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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  Okay for the Money - 2002 Chevrolet TrailBlazer
  By Not Again - June 2 - 8:48 pm

  This was the first Chevy I have owned and for the first few months it was great. I had to take it in for several recalls (3x) and about 6 times for rear brake lights. I have spent about $2000 in repairs for misc items. The CD player is now having problems switching between radio and cd player on its own. Now the computer is going out. I guess for the money it is okay, but would suggest only keeping it for a few years and then trading it in for something else.

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  Junk! - 2003 Chevrolet Silverado 1500
  By bigkuz87 - May 22 - 9:46 am

  I have owned a lot of GM products over the years, 6 Chevrolet pickups to be exact. An 81, 83, 84, 87, 95, and 98, all great trucks that took one heck of a beating from me. My seventh pickup, a 2003 Z71 is by far the cheapest made pickup I have ever seen. I cant even think about beating on it, for it wouldnt survive. I bought it with 40000 miles, it now has 66000. Ive replaced both front wheel bearings, the brakes(rear twice), transmission, two alignments, instrument panel cluster, radio, tie rods, and now it has a growling sound that drives me crazy. This will be the last GM vehicle that I will ever buy!

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  Looks cool, but thats about it. - 2000 Chevrolet S-10
  By Scott - May 21 - 10:07 am

  This is a cool looking truck because of the big tires and how high it sits. However, I have had this car for about a year and have spent over $5,000 in repairs. The whole front end needed to be replaced, body fell apart rapidly, and truck makes all kinds of funny noises. Truck look very nice when it was purchased, now I am almost embarressed to drive it.

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  Engine Failed At 11K - 2007 Chevrolet Aveo
  By Kevin - May 16 - 8:52 pm

  Very light weight, handles very poorly in wind. Gets a nasty screeching noise from doors or mirrors when driving in wind. Front engine crankshaft seal failed yesterday, lost all oil, damaged engine, oil/idiot light did not come on before engine started knocking. GM will only replace damaged parts, which is the crankshaft and bearings. Not pleased with that, should get a fresh engine and waranty. Manual transmission is already showing signs of problems, clunks into gear and sometimes hard to get into first. I am not a kid hot roding it. Its a commuter car, I drive it carefully.

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  Deadbeat Duramax - 2006 Chevrolet Silverado 2500HD
  By agmakar - May 8 - 12:06 am

  I think I bought a Monday morning vehicle. The rear differential leaks, and I get abhorrent fuel mileage. 8 MPG when towing a 7500 pound trailer and adequate mileage not towing (16 MPG) I took it to the the Chevy dealership twice for the leaking problem. It happens when driving it on the highway or towing. They added an inline filter in the breather hose, not much help, it slows the process down until the filter fills up, then it leaks out of the tube. The third time I take it to a different dealer, they replace the inline filter with a smaller one and the want to re-tap a new location for the breather tube right on the rear axle housing and plug up the old one on top of the pumpkin.

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  My 2005 Malibu LS V6 - 2005 Chevrolet Malibu
  By Ethel - April 24 - 9:58 am

  I have had to have a new steering rack, new front exhaust, new sun visors, and a new ignition switch put on this car already. Thank God it is still in warranty. The tires that came with the car had trouble holding tire pressure so I had to buy 4 new tires also.

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  Disappointed in gas mileage and interior - 2005 Chevrolet Equinox
  By John Degory - April 24 - 8:33 am

  Gas mileage is not what is advertised. Interior is cheap and disappointing. Experior design great. Turning radius needs to be improved. LT version should have tined windows in the front. If Chevy would have addresed these issues and not have been CHEAP this would be a dream vehicle.

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  Disappointed on Gas Mileage - 2010 Chevrolet Equinox
  By Not Happy - April 23 - 1:16 am

  Just bought the car in August and it looks great and the ride feels good. As far as dependability, it is questionable. The seat belt sensor light stays on when belted in. I took it to the dealership and they told me that the part would ship on Nov 2. The part was ordered on August 21. I would hate to see if it was a part that was essential for the car to run. The most disappointing aspect of this vehicle is Gas Mileage. I am getting 23.9 on the average. I purchased it solely for gas mileage. I feel like others on this review. I feel cheated. It looks like GM has not changed. They LIED about gas mileage. I believe it is close to false advertising. Stick to imports!!!!!

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  The Usual Suspects, Dont Buy - 1999 Chevrolet Malibu
  By fladad - April 21 - 8:58 pm

  I have owned this since new and despite babying it, its been a huge disappointment in reliability. Replaced brake rotors 4 times, alternator, AC wwitch panel, new radiator and just now a blown head gasket. I will sell it as soon as its fixed. GM quality is still horrible.

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  Nothing works like/on my Chevy truck - 2005 Chevrolet Colorado
  By John Hardaway - April 18 - 5:59 pm

  Chevy quality has gone downhill considerably since I purchased my 1994 Silverado. My 5 cyl. Colorado has had numerous issues: 2 CD players, 1 belt tensioner, 1 brake light switch, 1 brake light, and good luck finding an air filter at the local auto parts store (I bought a K&N instead). 5 cyl. engine requires 6 quarts of oil per oil change (my 5.7 only took 5). The 5 cyl. gets only 3 more mpg than my 8 cyl. did. Glove box can hold gloves, but thats about it. Armrest only latches with considerable pressure. The rear bumper folded up after a 5 mph "love tap" at a stop light (and cost $500 to replace). Front end required realignment after 15k miles.