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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  Bad rear door locks - 2008 Chevrolet Impala
  By mes1944 - November 23 - 8:38 pm

  Rear door locks quit working at 32000 miles. I believe this to be a safety issue in that the rear seat passengers especially infants and young children may become trapped during an emergency. The driver will not be able to activate the rear door locks.

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  7 payments down & 8 trips to the dealer for repair - 2011 Chevrolet Equinox
  By grace_d_jr - November 23 - 7:14 pm

  Love the car for every day use due to the value and style of the equinox. However, we have had several issues with our chevy. Started with a check engine light with less then 2K on the clock, (3K) loud noises upon start up, (9K) steering wheel felt like it would "lock up" while driving, rough idel, interior parts and molding not fitting/working. Chevy refused to extend warranty nor would they assist with a trade in towards a new Equinox...it says a lot about a product when the mfg will not stand behind it and give an additional 3 yr warranty. As far as the MPG goes...it has been pretty close to the 22MPG listed in town driving.

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  The Sonic - 2012 Chevrolet Sonic
  By andrewhudson - November 22 - 6:37 pm

  My wife and I were looking at getting a used cobalt when we noticed online that Chevy was releasing a new vehicle (the sonic). I was a little worried at first with the track record of the aveo but went for a test drive and we noticed the quality difference right away. We fell in love with the car almost instantly and bought it a number of weeks later. This car combines smart technology with a stylish fun to drive vehicle that gets excellent gas mileage. A soon as we can we will be getting another one, and as many people say it is one of the cars from the transformer 2 movie so it gets extra cool points.

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  Great Malibu - 1998 Chevrolet Malibu
  By rocknjim08 - November 22 - 3:23 pm

  I bought this car in the summer of 2011 with 125,000 miles on it. I drive for pizza companies and it is now at 150,000. I only had one problem with the alternator. Inside is OK, just a little small for my taste but still great value for $1400.

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  Just a good overall car - 2004 Chevrolet Impala
  By 99snitsky - November 18 - 6:58 am

  I got this car used with 40k. The ride is smooth and you dont feel the bumps unless they are huge. The engine is underpowered for the car at only 180 hp. The seats are comfortable but the middle seat connects to the driver seat which is stupid. The interior is very boring and cheap with cheap plastics and no features, it came with a tape player, so I had to get a CD player. The exterior is nice, esp. the tailights, the paint has a nice shine. The trunk is huge, so you have lots of room for things. Reliable, starts up 1st try. Routine maintenance, wear an tear. The brakes are bad, put hard on to stop, and need replacing often. Other than that turn signals, rack/pinoin lubricating, muffller

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  Beautiful car from the outside. - 2006 Chevrolet HHR
  By ecrosslin - November 17 - 9:41 pm

  I bought my 2006 Chevy hhr ls used with 72000 miles in early 2009. Three months in I begin to experience shaking in the front end when brakes are applied. My brakes get checked and replaced but still the problem continues. Two years and 25k mi later this issue has gotten worse and worse to now the whole steering wheel shakes. Several different dealerships were unable to find the cause of the issue. As many others have stated, the interior stains very easily. Not good for young families. The back interior light dome broke. The front ones on the review mirror flicker on and off and sometimes stay on. Everything is backwards. Headlights can almost not be replaced without going to the dealer.

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  what happend ? - 2011 Chevrolet Malibu
  By meer - November 17 - 7:00 pm

  This car is a pain in the A - - -. I have already voiced my dis like of the seats. And mentioned the annoying "low pressure" warning about the tires. After receiving and E mail advising the tire pressures are low, I check with my tire gauge and sure enough one tire has 15 lbs, another has 20 lbs., another has 12 lbs and the last has 25 lbs. WHY, WHY, WHY, WHY. !!!!!!! I have never had this problem with any car I have owned. Question: Are the tires crap? Are the wheels at fault, what is going on ? And the fuel mileage is still only 23 to 24 mpg, NOT 30 !!!!! My Nissan gets 32 mpg around town. What a piece of junk. GM should be ashamed. I have contacted GM customer service and they just

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  CHEVROLET COBALT 2006 IS A LEMON & needs to be recalled !! - 2006 Chevrolet Cobalt
  By rednozepit83 - November 17 - 4:05 pm

  I have had my 2006 Chevy Cobalt SS since 2008. I bought it used with 22,000 miles on it. Since I have had the car it has been a disaster! I have spent a few thousand on repairs not including the repairs that were done under warranty. The 1st month the sunroof motor went bad. Then the wiring to my dome lights needed to be replaced. The OEM stereo needed to be replaced at 30,000. Thermostat went bad at 40,000 miles. Both 02 exhaust sensors at 50,000 miles. The Intake & the Exhaust camshaft actuators. Catalytic converter at 60,000. BOTH back window motors bad at 65,000 miles. ALL 4 Fuel injectors bad at 75,000 miles and im sure more to come.

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  JUNK!!! Do not make a mistake!!!! - 1999 Chevrolet Blazer
  By franktiregod - November 17 - 1:58 pm

  I bought a one owner 99 Trailblazer with just under 98,000 miles in 2009. WORST MISTAKE I EVER MADE!! Here is a small list of the things I had to replace on this junkpile. 1. Upper and lower balljoints. 2. Compete a/c system. 3. Computer 4. Heater core 5. Compete exhaust system including catylitic converter and wiring pigtails. 6. Alternator and belts 7. Upper ball joints-AGAIN!! 8. Radiator. The list goes on an on. And this was a nice CLEAN one owner truck! I got rid of it yesterday. I didnt sell it to an individual because if I did, my conscience wouldnt let me sleep at night. I bought my wife a Mazda 3 hatchback. Screw the "american cars". Thanks unions!

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  Beware! - 2000 Chevrolet Blazer
  By jake118 - November 17 - 1:19 pm

  These cars are great to use as stunt vehicles to be driven off a cliff and explode on impact. If there was a trophy for the junkiest cars on the market, these would be among the top competitors. I have owned 3 GM vehicles, and after going through numerous adventures I can honestly say that GM builds their cars specifically to break down in various places over and over again, so the owner would be obliged to have it fixed repeatedly. This probably keeps the gm business somewhat afloat through the money invested into parts and labor. for anyone who wants to avoid headaches and frustration, buy Japanese cars that have proven themselves Reliable, Efficient, and Long-lasting,you will be happier