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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  Not Bad, Not Great - 2003 Chevrolet Malibu
  By rswanson101 - December 19 - 6:24 pm

  Ive been driving my 03 Malibu LS (fully loaded) for about a year now. I purchased it used with only 26,000km on it! I really like the way the car rides. Its so quiet, even on the highway, and it soaks up bumps really well. The interior fit ad finish is ok, but nothing amazing. Its got nice pickup in the city, and really good passing power on the highway (Ive passed with ease at 150 km/h on a steep hill. The worst drawback for me are fuel economy. I only get about 16 city and 22 hwy carefully, watching my driving habits, 15 & 19 driving normally. The other thing is that it feels cheap at times (ie some of the buttons/knobs). Its not too bad, but should be thought of as just a car.

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  Not enought love - 1992 Chevrolet Camaro
  By dylsmi12 - December 4 - 10:24 pm

  Only time i would drive my 92 RS 25th ANV is during the summer, Hot, CLEAR, ttops out blasting doing down the road days. If it rains, windy, or just a bad road your just all over. i have orginally 168,005 miles as of today 12/4/12 I drive avr 3 thousand miles a month for my car i got it with 99k miles 8 years ago, it did not run uptil two years ago after putting 9 grand into it, and going to 6 different dealers. Now having electrical problems causing smoke to come threw my vents where NEITHER heat nor air work after fixing in the summer i get 10 in down, and about 18 on hyw. My mothers 2005 Ford Excursion Limited with a V10 4X4 gets the same amount in town and hyw if that tells you anything.

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  I cant think of a worst car - 2007 Chevrolet TrailBlazer
  By lilred2007 - November 23 - 9:48 am

  Purchased new. Almost immediately had leaks from moonroof, airconditioner into the front seat, power windows didnt work. Faulty fuel sensor repair for about $800 which GM did pay 1/2 of because of a lawsuit. Ran out of gas about 5 times because of the fuel sender. Windshield wiper front and rear motors stopped working at around 55,000 miles ("so sorry, not covered by warranty.") Door closing efforts terrible. It is hard to believe GM was making this car for so long, yet fixed nothing on it over the years. Door moldings pealing, trim pieces falling off. Finally got fed up and traded it in.

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  Too Many Problems - 2007 Chevrolet Tahoe
  By msgtaylor - November 22 - 10:11 pm

  Too many issues with this vehicle after the 4th year. The cylinder was misfiring causing the truck to shut down in the middle of the street. Also, we paid $1,100 for sensors to be replaced before we were able to get a tag last year. This year has been the worse. Despite $2,000 in repairs the check engine light has yet to go off. There is no warranty at this point. The Tahoe is sitting in my driveway because I cant get a tag with the check engine light on.

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  Transportation - 2007 Chevrolet Equinox
  By subaruboxer - November 21 - 6:54 pm

  With the underpowered v6 and the cheap build quality this SUV is not for the spirited driver that needs awd and cargo room, its more for your soccer mom.

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  DONT BUY ONE! - 2008 Chevrolet Cobalt
  By hannahhhx3 - November 15 - 7:19 am

  I bought my cobalt used about nine months ago. So far, two of the tires have blown up while driving, the brakes are already bad, two speakers have blown out, the whole computer system is shot, all the tire moniters have gone bad, my flex pipe coming from the manifold is bad(costing $925.53 just for the replacement part), all the locks in the car have stopped working, one headlight has cracked and water is all inside of it, and last but not least, the exaust system has gone bad and needs to be replaced. Half of the time my car locks up when you try to cut it on, and the key gets stuck in the ignition. There was already a recall for the power steering, but that is currently not even a problem.

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  Nice to drive - when it works - 2006 Chevrolet Impala
  By waldo57 - November 7 - 9:50 am

  I just (thankfully) traded in my 2006 Chevrolet Impala LTZ that I had for 3 years. It was a complete nightmare. I replaced the power steering pump twice, and had the power steering service four or five times on top of that. When the weather got cold, the power steering pump would "pressurize" and blow the hose right off, leaking power steering fluid all over the ground. The dealership charged me several hundred dollars to "fix" it, but by the time I traded it in several months later, the power steering pump was making a grinding noise again. Other than these problems, the car was very nice. It handled well, and has plenty of power for passing or moving in traffic.

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  Im Going Back to Toyotas - 2007 Chevrolet Malibu
  By dlb9 - October 29 - 6:10 pm

  My Malibu is comfortable, it drives well, but the fuel sensor broke at around 60,000 miles, and now it is clunking when I turn. I inherited this car -- its only the second Chevy Ive owned, and when I buy a new car, Im going back to Toyotas. I could put 200,000 miles on those cars before having the issues Im having with this Malibu.

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  Got what I was expecting.. - 1996 Chevrolet S-10
  By shawnsta3 - October 13 - 6:01 pm

  I bought this car for 4.500 last year and was promptly taken to the cleaners. I cant even sell this car for 3,500 this year. But on my actual review, I pretty much got what I expected out of this truck. Decent gas mileage in overdrive (not what you would hope for such a small engine) lack of power going up hills. The 4 wheel drive is a plus. The extended cab is a joke. Only kids under the age of 5 can fit back there. Poor inside looks. Average outside looks. The automatic window on my side sticks sometimes. This truck was really nothing special in the year I have owned it. But on the bright side the only problem I had with it was a new battery and battery connecter for repairs.

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  Bad Purchase! Dont Do it! - 2010 Chevrolet Equinox
  By acebayb - October 12 - 12:46 pm

  I purchased my equinox used in August 2012 with only 44,000 miles. Next thing you know I noticed my key was getting stuck in the ignition. I used a search engine to see if others had the same issue and surprise, surprise others had the exact same issue. The dealer is still trying to figure out whats wrong with it after replacing the "control module" and "selanoid". Now my truck is making a rattling noise from the engine and I found out through some research that the previous owner had to have the timing chain replaced. Why??? The truck didnt even have 44,000 miles on it at the time. Now my truck has about 47,500 miles and I am ready to sell it! Warning stay away from this vehicle!