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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  2001 chevy impala - 2001 Chevrolet Impala
  By laura - March 23 - 6:30 pm

  battery light continuously come on, changed the battery and it still comes on. service light comes on after bringing it into the shop. car bucks to the point where the cars about to break down, and is undrivable. dashboard lights dim. hesitated start.

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  my life mistake - 2004 Chevrolet TrailBlazer
  By GodOfWar65 - March 23 - 5:48 pm

  So a 2004 trailbalzer i got one day. some $14,000 is what it costs. (still paying it) anyway within a month of when i got it i had to change that battery. then more months later my head lights go. when the first sign of winter showed up i popped it into 4wd, and it never can go back to 2wd. took it to a dealer and my 4wd module is broken some $500 repair oh and a secondary air intake malfunction hit me too. now i get grinding from the front when i break, (i changed pads and inspected it) now this machine is not that old and not alot of miles on it and i drove it like an average person and i got dumped on... my instrument panel light flicker when i break or excell. very up set with this SUV!!!!

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  What is Edmunds problem? - 2002 Chevrolet Camaro
  By earlr - March 23 - 4:17 pm

  After reading the Edmunds editors reviews of the 4th generation Camaros, I suddenly felt the need to write a review of my own. I dont ever recall seeing such obvious bias in a review but then, I havent read many other reviews of American muscle cars, so maybe thats where their issues lie. I am very happy with my 02 Camaro sure its not perfect, and its not Japanese, but it is a lot of fun to drive, is as reliable as any other car of its ilk, and oh did I mention its a blast to drive. The car has over 120k miles on it now, and the engine & transmission are a solid now as they ever were. Ive been able to fix any minor issues that have come up.

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  Tires are really important - 2003 Chevrolet Malibu
  By tires are important - March 22 - 11:09 pm

  Got the car for my son. I noticed HUGE road noise, especially interstate driving, and just figured that the car was a noisy cheap car. I was trying to sound proof it, but did some research on the tires, and saw that the tires that were on there EVERYONE complained about the road noise, so i switched them out, and the car rides like a dream..much, much quieter

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  POWER DOORS RESOLVED - 2007 Chevrolet Uplander
  By jake - March 22 - 6:46 pm

  The rubber lining an the inside of the door, the seal is blocking the sensor. You will see that the rubber is too big and has a bunch of holes in it from the door hitting it. When the door hits it, it opens back up. All i did was tape the rubber away from the door, then it closes just fine!

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  Nice little car - 2008 Chevrolet Aveo
  By TLevine - March 21 - 5:11 pm

  This is my second Aveo, the first one got totaled after I hit a deer and totaled it. If you are wanting a sports car then do not even go for the Aveo. If you are wanting a good reliable car then this is it. I drive a 100 miles a day round trip and fill up the gas tank twice a week. The 5- speed manual transmission is the best way to go with these little cars. Good little car for the price could not ask for more.

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  Great, if you know what to look for... - 2000 Chevrolet Blazer
  By Joey - March 20 - 3:49 pm

  I bought my Blazer used with 90K(kms) on it, and its been a blast. This is my 5th Blazer/Jimmy, and theyre great vehicles if you know what to look for. The following problems are a given after about 120k: ball joints, leaky oil lines, heater core, squeaky rear window, recliner handles will break off, door hinge bushings, and if not maintained properly, auto transmissions will probably go around 200k. If your vehicle still has Dex- cool in it (orange anti-freeze), I would highly recommend getting it flushed and replaced with the regular green stuff, and that may save you some headaches. The fuel economy is not great, but like most vehicles, maintain these properly and theyll treat you well.

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  problems - 2008 Chevrolet Equinox
  By jebnurse05 - March 20 - 7:38 am

  Not quite 2 years old yet, problems with front door locks, yesterday problem with engine misfire on cylinder #1-- $143 to change a freaking spark plug and plug wire!! water in drivers side floorboard--dont know where that is coming from, havent checked spare tire storage area--I will after reading the reviews--spilled drinks from cupholders onto window controls--now are hard to use--sticky--I traded in a Buick Rendezvous for this---I miss my Buick but not the electrical problems that I was having with it--am beginning to wonder if I went from bad to worse

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  Power Steering - 2006 Chevrolet Cobalt
  By skl - March 19 - 11:49 am

  I bought my car brand new, have not had any problems until March 5, 2010 was leaving walmart my warning light came on and my power steering went out it eventually came back. On March 17, 2010 i had left the mall my warning light came on and my power steering went out again i turned my car off and back on it was ok again. i heard on the news there was a recall on the chev cobalt. i looked it up online and found the recall and called the chev number the guy told me there was not a recall it was under investigation to ignore it. Its hard to ignore when your going down the hwy and your p/s goes out. the guy told me to ignore. This could case a serious accident

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  Venture OK - 2005 Chevrolet Venture
  By Gary - March 18 - 7:59 am

  I had to downsize from Suburbans and after adjusting I really like this van. You cant get more vehicle for the money. Its a shame GM does not have a mini-van in their line up now. I have been a loyal GM buyer for 25 + years but need to look at other options for new vans.