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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  OkForPrice - 2000 Chevrolet Blazer
  By NoMoreChevyFord - July 16 - 2:00 am

  Moving to a Japan Car/SUV_next. Buy American you get the power, price and problems. Blazer brake lights went out twice before 30,000, power mirrors windows and locks went out before 40000, alt. out at 52,000, fuel pump 77,000. Also chevy truck and 2 Ford trucks numerous trips to dealer for transmission leaks.

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  Death (untimely) of a 1996 Lumina - 1996 Chevrolet Lumina
  By Lorne Greene - July 14 - 2:00 am

  Routine maintenance was fine - nothing major just brakes, oil changes, nor =mal service. Car was highway driven and not punished. At 85,000 it needed a new head gasket and at 110,000 blew two connecting rods at 60 MPH. No warning on either - just failure. Liked the car but will never buy another one. My 1990 Toyota Camry just went past 225,000 miles and all it ever requires is rountine maintenance, oil changes an occasional set of brakes and one clutch (155,000 miles).

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  3/4 Ton/HD 6.0L Eng. Problems. - 2002 Chevrolet Silverado 2500HD
  By Matt Bell - July 12 - 2:00 am

  Has an engine tick which Gen Mtrs. says is piston slap. Misses when any loading such as going up even a slight hill. Local dealer has been working with GM engineers was told currently is no fix? Told Gen. Mtrs. knew of a "FEW" 6.0L engines that do this. Should not have released them if they knew there was a problem. currently trying to get vehicle repaired/replaced under "Lemon Law". Vehicle only has 4500MI. on it.

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  1997 Chevy S10 LS 2WD Regular Cab Review - 1997 Chevrolet S-10
  By BCJ - July 11 - 2:00 am

  This truck is real nice to me. I drive it a lot, but mechanically it is not to strong. Ive had to replace the water pump and fan bracket and this truck only has 69,000 original miles on it.

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  Keep looking. - 1994 Chevrolet Beretta
  By jkp1187 - July 11 - 2:00 am

  Bought this car when my trusty old 1988 Chevy Celebrity was put out to pasture. The Beretta was nothing but a headache. Poor design of steering column the turn signal lever snapped in 1/2 after 6 months. Cost $200 to repair (!). Transmission went out -- twice. Head gasket started leaking. Alternator went out -- twice. Brakes were constantly going. Money and prayer kept it going to 167,000, when I got new Impala (which I have been very happy with). Almost didnt buy GM again b/c of this car, though....took a good deal on the Impala just to get me to look at it.

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  Disappointed - 2000 Chevrolet Malibu
  By Haysucka - July 9 - 2:00 am

  what can i say. thought i was buying a reliable car. not!! few days after taking delivery on the car, found out there was a recall on the motor - piston slap, 4 months later, had to replace rotors, and brakes. the materials lok and feel cheap, seats arent exactly supportive, get sore after long trips.

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  Overpriced and built cheap - 1996 Chevrolet S-10
  By Scooba - July 7 - 2:00 am

  S10 had 4.3 V6 and 5 speed manual transmission. Front brake pads dont seem to last long on this truck. Neither did the Delco batteries. Replaced battery 3 times in 6 years. Major problems began at about 45,000 miles. First the altenator dies. At 50,000 miles the transmission craps out. Transmission, clutch and slave cylinder were replaced with new one at dealership. AC quits working a couple months later. About 14 months after having new transmission put in, the transmission starts messing up again. I took good care of this truck. It had regular maintenance and was not driven hard, nor was it used for towing and hauling heavy loads.

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  Premier Model: Everything excellent but mileage - 2016 Chevrolet Malibu
  By steve - July 6 - 10:14 am

  Are you ready to go back to the 1960s gas guzzlers? Then the Premier model is for you with the big engine (as is the next lower model when equipped with the big engine). After three months and about 1100 miles, almost all city driving, we have never had better than 14 mpg except for once when it went up almost to 16, though that tank included some freeway driving. The car seems to do quite well mileage-wise on the freeway, in the higher twenties. I have no idea how the EPA or GM came up with the 22 estimated MPG for city driving. AND THE CAR REQUIRES PREMIUM to get such lousy mileage. I was concerned about the low estimated mileage but never considered the possibility of getting such low mileage. The car is quite comfortable to drive and it handles and shifts well. The smaller engine is way underpowered (even for me who also drives a Prius so I am no power hungry person), which is why we got the bigger engine. I RECOMMEND AGAINST BUYING THIS CAR. One other note, the infotainment system is quite difficult to use and program. For EACH drivers phone, you need to program it for when that phone is not in the car, when that is connected to the infotainment system solely by blue-tooth and not by a cable connection, and when it is connected via a cable such that Car Play (or Android Play) is activated. And there are different commands and options depending on these three different situations, none of which are explained in the manuals. This includes two different navigation systems (the cars own system or the one from Apple or your Android phone). Many of your presets will be grayed out if they were programmed for a different phone or different usage pattern, We are computer and tech savvy people but find it difficult to use except for the most basic tasks. And the manual is not helpful.

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  This is why Gm is going under - 1999 Chevrolet Silverado 1500
  By Skivs - July 6 - 4:20 am

  I have owned this truck since new and thoroughly regret buying the first year of a new model. Idk if my truck was built on a Friday or what, but it has been trouble laden since new. Fuel pump, ABS module, steering column shaft(never completely cured the rattling tho), seat belts, fuel pressure regulator, all during the factory warranty period. And since the warranty expired, multiple sets of brakes, spider gears in rear diff, no less than six sets of u-joints, transfer case flew apart internally(nobody had ever heard of that problem with this model of course). On the positive side it rides and handles like a car gets decent mileage and literally turns on a dime. Should have waited a few yrs

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  Trailblaser not reliable - 2002 Chevrolet TrailBlazer
  By jtruono - July 6 - 2:00 am

  Wiper moter went 1st week. Loose bolts under hood. Brakes went bad & fromt routers replaced dealer wont replace rear routers. Pinging noise in motor, computer had to be reprogramed. Four wd failed in snowstorm & needed to be reprogramed.