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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  kgbkahnk - 2002 Chevrolet TrailBlazer
  By kgbkahnk - January 12 - 2:00 am

  Great styling. Fantastically smooth, powerful engine. Just cannot seem to get better than about 16 mpg, even in all-highway driving, and it could use better steering feel.

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  My Equinox - 2005 Chevrolet Equinox
  By MarshallFan71 - January 12 - 12:50 am

  One of the most easiest vehicles I have ever driven. I enjoy this vehicle very much. I will keep this vehicle for several years. I highly recommend it to others.

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  2008 Chevy Impala - 2008 Chevrolet Impala
  By jim - January 12 - 12:03 am

  Have gone on 2 trips since buying in late Dec. 2007. The longest was 1500 mile roundtrip from LR, Arkansas to Panama City,Fl. Gas mileage is right on the money to what the window sticker said. My only gripe is on the return trip, the CD player croaked after playing about 50 CDs. And the service adviser said they often have problems with "burned" cds vs bought cds. The "burned" cds can cause them to hang up and not eject. One woulda thunk in this day and technology age that "burned" cds would not be a problem. So in the big scheme of things this is only minor as it is covered by the bumper to bumper warranty and a new unit is on order.

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  Not so bad after all - 2002 Chevrolet Blazer
  By Chappy - January 11 - 8:50 pm

  Was told not to purchase this vehicle, but did so anyway. I live in a snowy cold climate so this SUV has been great so far. 4WD didnt work the week after I bought it, but was inexpensive to repair, only needed a $70 actuator cable. Also the engine light came on. The garage said it was the coolant thermostat, even though it didnt appear I needed one. Changed it for the $13 it cost just to get the engine light off. In cold climate this this truck runs better with synthetic oil and really good plugs and wires. A bit of rattle here and there in the interior, seat reclining handle is stripped, usual and inexpensive problems/annoyances. Overall this is a great and fun SUV to own!

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  Unbelievable Problems - 2016 Chevrolet Malibu
  By S. M. - January 11 - 8:05 pm

  Let me start off by saying I traded in a little Toyota Prius C for this car (big mistake!) thinking it would be a nice, reliable larger vehicle. I was wrong. I purchased this car in March. With less than 1500 miles on it I have had it in the shop twice. The first time the car had less than 1k miles on it!! It feels like a transmission problem. I am familiar with the system where the car will turn itself off while at a stoplight and then back on again- Im fine with that system. What is not okay is when driving in DC rush hour traffic, accelerating, braking, or slowing down and the car will violently jerk. The first time it felt as if I was rear-ended. I took it the dealer and they said they could not find any codes or problems with it. A week later, I had to drop it off it there again tonight. The car is unsafe to drive- the violent jerking is scary and in heavy traffic, cars behind you dont have much warning. It makes a loud clunking noise sometimes and sounds like the engine is going to drop out. The jerking is so bad if you dont have your seatbelt on, you WILL be thrown forward and injured. I cant believe this. This vehicle is less than one month old. Another issue is the Chevy MyLink system touchscreen. Occasionally it wont turn on, and other times Apple Carplay wont work. I called Chevy and they offered some "troubleshooting" tips but nothing was a permanent fix. I am having the dealer take a look at it as well. Chevy said Apple Carplay not working with certain Iphones is a "known problem". Then why has it not been fixed??! I am frustrated. I traded in a perfectly good little, reliable Toyota and got this monster. I like the car otherwise, but not enough to buy one again. It is very comfortable (compared to the tiny Prius C). My gas mileage is pretty decent- hovers around high 20s and occasionally dips up or down. Im very short and find visibility not to be an issue. If It didnt have the jerking problem, I would love this car.

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  02 Tahoe - 2002 Chevrolet Tahoe
  By jleg - January 11 - 7:22 pm

  This has been the most comfortable vehicle Ive ever driven. Its big enough but not too big. I like the rear cargo door. You can open just the back window or the whole thing. Theres no pillar to block the view. Its easy to drive. Plenty of elbow room. Layout of dashboard is practical. The Tahoe offers a quiet, smooth ride. Its comfortable on long road trips.

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  No wonder GM went bankrupt! - 2002 Chevrolet Monte Carlo
  By 1dtidwell - January 11 - 5:05 pm

  Traction Control/ABS issues, crank position sensor, starts when it wants to (passlock issues)... Its never ending problems with this car with just over 100,000 miles. Last GM product Ill ever buy.

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  Bobs Review - 2007 Chevrolet Uplander
  By Bob Horgos - January 11 - 3:34 pm

  Having minivans for the last 8yrs, this one is just another in a long line of vans. So far though we like the ride with larger wheels it feels smoother and quieter. With the dvd in the middle the driver no longer has control of the machine and that is good, not such a distraction. The only thing we would like to have is a power tailgate, which chevy does not offer. The lighter color looks nice, but shows dirt more, and will need washed more often. We have captains chairs in the middle, which are fixed not removeable, the jury is still out on this, as we havent had to remove them or not yet. Our last van we took them out once in 4yrs. Overall we are happy with our new van.

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  Last Chevy I buy - 2006 Chevrolet Colorado
  By got_rut - January 11 - 2:20 pm

  This is the by far the cheapest truck I have owned. It shakes like crazy when you drive over 50 MPH. The suspension makes a horrible squeeking noise when you turn or use the brakes. For god sake the tailgate cables arent even the same length. This truck has been in the shop 12 times for a number of problems and I only have 6000 miles on it. When I was truck shopping, I couldnt justify spending $28--30000, so I bought this truck. I would suggest doing some serious shopping around before you make the decision to save $2000. Think about every aspect before the purchase. PS there is a reason that GM is giving such good incentives to buy their vehicles. Maybe they arent that good!

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  Love my Truck - 2004 Chevrolet Avalanche
  By mike - January 11 - 10:10 am

  I love driving my truck, just dont like the gas mileage. The performance is more than I expected and the ride with the Z-66 suspension package is comparable to a top of the line luxury sedan. Since I have the 2 wheel drive version, during the winter I have found that adding three 70 lbs. bags of sand over the rear axle and a good set of all-terrain tires will keep this truck on the road even in heavy snow as long you dont try anything stupid.