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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  Mine is a lemon - 2003 Chevrolet Blazer
  By jrb1958 - July 30 - 2:00 am

  Bought new in July 2003. Has been in the shop 3 times for water leaks. Carpet was replaced. Found 9 body seam leaks. repaired found new body leak, repaired. found another leak repaired. Rained last week had a gallon of water come out of the headliner. Drivers window fell out of the track while driving and fell inside of the door. Grease fittings on steering linkage installed backwards could not grease. Has a ton of rattles and noises in the interior. Drive train? a lot of vibration, Just hoping I can get GM to give me something to replace it. Ive been driving GM products for 30 years but this one is making me wonder why.

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  2008 chevy silverado - 2008 Chevrolet Silverado 1500
  By kstyle - July 29 - 10:06 am

  After have this truck for a year and with over 11k on the truck the mpg has not improved. I am at best getting 15 mpg and I am light on the foot. I thought this would be a great truck but I just feel that chevy is too cheap to redesign the transmission and adding more power to the engine.

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  Problematic Car - 2001 Chevrolet Monte Carlo
  By Dissapointed - July 29 - 3:50 am

  Battery was bad at 10,000 miles. Head gasket blown at 45,000 miles (constant low coolant light on = expensive repair). Fuel injectors bad at 25,000 miles (cleaned). Engine mounts replaced at 60,000 miles (very expensive). AC controls bad at 40,000 miles. Electronic module computer bad at 60,000 miles (replaced = very expensive) Mechanic at the dealers said he has seen these problems repeated over and over with this model. Who pays for it? Who did you think? GM? Naahh... I had mechanical breakdown insurance, but had to pay $250.00 for each incident. What I saved with 0% finance, I have spent in repairs that one would never believe to occur in such a new car. No more GM! Enough!

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  Good Buy - 2003 Chevrolet TrailBlazer
  By Tamrs - July 27 - 2:00 am

  When I first thought of truck to buy this was my first choice. I still was careful and test drove all of the other SUV in the same class. The trailblazer was built better and looked better. A great buy for a mom with children. Dont forget to get the DVD and the third row seat. I will be going back this year to get a new trailblazer with all the extras. Thanks GM!

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  POJ - 2003 Chevrolet Silverado 1500
  By rod munch - July 24 - 12:06 am

  Real bad build quality. The brakes are horrible - expect to replace all rotors and pads especially the back every 20,000 miles. Items replaced under warrenty: Steering column (twice); passenger window motor + track; heater element. Here is what went after warrenty: anti-lock brake sensor (40,000 miles) ~ $250; water pump (48,000 miles) ~ $450; the steering column that was replaced twice is cluncking again. Numerous other defects too small to mention. This truck is literally garbage.

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  Never buy the 1st model year of anything - 1997 Chevrolet Malibu
  By iluvtigr - July 17 - 2:00 am

  As a long time GM owner,(11 to date),I was looking for a reliable, four- door "familymobile". Based upon Motor Trend "Car of the Year" status and use of a drive-train with a solid history I bought the first model year of the resurected Malibu nameplate. BIG mistake! Eleven dealer visits during warranty for various finish and mechanical items. The following items replaced OUT of warranty: Head gaskets (twice), ignition switch, A/C control head, ball joints & bushings. Nine sets of front brake pads and six rotors in 80,000 miles. Its time for a new car, but, sadly, this time it will be an import.

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  gutless - 2004 Chevrolet Avalanche
  By willard - July 15 - 2:00 am

  no pulling power on steep hills or on mountain roads with a 5%,6%or7% grade while on vacation pulling a travel trailer that weighted 3280lbs empty. the truck,trailer,gear and people weighted less than 10000 lbs.

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  Road noise regret - 2018 Chevrolet Equinox
  By Tom - July 13 - 6:08 pm

  My Premier fwd with Michelin Premier ltx 18" tires creates a tremendous amount of road noise. I would suggest driving the vehicle for a day or two before making a purchase. GM and Michelin claim that there is not a problem with their product and the dealer is stuck in the middle and cannot offer any assistance.

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  Chevys ruining a good thing - 2001 Chevrolet Blazer
  By Spaznoids - July 12 - 2:00 am

  Plastic vibrating sounds whenever you hit the smallest of potholes, a huge hump across the passenger side floorboard, sluggish pickup (my wifes 2003 sunfire out excelerates the blazer), and not to mention this hideous popping and grinding sound that comes from the front wheels when you turn the wheel all the way one direction or the other. Its a shame Chevy just throws things together anymore.

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  Problems, problems, problems - 2004 Chevrolet Monte Carlo
  By susie1975_19999 - July 10 - 10:00 am

  The electronics on this car has been a nightmare!Air conditioner, several sensors, dash board assembly, multi function switch, catalytic converter, gas cap have all been replaced! Most all of these items have cost me over 500 every time! Multi function switch, when it goes bad headlights will go out on you going down the road! Of course there are never any re-calls for these problems and every time something else goes wrong dealer ship says those cars are known for this! Ive called GM several times about the car and told them they sold me a piece of junk but they never offer to replace anything! Wish I had never laid eyes on this car. It will be traded off! GM never again !