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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  Very Crude - 2002 Chevrolet Cavalier
  By 351M - November 4 - 11:24 pm

  I bought this car about a month ago and have put 2000Km on it in that time, it had 64,000Km on it when I bought it. In that time, it sounds like a wheel is loose when I use the brakes, the trans seems way too low geared as well. Road and intake noise is really bad, the muffler broke apart inside, and the stock sound system is junk. The power isnt bad (2200 OHC 5 speed) I personally think my Lada Nivas are better built and more reliable vehicles, fun to drive factor is better as well. The Cobalt is definitely a better car but also with them the handling gose out the window at highway speeds.

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  Good? Bad? - 2001 Chevrolet Blazer
  By GMJohn - November 3 - 12:55 am

  Bought this lease return (Carfax Info) vehicle used about 2 1/2 years ago. Has been good second vehicle until recently with failure of lower ball joints and discovery that the "noise" in the back I have heard for last 5-6 months is apparently the carrier bearings in the rear end which resulted in early failure of entire rear end (estimate of $1200 +/-). It may be time for a replacement vehicle especially since mileage has always been about 17mpg highway.

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  Dont buy it - 2015 Chevrolet Colorado
  By Ben Kitt - November 3 - 12:34 am

  I bought my truck new from Jerrys Chevy in Baltimore and the truck (with only 20,600 miles) has already had several issues that had to be fixed. While they are covered they are still problems that shouldnt be there! There is a loud whistling that is unfixable according to GM! DO NOT BUY THIS TRUCK. It is a trap. The one good thing is that it has good resale value and the 4x4 is awesome.

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  It leaks when it rains!! - 2002 Chevrolet Avalanche
  By mad as hell - October 31 - 10:00 am

  The water seems to leak in from the panels covering the bed and behind the mid-gate. At some point the water in the bed overflows into the cab under the mid-gate soaking the carpet in the rear of the truck. This happened on the sixth day I had the truck. I took it back to the dealership and they told me they would try to fix it under the warranty but it was pretty much my problem. Ive called everybody I could think of to complain but with no results. Ive taken the truck into two different service centers 3 times for a total of 19 days and it still leaks.

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  2007 Chevy Truck - 2007 Chevrolet Silverado 1500
  By Jim - October 31 - 7:23 am

  Truck is OK, ride is good. Im getting 12.9 mpg in town & 17 on highway at 75 mph. A/C just started marking a knocking sound, blows cold but is very noisy

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  Big Disappointment - 2001 Chevrolet Impala
  By Karen - October 28 - 7:35 pm

  Since I bought this car is 2002 I havnt had anything but trouble. The vent/air/heat has never worked on low setting. The check engine light stays on all the time. When this happens, the air doesnt work. Ive had this check out several times and no one can figure what is wrong. The catalytic coverter went out while under extended warranty while I was out of town. When I requested that the dealer I bought from pay for repair they refused. GM did refund my money for the repairs but not the rental I had to get. All I want to do is drive this car thru the windows of the dealership and leave it there.

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  2009 Silverado 5.3 - 2009 Chevrolet Silverado 1500
  By Robert - October 28 - 3:33 am

  Ive owned Chevy trucks all my life and this one is average. Rattles in the doors and dash. Vibrations in the drive train. Fuel management is BS. Dont put exhaust on one it will drive you crazy with the cylinders kicking in and out all the time. Fuel mileage is important to me but power when towing is more. I tow a 23 ft. boat and it strains a lot. I havent towed my car and trailer yet, a little scared too. I live in Florida and there are no hills. I wish I would have up dated to the 6.0 litre. Now that I own it no good trade in value. The other main complaint is the drive shaft clunk when you stop and start, you would think this on going problem would be resolved by now. Same o Same o.

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  Disappointed in C6 - 2005 Chevrolet Corvette
  By Thomas - October 27 - 11:23 pm

  The build quality of this car is still not up to par. many interior noises and an incredibly noisy roof. Body panels have inconsistant gaps. Needing to leave the car in reverse so battery doesnt go dead is annoying. So disappointed I sold the car after only 8000 miles.

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  Not so good - 2006 Chevrolet Aveo
  By Vic - October 27 - 2:18 pm

  I bought the 05 Aveo in July and the care is OK. Im not sure why people are raving about the gas mileage as I only get 23mpg in the city with automatic. Besides the gas complaint, my headlights went out after 2 months and my suspension needed to be tightened and still does every so often. For the price of this car, it is hard to beat if your planning to keep it a very long time.

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  1997 Chevy Blazer - 1997 Chevrolet Blazer
  By FRED - October 20 - 8:57 pm

  AC-bad compressor, bad fuel pump, bad wiper motor, blower motor, upper ball joints, tail gate jammed, bad transmission, outside mirror fell off truck, bad turn signal switch, bad rear wiper motor, bad catalytic converter, bad hazard switch, bad headlight switch, bad heater switch inside, strike plate on drivers door fell off truck and had to weld it back on. Bad gas mileage.