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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  Never buy another GM product - 2007 Chevrolet Impala
  By Sandy - April 8 - 9:34 am

  We owned 2005 Impala loved the car. No trouble with it. Bought a 2007, was told it was a program car, later found it was titled to a rental car company. Since we bought it, we have had it in the shop 3 times for steering. The last time, they had to replace the gear box and pump. It has 35,000 miles so is barely under warranty. Apparently the steering cannot be fixed. Still steers okay sometimes, not okay others. Intermittently radio has no sound, you can turn station selector and change volume control. Service dept. cant duplicate. The heater has also done this, but not for the same length of time. Gas mileage is horrible and gets worse with each fill up. Down to 22 mpg.

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  Typical ami-car from Canada - 1999 Chevrolet Lumina
  By euro - April 7 - 4:18 pm

  Good performance, mileage, reliability, reasonably comfortable and great trunk space (with a lousy hinge system). After I reglued all Canadian-installed door weather stipping with silicon (it kept pulling off when the doors opened...) I havent found much to complain about. Maybe its too long in the nose, but thats minor.

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  Colorado better than it looks but - 2004 Chevrolet Colorado
  By Matt Risk - April 6 - 1:50 am

  Three months after I bought it iIwas in a wreck, saved my life, but since then the power windows motor has gone out in both windows, one after the other. The interior is bigger than it looks in regular cab. Runs great considering I drive it about 70 miles a day, could use better gas mileage though.

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  Fit and finish - 2007 Chevrolet Silverado 1500
  By scottrobbie - April 5 - 10:00 pm

  Interior fit and finish is poor. The plastic rattles and makes cracking noises. Wind noises in town and on the highway. The seats make cardboard noise when sat in. The doors rattle and the radio sounds cheap 4.8 auto-track is a great power train. Gas mileage is average. Factory tires could be updated.

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  Electrical nightmare - 2006 Chevrolet HHR
  By rick - April 5 - 9:05 pm

  When we bought our HHR It was our first new car. We thought it was going to be the last new car we would buy for a long time. Little did we know it was an electrical nightmare. The radio shorted out two times. The brake lights shorted out. The headlights would not go out. The inside lights stayed on and the door chime wouldnt quit dinging. Then the electrical wireing fried under the dash. The dealer had to replace the complete harness from front to back. Now the wipers go nuts when they are on intermedant. The headlights are blinking off and on. Now the radio is starting to go out again. I wish we had bought something else. Never again

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  Hate it! - 2006 Chevrolet Impala
  By cabnweb - April 3 - 7:50 pm

  The only good thing is it is roomy. I have had so many problems with this car I traded in my Subaru Baja for more room but I hate the day I lost my Subie. The cloth on the seats has fuzz balls on them and they catch dirt so bad. The rotors have had trouble and it keeps a vibration that they cant keep fixed for more than a few weeks. I cant even type all the things I hate about this car. It declined in value more than any car I have ever had. I usually trade about once a year and I usually do pretty good but this is the first car I have been upside down in. I gave $17,000. For it less than a year ago and it only has 32,000 miles on it and now it only books for 9 to $10,000. Very sick over that!

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  Lemon, current state of US auto mfg - 2003 Chevrolet Avalanche
  By The Dude - April 3 - 11:49 am

  My daily driver, inherited at 89k now 120k. Constant electrical problems. Wheel/steering shimmy. Tailgate cables broke. Electrical: tach and fuel gauge occasionally misread, reduced engine power comes on on cold starts and not as over-heating protection AC comes on in recirc mode, rear door locks only work manually and they keep blowing unlock relay fuse, difficulty starting-starter may be wearing out. Lumbar support is terrible for drives over an hour, but who can afford to drive that far anyway? Ring and pinion gears needed replacement at 115K. Ive read tons of problem blogs regarding electronics. Is this truck a lemon?

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  Just dont hit a deer! - 1998 Chevrolet Blazer
  By kbwjc07 - April 2 - 10:29 pm

  Ran ok for the first 4 1/2 years. Had to replace the altenator, and belts,by the 5th year. But the interior didnt last 6 months. Vanity mirror cover on visors fell off. Handels on seats snapped off(cheap metal). Power seat motor gave out. Then the wiper motor, both front and rear wipers useless. A/C also. Then we hit the suicidal deer. Ball joints, rotors, bearings, basically the whole suspension. Internalized fuel pumps and sensors are a big mistake. 4wd works when it wants to. Power windows work one day then nothing the next. Repairs just seem to domino effect with this model. But all in all hanging in there given the milage and trauma

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  3 years of Frustration - 2005 Chevrolet Impala
  By Frustrated - April 2 - 10:27 am

  I bought my 2005 Impala in Dec/04 it was great for about a year. I come from a Chevy/GM family. Now I will never buy another Chevy. In the past year I have had to replace the ignition, fuel pressure regulator and have jerky and sluggish response when accelerating. Even the body is falling apart. Took it to the car wash and parts fell off and to add insult to injury after 3 years im still upside down on a trade! Chevy has really gone down hill! Dont buy a new Chevy unless they start making them like they used to!!

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  What a nightmare! - 2007 Chevrolet Tahoe
  By Tracy - March 30 - 12:29 pm

  Wish I had never purchased the 2007 Tahoe. The battery continually dies and the source has yet to be found. It has been to the dealership 5 times with no resolution. While many of the features are great, they are over shadowed by the frustration of finding that the car wont start and having to charge the battery at least twice a week. The nicest thing I can say about the Tahoe is that it looks pretty sitting in the driveway. Very expensive yard art! This will be my last GM purchase.