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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  sorry i bought it - 2008 Chevrolet Aveo
  By everett - October 15 - 11:27 pm

  When gas prices started rising we decided to buy an economy car. The Aveo was advertised at getting app. 34 mpg. This car is not what we expected. It has a slow jumpy start until it warms up, it only gets 17 to 18 mpg. The accelerator acts like its stuck wide open when it is started for the first time in the mornings. I have been told by the dealer that the engine is performing the way it was designed to.Most of my driving is to and from work, which is a 40 mile round trip. The gas mileage does not vary if my driving is on the highway or in town with a lot of starts and stops.

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  Horrible car - 2003 Chevrolet Tahoe
  By K Daniels - October 15 - 8:33 pm

  Purchased new Z71 with all the options. Truck now has 86000 miles on it and is falling apart. Transfer case and front differential gone, speedometer, heater fan, windshield wipers, mirror defrost, seat heater, fuel pump, U-joints, turn signals all not working. Truck needs over 5K of repairs. These are all items that should never go out, especially on a low mileage car. This is my 4th chevy truck. All others have gone 150+ miles without issues. GM is not building a product that will last and will not stand behind their product. I will not buy another GM product again.

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  Think Twice! - 2005 Chevrolet Uplander
  By BetT - October 2 - 8:27 am

  I wish I would have looked more at the vehicle instead of the price. Headlights go from dim to bright on their own at night. ABS light comes on every time I drive it. Chevy mechanics say its an electrical problem with the van, but my brake pedal goes all the way to the floor at times due to this ABS electrical problem. I have to push on the gas pedal to get the van started. Engine still stalls out some times. Power sliding door fails at times. Had to replace the back "hatch" door handle after it broke. Gas mileage is horrible, unless traveling interstate. Overall, I will never buy another Chevy/GM product. Completely unreliable.

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  Dont Buy Impala - 2004 Chevrolet Impala
  By dont buy impala - September 16 - 3:55 pm

  Security Light comes on and car wont start for 10 min. Started once a month now 2 times a day. Talked to Chevy but no solution and no hope for a recall. Looked on-line for solution and found many people with same problem. They only have temp solution for $800 or more. This problem is a safety issue and needs to be recalled. Are you listening Chevy?

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  Who built this car? - 2007 Chevrolet Aveo
  By FirstTimeBuyer - September 10 - 8:09 am

  I purchased this vehicle brand new as my first car two years ago. Since then, I replaced four tires, brakes, battery and now my alternator is gone out. And luckily for GM after the bumper to bumper warranty. No one can explain to me other then mileage why this car is failing me. No harsh driving just work was far and assisting others in the home with their daily routine. No help for anything but has overpriced for all services. Complaints or concerns are never heard and no offer of extended warranty to help ease the cost. From this point I have lost all faith in GM, and have decided that I would not buy Chevy ever again. GM fix this problem and maybe your problem will be fixed.

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  For The love of God this is Bad!!!!!!! - 2003 Chevrolet Venture
  By Joe Smith - September 8 - 4:16 pm

  We purchased this van and have had nothing but problems. At 60k miles the headgaskets blew that was 3 grand then the front end had all types of problems. Next at 97k miles the radiator went, another 700 bucks down the drain and on top of that the transmission is starting to slip. My suggestion is dont buy a gm! My 1994 Jeep grand Cherokee has never had to have any Major repairs so from now on if I buy American Im buying Chrysler

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  Uplander - Would Never Choose Again - 2005 Chevrolet Uplander
  By Unhappy - August 15 - 8:41 am

  I bought a 2005 Uplander new, it has been back 15 times in 4 years. Automatic Door being main problem, 10 times, they cant find anything wrong!!! Airbag problems, seat belt problems. Extremely frustrating and unsafe. Front Rotors replaced twice in 12 mths, common problem. Seats stain with water spillage. Hate this car and would never buy another Chevy again. Now working with GM to find solution for this piece of junk.

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  Electric Power Steering As Useless As GM - 2005 Chevrolet Cobalt
  By sgtsquarepants - June 26 - 9:47 pm

  This is the first brand new car Ive ever bought. Its now been back to the dealership at least 10 times for various reasons. Half of which Chevy wouldnt fix. Now the topping on the cake is Im driving down the road and the power steering simply quits. After researching the problem, it appears that this is happening to a HUGE number of vehicles. This is EXACTLY why GM is dying and I say good riddance. Ill never buy a GM product again.

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  Stay Away! - 2000 Chevrolet Venture
  By JJ - June 21 - 10:38 am

  Multitude of problems. at 80K the intake gasket failed ($1000.00) at 90K, AC compressor clutch failed ($800.00) at 100K front end work ($600.00) corosion everywhere. Way to go GM - NEVER again will I be sucked into your vechicles to purchase. I have a 1998 Honda with twice the kms that still runs, drives and looks new and worth 5x as much in resale.

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  Was red in color-should have been YELLOW - 2005 Chevrolet Equinox
  By Mike - June 19 - 2:12 pm

  Bought this on 2/7/09, traded on 6/14/09. Worse care I ever bought. HAd less than 50,000 miles when I bought it and 6 weeks after purchase was hit with a $2700 repair bill. Dealership said sorry, but nothing we can do for you. I know it was a used car but this was ridiculous. Anyone considering an Equinox...think again. Traded for a 2003 Santa Fe GLS with more miles. Runs better and looks better.