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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  Worse Idea Ever - 2017 Chevrolet Cruze
  By Ella - July 22 - 8:18 am

  The "auto stop" feature on my new 2017 Cruze is the most annoying thing I have ever seen in a car. When trying to get out of the parking lot at work every afternoon, my car engine turns itself off and then back on 4 or 5 times every day depending on how many cars are ahead of me. Same thing happens in a turn lane or when driving behind a school bus in the morning. Ive contacted Chevy and was told that there is no wat to by-pass or disable the auto stop so I am stuck with it. My last 5 cars have all been Chevys and Ive been happy with them until now but this auto stop is so inconvenient that I will probably never buy another Chevy.

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  $$$$$ EXPENSIVE TO MAINTAIN $$$$$ - 2005 Chevrolet Tahoe
  By Remodelman - July 20 - 12:18 pm

  We owned a Chevy Astro van several years ago. We sold it because it was nickel-and -dimming us way too frequently. We switched to Ford products and noticed a dramatic difference with over 250,000 miles on the Explorer we sold after buying this Tahoe. We bought a Tahoe because the Ford SUVs were blowing spark plugs out of the heads. We purchased a used Tahoe that was loaded from a mature private party after having the vehicle checked-out professionally. Maintenance records indicated that the transmission had already been replaced by a dealer under warranty. I have two major gripes with this vehicle: 1. The vehicle is in the process of nickel-and-dimming us with repairs needed such as the rear heater core for the passenger compartment leaking, the electronic instrument cluster going out, and the four wheel drive selector switch getting stuck in 4WD for no apparent reason. 2. The transmission. While in overdrive and in cruise control on the highway at speed, the transmission downshifts consistently (too often) at every little rise in the road. My independent transmission repair facility tells me thats the way its designed. WHY? This is a well designed, comfortable vehicle that does very well in the snow and ice of Colorado. However, Chevrolet needs to do a far better job with the longevity and reliability of their components. Were simply not used to this much unnecessary maintenance with our garage full of Fords that we put tires and brakes on, along with routine fluid changes. Shame on you Chevy!

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  Dont Buy It!!!! - 1997 Chevrolet Blazer
  By KickerSolo - July 18 - 2:00 am

  This vehicle was the fist chevy I have every owned and it will be the last. I had it for 1 year and got rid of it as soon as I could. I have never had so many problems.

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  Nice but slow car! - 1997 Chevrolet Cavalier
  By nitrouscav97 - July 16 - 2:00 am

  I have a fully customized cavalier with lots of mods. But it lacks severely in the performance issue, all the other cars in its class are FASTER! I would be satisfied with 150HP at the least, the car cant seem to turn my chrome wheels fast enough to go anywhere. My wife loves to drive it and I like to drive it too, it looks great with the modifications, but i have no beef under the hood to get onto the freeway! PLEASE help me with this, I need something to boost this cars performance. Also the dashboard does creek in the hot sun while driving, and the AC and the power steering blew out too soon! Thank you -Kyle

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  No More Buy America - 2001 Chevrolet Venture
  By Jimmy911 - July 14 - 2:00 am

  I have this car for just three years and 50,000 miles. I have visited Service Department for 8 times for repair job, the Computer chips, Ac, Left Wheel bearing, Cooling System, Battery Leaking, Air blower, and Ac again. It cost more than $3,000 after the factory warranty was end. I dont think I could handle this kind the troble any more.

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  CHEVY FORCES GM EMPLOYEE TO BUY SUZUKI - 2002 Chevrolet Venture
  By NUCLEAR055 - July 14 - 2:00 am

  THIS IS THE POOREST GM VEHICLE I HAVE OWNED. MULTIPLE BREAK DOWNS THAT REQUIRED TOWING. WHEEL BEARING, SPEED SENCORS, SLIDING DOOR PROBLEMS, ELECTRICAL MALFUNCTIONS...ALL THIS AND I GET GM EMPLOYEE DISCOUNT. AND TO TOP IT OFF THE VEHICLE (TOP OF THE LINE VENTURE) DEPRESSIATED 52% IN 1.5 YEARS. TOTAL DISSATICFACTION FROM GM

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  Yuck - 1999 Chevrolet Malibu
  By TonyM - July 12 - 10:00 am

  Bought brand new and this car is very disapponting. It has 50,000 miles on it, but it has had far too many repairs to keep it going, including engine oil leaks, bad rear suspension control arm\bushings, tires that needed replacing at 17,000 miles, premature brake rotor replacement, noisy front suspension that now needs repair, clogged fuel injectors, broken heater fan motor switch, dead battery, horn switch failure, and numerous squeaky rattling interior panels.

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  NEVER buy again - 1995 Chevrolet Cavalier
  By Cavalier hater - July 11 - 2:00 am

  I bought this car from my mechanic in 2000. I have had nothing but problems with it since purchasing it. I had to replace the transmission, I have had leaks in the oil and radiator. The A/C works, but using it causes the car to overheat. Problems w/ the starter and acceleration, very noisy. Speakers on the drivers side dont work, door panneling is falling off, and locks are falling off. This car is in the shop every 3-4 months. I had a 87 Olds that drove better and needed less repairs. My b/f has a 2001 Cavalier and is having problems with it as well. I wouldnt recommend buying this car used.

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  prepare to repair - 1999 Chevrolet Lumina
  By DAVE ID - July 10 - 2:00 am

  If you care at all about reliability this is not the car you want to get. At this time it is 4 and 1/2 years old. I havent even finished paying it off and I will have to junk it because I cant afford the repair bills. I fix this car almost every month For example in the past 6 months, I have spent $1200 to fix various problems. Just got an estimate today for another $1800. But, I wont fix it anymore and will junk it. Problems have been bad brake (too frequently need to be cleaned, resurfaced), intake manifold gasket, head gaskets, calipers, pressure control solenoid. See MSN autos site too. Those problems described were my problems too. STAY AWAY!!!

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  Lemon - 2002 Chevrolet Suburban
  By orangeavalon - June 30 - 2:00 am

  We have spent alot of money keeping this on the road and running.