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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  Nevermind... - 2005 Chevrolet Cobalt
  By mikearcure - August 27 - 12:49 am

  Im late writing this, but after having this car for 14 months I have to say it was worst car Ive ever owned. My initial review was good, but I mustve spoken too soon because not a few weeks later I started having major problems. First, the rear passenger exterior door handle broke off during normal use. Then, the car made this terrible clunking noise under the passenger seat. I took it to multiple repair shops and no one knew what was wrong. Finally, the transmission went for no reason (mind you this was an 8 year old car). It was worse than my 13 year old Cavalier! As the cost to get a new trans cost more than the car was worth, I just junked it and bought a new 2013 Kia Rio.

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  Defects Galore - 2007 Chevrolet Tahoe
  By rigrig - August 15 - 1:15 am

  Bought Tahoe in December 2006, Till this day it still has "Stabilitrack" message on panel. Suv goes about 15 Mph all of a sudden, and then doesnt go past 45 Mph. Had it serviced twice in past. Two years ago door chrome handle peeled off again. Had them replaced once. Steering wheel peeled completely. Other older problems that warranty didnt cover, Seat belt casing fell off of back seat. Dashboard is cracked in 3 places. Paint on trim faded a couple months after buying it. Rear defrost wire is unsoldered. Battery has been replaced twice. But maybe it just uses a lot of electricity. Not satisfied with this vehicle. Will never buy another "Chevy"

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  Used to be a Chevy/GM fan, will never purchase another! - 2004 Chevrolet Suburban
  By orionman - August 11 - 9:27 pm

  We purchase our Z71 Suburban used from the original owner with 125k miles. 3 weeks after purchase we started having major problems. Its now been 1.5 years and Im into it over $3k out of pocket in repairs alone! The 4wd and complete A/C system went out and cost a fortune to repair, It eats brakes, replaced the battery twice, exhaust leak that kills the power, the list goes on and on.The front speakers for the stereo only work, the interior is cheap plastic that rattles like crazy. GM build quality in these is non-existent. If I can help anyone in their pursuit for a full size family SUV, please please please run away from the 2001-2006 Chevy/GM Suvs! Their all garbage from the get go!

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  Very mediocre - 2014 Chevrolet Cruze
  By funruffian - August 4 - 11:10 pm

  What can you expect from a company vehicle? If you see a car simply as an appliance,its not bad. But if you are looking for a sedan with comfort and performance, shop somewhere else. The Cruze is pretty lousy. The car is underpowered for a sedan weighing over 3,000 pounds. If you are going 70 MPH on the highway and step on the accelerator, hoping to pass up another car, this thing is a dog. You are better off getting a Corolla for a little better price and better MPG. Only 29 MPG is not very rave fuel economy for a car with only 138 HP. Worst yet are the seats. its like sitting on a cement park bench. Everyone at my company who drives this car complains about the discomfort.

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  It cannot get out of its own way. - 2013 Chevrolet Spark
  By archmage69 - August 4 - 9:11 pm

  The A/C is less effective than having the windows down. Good luck getting up any hills, this vehicle has no torque. After getting up any hills the vehicle smells like rotten eggs to pay you back for pushing it too hard, which the dealership will blame on the gas. It will rev up and accelerate without the gas being depressed. At least the keys stay in the ignition while it does this. Somtimes it will not start, maybe its an issue with the onstar. Did I mention the A/C sucks.

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  LTZ Magnetic Suspension Problems - 2015 Chevrolet Tahoe
  By ryan92683 - July 29 - 8:33 am

  I have put just under 5000 miles on my 15 LTZ 4x4, and take serious issue with the ride quality of this car. This is my 3rd full-size GM SUV in 10 years, and the LTZ magnetic suspension this year is, by far, the roughest riding I have ever experienced. I purchased this "top of the line" model due to great luck and comfort experienced with previous Tahoe/Yukons with adaptive suspensions, but this one fails to deliver. I paid out another $800 on a tire upgrade about 2000 miles ago (to Michelin LTXs) and the ride quality is still unacceptably harsh. I really hope GM is listening, as i am contemplating trading this car in, and giving up on my life-long love for GM products.

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  320,000 miles and still running - 2001 Chevrolet Malibu
  By mercuryhater - July 21 - 1:48 pm

  We bought this car in 2004 to replace our Chevy venture the car had about 20,000 miles ours has the sunroof and rear spoiler it is dark blue and has the awful Chevy pattern on the seat. the trunk doesnt align right and always leaks and rattles the suspension is bad. the rear seat is very cramped. the sunroof is very loud when fully open but we normally just keep it on vent mode. the abs light is on i dont think it works anymore. at 290,000 we got back in after pumping gas the car wouldnt start the head gasket was blown needed a new engine which we did. the air conditioning also doesnt work well on 1 2 5 fan settings only 3 4 ???? our vehicle was just included in the Chevy recalls of 2014

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  Expensive Mistake - 2007 Chevrolet Cobalt
  By cmbear - July 11 - 4:29 am

  I purchased this car used with 10k miles. Loved it at first, then the it revealed its true colors. I have replaced the wheel bearings, sway bars, control arms and bushings three times. The second time the repair was under warranty. The first and third were quite expensive. Additionally, the inside door handles have peeled. I have just paid it off and am ready to get rid of this monster. Learned my lesson. Chevy wont get my business again.

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  Previous Model is Better - 2014 Chevrolet Malibu
  By stower17 - July 3 - 5:13 pm

  This is a very average midsized car. The auto stop/start system in this car has a few consequences that are worth informing future buyers about. There is no on/off button for the auto stop feature. The reason I am commenting on this annoyance is because the auto start/stop is way more noticeable then what the manufacturer says. It is very noticeable, the car almost feels like it stalls and then lunges every time the engine shuts off then restarts. Also, when the engine shuts off at a stop, the air conditioning gets very warm and the fan speed reduces dramatically. With summer temperatures in the 90s right now, it gets very warm in the car when the engine shuts off.

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  JUST SAY NO !!! - 2001 Chevrolet Blazer
  By memphis815 - July 2 - 4:45 pm

  This is the worst vehicle i have ever owned... every year you can count on replacing the fuel pump.. if you own one of these do yourself a favor and buy the replacement fuel pump with a lifetime warranty ... it helps cut the cost down later. then you only have to pay to have the new one installed. i cant keep wheel bearings in it.. the longest it has gone is 15 months between replacements ..rear brakes calipers lock up.. was to that this is happens a lot because they use cheaper aluminum calipers and they tend to go out. once you replace the factory junk ones it seems to fix that problem.. it has a strange problem with constant misfires causing check engine light to come on. thats not all.