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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  Uncomfortable Camaro! - 2010 Chevrolet Camaro
  By Charles McDonald - June 24 - 4:30 am

  Car is uncomfortable, no lumbar support, blind spots, doors and trunk needs realigned. Car hurts me to drive, car sets to low on ground, satellite radio fades in and out to much. I contacted general motors about trading vehicle back and they told they could help me even though they had a previous commercial telling the consumer that if you were not 100% satisfied they would buy it back. These were the words from the CEO. I called them on that and they told me it had a expiration date and of course it was expired. So now I am stuck with a uncomfortable car that hurts me to drive and is dangerous because of the blind spots !

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  Solid rig, no problems at 200K - 1992 Chevrolet Astro
  By grayliner - June 24 - 12:08 am

  Runs like a top at 200k. Everything works and is original. Original motor, running gear and transmission all quiet and strong. Even the flimsy exterior handles are okay.

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  4 years and going strong - 2006 Chevrolet Colorado
  By John in Colorado - June 23 - 9:57 pm

  I have now had the Colorado for 4 years and 26,000 miles. I have had no problems with this truck my complaints are more related to design and engineering. This truck has a lot of little flaws that I believe could have been worked out by engineers with a little attention to details. For example: You cant put down the drivers sun visor without moving the rear view mirror. Then you need to adjust it back. Please! Also, when its very cold (Im in Colorado) the windows dont work properly or dont work at all until the interior warms up. Once again, whats all this testing I hear they do to vehicles. Theres much more, but too little space.

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  Take this truck and ... - 2005 Chevrolet Colorado
  By Truckhound - June 23 - 9:20 pm

  The truck I have is a company vehicle Ive used since new. It only failed to start once and I only needed to wait 10 minutes to have it start. Reason unknown. This truck has been serviced regularly and performs flawlessly. Canadian winters are no obstacle as long as you have winter tires and keep a couple of sand bags over the rear axle for severe winters. If driven with a light touch the fuel economy is outstanding even with a decent load. The interior is very spartan cheap in fact. It is functional, the climate controls work well but I dearly miss a center armrest of some kind. There isnt much this truck wont do. You can take this truck, put it to task and it wont let you down!

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  Comfortable Driving - 2005 Chevrolet Malibu
  By sueATL - June 23 - 6:13 pm

  Bought this car in 2006. Normal wear and tear, service regularly and get good mileage. Had to change rotors and no other parts so far. However was very disappointed to pay over $200 to exchange steering fluid. this should be change with regular oil change and not hit with high bill at 100,000 miles. Also dash light went out and cost $200 to replaced according to mechanic because of location. Small changes can reduce service cost. Overall good road experience. Will buy another Malibu.

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  Wallet Saver - 2006 Chevrolet Aveo
  By G8rB8t - June 22 - 7:30 am

  Great little car. I drive 116 miles a day and given that this car has nothing, and I mean nothing to it, it does the job well. I can live without the AC and the AM/FM radio is par but works and helps me survive the commute. The sole purpose of this car was as a commuter for work and nothing more and it does just that. Currently have filled the tank 20 times and am averaging 35.7 MPG. I am a spirited driver so I am sure others could do much better if they dont average 10 mph over the limit like I do.

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  Great SUV - but mileage not great - 2010 Chevrolet Traverse
  By darryl - June 21 - 10:24 pm

  The 2010 Traverse AWD vehicle has been a good car for my family. We love the room, the comfort of the seats, and the AWD. We have gone skiing 8 times with this car and it has never slipped once in the snow/ice. The handling of the car is very good considering its size and weight. We have not had one maintenance problem or "noises" yet but its too new. The 20" tires and the power side mirrors (fold in) are very nice to have. The Radio/DVD system are good. The nav could be improved on. The 3rd row seats fold down really easy (compared to our Odyssey) and it is nice that it splits (for skis). For the price I paid and for the features it is a good deal

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  Warranty Hog - 2009 Chevrolet Malibu
  By jackt - June 21 - 8:10 pm

  Bought Malibu LTZ V6 in June 2009. The car is very comfortable on road. It pushes badly on fast sweepers but I do not normally drive that fast. The power is a bit above adequate. The trunk opening is truly dismal. The "A" pillars offer a huge blind spot. Visibility is also poor to the rear. For me the visibility issue is the worst feature of the car. Four items have been replaced on warranty: right rear door window gasket, the steering column, power steering rack, and the intermediate steering shaft. The piece above the mirror that holds the sun roof and garage door controls had to be reattached. The V-6 in my 92 SHO was MUCH smoother the Malibus

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  Love it! - 2002 Chevrolet Cavalier
  By Jduval - June 21 - 1:13 pm

  I bought this car used with 65,000 Miles on it a year ago. Since then the only problem I have had was an evap leak. Nothing too severe. I changed the stock Radio threw in some better speakers and some subs in the trunk. Car is very fun to drive with the 5 spd. Very reliable with good pep when you want it. The A/C drains power when on and I have the very common fuse that burned out on the blower motor.

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  2006 Impala water pump going out - 2006 Chevrolet Impala
  By LT2 - June 21 - 1:13 pm

  I enjoy my 2006 Impala. Unhappy with a water pump going out at 80,000 miles. Thats just not right. Also, had to replace gas cap and some gas sensor. Thats just not right either. Those things should be under some kind of warranty/recall.