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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  May the best car win? Uh, not this one. - 2009 Chevrolet Malibu
  By Jeff B - April 17 - 8:45 am

  The 09 Chevy Malibu is a huge leap forward for GM, and it is world better than past GM cars I have driven. However, now that I have had it for 18 months or so, the problems have begun to appear, and the dealer (Royal Chevy in NJ) has been zero help. Now my dash lights dont work and that means NO speedometer. The right turn signal doesnt cancel itself, and it sounds like something is loose in the left front wheel well. Are these terrible, debilitating problems? Nope. But as I also drive a 3y/o Honda CR-V and 4 y/o Mazda Miata, the comparisons are striking. No problems at all with the Honda or Mazda and both drive much more smoothly.

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  Front End- steering - 2007 Chevrolet Impala
  By Shannon - April 17 - 1:28 am

  I have 31,000 miles on my Impala. The car was starting to be very rough, even over the smallest bumps. I also noticed driving on the highway that if I got distracted even a small bit the car was heading into the other lane, it started to wonder. It was also impossible to steer in parking lots at a low speed. I took it into the dealership and they had to replace the rack and pinion and the power steering pump, all under warranty. The car rides perfect again. My only concern is this something I will have to do every 30,000 miles. I dont drive my car under any adverse conditions so I hope for the best.

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  Total Transmission Failure - 2010 Chevrolet Malibu
  By lindahat - April 15 - 7:50 am

  I bought this beautiful brand new Malibu LT after driving only GM trucks for a long time. What a great car! But after owning it just short of 3 months, and only 1500 miles, it has had three major problems develop, all within 24 hrs: 1) dash lights went off and on, 2) cruise control engaged and accelerated on its own, going uphill, 3) total transmission failure! The repairing dealership has had it a week and is now taking out the entire transmission for replacement. This car is obviously a lemon and we have asked for our money back! No response as yet. Does GM care about rebuilding their image? We shall see how we are treated.

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  traded in 05 Uplander van for 10 Travers - 2010 Chevrolet Traverse
  By jtbea - April 15 - 12:47 am

  The minivan had high miles, AC, door issues, and showing transmission issues plus we were tired of no tow power and also of mom van image. Traverse is all the Uplander was not. Great incentives, design and features, dealer added bluetooth and remote start. We added 2-tone black/gray leather seats, heat warmers and DVD player as dealer after-market installs.. thats the way to go folks! Custom leather design for no more money and to my taste and better quality leather. Just wish center row seats were removable or easier to get to 3rd row for my teenagers.

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  Great Used Car! - 1998 Chevrolet Cavalier
  By DSFan4Life - April 14 - 8:43 pm

  I bought this car used a little over 2 years ago & I am a lot happier than I thought I would be with it. It does great on the highway when you need to pass people. It gets ~30 mpg regularly. It does amazingly well in snow for a small car. And it does well in grass too. I would definitely recommend if you dont need a huge car.

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  OK Truck - 2009 Chevrolet Colorado
  By dandydon - April 14 - 10:09 am

  I missed not having a 4wd truck but I didnt miss the 14 mpg. So I got this Colorado. The mileage is OK, I have gotten 22 to 23 mpg on the highway. Around town in drops right off to 16- 17 mpg. I like the looks. It does ride a little rough , but its a small 4wd with the off-road package, so thats expected.

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  Hope they improved it. - 2008 Chevrolet Aveo
  By Gary Z - April 14 - 9:24 am

  Car is too light to drive at Atlanta interstate commute speeds - tires squeal at normal I-20 speeds or in ANY crosswind - had dealer check it out, and he admitted that the cars weight is the problem. The Kumho 722s began hydroplaning in normal rain at < 30k miles, replaced with Generals, hydroplaning problem fixed, but still wants to leave road at Interstate speed. Had right headlight fail at 18 mos old - way too soon for something like that. Then had HVAC blower fan motor blow its resistor after only 7 mos on road, and again at 18 mos on road, before they figured out that the motor was the problem, not fuses and resistors.

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  Good Power, Reliability Questionable - 1997 Chevrolet Blazer
  By MJWACK - April 13 - 11:48 am

  Drove the Blazer for one-year and sold it thinking to upgrade, but probably let it go too cheap. The 4.3 V6 was a powerful engine, the LT trim was awesome, but I ran into drivetrain problems and it began to leak out of the rear main seal at around 115k, then it started leaking anti-freeze from the head gaskets. Also had to replace a leaky CV axle, then just started leaking again from the front differential. Also a vacuum line disconnected and the electronic 4x4 wouldnt engage. The AC had some problems too. Overall this was a good car, but with over 100k I wasnt ready to accept the maintenance costs and got sick of leaking fluids.

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  Best Vehicle Ever Owned - 1993 Chevrolet Astro
  By Calanthe42 - April 13 - 9:25 am

  This little truck has 165,000 now and the only major money ever spent was when the A/C went out (while towing a U-haul). All I have ever had to do is regular oil changes and maintenance. Dependable to a fault. This truck made 10 trips hauling trailers between Atlanta and New Orleans after Katrina. My house was a total loss but the Astro was something I could depend on. Unless you have ever been in that position, you have no idea how important such dependability is. I would strike out across country in this without a worry. I will keep this until the wheels fall off...and then buy new wheels.

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  very pleased - 2002 Chevrolet Blazer
  By ashley - April 13 - 5:41 am

  I see everyones reviews and they just blow my mind. I must have got lucky. My Blazer I bought at 95,000 miles on it. Now it has almost 200,000. I have had to replace the fuel pump twice but that is my fault. I hate pumping gas and push every car I have owned to its limits on an empty tank. Every car I have owned has had to have that replaced other than that just BASIC ware and. Tear the transmission started slipping at 190,000 put some stop slip in and its pushing 200,000. No problem. Im sure the end to this cars life will come sooner than later but I have been satisfied with this car. I do agree with gas mileage needing improvement though it is a gas hog but it is a SUV so expected.