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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  Gm Junk - 2001 Chevrolet Silverado 2500HD
  By western6 - August 23 - 2:00 am

  GM junk, 800 miles two injections ports go, cab lights leaked, dash rattled, drive shaft replaced, engine knock, oil consumption, 4x4 switch bad, rear springs sag, front driver side sag. sold it and bought a Dodge cummings.

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  my malibu - 2003 Chevrolet Malibu
  By cat123 - August 23 - 2:00 am

  Alternater went out after 4 years...just after the warrenty expires, imagine that! Air conditioning went out right about the same time!

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  should have bought a hyundai...... - 2008 Chevrolet Impala
  By bob - August 20 - 10:46 am

  Bought this car hoping that it would be enjoyable to drive, however front end vibration, limited cupholders, wind noise around windows, cant put a map in drivers side door pocket, no glove box light, no vanity mirror lights, lousy radio. no locking gas door.

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  unsatisfied - 2001 Chevrolet Blazer
  By geoteach2000 - August 19 - 2:00 am

  Front end problems at 38,000 miles...needed hub assembly unit...475.00 part. Have heard of others having same problems with front end due to poor design and Chevys inability or unwillingness to fix the design problems...whatever they may be...this is pure speculation though... as I have heard this through word of mouth.

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  Silverado 4x4 2500 HD ex cab - 2004 Chevrolet Silverado 2500
  By Lee Beckwith - August 15 - 7:30 am

  Absolutely the most dissapointing purchase of my life.It shakes badly between 70 and 80 mph. I dont tow heavy and dont off road it it has stock rims and tires and its on its third pinion bearing. I cant trust it to travel. And it dosnt even have 25K on it yet. My 99 RAM had 145K and I would trust it to this day anywhere anytime.

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  Not very impressed. Preferred the VW Jetta - 2017 Chevrolet Cruze
  By Sam - August 14 - 10:42 pm

  Avis at OC John Wayne airport stuck me with a Chevy Cruze on my last trip to SoCalif in May 2017. Bummer. I had fun to drive VW Jetta the last time. The accelerator pedal on the Cruze felt like I was modulating a bungee cord with virtually no acceleration unless I floored it. The brakes were a little grabby but OK. Theres nothing special about this car, not especially fun to drive, not very nimble but acceptable. The auto Stop/Start was a royal pain. The only way I could disable it (sometimes) was if I left the air conditioner ON. Apparently the engine needs to be running in order to power the air conditioner - but that only worked sometimes. I thought I would get better throttle response by shifting the transmission out of Drive and into the next lower setting. If I did that while stopped the engine would just rev up to redline and wouldnt shift as I sped up. If I was already in motion then manually down shifted, it would sometimes stay in the lower setting with better throttle response and not rev up so high. It would shift. Weird. I say shift because Im not sure if this is a real transmission or a CVT. In any case, it was annoying! The VW Jetta is also an inexpensive sedan and I found it be a far better car all around, much more spirited, and no silly quirks like the Chevy Cruze. I ask Avis if I can get the Jetta again on my next trip. Ill try to avoid the Cruze.

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  more gm garbage - 1993 Chevrolet Suburban
  By machturtle - August 7 - 2:00 am

  major components breaking down and requiring repair constantly, expensive to work on and expensive parts, never buy without an extended warranty, a good mechanic and more patience than i have i am buying toyota or honda next

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  Big Problems and Hefty Bills - 1996 Chevrolet Cavalier
  By midnyte_sun - August 4 - 2:00 am

  Ive had this car since 1998 and it ran fine for the first year and a half. Then it started having all kinds of problems. At 85,000 miles Ive had these problems: Electronic Modulator busted, water pump busted, engine constantly overheats, a/c, vent, heating only works at max, catalytic converter busted, oxygen sensors malfunctioned, and I get horrible gas mileage : 275 miles on a full tank. (Ill be nice and wont even include new tires, shocks, struts, brakes, etc). Total repairs: $7,000+

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  The cheapest car ever built... - 1998 Chevrolet Cavalier
  By cavalierssuck - August 4 - 2:00 am

  I bought my 98 Cavalier last fall for $5,200. It sounded like a bargain at the time. My family has always had Chevy cars and trucks so I figured it would be a good car. WRONG. The first week I had it, the spark plug wiring needed to be replaced because it would sputter like crazy. Three weeks later it needed a new clutch (yes I am a very good manual driver). Almost every morning in the winter it wouldnt start, and if it did start it ran bad. 3,000 bucks later it still runs like garbage. VERY CHEAP CAR DONT BUY IT!!

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  Stay Away from Astro and GMC Products - 1997 Chevrolet Astro
  By Astro Owner - August 2 - 2:00 am

  The Astro Van has known manufacturing defects that GMC/Chev. have not addressed which include, the side window not locking in an open position, transmission slippage, idler arm defects which result in early wear of tires. This is a poorly built, low volume vehicle that either needs to be pulled from assembly or fixed.