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 true "LEMON" - 1997 Chevrolet Tahoe
  By Disgruntled Owner - March 1 - 12:30 am

  Ive always been a Chevy person. I owned their full size & compact Blazers, 1500 pickup & two extended cab trucks before throwing my money away on the Tahoe-Lemon. To test drive the Tahoe is to want the Tahoe... roomy interior, smooth ride, just the right size. Unfortunately, to own the Tahoe is to be broke. Poor mpg (less than sticker indicates) & Constant Repair! I have replaced the tranny, starter, alt, water & fuel pumps, windshield wiper moter (recall), front interior door handles, passenger seat belt assembly clasp/lock, idler arm, brakes & rotors several times, & plug sets too many times to count. Steering scensors fail on/off as do electronics, interior plastics are now breaking.

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  Disappointment!!! - 2004 Chevrolet TrailBlazer
  By Hadnor - February 25 - 7:48 pm

  Although the interior is roomy and comfortable, the electrical problems are frightening. The vibration in the rear end is annoying and Chevrolets customer service is nonexistent. My Trailblazer has been reprogramed so many times, it should be able to do it itself. Although Chevy says they want to keep me as a customer, they continue to dismiss my complaints about the electrical problems. I have been completely disappointed with the quality of the Trailblazer as well as the horrible customer service provided by the dealership and Chevy.

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  Lemone - 2005 Chevrolet Monte Carlo
  By Tyler - February 24 - 2:30 am

  I have owned the car less than 6 months and had a tie rod end go out, the shifter break, the lights will occasionally turn off and then back on - on a dark night, the tranny will go to a super stall mode on occasion, CV axle go bad. There is a lot of road and door-side noise (from poor manufacturing - sealing). Other than that... it gets approximately 28 MPG AVG. The motor has a little bit of spunk to it, and a high end speed is very comfortable, and you dont feel like your losing control of the vehicle. 60-85 feels relatively the same, 85 - top some extra noise, but very controllable. Brakes are very responsive. Any speed over 60 MPH, and gas mileage drops dramatically though.

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  My Faithful BU - 2000 Chevrolet Malibu
  By Bryan200k - February 23 - 3:01 pm

  I got it for the gas mileage and just the right size for me, inside and out. The seats could be more comfortable. Gas mileage, I average between 27.5 and 30 mpg. Once got 35.9 on a trip. Have recurring klunks and thunks in the suspension. Ive had the 1 & 2 setting on blower switch go out, and the AC compressor shuts down without warning. The lighter weight of the car is a curse in the wind. Some decent wind, and I have to work the wheel to keep her on the road. Other than fuel pump shutting down, the engine and transmission have been smooth, consistent and no problems, and at 146,000 miles is still running and shifting like a low-mileage car.

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  Never Again - 2001 Chevrolet Impala
  By FW - February 22 - 1:55 am

  Console displays occasionally do not light up. Dealer never could find problem. Remote entry system stopped working. Was out of warranty, cost about $600 to fix. Shortly thereafter car would not start. When ignition key was turned there was absolutely no response. If you messed with the shift lever and ignition key for a while it would finally start. Another $600 to replace ignition switch and some sensors. Traction control light comes on for no reason. Dealer cant find cause. Electrical/computer system very unreliable. Lots of road noise, very poor sound insulation. Just traded it in for a Ford. Im done with GM.

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  Undecided - 2000 Chevrolet Malibu
  By Rebecca - February 21 - 5:12 pm

  I liked my Malibu, the interior was nice, roomy, and comfortable. The engine was built poorly, about a year after I had it, I had to fix an oil leak, my head gasket caught on fire, water pump broke, replaced roters, fix electrical wiring, fix gas pedal (sticking), idled high, very poor on gas, and made a clinking noise. Although with all my problems if the engine was built better I would buy another. I got into a really bad car accident and totaled the body work on the car. My engine, a passanger, and I came out with out a scratch. As for saftey this car is most reliable, as for engine wise, junk!

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  High Maintenance - Falling Apart - 2004 Chevrolet Aveo
  By wave54 - February 20 - 5:48 am

  Relatively decent car with roomy interior and smooth ride, but is not holding up well. Have persistent problems, mainly with suspension and engine belts/accessories. I predict very poor reliability as these cars age. I have 57K miles and it feels like a well-worn used car with 200K on the clock. Something is acting up every week -- repairs are expensive since there are virtually no replacement parts such as struts, shocks, mufflers, hoses available for independent garages to work with. Extremely disappointed -- would advise avoiding at all costs if you plan to put 40K or above on it.

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  "How Can We Fool em Today" vol. 2006 - 2006 Chevrolet Aveo
  By JustPassinThru - February 15 - 7:24 pm

  This is a typical GM answer to foreign brands supremacy in the small car market. Nifty styling and a touted warranty, tied to zero attention to detail engineering done on the cheap. The 5-spd is stone-slow away from lights the primative fuel injection system makes it lurch when the clutch is let in and leaves the engine revving when the throttle is released to change gears. Result is a lurching-jerking driving experience, and double-clutching is impossible. A pain to drive. And the gearbox is vague and hard to engage. And the "warning" light for the passengers airbag when the seat is empty is annoying I finally covered it with tape. And the car was delivered with bent wheels.

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  Uplander - 2006 Chevrolet Uplander
  By donna h - February 15 - 10:15 am

  Quirky little things that need to be fixed. Gets better gas mileage than expected. Would like it to be a bit more stylish and needs automatic rear hatch

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  1997 Express - 1997 Chevrolet Express
  By steve - February 10 - 8:04 pm

  1997 Express 1500 Conversion w/55K miles in Mar 2002. 5L V8 equipped. Reliable for appx 30K miles, then all heck broke loose. By 105K miles: Trans replacement (NO tow pkg), rear axle seals, both u-joints, fuel pump module, gas gauge sender, starter, alternator, radiator repair, A/C repair, 2 fuel injectors. Upper intake manfifold gasket. Chronic Intake Manifold coolant leaks, Vacuum line leaks, tail-lite replacement. #8 cyl ate spark plugs (every 3K-5K miles after 80K miles) finally suffered ring or valve failure at 105K (0 compression at idle). RH side rear door hinges corroded and upper hinge broke making door unuseable. Prior to engine fail - spent over 8K on repairs in 10K miles.