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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  No Reliability - 2002 Chevrolet TrailBlazer
  By stunned - November 7 - 10:00 am

  Vast interior volume improvement over the blazer. The new engine does not feel as if it is unleashing 270 hp. Build Quality is still questionable. I have had mine in the shop for electrical problems and as of yesterday it left me on the side of the road due to an electronic malfunction. I beginning to think FORD.

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  Malibu not a Threat to Honda or Toyota - 2007 Chevrolet Malibu
  By company car - November 4 - 4:27 pm

  This company car is poorly designed.Door hinges cheap, front end replaced in 38,00 miles as was the a/c compressor, rotors, and wiper mechanism. There is a flutter in the a/c vent that no one can explain and is noisy. Others with our company have similiar problems so this is not a one caro thing. Also pwer steering problems with some

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  Beware - 1999 Chevrolet Malibu
  By dave - November 3 - 9:39 pm

  Replaced manifold gaskets twice due to coolant leaks - understand a class action suit is being considered. Alternator replaced. Engine light signals camshaft clearance issue. Rust under the gas cap - mentioned by other 1998-2000 Malibu owners. Ask aftermarket companies what some of the best selling brake rotors and struts fit.

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  Pretty Good - 2003 Chevrolet Malibu
  By scooter1 - November 2 - 12:50 pm

  Car now has 90K miles on it. The car is reliable and has never broken down on me. Gas mileage is pretty good. Responsive car. OK to drive. Had brake problems in the early year. I replaced the rotors with quality rotors and replaced both wheel bearings. Since those replacements, I have not had problems with the rotors or stopping power. Dont use lifetime pads on this car. At 70K miles I replaced the intake manifold gasket. THis is the only major repair.

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  My beater - 1991 Chevrolet S-10
  By Jett1 - October 30 - 1:13 pm

  91 4x4 4.3L swb 3rd owner. These years of trucks were the last of the trucks that were not yuppie-fied. I bought the truck had to replace engine (due to my driving style) new clutch new tires and breaks. with all that still like the truck the lack of performance and poor fuel econ keeps me from speeding. And its size keep the truck needing friends at bay. I know that it sounds like I dont like my truck but I do very much. I hope to have my kids learn to drive in it because the prev mentioned reasons and it is old enough to not be concerned with the expected body damage.

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  $45K Bomb - 2007 Chevrolet Suburban
  By kevin Drahozal - October 29 - 1:25 pm

  What a mistake. The fob hasnt worked correctly since we purchased it – seats move, windshield washer operates un- expectantly, lift-gate opens when the remote start key is pushed... Worst yet, the engine ‘seized’ at 15K miles. GM replaced the engine under warranty but has done nothing to assured us that we haven’t got a lemon. In fact they have just about convinced us we do! Now we have a lag between when the accelerator is pushed and the vehicle moves, which we’ve been told is ‘normal’ or ‘within tolerance’. Going Japanese for our next vehicle.

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  Always had Blazers - 1999 Chevrolet Blazer
  By mommyof1 - October 26 - 3:00 pm

  I absolutely loved this truck when I bought it, then the warranty expired and I have spent more money fixing the things that repeatedly brake than I actually did on the truck. The pins in the doors, the recline levers for the front seats, the front bearings 2x a year at least for the past 4 years (and was told by a dealership that the bearings are a defect in the cars design that they cant fix) and pretty much every part with the exception of the whole engine and tranny have been replaced! It is built horribly and will not ever buy a GM car again!

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  My last Chevy - 2006 Chevrolet Colorado
  By mikek - October 21 - 5:26 pm

  There are just too many small trucks around today to have to settle for a Colorado. The actual mpg is far less than rated, the fit & finish trim work very poor, (loose and flimsy) and still priced around the better quality made trucks.

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  2006 Chevy Colorado - 2006 Chevrolet Colorado
  By Jeff - October 21 - 8:35 am

  I owned the truck since May of 07, it has 9000 miles on it and its been in the shop 3 times all fuel related. Had to run premium in it so it wouldnt spark knock under load. I also had valve clatter on cold start up lasted 10 sec. The first time I took the truck in when the engine light came on they said I wasnt running the right fuel. It seems the truck has to run on top tier fuel from kwicktrip so I started running top tier in the engine. Had trouble again took it back to the dealer they said the have to replace the cylinder head because the valves were bad. The idle also sticks around 2800 rpm once and a while. Im getting rid of the truck in 2008 wouldnt buy one again.

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  2nd SUV - 2003 Chevrolet Tahoe
  By 2nd SUV - October 19 - 2:16 pm

  I bought the SUV new, and had some initial problems with the locks. It had to be taken to the dealership several times before they finally got the problem fixed. The front end wasnt aligned when I bought the SUV and it took two trips to get that properly aligned. At about 40000 miles, the speedometer quit working and the whole gauge unit had to be rebuilt. It now gets about 2 mpg less than when new. The only other repairs that have been needed is when my son literally drove it through a brick wall. It only had a couple of scratches and dents, and the exterior mirrors had to be replaced but it was drivable and I made my son drive it until the garage got the parts to fix it.