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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  Worst Car I Ever Owned - 2008 Chevrolet Malibu
  By r0gue13 - September 4 - 9:06 am

  This was a company car that I obtained in early 2009 with 12K miles on it. History prior to me owning all window motors were replaced, 2 around 5k, the other 2 at 8k. I have had replaced 2 catalytic converters(first 1 at 22K), all door lock mechs, door speakers, ecm, front shocks(43k), passenger seat airbag sensor(car was parked for a week while on vaca, came back started car air bag light on) and practically every Oxy sensor and cam sensors in the engine. The air conditioning doesnt work half the time and a rattle in the rear that the dealer cant figure it out whats wrong. This is all before the car had 70K on it. I got rid of it at 87K. Slow acceleration for a 4 cyl. Interior good.

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  Always At The Dealer For Repairs - 2010 Chevrolet Traverse
  By rogersson - August 23 - 10:07 pm

  Unreliable ... This was purchased as a family vehicle but weve had little time to enjoy it. There is always a recall or a warning light when driven. We are fearfully that it will leave the family stranded on the side of the road. Air bag warning lights always flashing. Blinkers that stop working whenever they desire. AC unit that stops working while driving, which forces you to stop and restart the SUV to get the AC blowing(95-105 temp in the south.. AC required). Radio stays on when the key is out of the ignition and you have left the SUV, which drains the battery. Worst issue, the Dealer does not know how to correct any of the issues.

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  My Biggest disapointment - 2008 Chevrolet Equinox
  By guss123abc - August 21 - 11:33 am

  I got this car for my wife, and she loved it for about 3 months. Got it new in 09 and have had nothing but issues. Understand a car that is on the road for 5 years should have some normal ware and tear. at 45K we had the privlige of buying a new transmission. Shortly after that timing chain. Sun roof drains keep pluging and when it rains comes inside car. Have had tire issues and TPMS issues and now Im sure spark plug issues. I made an appointment to see the dealer for stalling issues. I am getting to be real good friends with the service center operators. At 60 K now Im afraid to sell this to anyone. I dont want to pass on junk.

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  Totally regret spending $68000 on this car! - 2015 Chevrolet Tahoe
  By carmenmvasquez - August 2 - 9:02 pm

  I have wanted a Tahoe for quiet sometime, I had settled on finding a used one. However my husband made the mistake of "just looking" at the newest model. I loved the new design and figured it would look new longer with the new body style. 1st time at the shop: there were some defects in the cabin, armrest needing loosening, and when you sat down in one of the rear captains chairs it made a weird popping sound. Had to order a new base. 2nd time at the shop (in less than a month) replacing seat base, and the AC went out, on a family vacation. To add to it, the driver seat is now popping when raising to my "setting". Also there is no lighting in the rear area, and you can not see.

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  Avoid if buying used - 2004 Chevrolet TrailBlazer
  By bigappel85 - July 31 - 4:12 pm

  Bought a used trailblazer with 80,000 miles and it has been a nightmare every since seem like something major breaks on it every month. I have replaced every sensor the onstar computer failed which killed the battery everyday. 4x4 works when it feels like it and have replaced every suspension part on it, Have replaced the passanger seat belt twice after it keeps locking up. Paint clear coat is coming off too. Wish I would have kept my 96 jeep grand cherokee.

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  04 Trailblazer not as good as my 06 Tahoe - 2004 Chevrolet TrailBlazer
  By 4l60e - July 17 - 4:12 am

  I bought my 04 Trailblazer n 08. It had 65,000 miles on it. The 1st. problem I notice was the a/c took to long to cool down. I check the trans fluid and the dip stick had rust on it. I forgot about the rust and bought it anyway. The CEL came on a few weeks later and I had to replace the thermostat. A few months down the road the trans begin to slip going to 3rd. gear. I had to replace the clutch fan to fix the a/c and installed a corvette servo to fix the slip. Ive had to replace a motor mount, 2 water pumps and an instrument cluster. Last X-mas, I rebuilt the valve body to fix a TCC jerk @ 65mph. Now I need a rear end @ 134,000 miles.

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  British Sports Car/Truck - 2008 Chevrolet Colorado
  By revbeagle - July 11 - 11:00 am

  Bought this truck brand new in Fall 2008. Its now July 2014, less than 65k on the truck-have so far replaced heat shield (5k), headlight (10k), lumbar&blower(18k), ignition (40k), fuel pump (50k), fuel line (55k). The 5-cyl engine must be warmed up or it sputters on the next start (why?). Once it is running it is like a British sports car-I love the way it looks, handles, the engine has plenty of power & low-end torque and sounds great. But its also like a BSC in that there is always something to fix! Gas mileage is outpaced by full-size models (my 2WD Z71 Crew Cab gets 16/20.5 on flat Florida roads). Lackluster interior w/ no tech. GM knows how to build better trucks, but didnt try.

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  2005 Chevy Cobalt major problems - 2005 Chevrolet Cobalt
  By shadow076 - July 7 - 6:33 pm

  On 6/22/14, I was coming home from Philadelphia and while on the Brunswick Highway, my 2005 Chevy Cobalts dashboard lit up like a Christmas tree and I lost my power steering, traction control, brakes, abs, engine lock, door locks were clicking on and off and I had to pull over 4 times off the highway. My odometer didnt work either. This also made my transmission jerk and slip. It was so bad that when it was switching gears, it was making my entire car shake. I was afraid for my life. I nearly crashed into a semi-truck because my brakes and power steering didnt work. Also, I couldnt go below 65mph on the highway because the transmission was slipping. I made it home but I was still shocked

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  Great Car - 2003 Chevrolet Malibu
  By alan1945 - June 30 - 4:04 pm

  Purchased as a used rental car in 2004 with 15,000 miles. I now have 203,000 miles and change the oil at 5,000 intervals. Non maintenance repairs have only been a fuel pump, thermostat, and alternator. MPG is great. Consistently averages 30-32 highway at 70+ MPH and 26-28 city. Will easily go 55,000 to 60,000 miles on a set of tires. Nothing great to look at but the most reliable car I have owned, especially considering the price. Would like to get something newer but the thing just wont quit.

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  Definition of a "normal" car - 2002 Chevrolet Malibu
  By noah14 - June 27 - 9:30 am

  The 2002 Malibu is extremely normal. Its practical, a bit faster than you might think, but its boring looks keep it in the "grandma car" category. Pros: -Practical size. Not to big on the outside, plenty of space on the inside. -Reluctantly fast. At first I thought I was driving a slow car since I got it from my grandmother, but its actually pretty quick compared to these new eco-friendly 4-cylinder sedans with a million gears that wont let you touch 4,000rpm. If you coax it, itll move. Cons: -Looks. Its not ugly, its just boring. Silver lining: cops wont notice you. -Lots of little repairs. Annoying things like the indicator keeps clicking for no reason.