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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  2006 Cobalt LT review - 2006 Chevrolet Cobalt
  By GAM - February 23 - 10:00 am

  I have owned my Cobalt since Sept. I do think the gas mileage could be better for it being an economy car. I also think the trunk opening is horrible, you have a hard time getting anything in or out. Once its in there the size of the trunk is decent though. I think the steering is odd. I feel like I am all over the road in it . I had a BMW before this so I am not sure if I am just used to that steering or not. I do like the body style look and the interior is fun, gets a lot of compliments. Stereo is good. The option package I have is great. It has everything the BMW had minus a moonroof. Overall its an OK car. I wouldnt buy another one and recomending it to others I am not sure about.

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  Beautiful truck minus transmission - 2015 Chevrolet Colorado
  By Aaron plunkett - February 21 - 10:44 am

  I love my truck. The only problem i have with it is the uncomfortable front seats where my thighs hit the seats. Built up too much. Puts a lump in the middle of the leg. Also the transmission is terrible. I have brought it to the dealer 4 times and they cant figure out why it shutters at a certain rpm. The transmisson sometimes doesnt know what gear to be in and often luggs. Almost like in a manual transmission if you shift to a higher gear to early. This affects the engine performance. And it doesnt happen all the time which makes it difficult to diagnose. Over all a great truck looks wise and performance when working. Not sure i would buy again if i had the opportunity to because of the problems. Had a 2007 tacoma with over 200000 miles on it and it ran better and had the same gas milage.

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  2001 Z24 - Its still just a Cavelier - 2001 Chevrolet Cavalier
  By eng21 - February 17 - 2:00 am

  This car is fun to drive...when Im not bothered by all of the rattles and other noises inside the cabin. I can hear about 3 different noises at once sometimes. Im very dissatisfied with the build quality of this car. It looks decent, performes decently, but sounds like its falling apart already, and its only about 2 years old. Transmission was replaced at 17,000k due to rattling noise in lower gear. I still hear a different noise when shifting at lower RPM (i.e. < 2700 RPM). I should have bought the Civic. Hind sight is 20/20

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  OK Car: Need better Warranty/Services - 1999 Chevrolet Malibu
  By Bitter Customer - February 17 - 2:00 am

  Bought new in May 1999. Horn didnt work after 2 months. Dealer take 3 days to replaced whole system, broke tilt handle during repair, so have to replace that. Steering wheel been screaking eversince. Car have no major problem for almost a year after that. Then all the problems began. Brakes screak. A/C broke and give out mildew odor. Dealer Fixed A/C and install a fan that blow automatically every 10 minutes or so when idle. Both tie rod were loose and need replacing. Both rear brakes cylinder were leaking badly. Belt buckle broke.. Plastic screws from seat fall apart. All n All, its an OK car. Would NOT buy another one though.

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  GM Junk - 2004 Chevrolet TrailBlazer EXT
  By Upset at my 1st Chev - February 15 - 9:50 pm

  I had never owned a Chevy SUV before and was excited to get a Trailblazer EXT. Great style, good features at a reasonable price. No quality. The 1st 3 months I had 9 problems with 2 trips in for an upshift problem that they claimed they could not find. GM suggested I find a dealer that had a tool to install that would monitor the problem, but I had to reseach and find the dealer that had it and go there. They had no interest or concern of the many problems or required trips to the dealer. If you are thinking of buying one, hopefully you do not get one of the many lemons they have out there.

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  SOLD IT AFTER A YEAR. NOT WORTH THE $$$$ - 2008 Chevrolet Silverado 2500HD
  By Towing 4 a living - February 14 - 8:56 pm

  NOT WORTH THE MONEY. Was not happy with the following; the interior started rattling, air draft on driver side door which the dealer couldnt fix, terrible fuel economy, recall and RANCHO MTRS. in Victorville has poor customer service. So does the Chevy Hotline. I sold mine. Still got my 5.9 Dodge Ram 2500. DONT BUY THE NEW CHEVY.

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  Our 1995 Blazer - 1995 Chevrolet Blazer
  By Traci & Rob - February 11 - 2:00 am

  We bought our Blazer used with 72,000km on it and have had several major problems right from the begining. Transmission(shift kit), water pump, alternator, a/c condensor, brakes are spongey, universal joints. Starts off in 2nd gear since having the transmission fixed the first time. Alot of O2 sensors. All I can say is thank God for having an extended warranty.

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  very functional - 2003 Chevrolet Astro
  By rayden - February 5 - 2:00 am

  Possibly the ultimate utility vehicle -- 8 passenger advertised capacity (ive had 13), towing capacity comparable to a pickup, great for camping, etc. In other words, great if you need to move large numbers of people and large/bulky stuff. If your people/stuff fit into a regular minivan (Caravan or Odyssey), buy that -- easier to drive and requires less gas. Dont go in the mud, and forget working on the car yourself -- the engine is rather inaccessible.

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  Buy Japanese - 2000 Chevrolet Venture
  By Katy - February 5 - 2:00 am

  I would never buy another Chevy Venture. Our back windshield wiper fluid dispenser has been fixed 3 times and is broken again. The drivers side window jams and wont go down all the way. A year ago, the airbag light went on and wouldnt go off. Not covered under warrenty. Weve had the seat belt replaced because it tore. The front seat fabric tore--replaced under warranty. The rear heat/ac doesnt work anymore or only at times--costly repair. It does get good gas mileage and is easy to drive.

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  Zeder - 1993 Chevrolet Cavalier
  By Vroom!!! - February 2 - 2:00 am

  I bought my Z24 in May of 2002. Since then Ive had no real problems with it besides the very unreliable clutch. The power in this car is remarkable. This car just flys. The interior.. well its a 92 not too bad i guess. Its typical GM design. Very basic. Overall its really just a basic car with a big engine.