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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  Nice ride, expensive to maintain - 1996 Chevrolet Suburban
  By sharpe_012001 - September 29 - 11:32 pm

  If you buy a 96 Suburban, you wont want anything else. However, it is extremely expensive. First, you might get 14 mpg. Have you ever used a gas card and had to use it twice at the same fillup (42 gal tank, Gas card stops at $75.) Next, prepare to spend a minimum of $2000/yr. I did the research here and bought it anyway. Have had to replace brakes, master cylinder, booster fuel pump, timing belt tensioner, alternator, and cant remember what else. A minimum of $400 whenever you take it in to the shop. However, cant seem to let it go.

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  Be Cautious with a C7 - 2016 Chevrolet Corvette
  By Disappointed Idaho Corvette Owner - September 28 - 5:20 pm

  The C7 is a fun car to drive but I must say my C6 had better visibility and more interior room. The quality of my C7 was really marginal which lead to my decision to sell. It was really frustrating that the cooled seats did not work, the start/stop button sometimes worked, sometimes it did not. The windshield was such poor quality that when driving into the sun all I could see where the bubbles in the glass. The memory seats only worked when they were in the mood. The seats are now so small that my 5 11" 190lb body was always sitting on the bolsters vs actually sitting in the seat. The list goes on and on. Dont get my wrong, the car was fun to drive, lots of power and handles well. It was all the things that did not work and the Chevy Dealer telling me not to bring the car back to him as he could not fix the problems with the car. I expected more from a $70,000 car. I wish Id have kept my C6!

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  New 2.9 engine, new problems. - 2007 Chevrolet Colorado
  By Willard48 - September 24 - 2:00 pm

  I traded in a 2004 Toyota Tacoma for this 2007 Colorado because I wanted to go back to Chevy trucks. Two days after I got it, the engine, when cold, cranks and dies, then idles extremely rough until it warms up. Dealership service tells me they never heard of a Colorado doing that before. Translation: "We probably cant fix that" The truck is fine bodywise and interiorwise, but in my humble opinion you might want to wait until they get all the bugs out of this new 4 cylinder powerplant.

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  Check Edmund.com before buying - 2010 Chevrolet Cobalt
  By Dr. Lattimore - September 21 - 2:20 pm

  Before buying check Edmund.com for the repair problem especially with the brake light staying on while driving. The problem existed with the 2008 and still continues with the 2010. Constantly at the dealership every 6 months and the dealership is not able to fix the issue

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  Not what I thought - 2006 Chevrolet Cobalt
  By Stacy - September 18 - 12:36 pm

  Although I initially loved the look of the car, Im highly disappointed with the lack of visibility due to the high back and large blind spot on the drivers side. I feel unsafe driving the Cobalt because of this design. For the interior, the vents are poorly designed so that passengers do not get the air, either hot or cool, from them and this affects the defroster too. The pick-up and braking are great but the car could be lighter to improve gas mileage. My old Cavalier still gets better gas mileage than the Cobalt.

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  Not what I expected. - 1999 Chevrolet Tracker
  By DKJones96 - September 15 - 4:44 pm

  I bought this car to replace my Toyota Cressida. Big mistake. In 9 months and 12k miles, Ive had to replace the alternator that actually left me stranded, blower fan, the radiators fiberglass end-caps have cracked and started leaking, the tensioner and idler pully were worn very badly, and the car has 75K on it and none of those items are maintenance related. Repair is expensive. The electric fan breaks off the fins on the condenser hurting a/c performance a lot. The body squeaks, and the cheap plastic tabs all need replaced. They either fall off or break when removed. Mileage in 70/30 hwy/city averages 19MPG. Not impressive for a 4 banger, and its slow.

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  Its another "WARBLER" - 2016 Chevrolet Corvette
  By Devildog - September 14 - 10:03 pm

  Many owners of 2016 Chevrolet Corvettes (some 2015s) are reporting on various internet sites IE: Corvette Forum. Stingray Forum, that their new Corvettes, primarily base models with automatic transmissions produce a WARBLE type noise at exactly 1500 RPM under light throttle load , as when going up a slight grade. I am one of said owners. Go to these internet sites and look up WARBLE and even view the video / audio of the issue / complaint. Currently I understand that owners are invoking the lemon law process; GM supposedly has taken back vehicle (s). Basically there is no proven correction at this time. I too have contacted GM and like many others, I was given a "case number". Its been awhile; GM has been involved deeply; taken cars back in exchange...under pretense of studying them. However; GM IS REMAINING VERY QUIET about this serious issue. WHY ? Dealing with this corporation; their possibly covert approach to this serious matter will make GM owners uncomfortable...if they care to listen. Meanwhile, my C7 Stingray, auto has had the differential changed; a improvement is noted but the "WARBLE" goes on.................. and on.....................!

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  Check the details before you buy - 2006 Chevrolet Colorado
  By oscarcat - September 14 - 9:41 pm

  Great looks, quiet ride. However, the front cupholders wont hold a 1 liter water bottle. The seats with base interior dont recline. Beware, there is no way to unlock the passenger door from the outside if you dont have the $500 power package because there is no lock cylinder on the passenger door! This is a serious safety and convenience issue, especially if you have children.

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  Red Lemon - 2004 Chevrolet Aveo
  By kathi z - September 10 - 9:00 pm

  Nice to drive, traded Metro in for an Aveo sedan. Has been to dealer six times for warranty repairs with only 34,000 miles on it. Fuel mileage is not great. My Chevy Impala with 3.8 gets as good. Dash hard to read in daylight. The stupid chrome around shifter has sun glare off of it. In cold weather, will not shift into over drive for several miles.

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  Poor Quality Chevrolet - 2002 Chevrolet TrailBlazer
  By Would not recommend - September 8 - 10:00 am

  In the shop at least monthly. The battery was randomly going dead. (bad cell). Power windows have had to be repaired. Rear brake lights module has gone out twice. Four-wheel drive module went out (4-wheel drive would not work). Power lumbar support motor went out. Wipers quit working. Trailer light plug quit working. Consistent rattle in the engine compartment on exceleration since purchase (shop cant find). Now there is a VERY loud high pitch sound coming from the motor. We would like to trade it in but the resale is so poor. After purchasing it one year ago for over $30,000, the trade in value is barely $20,000.