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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  early transmission problems pleague both our chevys - 2010 Chevrolet Impala
  By billman2 - February 13 - 4:50 pm

  cant say much good noisy on rough roads and multiple trans repairs have deadlined the car while we still make payments on it.

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  LEMON - 2013 Chevrolet Cruze
  By jeni740 - February 4 - 6:10 pm

  My car is a 2013 chevy cruze lt. I bought it 8/14/13 and it has been in the shop 7 times since I bought it. I had a water leak on the drivers side, the heater makes a weird grinding noise and the transmission surges, it also make a weird scraping noise when I put my foot on the gas. I finally had enough and called GM my car has 3,000 miles on it and has spent more time at the shop than my driveway. It has now been 8 days since I have had my car they have me in a rental until the paperwork is finalized on my new 2014 replacement cruze. I am so glad that they pulled me from my car it has cost me time from work and so frustrating.....

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  2014 Equinox, my worst nightmare becomes a reality - 2014 Chevrolet Equinox
  By johnford - January 30 - 11:44 am

  3 weeks ago I purchased a 2014 Chevy Equinox 2LT, 4 cylinder front wheel drive. Listed price is: $33,800 Current Mileage: 1,400 I have always been a "Buy American" supporter, that is until the mid-2000s when I had my last GM product which was as bad of a car as you could ask for. Figured its now 2014 and I should give GM a try again after some reviews of similar vehicles seemed to be fairly good, TERRIBLE MISTAKE. I could write an entire list of issues on this car if the review would let me. 1 point I must make is that within the 1,400 miles of owning this car, it has now been towed 2 times to the dealership for leaving me stranded on the road.

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  Run dont walk - 2008 Chevrolet Impala
  By dennis139 - January 21 - 9:27 pm

  We purchased this car with 50K on it. We now have 80K. Trans jumps from starts, both right side door lock stopped working, rear window connector burned, now head gaskets leaking, and trans lines leaking. Total cost of repairs is 4000.00 dollars. Car in only worth about 8K. Paint finish is poor, Would not purchase another GM vehicle.

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  No MPG - 2014 Chevrolet Cruze
  By bertman69 - January 17 - 2:27 pm

  I purchased this 2014 Cruze in Sept. for one reason and one reason only - 38 mpg. Im not even getting 30. The 6 speed auto transmission is clunky and herky jerky. Every control is slow to respond. No trunk release anywhere on the car, only on the key, and it wont work if it is in the ignition. All in all this car is a HUGE disappointment and I would not recommend it to anyone.

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  Beyond Disappointed with vehicle and GM service! - 2007 Chevrolet Tahoe
  By georgiagirls - January 9 - 9:42 pm

  Im glad I came across this website! It feels good to know that Im not the only one who was obviously sold a lemon!!! For a minute, I thought maybe I was losing my mind in terms of the various things my car was going. "Did my lights really just flicker on and off?" "Did my car really just start popping out CDs, even though I didnt press eject?" I got my Tahoe in 2006 and began having issues with it around 2008. My lights would flash on/off, the doors would lock/unlock, it would sporadically shut down in the middle of the road, and now Im having issues with it starting. Now that I finally have the car paid for, the traction issue has started....go figure. This car is CRAP!!!

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  BUYER BEWARE. GM going bankrupt again, one customer at a time. - 2007 Chevrolet Tahoe
  By fordee7 - January 7 - 5:04 pm

  I have a 2007 Chevy Tahoe that I purchased new for $49,000. The dash is cracked in 2 spots. Looking online, this is a rampant issue with nearly every Tahoe, Yukon, Avalanche, etc since 2007Â… GM will not issue a recall even though they know it is a widespread problem. The Service Manager and Service Advisor at AutoNation Superstition Springs both told me this is a common and rampant issue with all vehicles with this dash design (Tahoe, Yukon, Avalanche, etc) Their offer to me is that I pay a $400 deductible to replace this junk dash. Brian, the Team Lead in the Central Texas office of GM Customer Assistance refutes responsibility but acknowledges this is a common problem. Dont buy GM!

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  Not what I expected after all the good reviews, its a LEMON - 2013 Chevrolet Cruze
  By 1honeybadger - January 3 - 11:04 am

  I wish someone would have warned me about this car! I have completely babied this car never really drove it that hard, accelerate slowly, decelerate slowly. First you have to know the MPG is completely false! DO NOT believe anything you hear. When I do the real MPG test and dont go by the computer, the computer tells me i get 30-40 MPG but when I gas up, record my mileage, and then gas up again and divide the gallons into the mileage gone I ONLY get 24-25MPG and that is highway miles!! There is not really a clear coat on the car so the paint chips VERY easily. Expect the body to be chipped and badly worn down by 50-100k miles...

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  Piece of Junk - 2010 Chevrolet Malibu
  By wspringer - December 9 - 5:02 pm

  This car looks pretty nice on the outside, but thats about it. It sits WAY too low. The drivers seat is like a cockpit. There is no comfortable driving position if you put up the seat higher, you just hit into the steering wheel, and it sits very very low inside of the vehicle. It is loaded with blind spots the car is very hard to get a good view out of. Obviously not meant for someone taller than 5 foot. The seat itself is also hard as a rock. Back seats are very cramped. Everything inside is a junky plastic. I think I will be sticking with my 1991 Ford Country Squire.

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  what happened? - 2006 Chevrolet Cobalt
  By karamel20001 - December 7 - 5:24 pm

  Well its like this..purchased car in 2006 brand new. Had fair credit at the time so being a unknowledgable I went for the high int rate. Had some set backs, but any about the car. Excellent when I first purchased. Didnt start having major problems until 110,000 miles. Took it to the dealership and sears only to be serviced. I had a transmission flush at 75,000 miles, a fuel thing for the recall, a steering issue for the recall, belt replaced, 3 rotors changed. And a long list of other things done as time went own. Now have 174,500 miles and the engine didnt pass the compression check and now they say I need a new engine at the dealership and it cost 3,100 dollars. I still owe. :(