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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  So-So Car - 2001 Chevrolet Malibu
  By MassMike - July 27 - 2:00 am

  I bought this car used in 2002. It still had factory warranty left. Luckily, dealer gave me 3,00 additional miles on bumper-to-bumper because the transmission had to be completely rebuilt at 38,000. Transmission is starting to stick again. Mileage on this car in not as good as advertised but it is comfortable to ride in and had lots of room, especially the trunk.

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  Problems keep appearing... - 1995 Chevrolet Lumina
  By KingTofu - July 25 - 2:00 am

  Well, Ive changed my mind on this vehicle. Im now at 140,000 miles and Ive had to replace another fuel injector which cost another $300. The mechanic said that the 4 other injectors will probably short out in a year or so. Great. Also, I just had to pay $150 to get my left turn signal fixed. I havnt been impressed with the build quality. Cheap materials are used throughout the whole car. I cant recomend this vehicle, Im getting rid of it as soon as I can.

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  You dont really get what you pay for - 2003 Chevrolet Corvette
  By ItalianKU - July 24 - 2:00 am

  The car looks great . . . and it is fun to drive . . . if you can put up with just a few little details. First, the interior, where you spend most of your time, is downright embarrassing for a $50,000 car. Everything inside feels like it was taken out of the Cavilers parts bin. It must be embarrassing for Bose to put their name on the sound system . . . it is horrible! My 1999 Ram Air Trans Am with the 500-Watt Monsoon System was worlds better than my 2003 Vette. With all that performance I though I could live with the low quality interior . . . I was wrong!

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  S-10 needs some recalls - 2000 Chevrolet S-10
  By th3006 - July 23 - 2:00 am

  I bought my truck in Oct.2002 The dealer was very unhelpful once I signed the papers. I am a diehard chevy fan but I have had a couple of problems. The problems I have had are: the secondary air injection pump went at 40k and the dealers I talked to said they have seen alot of these come in to replace. The other problem is the seat recline handle broke off, G.M. should have known better to use potmetal to hold the handle on. It is CHEAP!! I feel that G.M. should be talking with the dealerships more to fix these common problems(recalls).Cheaper is not always better and the competition is looking better all the time when these situations arise.

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  04 TRAILBLAZER - 2004 Chevrolet TrailBlazer
  By RFA9 - July 21 - 10:00 am

  1700 MILES, DRIVERS SIDE WINDOW MOLDING SUCKS DOWN INSIDE DOOR WHEN WINDOW IS ROLLED DOWN. LOUD NOISE WHEN COOLING FAN COMES ON. MOLDING ON RIGHT REAR DOOR IS TWISTED. WEIRD DISCOLORASION ON DRIVER SIDE DOOR MIRROR.WENT TO THE DEALER AND WAS TOLD NO PROBLEM FOUND FOR MOLDING AND FAN ISSUE. FOR THE MIRROR I WAS TOLD TO TAKE IT BACK TO THE DEALER I BUOGHT IT FROM.I DONT THINK THE DEALER COULD FIND THEIR BUTT WITH BOTH HANDS. CHEVY SERVICE STINKS!

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  Lumina LS - 1995 Chevrolet Lumina
  By Dawn E - July 21 - 2:00 am

  I bought the car with 75000 miles. At 82000 miles, the transmission went out. At 90000, the head gasket went out. It warped my heads due to the block being iron and the heads being aluminum. I felt kinda bad for those people who had the 3.4L engine those head gasket kits were NATIONALLY BACK ORDERED. Must have been a very bad winter on a not-so-good engine. Now, at 93000, I noticed transmission fluid leaking. It bothers me that I still owe more than its worth and that Ive put over $1300 into it the two years Ive owned it. If I were you, I wouldnt buy one.

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  Not impressed - 2016 Chevrolet Impala
  By Paul Wernich - July 20 - 11:29 am

  Car looked great on the lot and it was a certified pre-owned with a good warranty and only 8,000 miles for almost 15k below the new car cost. Thats where the "wow" wore off. The Impala rides too harsh and unsettled for the flagship of the Chevy lineup and twin to the Buick lacrosse and Caddy XTS. Getting in and out literally bruises my hip because the seat belt has a hard piece sticking out at the side of the seat. I keep turning the radio off and every time I get back in the car its on again. The a/c automatically lowers everytime you make or receive a phone call, even if its 100 degrees outside. The autostop function is a nuisance because the car bucks and jumps at every stop light/stop sign and I doubt its really saving that much fuel. Some of the interior bits are cheapy/flimsy. I have the upgraded LT and it has fabric/plastic seats, the Chysler 300 costs the same and gives you real leather and a V6 that gets about the same mpgs as Impalas 4 cylinder??? I think I made a mistake. The Impala also sits way to low, I keep scraping up the front end. Im just not impressed.

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  Watch quality and parts availablity - 2002 Chevrolet Venture
  By dpboyle - July 19 - 2:00 am

  Our experince started well but after about 15,000 miles, problems with quality became apparent and we are currently going for lemon law remedies for repeated wheel bearing failure (have been replaced x3). Have had warranty work for the electric door lock system, dvd, door handle, rear wiper, etc. Have also experienced long delays for parts. According to the dealer, many parts are unavailable because the w-b line has been discontinued. Be careful with the remote control. We lost it and were told you cant buy another... they arent available from GM. The remote is the only way to get most movies to play...

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  mali - 1999 Chevrolet Malibu
  By jennayLp - July 17 - 2:00 am

  My car is a good car, however I believe that it looks nicer than it really is. I havent had it long and already a belt is squealing. It also isnt very fuel efficent. With gas prices going up, how am i supposed to afford it?

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  malibu - 2003 Chevrolet Malibu
  By jon catlin - July 17 - 2:00 am

  my 2002 chevrolet malibu is a pretty reliable car . it is very fuel eficent and has only had one break down so far .