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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  I got a lemon - 1999 Chevrolet Malibu
  By phylli - May 2 - 2:00 am

  Nothing but trouble since I purchased car. Have replaced starter, gas tank removed for parts replacement due to leak, now shocks (struts) are sounding terrible. Im getting rid of the lemon.

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  Gutless wonder - 2017 Chevrolet Traverse
  By S.Canada - May 1 - 1:49 pm

  Not exactly sure the trim as it was a rental which had 20k miles. Vehicle drove and handled ok but saying it is week kneed passing another vehicle is giving it more credit than it deserves; everyone riding in the vehicle laughed at how loud engine got while flooring gas pedal but took a long long long time to pass a car in a 45 zone in moderate traffic where quickness is sometimes needed to maneuver around vehicles. I would most definitely recommend test drive with acceleration test b4 purchasing this rig instead of going off the clearly misguided review that I also laughed at. Also, poor gas millage even when not driving with a lead foot.

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  WORST CAR EVER! - 1999 Chevrolet Malibu
  By y? - May 1 - 2:00 am

  Looks like a nice car for the price...except the price continues to increase in repairs. Bought it with 39k on it, now has almost 48k, one year later. So far, replaced whole front brake system, tire rod, a/c switch, belt in engine has been replaced twice by dealer and still squeals, rear wheel drum leaking, engine light has been on and off for 6 months. Apparently, everything that everyone has been complaining about for the past few years has gone unnoticed by GM. Owners seem to have all the same problems, which makes it a defect and not a user error...AND IF YOU HAVENT NOTICED YET, THE VALUE OF THIS CAR IS DECLINING RAPIDLY, SO DUMP IT NOW!

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  junk truck - 1996 Chevrolet Blazer
  By trebor - April 30 - 2:00 am

  started to fall apart after warenty expired. The transmission is shot at 65000 miles. alterner went out at 38000 miles. anything plastic inside has broken. windows stick shut in the heat.

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  a piece of crap!!! - 1999 Chevrolet Malibu
  By will_never_buy_GM - April 29 - 10:00 am

  Bought it brand new, in less than 3 years and less than 26,000 miles, 3 tires are gone, the fourth is about to give up, one of the aluminum wheel has severe rust on it, the A/C will shut off by itself, sent it to dealership three times, but the problem has never been solved. The warranty is about to expire and GM is not willing to do anything about it, the only thing their customer service did is to ask me to send it back to the dealership again, nothing was said about the warranty.

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  Dont Buy a Cavalier - 2002 Chevrolet Cavalier
  By cgehlich - April 29 - 2:00 am

  I have had many problems with my Cavalier. This month alone, I have put over $700 into the car, not including my car payment or insurance. Granted, I drive the car a lot. But, many things continuously go wrong with it that shouldnt (Engine Light goes on, Emergency Brake dont always hold, there is a crack in the dashboard - no one ever since in the passenger seat, so I have no idea how this came out, etc.). Ive done everything to keep the car well-maintained, but nothing seems to be working.

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  Lemon! - 2007 Chevrolet Cobalt
  By rattler - April 25 - 10:16 pm

  Bought my new 2007 Cobalt in July 2007, pulled off the dealer lot to get groceries, and noticed my front running light was out on the passenger side of the car. Went thru the first tank of gas, fair gas mileage, started to hear a rattle in the front passenger side of the dashboard, started to rattle after 800 miles on the Cobalt! Should have gotten a Honda Civic EX!

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  Good Looks Bad Personality - 1995 Chevrolet Blazer
  By brianku1 - April 25 - 2:00 am

  The Blazer looks really nice but buyer beware of good looks. I have had to replace the EGR valve twice. I had to have brake work done for 1,500. The transmission needed an overhaul for 2,000. Then the spider on the fuel pump went out. I am not waiting around to find out what will break next. I feel like I should send it off a cliff so no one has to go through all this again.

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  injector problems - 1999 Chevrolet Venture
  By problem child - April 16 - 2:00 am

  I have had nothing but problems with the fuel injectors on this van...i think it is a production problem with this!!!!!

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  why i dislike my Cavalier - 1996 Chevrolet Cavalier
  By 311 - April 14 - 2:00 am

  My 1996 Cavalier has been a very reliable car, besides that it is a poorly made car. This car is a basic ecnomy car, it will never be anything but an ecnomy car not even the z24 will be more. The horsepower to weight ratio is pretty bad(130HP to 2617lbs) , the Torque (120 ft-lbs) is also pretty bad. The interior of the car is very cheaply made, from the seats to the steering wheel down to the side door panels which always seemed to be crack on every Cavalier. If anyone is thinking of upgrading a Cavalier i would highly disapprove, go out and get a sports car and dont make the same mistake that i did.