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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  Worth the buy - 2012 Chevrolet Equinox
  By worththebuy - March 20 - 12:55 pm

  I purchased this vehicle in July 2011. It was certified preowned with V6 per my request. Drive this 3000 miles a month due to my 10 hr weekly commute out of state for work. Anyway while I agree with others it sucks in city driving, its great for highway. Manage to get 25 mpg at 70 mph. Got this vehile when it was almost 19K miles. Now Im approaching 49K miles. Not had one problem with it. Great runner for me. Purposely wanted a V6 for the ride and ease of driving conditions. Didnt think 4 cyl would handle the PAs valleys on the interstate roads. Thinking trading in for newer Equinox so I can have factory towing package (hd springs & shocks, beefed up tranny cooling lines).

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  1st Review. Under a month - 2011 Chevrolet Malibu
  By egee - March 20 - 6:51 am

  Love. This. Car. We had an 05 and traded up this year (2012) for a 11. We got the baseline model for a really good price and then added a few features at Bestbuy for much cheaper than the dealer could do. I havent had any problems with the gas mileage (getting about 28 combined). The only aspect that Im not a fan of is the top of the dashboard. When the sun is directly overhead or in front of you, the reflection of the dashboard shines back into the windshield. Its can be distracting. Should have test driven during the evening... Ive gotten used to it, but it can be a problem when you first get the car. The trunk is very deep, another plus.

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  2011 malibu---shakey ,wobling steering wheel on take off till 20 mpr then good ride - 2011 Chevrolet Malibu
  By larry183 - March 19 - 9:08 pm

  I bought a 2011 lt malibu,last september,from the min.I drove it home on take off ,steering wheel you could feel a shaking ,wobble.,GM said they know about the problem but donnt know how to fix it yet....nice you buy a car and feel this every day ,so after 6 months i take a big lose and buy a used impala...chey wins i loose...gm said they will not help me,,i also get at best 23----to -28,5 mpg...my sons impala gets 30 most of the time...junk...car and company...trunk is so tight a food cooler cannt fit

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  Dont Buy Chevy Colorado - 2005 Chevrolet Colorado
  By chvycolor05 - March 19 - 8:21 pm

  I drive a 2005 Colorado and very, very sorry I purchased it. Here is the laundry list of problems with my truck, and all have resorted to one thing---money straight out of my pocket into a pit: 1. I am on my 3rd blower fan 2. The ABS light came on and cost hundreds of dollars to fix 3. Fuel cap light on (over $700 to fix) 4. Replaced ignition switch when truck could not drive over ~40mph. 5. Transmission has an extremely difficult time shifting out of 1st gear 6. There is a terrible musty smell during the summer when the AC is used. I have read to fix costs hundreds of dollars Overall disappointed and wont buy (or advise anyone) to purchase of this truck or other Chevy/GM product

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  Worst Car I have Ever Owned! - 2009 Chevrolet Malibu
  By sthrn05stnggrl - March 19 - 2:33 pm

  I bought this car new in Dec 2008. After having it just under a year, completely died on me when I was driving in my neighborhood. They had to replace a wiring harness in it. Then a year later the battery died. Another year later the cars transmission started to shift hard. They told me it was normal. Ive had the car in & out of the shop since the end of January 2012, It is now almost the end of March and the car still is having issues. They replaced the torque converter, exhaust manafold, and the fuel injector wiring. Guess what? The car is now leaking pink fluid, hard shifting, and now there is a dull rattling sound coming from under the hood passenger side when ever the road is uneven

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  Very Nice Car - 2011 Chevrolet Malibu
  By manningdp - March 19 - 10:34 am

  Bought a 2011 Malibu for the daughter. Great value with all of the rebates. Great gas milage, dependable, comfortable car for the money. Would definetley recommend.

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  Worlds nicest piece of junk! - 2009 Chevrolet Impala
  By ljohnson0102 - March 18 - 6:04 pm

  I have an 09 Impala LT with 78xxx miles on it. Very dissapointed with this car. it has been in the shop for NUMEROUS electrical actuators including two airbag actuators! Bought an extended warranty that even with the 100.00 deductible it has paid for itself probably two or three times over. The car currently has more issues but I just dont have the time. It is very comfortable to drive and has an excellent ride quality. But for a 27,000 dollar car it was poorly made and poorly trimmed. I mean not even a rear cup holder!?! Plus I looked into trading it in on a new car and only offered 8,000 for it and this thing is CLEAN. That is AWEFUL RESALE value!!! Highly do not recommend, sorry

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  2012 Chevy Impala LT - 2012 Chevrolet Impala
  By hmnijj - March 17 - 1:04 am

  This car is a great long distance traveling car just dont go up in the mountains. The car doesnt handle very well but thats were you get the smooth ride from. One thing Chevrolet definantly needs to work on is the transmission. The transmission takes a good second-second and a half to shift to the correct gear when your stepping on it. Once again, do not take this car in the mountains when theres only a two way road and you need to pass someone. You have to get used to it that the transmission will lag so you have to step on it a bit earlier. But once it gets into gear, it does pull pretty good. The car seems to be overpriced when compared to the Charger which is a better car.

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  not bad - 2000 Chevrolet Malibu
  By sixohthree81 - March 16 - 5:09 pm

  had my Bu for about 2 years, only problem was external head gasket leak. just kept antifreeze in and drove it like that for over a year. had to send to junk yard due to my stupidity with jacking it up in the rear in the wrong spot and bent something that cause the back end to come around when you hit the breaks. didnt want to take the time to fix as I got another car I was fixing. great car tho loved everything about it!

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  Too many problems - 2006 Chevrolet Uplander
  By rrhone99 - March 16 - 1:28 pm

  Car does not start without flooring the gas pedel. Must keep at least an 8th of a tank of gas in van and park on level ground. Van has stopped or not started various of times when the fuel gets to about an 8th of a tank of gas. Even had car stop on my wife with kids in car (youngest 3 on Nov 29, 2008). When it does stop it will not start back up unless you put fuel in it (even though guage indicates adequate fuel). It appears as if the transmission is going out all of the time as it slips. The rear windshield wiper has stopped working and that is pretty sad as I also have one of those old Plymouth mini vans and it has operational rear windshield.