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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  Last time with GM - 2003 Chevy Blazer - 2003 Chevrolet Blazer
  By randyxgm - December 7 - 1:42 pm

  I have purchased GM vehicles for the past 20+ years. My last new purchase was a 2003 Blazer the vehicle has been a lemon from day 1. I have always taken care of my vehicles and done the recommended maintenance. Heres a list of some of the problems Ive had with this car: Trans line leaks @3000 miles, car shuts off for no reason @ less than 20,000 miles, power windows work intermittently, small side rear window leaks during rain, making seatbelts wet, fuel gauge problems, wipers dont park, wheel bearings needing replacing @ 40,000miles, rear brakes seized up, U-joints needed replacing @ 70,000 miles, Rear differential seal blew-out @ 100,000 miles, Trans died @ 150,000 miles. GM sucks!

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  2010 Traverse could improve some - 2010 Chevrolet Traverse
  By workingmom_33 - December 5 - 9:00 pm

  I bought my Traverse new in Aug 2010 and love it. It offers lots of room, great ride, and kid friendly. It is now 16 months old w/ less than 17k mi. I am disappointed to have the steering make a whistle noise when turning and the buttons on the a/c control panel are beginning to wear. Does anyone else have these same issues? Other than those issues, which I am hoping the dealership can resolve, I plan to keep for a while.

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  Very cheaply built car - very poor quality. - 2006 Chevrolet Impala
  By swannee1948 - December 5 - 1:44 pm

  I bought the 2006 Chevy Impala Ltz recently from a dealership in Iowa. The car had only 33,500 miles on it -- thus I thought that it would be an excellent buy & value for the money. Mechanically the car is fine - the 3.9 L - 6 cylinder engine performs very well. The heater does not work properly . The heater takes forever to kick in & generate warm / hot air -- the heater works fine when driving. The heater does not work when sitting idling in traffic - blows cold air. The rear window defroster does not work at all. The quality of the interior is horrendous -- very cheap. Squeaks, creaks & rattles all over - especially in the dash panel. Very poor craftsmanship

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  2003 chevy impala LS 3.8 - 2003 Chevrolet Impala
  By 2003impala - December 4 - 8:40 pm

  Where should I start........ it was 2010 when i got my impala only had 70k it was the best car for about 4 months first at 85k the catalytic converter (600$) then the power windows went out (130$) then the oil gasket/pan (30$) did it myself then dash lights went out didnt fix it then ABS was going in and out then water pump (50$) did it myself then the thermostat (10$) and Ive only had it 10 months now Im just like whats next?? MY parents own 9 different chevys 1971-2010 and this is the only one that as ever disappointed them.

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  Problem after only 2000 miles - 2012 Chevrolet Volt
  By dsylvestre - December 2 - 2:26 pm

  Developed an error message after only 2,000 miles. Apparently, the antenna was defective.

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  2009 impala is a nightmare - 2009 Chevrolet Impala
  By mouse71 - December 1 - 9:45 pm

  I purchased my 2009 impala lt2 in 5-09. It has been a nightmare took it off the lot at 20 miles before i hit a 1000 miles took it back because it wasnt holding air in the tires. And now it has 88,000 miles with going on putting the 13 set of rotors on it. I took gm to court and only receive $3500.00 with warranty on rotors till 100,000 miles but every 3000 to 5000 miles im getting new rotors. my suggestion do not buy. sad part about it gm dont take care of their retirees my whold family works for them and they didnt do anything about it.

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  Bad Engine - 2006 Chevrolet Impala
  By bagley3 - December 1 - 11:43 am

  I bought this car in 2006 and it only has 60,067 miles on it and the engine sezied up. of course it had to it when the warrenty ran out

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  2nd review on this car - 2011 Chevrolet Malibu
  By bwgr1985 - December 1 - 9:50 am

  OK this is my second review of this car after having it for 7 months and putting almost 18000 miles on it. as stated before i owned an 09 LS and upgraded to an 11 LTZ. I liked the car enough to buy another one so that should say something. I still stand by the majority of my first review and I still love this car, but there is one major difference. GAS MILEAGE!!! The 09 had a 4 speed auto, this one has a 6 speed auto. So I should do better on gas mileage right? wrong. I drive mostly highway and got about 75 miles more on a full tank in the 09. still not bad, but chevy is flat out lying about getting 33 miles mpg. im getting 23 with 80% highway usage. otherwise great car.

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  I should have bought a Subaru ! - 2010 Chevrolet Equinox
  By icemate1 - November 30 - 7:49 pm

  New car with nothing but problems. First couple of months the windows would go down y themselves and the car would fill with snow to the steering wheel. After that, had to have the ca.r jumped every week or two and the dealer found out after a year that the radio was comming on by itself and staying on until the battery was dead. Problem with key unlocking the car. $80 key for new car, what a rip off. Wiper expensive and they wear out quickly. Junk ! Started out with 31.2 MPG when new but now only 25 MPG. ?? Engine light now on and computer says bearing sensor and timing problem. Whats next ? Highly recommend you buy anything but GM car

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  Only 4 payments down and been to the shop 3 times! GARBAGE!!! - 2011 Chevrolet Equinox
  By tturlich - November 30 - 8:46 am

  I bought mine in July and not even two weeks later the car would randomly shut off when DRIVING! Then after about a month or so it would make load noises when starting up. Brought to dealership three times and all they did was put 250 miles on it driving it around to see why it stops rather can contacting someone who might know what to do. Now yesterday I went to start the vehicle and it wouldnt even start! Let me remind you I bought it brand new and have only had it since July! One more time to the shop and you better believe I will be contacting a lawyer for a Lemon Law! This is my first new vehicle and my last from GM. My honda accord had 170,000 miles and I never even once had a problem.