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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  Bad Bad Car - 1998 Chevrolet Malibu
  By Joshua - February 18 - 2:23 pm

  Ive had this car since new and everything has been replaced. Everything that other people have mentioned going wrong has also happened to me.... Have had the brakes replaced 10 times since new! Went through a whole set of tires in 8 only months because the front end is messed up and theres nothing the dealer can do unless I spend $1500. This car has dealt with quite a bit of abuse on my part but I would never get another one or recommend it to another person.

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  Pretty but it loves the repair shop - 2004 Chevrolet Corvette
  By Tom Baker - February 18 - 2:00 am

  50th annaversary edition. 1280 miles and its been in the shop five times. Relaced the ride control computer twice, left rear shock (part of ride control problem), air conditioner repairs twice and now the gas gage doesnt register past a half tank! What a piece.

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  Time to Get Rid of It - 1999 Chevrolet Malibu
  By Smokey - February 15 - 3:51 pm

  My experience with my 99 Malibu 3.1L hasnt been a good one. I bought it used at 94,000 miles which was probably my first mistake. At first the car was fine and enjoyable to drive. However, over time the car showed its weaknesses. The first problem I had was with the ignition and a leak in the intake manifold gasket. The ignition froze up, had to have it replaced as well as the gasket. Months later I am dealing with a "fix or die" problem, three problems actually. The first two are the head gasket and intake manifold gasket, theyre both leaking, again. Worst of all the torque converter is going. I want to rid myself of this car and hopefully get an Impala.

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  Good Car - 1992 Chevrolet Corsica
  By Shaun - February 3 - 1:33 pm

  This is my first car. I have put about 4,000 miles on it. The 4 Cylinder 2.0 is just fine for a first car. This car is VERY strong. I have driven it VERY hard in the last year or so, and the only problems Ive had were minior like a main brake line, $20. And the AC radiator thing gets plugged so you have to clean it to get the air moving again. The style is a little too old for me. Paint peels bad, but no rust. Seems to have a lot of rattles everywhere. For the price and considering that it is an older car, it runs great. No engine problems whatsoever.

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  Disappointed - 2005 Chevrolet Equinox
  By azdolls - February 1 - 10:00 am

  Find the 185 hp engine much too weak. Poor start from stop, noisy. Much todo about front seat folding flat but the rear seats do not thus an uneven floor. Nice ride, does well once under way. Very good on the freeway. Presently only 2700 mile on car but gas mileage is awful-15/22, a long way from touted 19/25. Clever rear storage arrangement but space over wheel wells is way underutilized.

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  Next time, not GM - 2001 Chevrolet Venture
  By Mark Oveson - February 1 - 2:35 am

  This is an OK car, but it really is not great. On the plus side, it has never broken down in the middle of Wyoming. But reliability is a real problem. In 65K miles we have replaced the air conditioning condenser ($1300) and a couple of brake rotors. The brakes seem to warp very easily. The car goes out of alignment easily. We have spent $2000+ in unscheduled out-of-warranty maintenance, which is too high for only 30,000 miles over warranty. Trim has a typically cheap GM feel. Styling is ho-hum and unchanged (again) for 2005. I figured I would sell it before it lost all its value. Whoops! Too late! I will buy a Toyota or Honda next time.

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  One thing after Another - 2013 Chevrolet Cruze
  By Emily - January 31 - 11:36 pm

  I purchased my 2013 Cruze (automatic) brand new from the dealership. First service on the car, my transmission was black, and i was almost out of coolant. the car constantly sucks down coolant, and the recall on transmission makes it worse. continously have problems with electrical wiring. bulbs in headlights constanly explode because of overheating because of bad wiring. had to pay $200 to replace the whole wiring harness on one side because the wiring caught on fire. Interior of car is worthless. first cleaning i used name brand (and expensive) car interior cleaner that scratched away the cheap paint by the volume controls. the steering wheel material is wearing off after only 3 years of owning the car. the carpeting on the walls of thr car and dashboard are difficult to keep clean. cup holders are in an odd place, you can ONLY open the trunk with you key fob. and your car has to be off to open the trunk. acceleration is jerky, car locked itself one time on its own (typical pass lock system of Chevy). oh not to mention the outer plate of my gas flap fell off (it was poorly glued on?) the little adjuster knobs on the ir vents broke and fell off. overall, the car was cheaply made, and a fast dollar for the company.dont get one youll thank me.

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  TRAILBLAZER 2002 - 2003 Chevrolet TrailBlazer
  By CEMKA - January 29 - 2:00 am

  I HAD NOTHING BUT PROBLEMS WITH THIS CAR. WAS SO HAPPY WHEN BOUGHT IT, BUT VERY SOON BECAME VERY DISSAPOINTED WITH ALL PROBLEMS - EVERY TIME SOMETHING NEW. HOPEFULLY,ONLY THIS PARTICULAR CAR IS BAD.

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  2005 review of Cavalier Sedan - 2005 Chevrolet Cavalier
  By Reginald - January 25 - 6:10 pm

  Good for your money. Quite engine. More room than a coupe if you want the extra space. Nice ride. Will have cruise control installed on vehicle for long distance driving. Overall, a good price car for those who want to save on gas/economy.

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  So much hope, so little in return - 2002 Chevrolet TrailBlazer
  By Tony G. - January 22 - 7:16 pm

  I purchased a new TB over 3 yrs ago, with the intention of this being my "I finally made it!!" vehicle.... well, I have made it to the dealership and various repair shops countless times.... almost all of the problems you can read in other reviews, I have experienced them as well.... wind whistling with the windows up, tail light failures, mysterious rattles/noises, shifts into 4wd by itself.... the most disconcerting problem is the transmission, which bucks from first to second when cold, and also lunges just before coming to a complete stop.... the transmission finally blew up at 83k, of which 95% were highway miles.... cannot wait to rid myself of this scourge.... never again!!