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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  Bad Paint on great car - 2010 Chevrolet Camaro
  By Mike Workman - May 9 - 5:35 pm

  The paint on my yellow camaro is chipping off on both sides between the rear tires and the door. Contacted Chevrolet customer support and reported the problem. They will not buy the car back as I requested and do not know if they will even fix it. The Dealer will not stand behind the product either. Dealer and factory do call me back but have not stood up to the problem. Beware of failing paint!

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  No one ever writes anything positive - 2002 Chevrolet Malibu
  By Melissa - May 6 - 1:23 pm

  Overall this has been a great car for me, driven cross country numerous times (Florida to Wisconsin/Wisconsin-Florida) at least 10 round-trips. Traveling for job (1500 miles/week). In its later years, some more maintenance issues, but with a little prevention, and well cared for it can go. In the 5 years Ive owned it, have put $1500 into the car for repairs outside of general maintenance.

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  Great Car considering its cost: - 1995 Chevrolet Cavalier
  By Steve - May 6 - 12:13 pm

  Ok Ive read enough about the negatives of this car. 5/2010 mine is 15 yrs old has 162K miles & other than mostly normal wear/tear/maintenance like oil, tires, anti-freeze, battery, brakes, belts, hoses, trans flush, plugs/wires, fuel filter, light bulbs its a great value for what it cost. I get mpg around 20 city/30 highway. A few "Out of the norm repairs", AC compressor, Rack-n-Pinion steering, power window motors, one wheel bearing, broken side mirror. Honestly other than a few cracks in the plastic trim, worn seat belts & a little hesitation in acceleration from age this has been a joy to own.

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  Wheel bearings - 2006 Chevrolet Uplander
  By 2006 pontiac montana - May 6 - 8:49 am

  Cant keep wheel bearing - 5 since Oct. another needs replacement.Transmission trouble. Its a 2006 Pontiac Montana - same as Uplander.

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  One of My Favorites - 1995 Chevrolet Blazer
  By Venom274 - May 5 - 10:28 pm

  My Blazer isnt actually a 4x4, its one of the few 95s with AWD. I absolutely Love this truck. its currently my project. I honestly think its a lot more reliable than what people say it is for I havent had that many problems with it. The few things that did go like a fuel pump or pcv valve is expected at 160k miles. Other than that I am a huge off-road/muddying enthusiast and the blazer withstands its abuse and handles great while also maintaining a great grip on the road in wet conditions. I can take corners in the rain like its dry weather. the blazers body stabilizers make the blazer what it is. Im never getting rid of it.

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  Trail Blazer LTZ 6 In Line Engine 4WD - 2008 Chevrolet TrailBlazer
  By Nayef - May 4 - 3:19 pm

  We bought our 2nd TB. I am satisfied with the car, but not the dealer :( Navigation System is there but the maps/program is not loaded and when I asked them for it, they told me the workshop has it. The workshop thought I as from Mars or other planets when I asked them to load the Map/Software. The car is excellent but the Dealer service is poor. BTW, I mean the dealer in the State of Qatar. a small country in the Arabian Gulf.

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  Beach Buggy Worries - 2006 Chevrolet HHR
  By Jim Scott - May 3 - 11:34 pm

  I just bought my used 2006 HHR LT2 model with all the bells and whistles and I love to drive it. It handles nice and I feel comfortable in it. Gas goes a long way on a tank for at least a week. I got it as my beach buggy, the SUV room and style with nice car features really impressed me. I see a future that I am unsure about after reading some of these reviews though? I agree cup holders are too low, and there are blind spots that I got use to or get the cheap blind spot mirrors. Trying to get use to window control location also, these are basic complaints though, I would of loved a big console with them on that like in a Jeep Liberty or something so easier to reach, but all and all love it.

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  Orange Camaro 1SS - 2010 Chevrolet Camaro
  By Tom Fearer - May 3 - 8:11 pm

  Highs: Great exterior body lines and excellent straight line performance. Multimatic paddle shifters are precise and have minimal to no shift delay. Handles close to the Mustang GT but not quite as well. Independent rear suspension creates a smoother ride that the Mustang. 14 inch Brembos really help stopping distances. Cloth seats are comfortable and look good. Current fuel economy is 17 MPG which is higher than expected. Lows: Some of the interior sight lines are difficult to see out of especially in the back which, is overcome by well placed mirrors. I would have liked an option of interior color other than black because it shows dust easily.

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  6 Year Review - 2004 Chevrolet Malibu
  By Spud90 - May 3 - 3:45 pm

  I recorded my review in 11/24/2003 when I owned the car for 1 month. In the last 6 years I have put only 32,000 miles on. I have read the other reviews and am drawn to the poor ratings. With the exception of the steering column (first year of electric power), I have had no major problems with the car. I just replaced the original tires at 30,000 miles, had an alignment done, and it runs like it is new again. I agree with other posts that it tends to eat an unusual amount of turn signal lights, which is a minor annoyance because it takes time to replace them. Otherwise, I am still impressed with the quiet ride, the power, and the highway gas mileage (34-35 mpg with the cruise set at 75+).

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  One thing after another - 2007 Chevrolet Impala
  By R. Maes - May 3 - 2:56 pm

  I had a great car and decided to trade it in for my 2007 impala. The car was great at first. After only 2 years of owning the car the check engine light came on. The car will get stuck in park often, the little? Mark is always coming on. The dealership has checked it time and again and they say they just need to reset the buttons. There is apparently nothing wrong with the car. The newest is the check tire monitoring system. I guess the connection to it is bad and it is not covered under the warranty. They want $80 just to put a new wire in it. This is by far the most complicated piece of crap I have ever bought. I am also a big Chevy fan so this makes it worse!