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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  Tahoe Z71 - 2004 Chevrolet Tahoe
  By Jim103 - January 2 - 10:00 am

  This is the first American vehicle I owned, I bought it mainly to pull our boat. Love the huge amount of torque, hp is ok. Mileage is 13 or so. Ok lots of rattles (compared to the previous Nissans and Toyotas), and it hasnt even gone off road. Every button or switch is different, why? And VERY cheap feeling. Plastic work is poor.

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  Drivers seat uncomfortable - 2016 Chevrolet Malibu
  By Ligor Manushi - December 31 - 6:12 am

  After 4500 miles I gave the car to my niece. I started having hip pain due to the drivers seat relationship to the gas and break pedal. The break pedal needs to move 2" to the right. The seat is uncomfortable and needs another 2-3" of foam. I ended up getting a 2016 altima and the hip pain took almost two weeks to go away; the seats are so comfortable. What a difference. Yes the Malibu does drive incrementally better and has better steering feel, but its not worth the passion and discomfort. I test drive over 20 cars trying to make sure I would not end up with the issue of the break pedal to seat ergonomic nightmare of the Malibu. It was between a used 5 series with the sports package seats (the base seats are not any better than those on the Malibu) or the Altima. For some reason I found that most new cars have moved the break pedal towards the left! Huge mistake. -------------- Make sure you take a 30 minute drive in it. the front drivers seat is uncomfortable. I went from a 2013 Altima to the 2016 Malibu and i miss my Altimas seats so much. these are next to the worst front seats Ive ever experienced. almost as bad as the 1998 Geo Prizm. what a mistake. im going to lose some money to get out of it before i even even make a payment for the car. while the steering tilts and telescopes the seat location, steering location and brake pedal are not tying in to my body. i am 59" 168lbs. for 286 miles of driving and i still can not locate a seating position that is comfortable for me. the real reason is the bottom cushion which is too thin and points upwards for some reason at the edge, and they are too short. it is almost like they went for good interior materials and design, but took the money from the seats. I would trade hard plastic for good seats without a second thought.

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  Good car......some flaws! - 2005 Chevrolet Cobalt
  By jamie widrig - December 29 - 1:36 am

  I went from a ZR2 Blazer to a Cobalt. I miss the 4WD, but love the fuel economy. I drive approx. 3000mi. per month and have saved a lot in gas $$. But at 18000mi the trans. control module fried, I had to have a whole new sunroof put in within 2 weeks of purchase, the rearview mirror fell off, the e-brake light randomly comes on & i never use the e-brake, the cd player has a mond of its own. When braking hard on the highway, it makes a loud rubbing noise that nobody can figure out. But for the gas $$ I save these are just little things that are under warranty. Cant wait to see what goes wrong once the warranty runs out.

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  NICE TRUCK!` - 2011 Chevrolet Silverado 1500
  By kevinbgy - December 27 - 10:55 am

  I enjoy the ride quality as well as the glances that I get when cruising through town. The exterior design has to be the best out of all the trucks that I compared it to. The interior needs some work, it is plain and boring not enough thought and time has gone into the design and layout. I live 12 miles from the nearest town and I travel daily on the interstate and this appears to be affecting the brakes on my truck significantly! The vehicle is brand new only 3 months old and has about 7000 miles on it and I have had to have the ceramic disk brakes replaced TWICE on it. I will admit that sometimes I tend to have a heavy foot and really push the vehicle but this is not often.

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  Lots of money in repairs - 2003 Chevrolet Malibu
  By Angryowner - December 26 - 4:24 pm

  Purchased at decent price with rebates. Glad I bought the extended warranty from 36 month to 5 yr or 75k miles cause fuel pump quit= $900 , water pump-head gasket=$900 all happened under warranty. Now at 91k miles needs a complete new head. Stripped rocker arm bolt out of head and have no idea why. Will cost me $1,500. 48 year old woman drives this car easy, and I kept it serviced with care. This will turn me away and I will buy a foreign car made here in America next time.

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  lots of breakdowns - 2001 Chevrolet Silverado 1500
  By formerchevydriver - December 26 - 10:00 am

  I purchased this vehilce last march and by the time it had 39,000 miles on it the rearend had gone out, the serpentine pully had gone bad, the front shocks were leaking and it had an airleak in the dash somewheres from the date of purchase. All of these miles on this truck were highway miles with regular maitnance done on it. I was very disappointed in the quality of the vehicle.

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  2005 Chevy trailblazer - 2005 Chevrolet TrailBlazer EXT
  By alex160 - December 26 - 2:06 am

  For the price this SUV is not worth it , Mine only has 64000 miles and I had to replace the transmission at 39000 , TheClusters and now will have to replace the gas gauge again , back lights burned out ,and going on my second water pump. Drivers adjustment knob doesnt stay in , this will be my last chevy anything.

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  Poor Quality - 2010 Chevrolet Silverado 1500
  By davir - December 24 - 2:00 am

  Just purchased my new Silverado and the 1st time on the highway it sounded like the rear passenger door was partially open. The door was closed, but lots of road noise can be heard inside the cab. Took the vehicle back to the dealership and was told "all trucks sound like that" and there is nothing GM can do about it. Dealer did agree that my truck had the loudest interior noise he had ever heard. The 1st time I drove down a country road a squeak developed in the dash and the rear bumper license plate light fell out of its holder. This vehicle has 3000 miles (99% highway miles) and is only 2 months old. If GM had a 60 day return policy, I would take it back tomorrow & pay for the mileage used.

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  NOT worth your time to purchase - 2005 Chevrolet Uplander
  By mickieS - December 24 - 1:30 am

  filed complaint with BBB, the van has been in the shop nuroums times since purchased. 5 times for the same problem. GM has horrible customer service, its clear they do not care about the consumer!! I will never by a GM protect as long as I drive. We hope that GM will settle with us, or will will have demand arbritation due to Lemon Law! We truely bought a lemon!!!

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  Not what I expected - 2007 Chevrolet Aveo
  By Darcy - December 23 - 5:12 pm

  I bought this car mainly for the fuel economy. This is the only area it reached my expectations. I have had it into the dealer 4 times for problems. One of them involved replacing the main seal which took a week! This is a defect in the vehicle, other Aveos have the same problem. The car didnt even have 8000 miles on it. Then within a week I had to have a sensor replaced. In the past I have always been pleased with GM vehicles but this one is a major disappointment. I dont feel safe driving it long distances and I am glad there is a dealer near my home and another near my work. I will be getting rid of this car ASAP.