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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  Piece of junk! - 2005 Chevrolet TrailBlazer
  By juliep83 - April 21 - 2:57 pm

  I have had my 05 trailblazer for almost 2 years and nothing but problems! Aside from all the mechanical problems, the wind noise around the Windows is terrible, gas mileage is less than the sticker says, interior is made very cheap, inside of the rear doors are rusting, rear wiper hinge has broke many times, tires wear unevenly. Ive always had a Chevy but never again! My advice is dont but a trailblazer! Oh and their trade in value is terrible!

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  Regret buying - 2007 Chevrolet Cobalt
  By Sean - April 21 - 2:05 pm

  Car runs well, no problem under the hood but its built crappy. After a while car rattles on highway when pushing on brake. This car is not reliable. I bought this car Feb of 2008 and traded it in for a brand new Scion tc this month. Car is not worth it.

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  Problems - 1998 Chevrolet Malibu
  By Ron - April 20 - 7:50 pm

  Bought it with 120,000 on it, concerned about the engine and tranny but had them checked out and until now 170,000 (tranny is out) both have done well. However everything else seemingly has gone wrong. Ignition switch, heater control, abs system, wheel sensors and on and on.

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  Good and sad - 2007 Chevrolet Aveo
  By ReC - April 18 - 3:13 am

  I bought this car mainly for the fuel economy: (1.6L 4cyl 5A) 25-30. We were so happy until--15,000 miles and bang, major repair, in shop for a week now, waiting for parts in drive train/control arm. This is a major disappointment. The car is light in the high winds! Should have bought the Toyota Corolla for 2k more.

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  Tough look - 2003 Chevrolet Blazer
  By Dug - April 17 - 9:04 pm

  Bought this ZR2 4X4 used (3600mi) because it appeared to be set up to handle back country (skid plates, big tires, upgraded shocks, etc) and offered more room and comfort than CJ style Jeep. Mine is yellow like the picture and has most options. Have had no problems (except a little oil drip) now at 24000mi. Just figured out it has grease fittings on stearing linkage! It is not as tight as my 98 Ford F150. Has performed well in rough conditions. Gas milage never over 20mpg. Tire on back contributes to already dangerous rear vision limits. Back seat entry difficult. Filling gas tank to top needs slow pump speed. Overall I like this vehicle for the Rocky Mountain area where I live.

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  Good but not the best - 2006 Chevrolet Impala
  By G. Young - April 16 - 9:50 am

  Since I own my Impala SS, it rates high on the fun level but med on the design level. The seat risers had to be replaced,along with the steering shaft. I had computer issues the remote start, starting distance was reduced down to about 5 feet from well over a 100 feet when I first bought the car. But outside of the little minor glitches the car is really fun to drive and own. Gas miliage is no where near what it was rated. But I have learned to use cruise control more and less foot. I still love the car.

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  Desperate salesman sells a car - 2008 Chevrolet Cobalt
  By Justin - April 14 - 12:55 pm

  So far driving in this car I have seen that getting to 50 is quite an effort. I also feel a lag while trying to get to 70 on the interstate. The ride is smooth and the radio is nice. I like the hepa filter the AC/Heater has is a nice feature for an allergy sufferer I am. The seats are not as comfortable as my Escape. The car does at some points keep its energy enough to allow me to move up the interstate with the flow which is good.

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  Past Chevy Lover But No More - 2001 Chevrolet S-10
  By Terry - April 11 - 12:59 pm

  First let me state of letting everyone know my heart and soul is Chevrolet but I will never buy any more Chevys. I have had a lot probles with the truck brakes, rear end, and now the one that takes the cake is the drive line a double cardan joint that no drive line shop will give you any kind of repair warranty it and the reason there giving is its an engineering problem. But in short I was going to buy a Camaro when it came out but I keep my money in my pocket

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  Buyer beware - 2005 Chevrolet SSR
  By Wendy - April 10 - 1:29 pm

  I have never owned a vehicle that spent as much time in the shop as this vehicle has. Yes, I love the power and the unique sporty look, but its all a facade. This vehicle has spent nearly 60 days in the shop for various problems and it has under 14K miles. GM did not manufacture sufficient replacement parts to fix these vehicles either. So be warned. So far, they had to replace my starter & ignition, both internal door releases, the water pump, and the latest is the headlights and other electircal and something with the center console. And the cupholders everyone seems to mention, mine broke too. This vehicle has been in the shop an average of every 2K miles. A 2 rating was generous!

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  expensive repairs - 2001 Chevrolet Tracker
  By young - April 8 - 11:12 am

  My tracker does have 112,000 miles. It is in the shop again today for its second rebuilt alternator. looking over since bought put about 3,000. in repairs. Brakes have been done four times, including roters. Also both rear brake springs broke and replaced. Belts broken & replaced and had to bypass A/C when broke due to astronomical price to replace. Last week power steering belt broken & replaced. Although it is still limping along, dont see much trade in value left.