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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  Looks great, noisy cheap interior - 2010 Chevrolet Malibu
  By MikeURL - October 7 - 6:39 pm

  I actually have the 6 cylinder model but I cant find an option to review that version. I admit I was sold on this car by the looks. I really liked the way it looked on the outside so I overlooked a lot of other problems. Primarily Im disappointed with the amount of noise when driving. The wheels and suspension transmit every little sound into the cabin. Also, the headliner squeaks and rattles. It is irritating but I dont want to try and get the dealer to take the whole headliner out and fix it. Also, the ride is very rough. You can feel every little crack in the pavement. The upside to that is that the handling is actually quite good. This car can corner on a dime.

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  A great engine surrounded by an average car - 2004 Chevrolet Cavalier
  By happychihuahua - October 1 - 9:17 am

  The EcoTec 2.2 is a marvelous engine, its powerful, quiet and as reliable as an anvil, a testament to its foreign design. The rest of the car however is General Motors, what can you say. The steel on the car is paper thin, so even a slight bump will distort the quarter panels and your plastic bumper will never fit properly again. The interior is typical GM, with the bizarre toilet seat flusher door handles and the cheap plastic interior. The plastic covers by the mirrors tend to slap off and the manual mirror adjusters tend to break. The shift level gets loose and since its plastic will begin to fall apart, requiring replacement. The interior noise is higher than it should be.

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  Its doing its job. - 2004 Chevrolet Cavalier
  By evanz - September 27 - 9:08 pm

  This is my second car. I bought it, after weeks of searching for something else in my price range. I dont really like Chevy, but i got it in great shape, and condition. I bought it with 80,000 miles, and it now has about 105,000. Ive driven it across states without hesitating. The only thing Ive had to replace was the fuel pump at about 100. Everything else works fine, and even looks alright. The car isnt fast, but if you give enough gas it can go. I live in an area with snow, ice, rain, and hills, and this car works fine everywhere. I take good care of my cars aesthetically, and get their regular maintenance. But I drive the **** out of my cars, and this one is still holding up fine.

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  I hate this car - 2005 Chevrolet Classic
  By kennedn - September 26 - 1:16 am

  I bought this car in 2006 with only 13,000 miles on it and it has been a nightmare. The first year I had to replace the brakes. There is a short in the system and I have been stranded more than once. I have had to replace the fuel pump twice and the transmission went out at 60,000 miles. Right now the car is parked because it will not start again, due to the short in the system. I am having problems even getting anyone to take it as a trade in. I will never buy another Chevy again after this experience.

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  Never again! - 2010 Chevrolet Equinox
  By kwknomoregm - September 25 - 9:57 am

  My problems started at 39,000 miles, the engine would lose power and made an banging sound, I was told it was a misfire. 40,000 miles, replaced mass air flow sensor. 46,000 miles timing chain and tensioner was replaced. 51,600 miles timing chain and all tensioners, actuators were replaced. Now at 56,700 miles it is going back to the service department again and it is making the same noises as before. I have owned only GM products my whole life and now this is going to be the Last!

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  Minivan in disguise - 2009 Chevrolet Traverse
  By tvaleri - September 15 - 4:01 pm

  I owned a 2009 for two years. Just sold last week. Hallelujah! Nonetheless, the Traverse drives and handles like a minivan. The plastic around and on the doors interior was already beginning to wear. Wires to a box located under drivers seat were loose and caused the "service airbag" light to display. Worst of all, there is no spare on the LS model. Instead, Chevy equips this vehicle with a mini air pump and some flat tire fixer. Not cool if the tire has a hole in it. The middle row of seats vibrated horribly. The 3rd row wasnt an issue. Glad to be rid of it. No more American made cars for me.

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  Dont buy it - 2003 Chevrolet Malibu
  By kevpa1 - September 13 - 9:36 am

  I bought the car under with 90,000 miles. At first the car has no problem and after a while it started making a clunking noise randomly and it feels like its about to break down any minute. I cant want to trade this car in.

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  Poor fuel economy - 2012 Chevrolet Sonic
  By newsonicowner - September 6 - 12:44 pm

  While Edmunds reviews of the 2012 Sonic sedan state an estimated 26 MPG for city driving, my experience is only 20 MPG with my new Sonic. Huge difference. I would have never purchased the vehicle had I known it would perform so poorly. I depended on Edmonds for accurate data as I shopped for a new car. I am extremely disapointed in both Edmunds and the Sonic.

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  Please help me! - 2005 Chevrolet Equinox
  By elizabeth3578 - September 5 - 12:35 pm

  I bought my car in april 2012. its an 05 chevy equinox. ive had it for 5 months now and it has been in the shop 5 times. The first time was the day after i got it for an alignment. The second time was because my brakes would fail, not stop and vibrate/jerk. I would have to push really hard on the brake to actually stop. the abs light would come on and my traction control would turn off. the car would be out of control and not stop. I took it to one of DTs shops and they supposeably fixed it. not even a week later, the brakes wouldnt work and the abs light/traction control light came on. i took it back to the shop and this time the people at the shop were jerks. said nothing was wrong and to basically drive until i crash it or dont drive at all. left the shop drove approximately 2 miles the abs light/traction control light came on. took it right back. they said oh there is a problem. they replaced the abs sensor. got it back a week later and they said it was fixed. once again right when it got out it drove fine but not even a week later the brakes would not work. i got fed up with DT that i went a month without doing anything. the car was getting so bad that i took it to a different shop. they replaced the abs sensor again. got it back still the same problem. took it back they changed the driver side hub assembly. got it out was okay then week later back in the shop. this time it was the brake module sensor or something like that. got it back about three weeks ago and still having the same problem but its worse now. i cant tell you how many times ive almost been in a accident its ridiculous. what can i do? can anyone help me figure out how to get rid of this car?

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  Short lived value - 2009 Chevrolet Impala
  By 29karma13 - September 5 - 11:59 am

  This is one of those "seems to good to be true" kind of deals. When you purchase the deal just seems to be really good for what you get. But as soon as that warranty runs out... that is when you start paying for the car. At 36,000 miles it only has a 7.000 trade in value even if in mint condition. At 37,000 miles it is broke down in the middle of nowhere and even the onstar is unable to work to call for help. ( yes just 1000 miles after the warranty is out). I have put several sets of tires on this and had it aligned countless times because there is a problem that GM will not recognize with the suspension system. The people at goodyear told me that the impala is their best customers!