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:

• 

  Transmission Nightmare - 2000 Chevrolet Malibu
  By malibutrany - March 25 - 2:00 am

  With only 46,763 miles on my 2000 Malibu I didnt expect the transmission to go. Not to mention, warped brake rotors, cheap tires, and poor cooling & heating system. When the transmission went out I contacted two local dealers. Both of which didnt want to deal with the problems and gave me the 800 # for GM customer service. GM informed me that they couldnt help me either, as I didnt have documentation of service done at a GM dealership and couldnt prove that I hadnt tampered with the transmission! Ill never buy GM again due to product quality and NO customer service. My advice . . do not buy a Malibu.

• 

  Car just plain sucks - 2000 Chevrolet Malibu
  By Chevy "cheap" Malibu - March 23 - 2:00 am

  oh god where to I begin. Well for one thing GM cars gotta be the cheapest looking vehicles on the road. every GM car looks the same with those cheap plastic nobs and materials. Id rather pay the extra dough for an Import that actually looks and feels good. I bought it as my first car and didnt really care for it. parents just got it for me. I "had" problems with the brakes brought it in like god knows how many times. Noisy powertrain when revving that weak 170hp. Now Im happy. I got a 2000 Maxima that really doesnt give me problems. Good engine and just a plain ol good car.

• 

  Buyers Beware - 2005 Chevrolet Malibu Maxx
  By Jennifer Davis - March 21 - 4:00 am

  I have had a lot of problems with this car over the years. Researching a little I discovered that many people have had the same problems. The latest problem is the engine deciding to shut off while in the middle of driving. There doesnt seem to be any clear direction as to what causes this. Within the first 3 months of purchasing the car I started having brake problems. I had to get the brakes replaced within 6 months. The "DAB" warning shows up periodically (the dealership says it is not anything wrong and they just clear it). My CD player still doesnt work (2 replacements).

• 

  DONT EVEN THINK ABOUT BUYING THIS!!!!!! - 1997 Chevrolet Cavalier
  By Poof - March 21 - 2:00 am

  I purchased this car right out of High School.I dint know what I was doing. This was all I could afford. The only smart thing I did was buy the extended warranty. If I hadnt I would of spent $3000 on fixing it. Gas mileage sucks. I had the rear main seal go, head cover gasket, leak in the fuel injectors, o2 sensor, alternator, oil pump, oil pump sensor, only thing that is still working great is the a/c and coolant system. I cant wait to finish paying it off in Aug 2003. This was my second cavalier and it had nothing but the constantly over heating. Im talking, going to work and find your coolant broke inside your car, leaking everywhere.

• 

  Worst Chevy Ever - 2004 Chevrolet Silverado 1500
  By shopbum - March 20 - 2:13 am

  I have owned a lot of GM products over the years, and never have I disliked a truck as much as this one. It has been one problem after another. First the cowl was leaking into the cab, then the rear passenger windows would not deal, the the keyless entry locked me out on about 20 occasions...I could go on and on. Never again will I buy a GM after the worst time in my life.

• 

  Wheres The Road? - 2002 Chevrolet TrailBlazer
  By Chevy Retread - March 18 - 10:00 am

  This is the question you will be asking yourself after driving this vehicle. The steering is so bad that you cannot feel the rood. The steering has NO center point at all. Too bad for the people at Chevy. A better steering set up and this thing could have given Exploer a run for the money. For now just another GM miss. Back to the drawing board for the company that just wont listen!

• 

  Fell out of love - 2014 Chevrolet Cruze
  By Patricia Tipton - March 14 - 1:51 pm

  Real problems with emission controls and related DEF issues. Less than 38500 miles and have had 10 service events relating to these issues. Last three were out of warranty and cost me around $1500. Oil changes and DEF top offs run between $90 -100.

• 

  chevys - 2004 Chevrolet Silverado 1500
  By wildmechanic69 - March 14 - 10:00 am

  the truck will pull but has hesitation off idle and when going down the road in passing gear @80 it sounds like lifters rattleing,holds weight pretty good though,if i had it to do over agin i wouldnt buy this over rated over priced vehicle again

• 

  Buy Midas Stock - 1998 Chevrolet Malibu
  By MaliBLOWS - March 8 - 2:00 am

  The tales of the broken brakes are all too common and real. Ive had more than $700 in brake repairs. The lighter fell apart..literally breaking off like a cookie. Other pieces of the car are doing the same. Im a dealer and cant unload this thing. Worse buy yet.

• 

  Avoid like the plague - 1996 Chevrolet Cavalier
  By taken4aride - March 6 - 2:00 am

  Fuel pump-August, 2002 $800. TRANSMISSION-January, 2003 $2300. Head Gasket-Febraury, 2003 $500. Total mileage of this car is only 68,000. This is, without a doubt, the absolute worst car that I have ever owned. The above list is only a small sample of the problems with this car. Many problems similar to other reviews (motor mounts, shoddy interior, etc).