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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  Watch the Underbody - 1999 Chevrolet Tracker
  By Chip Cipriano - December 29 - 3:46 pm

  My tailpipe rusted off 3 years after I bought it & found that you could not just replace the tailpipe you need a complete exhaust system. The price of the system $18,000 (not including labor). At 5 1/2 years, my front "Crossmember Stablizer" RUSTED off (with NO WARNING) it cost $350.00 for the part and another $200 in labor.GM would do NOTHING because it was over 80,000 miles. WHAT MILEAGE HAS TO DO WITH A "RUSTING FRAME" THEY COULD NOT EXPLAIN? Anyway, Im happy with the vechicle over all, but watch for rust underneath. it is very light metal.

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  Corporate Fast-food in car form - 2015 Chevrolet Camaro
  By Alex - December 26 - 2:56 am

  Im in this because my 2015 WRX was rear ended. My 2015 WRX and 2008 VW Rabbit MkV are the reference cars for this review. I know its not a V8 but a V6 should have plenty of power to thrill. Even though the redline is at 7,000 rpms, the transmission is phenomenally resistant to going over 3,000 rpms when in "Sport" mode. The transmission behaves similarly to a Honda transmission where its most happy when its parked. You can manually shift the car with the paddles on the steering wheel, but the materials are so cheap that it sounds like a cat vomiting every time you pull one of them. The chassis is okay when going around corners but I wouldnt trust it on a back road. This thing has almost no traction (could be due to more economical tires installed by rental company... my WRX has new PSS tires that are phenomenal). Outward visibility is CRAP! You have to be paying attention to traffic, because someone can easily be sitting in your blind spot or could be approaching and you wouldnt see them. Parking this thing is all about guessing where the lines are. The roof line is so low that you cant see the signal lights when youre stopped in front of them. Rear visibility is as good as you get in a Lamborghini SV. The seats are made for fat people and dont hold you in place. The steering feels artificially heavy and you get no feedback from the road. Forget resting your arm out the window on a hot day when you just want to cruise. The window opening is too high and causes my swimmers shoulder to want to come out of its socket. The steering wheel and armrests are placed and sized very well for comfort. Interior design is pretty damn good. The entertainment system is ok/frustrating. If you think Bose sound systems are good, then you wont complain. All the controls are well placed and function as you think they would. Receiving calls over Bluetooth is fine. The ride is very comfortable (again, compared to a 2015 WRX). CONCLUSION: This car is pure branding. You buy this because you want people to see you in a Camaro, even though a lot of car enthusiasts think this car is crap. It doesnt have the performance or thrills to overcome its shortcomings. I wouldnt trust this car in the rain. These cars are posers. (Ive put over 20,000 miles on my WRX in a year. Ive put maybe 150 miles on this Camaro.... and I already want to burn it)

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  Decent car but no Toyota or Honda - 1997 Chevrolet Lumina
  By james - December 24 - 12:35 am

  Its been 2 years and a half since we bought this car from my uncle. It had 56 k miles and now has 84k. I noticed it started to lose coolant in the overflow bottle almost from day one. It soon needed the intake manifold gasket replaced which was about a $600.00 repair. A year later it needed the alternator ($300.00} and a water pump {$200.00]. Ive heard this isnt abnormal for a car with this kind of mileage. It rides quieter than our 97 Camry and gets better gas mileage as well (about 25 mpg). Seats are fair at best. Big trunk. Not screwed together as well as Hondas and Toyotas weve had. We got the car for a cheap price so the repairs didnt bankrupt us.

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  EXT - 2004 Chevrolet TrailBlazer EXT
  By Dakota - December 23 - 8:46 am

  I thought I would try GM again after many years of imports....what a mistake!. I have had this Trailblazer for 14 months, bought it with 39,000 miles. I have had over $1000 in repairs- window regulator, O2 sensor, other,various emissions work, interior panels loose, weather stripping loose, leather wears poorly. I am very disappointed with the quality. I do like the space, 3rd row of seats and towing capacity.

