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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  Lame-mobile - 2007 Chevrolet Malibu Maxx
  By kmduym - July 29 - 5:54 am

  My husband and I purchased this car just over a year ago. We should have kept shopping. This vehicle is incredibly boring. From the exterior, it looks promising as a cute, responsible hatchback from an American-made car company. We had visions of fuel economy cresting 30mpg. We have held consistent at 21mpg. I would understand the low mpgs if the 6-cylinder could actually haul -- but it drives like a dog. Furthermore, the handling is so poor, with an overbearing torque-steer that sends you into a.) oncoming traffic or b.) the ditch. Not worth the money. Boring to drive. Cheaply made (rreeaallllyy cheaply made). A true disappointment.

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  Never buy this car! - 1998 Chevrolet Malibu
  By Bills family - July 29 - 2:00 am

  I have had to have every possible part on the braking system replaced. The ABS light still comes on. The car needs its 4th air conditioner control unit at 45,000. Had to put $1,700 into it in January and the car still wants to die out when started. Dealer now says it needs a fuel pressure regulator for another $200 - could this have been the problem all along? Lemon......

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  Say No to Malibu - 2000 Chevrolet Malibu
  By nonew - July 27 - 2:00 am

  I HAVE HAD NOTHING BUT TROUBLE FROM MY 2000 MALIBU. I HAVE HAD TOO MANY SETS OF BRAKES AND ROTORS TO EVEN COUNT. I HAVE HAD A NEW POWER STEERING PUMP, NEW BATTERY, NEW FUEL TANK FLOAT. MY ENGINE HAS KNOCKED FROM THE START. MY TURN SIGNAL HAD A BUZZING NOISE AND AFTER 3 TRIPS TO THE DEALERSHIP THEY FINALLY FIXED IT AFTER I THREATENED TO SEE A LAWYER. I HAVE BEEN STRANDED WITH SMALL CHILDREN SEVERAL TIMES. I HAVE BEEN TOWED AND I HAVE RECEIVED NO SATISFACTION WHEN TRYING TO DEAL WITH GM ABOUT PROBLEMS. THEIR SOLUTION WAS TO GIVE ME $1,000 TOWARD A NEW CHEVROLET PURCHASE. (YEAH RIGHT)

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  cavalier is a nightmare - 2002 Chevrolet Cavalier
  By danielles fat - July 27 - 2:00 am

  carv -a-lier horribly built car..no power.no quality.if u have it get rid of it before the warranty runs out..if it lasts that long.everything breaks.transmission rattles (charactaristic, not a defect)..rides like @#%$, For performance leave car at the dealer for warranty services

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  NEVER BUY A BLAZER - 2001 Chevrolet Blazer
  By Hate It - July 26 - 2:00 am

  Worst car ever, dont ever buy a Blazer. Where to even start, this car is always in the shop. In 2.5 years, everything has gone wrong. Unreliable and unsafe. Know 2 other people with the same car and have the same problems...none of us will ever buy a Blazer again. 4WD, steering, brakes, power seats, windows leaking, catalytic onverter, exhaust system, alternator, you name it, it breaks. 50 miles over warranty, power seats went, 150 over, windows were leaking, 1,000 over, the car jumps when it accelerates. Word of Warning, dont but this car...EVER!

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  Poor Review - 1999 Chevrolet Suburban
  By dhhd222 - July 25 - 2:00 am

  This car takes so much gas...there are so many more suvs that can hold the same amount of passangers but do not have such a poor fuel economy...i have needed a new alternator 3 times and a new transmission 2 times...i will never buy another cheverolet again

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  Disappointed - 2003 Chevrolet Suburban
  By snotned - July 25 - 2:00 am

  I use my Chevy to puck up friends from the airport and to take trips to neighboring states. The dealership tells me that it is normal to burn 1 1/2 quarts of oil between oil changes (every 3500 miles) Chevy says it sent out letters saying this was normal.???

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  I hated my wifes car - 1992 Chevrolet Cavalier
  By mlittrell - July 24 - 2:00 am

  This car came with my wife. She loved it and I hated this car with every fiber of my being. It was uncomfortable, it couldnt get out of its own way, and felt like it would tip over at every corner. The good thing is that there werent any options to break. It was pretty reliable, except for the yearly recharge of the freon, the replacement of the master cylinder, and the alternator. For a GM vehicle with almost 80k mi, I would say that that wasnt bad. It still looked pretty good when we sold it, but my father in law and I are very good about keeping our cars up. I wasnt surprised that the dealerships really didnt want it as a trade in.

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  Bad Car - 1997 Chevrolet Malibu
  By boshkash - July 23 - 2:00 am

  Very Bad break system, avd A/C

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  Worst Car I have had! - 2001 Chevrolet Blazer
  By Chevy - July 18 - 2:00 am

  Are you kidding me? This is by far the worst car I have ever owned. It is always in the shop and things never seem to get fixed. In 2.5 years I have had 5 major things fixed. Shakes like the car is going to fall apart. I rarely even drive on the highway with it anymore b/c it feels so unsafe. Terrible brakes, shakes when baking up, always feels like it has a flat tire...the problems are endless. I cant get rid of it soon enough!