2010 Chevrolet Equinox
  By johnpak - December 28 - 10:53 am

  I drove from Philadephia to Harrisburg on the PA turnpike with little traffic early Saturday morning. I stayed at gear M6 most of the way with cruise on at 70 mph (must be alert and careful all the time on cruise). When passing other slower vehicles just press - to shift to M5 and got up to 80 easily. The ride was smooth and fun.

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  08 Corvette Coupe - 2008 Chevrolet Corvette
  By Tim - December 28 - 7:40 am

  Ordered a 08 coupe back in October. Arrived at the dealer on 12/11/07. Took delivery on 12/12/07. Just completed the 500 mile break-in. Love the improvement in the steering. Better on center feel. Love the NPP exhaust. Finally the C6 sounds like a sports car. Nice deep/throaty sound. Best new feature is the LS3 v8 engine. 436 hp and sooooo silky smooth! Glad I made the upgrade from a 05 C6 coupe. Love it when other drivers pull up along side me at a traffic light and give me that "Geez I wish I had your car" look. "Americas Sports Car" is awesome for 2008!

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  Be Cautious!!! - 2013 Chevrolet Traverse
  By Jessica - December 28 - 2:45 am

  We purchased my 2013 Traverse pre-owned in January 2016. It was a GM Certified Pre-owned that did have warranty coverage. I will say that I LOVE how it drives for such a large SUV. I love the back up camera and sensors as well. We were generally comfortable, even on long road trips. My husband did complain of knee-room while driving, but he is 65" so he is taller than the norm. My problems began with the first oil change, they found an oil leak and had to remove the engine to find it. They also noticed that my timing chains were loose and went ahead and tightened those. A few months later, the blower for the rear A/C went out completely and had to be replaced (almost a week in the shop). That September we were returning from vacation and an A/C hose "popped" while we were driving down the interstate and we were stuck in Alabama an extra day. At the beginning of this year, as I was driving home from my moms, all the lights on my dash starting going off, I couldnt move my steering wheel, and my engine shut off ( I was in the middle of a curve on a backroad with my toddler in the car). I was able to coast to a safe spot and had the car towed to the dealership. This was caused by "catastrophic engine failure" and had to replace my engine. Everything up to this point has been covered under warranty (Thank goodness!) Two days ago, the same thing happened with the addition of a squealing noise. This time my A/C compressor locked up. So this twice that my car has completely shut off while driving down the road (with my son in it) and this repair is going to cost me almost $2200.00. If I had to pay for all of these repairs I would have spent $7-10,000.00! I have spent about a month and a half in demo cars total because of time that my car was being repaired. I will say that the dealership and service that I deal with is FANTASTIC and they are helping me find a comparable vehicle to do an even trade and are giving me a good value for my car, and I am so thankful for that. I may have bought the one truly defective Traverse, but it has been nothing but a headache from the get-go.

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  Love my Avalanche - 2002 Chevrolet Avalanche
  By Frank C. - December 28 - 12:58 am

  I bought it new & now have 74,000 miles. I love this truck & would buy another. The major mechanicals engine, transmission, suspension, brakes, etc., no problems, however, the rear axle bearings had to be replaced at one point, which is the only problem that I have had with the truck. Very reliable & can always count on it. Very comfortable & smooth for a truck. Very useful, like the midgate & the rubber lined bed.

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  2005 Cobalt LS Coupe - 2005 Chevrolet Cobalt
  By JC - December 28 - 12:00 am

  So far my Cobalt has been great. I have the LS Coupe (5spd) with sport package. I have not had any problems at all. Gas mileage is ok; I get about 30-31hgwy, 23-24 City. Performance is pretty good; more standard power then civic or corolla. Ride is comfortable; very quiet also takes rough roads well. If your a fan of driving stick, like me, youll enjoy how this car shifts. Its smooth and not boxy like other cars. Im very happy thus far, other just missing the emlpoyee discount.

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  Best little car for the money bar none. - 2008 Chevrolet Aveo
  By Miles - December 27 - 1:09 pm

  I went into my local Chevrolet dealer looking for a good used car, ended up buying the 2008 Chevy Aveo. Bottom line price. The actual mileage I get on the highway is not what was stated on the sticker, but all things considered I only have 1k miles on it. Not quite broken in yet. Best mileage 32.47. Not bad for a car I payed $7499.00. Mine is the base model. I highly recommend if you are going to commute which I drive 100 miles a day, get cruise control. I have cruise control on order and send it to chevy tomorrow to get it installed. Small on the outside large on the inside. I am a 511" 240lbs. I have enough room in it. Plenty of visual all the way around the car as so I can merge easily.

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  NICE TRUCK!` - 2011 Chevrolet Silverado 1500
  By kevinbgy - December 27 - 10:55 am

  I enjoy the ride quality as well as the glances that I get when cruising through town. The exterior design has to be the best out of all the trucks that I compared it to. The interior needs some work, it is plain and boring not enough thought and time has gone into the design and layout. I live 12 miles from the nearest town and I travel daily on the interstate and this appears to be affecting the brakes on my truck significantly! The vehicle is brand new only 3 months old and has about 7000 miles on it and I have had to have the ceramic disk brakes replaced TWICE on it. I will admit that sometimes I tend to have a heavy foot and really push the vehicle but this is not often.

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  4DR ZR2 4WD SUV 6cyl - 2001 Chevrolet Tracker
  By shelby - December 27 - 6:28 am

  I bought this vehicle because I wanted a small SUV 4wd for Michigan winter driving and the price was reasonable compared to others. 95k miles later and no major problems to report. On windy days you do have to hang on to steering wheel tight and watch your blindspots on side and rearview mirrors. Rack and pinion steering is great. Also easy stepping in and out of vehicle. Seating could use a little more padding. Easy to drive.

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  Nothing but problems - 2006 Chevrolet Uplander
  By chief_tc - December 26 - 10:04 pm

  Overall the vehicle is stable and mostly comfortable at highway speeds and is responsive in around town driving. No idea of fuel economy - my fuel system (sending unit to gauge assembly) has been replaced - service cant tell me why my wife keeps running out of gas when the gauge says 1/2 tank. Also had brakes replaced (2x), all side power door lock parts replaced (both sides) and now it needs to have the headlights repaired.