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, Bad Malibu!!! - 1999 Chevrolet Malibu
  By badmalibu - June 4 - 10:00 am

  Malibu 3yrs. Brakes replaced 3xs/yr. Im do for a brake job now after only 4 mths! I only get about 20K mi. on 60K mi. tires. I have 93K mi. on my car & purchased at least 3 new set of tires since buying the car. 60K mi. * 3 set of tires = 180K mi. total. Not including the original tires that was replaced around 30K mi. Maybe we should all complain to GMC & get a recall on the brake system & the suspension for the tires. CD player doesnt work anymore. Get ERR each time CD is inserted & the systems kicks the CD back out. Sometimes sensor light comes on & I would have to turn the engine off, & restart the car hoping it would reset.

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  questionable reliability & resale value - 2010 Chevrolet Camaro
  By lxs333 - May 31 - 8:53 pm

  Overall is pretty good but since I also own both 2009 M3 and 2008 M5 then Im thinking to get rid of this Camaro since I dont think this is one of the true sport car out there you can find. For those who loves this very much I suggest you go test at least the ISF, M3 or C63 before driving the Camaro. Im sure you will find something is missing from this American brand. Never buy the V6 because 300 HP is not something new anymore in todays market, a G37s can easily blow you away. For V8, just get the manual one coz the automatic version has less HP for fuel economy purpose but it doesnt save much at all for long term.

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  Losing the Battle against Europe - 2005 Chevrolet Malibu
  By wookiee - May 11 - 5:06 am

  This car was marketed to me as a European design with European type quality. After owning several German cars and being quite satified, I was a bit hesitant buying a Chevy. However, I got a GM discount & solid rebates which sweetened the deal considerably. I pulled the trigger on the Malibu and now have buyers remorse. I should have went with my gut. The car is subpar when compared to its foreign peers. Average quality at best. Ive had the car in 3 times for brake problems. The dealer finally replaced all four assemblies. Bottom Line: the car is ok if you get a discounted deal.

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  Silverado cloth interior stinks - 2009 Chevrolet Silverado 1500
  By ms - May 9 - 4:00 pm

  Having 19 pickups since 1989 as a sales rep on the road, my new 2009 silverado with cloth stinks< I am in and out a lot, one hour out and one hour in the cold north plains states. Ive had leather, cloth heated seats and tons of miles in both. This new 09 cloth is terrible for stains, lint. You must use a lint roller every week to keep it even half presentable. 3300 miles on this one look worse than my last Chevy with 170,000 miles! 6 chevys in the family and this will be my last if they dont admit they have a problem, which they have but only come up with a self admitted $2400 cloth replacement kit that will do the same thing.

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  loan only not for keeps - 2008 Chevrolet Impala
  By chema - April 28 - 4:16 pm

  well i decided to test the car at dealer had a very good deal and the fact that i needed to loan to rebuilt my credit. what i like is the car is remote start great for winnter its fast and smooth ride ===== for long trips but seats are not comfortable enough. GAS! in city is poor im guessing 17mpg ? i just drove 125 miles and its already half tank yeah thats cause its a big engine with large trunk so i havent hit the high way much my saab with turbo 200 miles to half a tank in city or high way anyways i do like a car with lots of interior room trunk is large enough for luggages or groceries some like it for subwoofers radio not the best it has pioneer speakers? cant find that info anywhere...moving on you cant customize almost anything billet grills,headlights,tail lights,instrument cluster,rims. i do recommend the car to anyone

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  2017 Trax - 2017 Chevrolet Trax
  By Mylene G - April 21 - 9:29 am

  I bought a brand new 2017 Trax 5 weeks ago. It has 15 miles on it when I drive it out of the car lot. About 2 weeks ago the engine light came on. I took it to the service center and I was told the vent valve was defective so they had to replace it. Ok not happy about it but ok it was fixed. However 4 days later the engine light came on again so I took it back to the service center. This time I was told its a canister failure. WHAT THE HELL!!!! This is supposed to be brand new and we are replacing parts already. I havent even received my license plates yet and Im already at the service center every week. Not very happy at all. It does have cool features and I like the interior. They told me it is "safe to drive" while waiting for the part needed to get it fixed this time.

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  Disapointment - 2001 Chevrolet Silverado 1500
  By billyuma - April 17 - 10:00 am

  The transmission, with "Tow Haul" failed at 18000 miles and had to be replaced with a new one. Motor oil consumption was high due to a defective PCV valve.

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  Not fun to drive! - 2011 Chevrolet Silverado 1500
  By wassell - April 14 - 8:48 pm

  If you want a truck that rides n feels like a Cadillac and tows like a champ(nothing more) buy a silverado. Ive had my truck for a year and love it for road trips and towing. Aside from that...yawn. If you want a truck that will JUMP when you hit the gas, get sideways on demand, and still tow when needed buy a Nissan! Sincerely, sad silverado owner

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  This truck never worked a day its life! - 2003 Chevrolet Silverado 1500
  By Former GM Fan - April 12 - 8:36 am

  I have owned several trucks-all of which have been GM products-and this one is horrible! The check 4X4 light is on regularly, even though this truck has not been in 4WD more than twice, and under no load. I had to have 3 injectors, a mass airflow sensor, the catalytic converter and all new plugs replaced at 41K-just outside of warranty. The wiper motor just went kaput at 52K, and the dealership service department has been less than sympathetic. This truck has been basic transportation and never towed/hauled anything! Never had to work a day in its life! As a-soon-to- be former loyal GM fan, Im going to trade it ASAP on a Toyota or Nissan.

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  Terrable seats and gas consumption - 2003 Chevrolet Tahoe
  By swavek - March 25 - 10:00 am

  This truck gave me sticker gas expectation on highway only. In the city it achieves 9 and change miles from gallon. This is my first new car, so I am trying not to step on it too hard. Between highway and city driving Ive got 10.6 miles per gallon !!!?... But thats O.K.. The real problem I have with the seat. So far Ive made 2700 miles and already have terrible low back pain from the seat. Id like to know if the seat is ergonomically correct. It feels like something is missing in the low back support. I hate the way breakes work. Feel like pushing the pedal through the floor but car is steel moving. Plus I can hear squealing while breaking already.