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  2014 Chevy Work truck model.((Nice truck)).....BUT! - 2014 Chevrolet Silverado 1500
  By chevy1989 - December 23 - 3:52 am

  Bought this truck pre-owned and now i know why! the 1st guy had been shaken to death! Befor he hit 200 miles ha.Trucks Nice but dang if it dont ride like a wagon.And the engine which is a V6 that goes to the 2 Cylinder on highway.....Yeah right!!! When i got it, it rode alright.But now after 4000 miles on the OD Dang thing cant make up its mind on what it wants to do? Or which gear to stay in? It Vibrates at every speed and Rides rough. I paid alot money for a wagon with a engine on it! I could done that myself

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  Mechanical disaster - 1996 Chevrolet Suburban
  By B.C.U. - December 18 - 12:42 pm

  The nickname for our 96 2WD is old leaky. We are the original owners and it now has 110K miles. It looks good and runs good except for when it is in the shop--which is often. No embellishing, here is the run down. Four alternators, one water pump, one A/C compressor ($1000), multiple A/C leaks, intake manifold gasket ($800), power steering leak, multiple coolant leaks from network of connections on the heater core hoses, multiple instances of coolant leaks from quick connectors, multiple brake refits (every 12K miles). The tranmission gave up the ghost at 70K miles ($2600) and most recently a significant oil leak from the timing chain cover ($400).

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  DISGUSTED DRIVER - 2004 Chevrolet Avalanche
  By rscott - December 18 - 12:07 am

  It is obvious that I got a lemon compared to the positive remarks I read about the truck. I had nothing but TROUBLE. It was first in shop over a month for AC replacement. Then Tires, Tires AGAIN. They never got the tires/wheels balanced correctly. They finally gave me a new set and I still had to take the truck back several times to try to keep the balance right! Then a shortage in the Radio. Problems with the CD player. Brakes were terrible. I cant leave out the fact that when I drove over 70MPH the speedomoter whould flip over to 120MPH!, never corrected.This was the worst vehicle I have owned and will NEVER buy a GM product again!

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  Probably My Last GM Product - 2009 Chevrolet Silverado 1500
  By elucas78 - December 17 - 9:14 am

  I have owned Chevy trucks for the last 14 years and kept coming back, until now. We were looking for a half ton crew cab and found this 2009 used in April 2011. Within 2 weeks of buying it, the Service Air Bag light came on. Took it to the dealer a couple times and the computer needed reset and a sensor needed replaced. It happened again, but this time the instrument panel needed replaced. Then last month the engine started ticking. Took it in on August 29th to find out it needs a new cam and lifters. This is not what I expected on a 2 year old vehicle with 35,000 miles. Well it has been 3 weeks and I still have yet to get it back. So, this will more than likely be my last GM product.

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  Wished I didnt buy it - 2007 Chevrolet Tahoe
  By C. M. A. - December 16 - 9:43 am

  From the day I got my Tahoe the 1st month it had been in the shop 3 times for the dashboard popping up. The little things such as sometimes the window wont go down, doors wont unlock when I want them to other things like when airconditoning is on it makes a high pitched squeal, but yet it only does it once in a while and the wont fix it because its not happening at the time I bring it in. But the part that really stunk, 6 months after buying it it got stuck in FWD and I put it neutral to get it out but that wasnt working so I got stuck on the side of the road for over an hour till the dealership picked me up. When you buy a new car it should be reliable.

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  Think before you buy! - 2004 Chevrolet Aveo
  By peznmom - December 15 - 10:00 am

  This car is a peppy little car. The price is right. Thats the only positive things about this car. Alternative to a used car???? It like driving a tin can. Cheaply made somewhare in Korea. That should be you first clue not to buy this car. I should have listened to my first instincts. "PASS THIS ONE UP." The placement of the cup holder is dangerous. It can stop the car from going into park when a cup is in right holder. It caused mine to fly out of gear and through a garage door. Feels like it could turn over easily due to high center of gravity. Dont drive it in a wind storm!