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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  Good comfortable car - 2005 Chevrolet Malibu Maxx
  By joe - December 5 - 2:00 pm

  Though the Maxx (looking at it as a sedan)is not the best looking in its class, the versatility cant be beat. Very comfortable and easy to drive, exceptionally quiet for a Chevy, almost as much room as a midsize SUV (how often do we really haul stuff?), and better mileage than same. My commute is 40 min. one way. The LT gives you enough creature comforts (that, and saving $10,000) to pacify those of us who almost went to the next level and bought that Maxima....almost.

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  2004 Chevrolet Malibu Maxx LS - 2004 Chevrolet Malibu Maxx
  By aundy28570 - December 5 - 12:25 am

  Just brought this car with 151000 miles. Little high but figured if previous owner kept up maintenance like they said then would be ok for a little while considering seemed to be a reasonable deal. Had for 5 days and already to dealership to find out multiple problems. After reading reviews some of these should be recalled such as power steering gear, serp belt needs replacing, remote intermittently works and few times problems with starting. Other problems include replacing oil pan gasket and side mirror switch. I am so dissapointed and to make matters worse the dealership is really high on labor. The mirrors and remote key is not a big issue but the other problems can be safety concerns!!!

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  Too many trips to the shop - 2005 Chevrolet Uplander
  By lpofaith01 - December 4 - 12:31 am

  Loved the car at first, but after an after-market auto start was put in (by the dealership) my problems began. It never worked the right way and too many people tried to fix it messing up the wiring and causing problems with everything from the lights to the radio. After the company came to my house for the fifth time I brought it back to the dealership to have it removed. Ive also had my radio replaced twice because the volume kept going out. The dealership said there was a "bulletin" out on this plus one on the headlights and int. lights surging. Theyve replaced my alternator to fix that problem. Ive also had problems w/my brakes, rear sensor, horn and starter.

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  Another piece of GM Junk - 2000 Chevrolet S-10
  By Tom Bates - December 2 - 2:37 pm

  Door hinges wore out after only two years. I have had leaks in the truck since day one. It couldnt get out of its own shadow, even on a down hill run. It is a base model so there are no electric components to give me any issues(electric locks, windows, etc).

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  Big disappointed GM fan - 1999 Chevrolet Malibu
  By markchevugh - November 30 - 2:00 am

  Bought with 0 miles. Car ran great for 30000 miles then fell apart. Tires at 28000, windshield wiper motor ($300) computer ($1000), 2 weeks in the shop, a/c on/off as it wants, dealer that cant figure out what is wrong, now the transmission is acting up big time - wont shift out of 4th. Did I mention poor resale value? Looks like Christmas with all the warning lights on my dash....

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  Shame on GM - 2001 Chevrolet Silverado 2500HD
  By chevynomore - November 30 - 2:00 am

  Purchased brand new. Several problems have developed: 1. Infamous GM piston slap, started at 11,000 miles; very bad now at 18,000. GM will not acknowledge problem. 2. Steering column clunk/rattle, common in many of these GMs. 3. Box sits crooked, common in many of these GMs. 4. Transfer case is very noisy. 5. Dashboard lighting problems.

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  I was satisfied... - 2002 Chevrolet Cavalier
  By Martin - November 28 - 12:22 am

  I bought my 2 door Cavalier w/manual transmision in 2002 as replacement for lease of the same brand and make. I drive anually about 30000 miles and that car did all the hard work for me. I properly maintained changed oil every 3K to 4K miles plus all the required maintenance. However I have to admit that car is loud, not comfortable, not even sporty - thank to decade old body and engine design, but it will do a run for you if you need. It has never let me down or broken on me even after 97 200 miles that I drove on it. I hope that new owner will like it because I just recently trade it for Honda. Good luck and many miles without problems.

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  Poorly Built Car - 2001 Chevrolet Monte Carlo
  By Jarod Hart - November 26 - 2:00 pm

  When I first bought the car I loved it. Drove/handled well, smooth ride, etc. Even liked the power (although I now feel like it is a little on the weak side). That has quickly gone downhill since. This past year alone I have invested $2500-$3000 in repairs. Since purchase with 29,000 miles I have had to rebuild the trans (at 54K), replace a high pressure line for the a/c, replace struts and bearing plates, replace temp. sending unit, resolder rear defrost, rebuild brakes all around (including calipers), replace tie rod ends, thermostat, theres a short in the headlights causing my daytime lihts not to function properly and my highbeam indicator to continuously flicker.

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  Is this it for Chevy? - 2007 Chevrolet Impala
  By RCS - November 24 - 7:10 am

  The driving experience is great when the car functions properly. Ownership of vehicle is embarrasing, because I am often on the side of the road while passerbys yell slanderous remarks because my 07 SS Impala is in the middle of the road dead. It is in the dealership as I write this. It has had two hard failures.The mileage on the car is 787 miles.

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  Not Happy - 2003 Chevrolet S-10
  By Don - November 24 - 2:43 am

  Nothing but trouble for me. Not even 2 yrs old an have had a new exhaust put on, had oil from a transfer case drip on A/C lines. Case and lines all had to be replaced. Have had to replace both headlights. Also,the window trim is falling out of the rear window. Now the service engine soon light is on 4 days after a service. Once again back in the shop because they are not sure what it is. All this before 27,000 miles!!