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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  This car is a [non-permissible content removed] - 2002 Chevrolet Malibu
  By pag_089 - January 18 - 11:26 pm

  I bought my Malibu in September 2010, and immediately the problems started. I cant even begin to think of the number of times this car has been in the shop. So far, Ive spent over $5,000 on it out of pocket, and thats not counting the work that was performed under the dealers warranty. This car is nothing but a money pit. Im telling everybody I know to avoid this car, and to avoid Chevrolet in general like the plague. They produce poor quality vehichles and dont stand by their work.

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  Worst car I have owned. - 2004 Chevrolet Malibu
  By jay3239 - January 12 - 5:26 pm

  This is by far the worst car that I have ever owned. I have had issue after issue with it. Everytime I fix one thing, 2 more things go wrong!

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  TOO MANY ISSUES TO LIST - 2008 Chevrolet Malibu
  By cmg2211 - January 10 - 11:41 am

  I bought this car new when it first came out and in the past five years have had numerous issues! My windshield wiper motor has seized twice (one in the middle of a torrential downpour while I was on the highway and most recently in a snowstorm). Both times the entire wiper motor and assembly has had to be replaced ($400 each time). The air condition system needed to be replaced after only one year. The locks dont work anymore so neither does the remote starter. You have to manually push down the lock on each door- the power door locks dont work from the key fob or from the drivers side door. When in park doors lock you in- have to roll down windows and open from outside.

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  Run Far Away! - 2008 Chevrolet Cobalt
  By zwiama90 - January 7 - 7:37 am

  I can without a doubt say this is the worst car Ive ever owned. Im trading it in after a year of having it and couldnt be happier. It has been on a hoist more times than I can count. My boyfriend is a mechanic and is just disgusted working on it once a month. Before I met him I spent $1000+ just in 2 months of having it. The quality is so bad and the car shifts rough. Endless transmission problems that chevy wont fix. Front suspension falling apart at 60,000 miles, bad multi function switch, steering column issues, engine randomly revs in cruise control, and too many more to list. I got stuck trading a grand prix in for this HUGE mistake. Stay away from these "throw away" cars.

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  Poorly engineered - 2007 Chevrolet Express
  By ehibma - January 1 - 2:59 pm

  I borrowed this vehicle for my growing family, and knew within 5 minutes it was horrible. The kids had to duck under seat belts to get to the 3rd row. No head rests for the back rows. You feel every bump in the road. What were the engineers thinking? They didnt think this through at all. Saving up for a Mercedes Benz Sprinter.

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  Equinox Road Noise - 2013 Chevrolet Equinox
  By zed58 - December 29 - 9:42 am

  Overall the vehicle is not too bad. The tire road noise is terrible. On the coarser paved roads the noise is very noisey and distractive. The vehicle is equipped with Michelin Latitude Tour tires that are also terrible in the snow. I will be looking for new tires if that doesnt remedy the problem, a new vehicle

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  no concern for safety from GM - 2012 Chevrolet Equinox
  By aaron69 - December 17 - 12:50 am

  We purchased a 2012 Equinox in Feb. It has been in the shop three time. The first was a simple air bag sensor, the next one was the motor dumped oil all over my garage floor, and the last and most definetely the worst, a fitting on the gas line broke and sprayed gallons of gas all over the garage floor and driveway. The line runs close to the exhaust. Im really surprised that my house and family didnt burn up. Oh but they gave me an extended warranty to make it all better. If you would like pictures I would be glad to show you.

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  DO NOT BUY A 2012 CHEVY CRUZ ECO - 2012 Chevrolet Cruze
  By mbennett1 - December 14 - 6:52 pm

  I wish I would have done my homework before I purchased this car. -tires not holding air -steering wheel shakes when stopping -film on windows after using defrost -rattle around dash cant find -air comes in the windows while driving and dust is endless -radio is static and speakers are muffled -too many compartments, u think texting is bad -inside door gets wet and dirty -when you open the trunk and its raining all the water pours into the trunk all over -no spare tire -no room for passengers in the back -key is too bulky and you will be surprised when returning from shopping the trunk will be open -pings when shifts from first to second -gas calculation does not match comp.

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  I HATE this car!! - 2007 Chevrolet Cobalt
  By madwomanraving - December 13 - 7:25 am

  I bought it brand new off the lot with 3 miles on it in 2007. It is now 2012, it has 137,000 miles on it. As soon as the warranty was up..BOOM clutch went out. I got it repaired at a lovely 1200.00 and 2 years later...its out again...replaced it AGAIN another 1200.00 and the next year...transmission goes. Long story short..I am currently installing the FOURTH clutch on this car and it has its 3rd transmission installed. Apparently there is a little secret with the defective Syncros and the fact that the MORONS at GM used ATF in my Manual Trans vehicle due to a design flaw that has a smaller hole for the fluid to go through. GM this car sucks & I will NEVER buy one or recommend one.

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  horrible car - 2006 Chevrolet Malibu
  By adam1987 - December 10 - 12:09 pm

  literally two weeks after buying the car the air conditioner went out, i live in Texas and bought the car in July rolling with out an AC was not an option. i also had the same problem as everyone else with the tie rods and the power steering cutting out. but the worst was when i started feeling my brakes locking up. i later found out it was due to the rubber in the caliper rotting and allowing break dust into my breaking system. i didnt have the money for a whole new brake system. so for the last year or so i owned the car i couldnt drive on the freeway. having your brakes lock up at 70mph is EFFING SCARY. im so much happier with my suzuki econo car. not as roomy but way more fun to drive.