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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  a lemon? - 1991 Chevrolet Caprice
  By mikeinwi - November 12 - 2:00 am

  Bought from a great uncle at 8 years old, 70,000 miles. EGR valve went at 85000. EGR valve and catalytic converter went at 114,000. Trans went at 114,000, radiator leaks 2x in last 3 years (brand new one even), blew headlights/turn signals in 1 weekend, more trans problems. This car sucks and Im dumping it...has 116,000 on it.

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  Poor - 1998 Chevrolet Cavalier
  By Ftmjohn - November 11 - 2:00 am

  Stupid car! So loud i can hardly hear the radio.

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  Poor Quality and Service - 1997 Chevrolet Tahoe
  By Yule-B-Sorry - November 11 - 2:00 am

  After replacing the engine manifold, transmission, starter, water pump, master cylinder, radiator all between 70-80,000 miles, my tahoe runs ok. Brakes are poor as have replaced 2 sets of rotors but am still on the original pads. The rear door leaks and needs a new gasket. This car is only used by my wife for daily trips to take the kids to school and other events. Dealings with GM customer service are like having a root canal. They are very good at the denial game. My mechanic who is now my best friend says that my problems are not uncommon with regards to the transmission, manifold and brakes. Not a car I recommend purchasing.

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  Getting a Honda - 2000 Chevrolet Malibu
  By malipooh - November 8 - 2:00 am

  I bought my 2000 Malibu in 10/00. I decided to go with the Malibu over an Accord to save money. I had to replace the rotors at 34,600. Then again at 38000, 44000, and 48000. My lower intake manifold cracked at 46000, and that was merely $1600 to get fixed. I too get colder air from my recirculate than from my A/C. My biggest complaint is the resale value. I got the Malibu for $3000 less than the Accord,I still owe over $9K and its trade in is just over $6K. If I had bought the Accord I would owe just over $11K and it would be worth $14K. So instead of saving $3K I lost $6K(not including repair costs). Bottom line? Im buying a Honda.

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  Watch out for the exploding windows - 1998 Chevrolet Cavalier
  By Stacia Allen - October 30 - 2:00 am

  This has got to be the worst possible car ever. Ive had the drivers window and the rear window explode so far. No one was around - nothing hit the windows. Just exploded while I was driving. The coolant light comes on everytime I make a sharp left hand turn. My windows leak like crazy whenever it rains. Ive had it into the dealership 3 times regarding this matter. They told me to roll the window up first then shut the door to help it seal - still doesnt help.I could tell you for hours the things that are wrong. This is just some of the big stuff. Only some of it-I havent even got started.

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  Poor Workmanship!!! - 2001 Chevrolet S-10
  By $$ALL GONE - October 19 - 2:00 am

  Wont go into the mpg issue, thats already been covered. All Ive got to say is its a terrible shame chevy has no pride in its design or quality of its trucks, I had 97 full size chevy and loved it, good quality etc.. On the new s-10 the interior looks and feels like its made from the plastic from a kids toy! I cant even begin to tell you how cheap it looks and feels. Dont waste your $$$

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  my car sucks - 1990 Chevrolet Cavalier
  By beautifulsound - October 18 - 2:00 am

  I bought my car from a friendly old man who convenced me that the only right car for me was my chevrolet cavalier. He was a liar and a theif! I now am the unproud owner of a car that constantly breaks down and takes all my money. Please dont buy a car from a friendly old man! Death to cavaliers!

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  HARD SEATS...nice dash board - 2016 Chevrolet Malibu
  By Sheri - October 16 - 5:21 am

  TEST DRIVE TEST DRIVE FOR AT LEAST 45min.....Butt and back pain. Chevy should have invested money in the interior and quality and less in the dashboard.

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  Chevy should be ashamed - 1996 Chevrolet Express
  By DadofFour - October 15 - 2:00 am

  We have owned this Chevy G1500 conversion van for 16 months. We purchased the vehicle with only 62000 miles. Today the odometer reads 76000 miles. In the past 16 months we have spent $600 to replace the breaks TWICE, $1700 on a new transmission, $700 on the a/c (condensor) and $200 on a water pump. Thats $3200 in 16 months with the fear of more to come.

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  dont waste your money - 1998 Chevrolet Malibu
  By malibu - October 12 - 2:00 am

  We bought our Malibu with about 18000 miles on it. Weve had nothing but problems. Common problems I see with ours and others on the road are electical problems (taillights adn brake lights always out). Weve had the same A/C switch problem. One part gets fixed and something else goes wrong. Very noisy ride. Engine leaks from everywhere with only 50000 miles. Uncomfortable, hard seats. Not much interior room.