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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  shiny look but not too impressive. - 2017 Chevrolet Equinox
  By Robins E - April 17 - 2:03 pm

  Just rented this brand new UV for a week. First off the cars exterior design looks nice, Interior is also very comfy especially the driver side and driver console, everything is well placed, The tech on the car dash was awesome the infotainment system. What is bad about this car is the power, it is seriously lacking power, acceleration is horrible, i mean the worst of any car i have driven. The backseat space is also pretty limited if you have people in the back. The gas mileage also was not great, it eats up a lot of gas. Overall a nice looking and comfortable car but the serious lack of power made me want to return this rental car in early for something else.

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  Too Many Problems - 2004 Chevrolet TrailBlazer
  By ShyGuyABQ - April 17 - 10:07 am

  The Trailblazer has many of the features I was looking for in a SUV. Plenty of room, comfortable ride and tons of engine power. But all the problems Ive had with this vehicle outweigh the positives. Ive had problems with the electrical systems, several problems with trim and rubber moldings just falling off for no reason, engine acting up. Nothing major, just a lot of inconveniences. I will not be buying another TrailBlazer.

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  Poor Quality all-round - 2001 Chevrolet Cavalier
  By jeff - April 10 - 9:33 pm

  Had this car for 6 months now. The problems have snowballed. Had 110k km on it when I bought it. Since then the transmission seals have leaked horribly and the back struts rattle continuously when in motion. Definitely a decent looking car, yet the automatic is certainly very slow shifting. The repairs have added up in a few months and Ive had enough of Chevy for a lifetime.

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  Too many problems, going to Honda - 2002 Chevrolet Venture
  By Brad - April 10 - 10:06 am

  We have had to replace the A/C condensor at 60,000 miles. The rocker panels are both rusted due to open seams at the welds. My local dealer says that nothing can be done because it is past the warranty although it is a defect. It is currently losing oil at about 2 quarts per 4000 miles. Probably a bad head gasket. I am trying to trade it, but the trade in offers are only around $4300. Terrible for a vehicle that stickered for $26000 4.5 years ago. We had a Montana previously that had to be towed three times. The last time was for a shot transmission at 37000 miles while I was 600 miles from home. I must say that after a nasty discussion, GM did replace the transmission at no cost.

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  2002 S-10 Crew 4x4 - 2004 Chevrolet S-10
  By jdkan1 - April 9 - 9:11 am

  Problems with the front end (4x4) front suspension. At 60,000 miles it had to be re-built. Problems with vacuum system and actuators, had to be re- built at 55,000. Nice truck, too many problems.

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  Still Checking this thing out - 2007 Chevrolet Colorado
  By bagery77 - April 8 - 1:39 pm

  Truck looks excellent. Acceleration is great. Been having fuel efficiency problems for the last two weeks since I took the truck in for recall of computer. Computer had to be reprogrammed because the truck would not idle upon cold start. Truck is brand new 4 cylinder automatic, but is guzzling gas like a full sized pickup. I got better gas mileage on my old V6 4x4 SUV. Dealerships are trying to make me wait thousands more miles (break-in?) before they remedy the problem. Ride is fun but bouncy. Cheap interior but still nice looking. Base seating has absolutely no adjustment worth a darn. I like the truck, I just want better gas mileage. Im averaging 250-270 miles on a 19.6 gallon tank.

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  A dealers delight - 1996 Chevrolet Tahoe
  By steffko - April 7 - 11:35 am

  My wife and I bought this in 2000 with 60K on it. She loves it, and it loves the local Chevy garage. We have replaced the fuel pump at 90K, the alternator at 95K, the tranny at100K (as everyone I know with a 96 has), the old style transfer case solenoid with the new/improved version, and have put two batteries in it. It also has a drinking problem. I top off the coolant about once a month. It now has a leak out of the rear seal of the transfer case (which Ill fix if it ever stops snowing), as well as lifter rattle and high oil pressure readings when first started. The a/c crapped out last year as well. But to borrow an old juice ad, I never have to say, Wow, wish I had a V8 because when the 350 rocks, she rocks!

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  Poor Reliability - 2002 Chevrolet Suburban
  By Dan - April 5 - 2:26 pm

  I have been owning Subs for about 10 years now. I am not sure I will own one again though. I am so tired of all the mechanical issues I have had to go through with them. I am not hard on my vehicles, change oil every 2500 miles, do all regular preventative maintence (tune up at 85,000 instead of 100,000 miles). I currently have stuck just about $3000 into this vehicle in the past 6 months. It now has 89,000 miles on it and I have done the following: fuel pump ($1100), transmission flush and filer change ($240), left front wheel bearing ($412), anti-lock brake module ($975), and other misc items that needed fixing. This might be my last Suburban I ever own.

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  Its a cheap survivor - 2000 Chevrolet Cavalier
  By Canadian - April 4 - 12:06 pm

  This car was purchased in early 2003 with 76,000 kilometers and has been faithful year after year. The brutally cold winters have failed to prevent cold starts. I have kept all regular maintenance considering the less than stellar ratings tagging this car. I changed the auto transmission fluid at 110000 kilometers on Nov 2005. On Nov 2006, only 20,000 km later, the transmission began to grind, and shortly thereafter, died. This was a major disappointment, as the vehicle was always driven in a manner to prolong its service life. Thankfully, I was able to find a used transmission with 69000 kilometers for a cheap (albeit unwelcome) $350.00 CAD.

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  Can we say Recall/Class Actio? - 2005 Chevrolet Malibu
  By Karyn - April 2 - 4:00 pm

  That noise you all here coming from the front end is your struts! I bought mine w/25k on it 10/2005 and within months had problems, had rattling since beginning, told it was nothing, now found out it was the strut (s) at 47k, had to replace all 4 brakes already, tires were shot at 40k. If it wont start just take the key out and try again, its a security feature, happens all the time! Now my tail light is not working apparently an Electrical problem! Gets good gas mileage only right after oil changes and with new tires! Better make sure you replace that air filter when it says too also! Front suspension shot, brakes shot, Electrical shot, seat fabric shot, get the hint, its a piece of junk!