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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  Blind Spots - 2005 Chevrolet Equinox
  By ktklsy - December 31 - 2:10 am

  This car has a lot of blind spots and is very hard to back up in comfortably. The interior does not live up to the price you pay for the vehicle.

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  Life expectancy? - 1993 Chevrolet Camaro
  By CN - December 31 - 12:25 am

  I recently purchased 2door coupe from dealer. For the price and high mileage I consider the book value is on cue. However after a brief vehicle check I found to be the 11th owner. It tells me that 10 other people used this particular car for one year and put about the nominal 12 to 13000 miles on it. If it is such a nice car why did so many trade it in like a bad check? Anyhow it still needs work like the heat to be looked at. To my understanding the thermostat tends to be a major problem in this style of chevy. Perhaps this is a common thing if so then perhaps Cheverolet should have put a more proper stat to suit such a large sport engine.

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  Never again - 2006 Chevrolet Malibu
  By zleach - December 30 - 9:31 pm

  When this car was purchased we had a few minor kinks that the dealership was to mend, but of course things just got worse. After having it only 3 months they had to repalce the steering rack, shortly after both drive axles, not to mention the 2 brake jobs within 10K miles of each other. The steering and suspension is awful. Rear wheel bearings, and much more. The car loves the left side of the road due to lower ball joints not wanting to hold up. $200 apiece. And not to mention the tires wear awfully quick when they go bad 3 front tires within 20K of each other

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  Disappointed - 2007 Chevrolet Impala
  By Gilligan - December 30 - 8:27 pm

  Very disappointed, bad paint quality and interior pieces, especially the drivers seat, continue to fall apart. Now just lost both by transmission and torque converter at 74000 miles. Guess that is why GM only stands behind their transmissions for 36000 miles. It is a very fun car to drive, no questions, and I routinely get 26-28 MPG on highway. Tire air pressure monitors are useless and I also have a short in the car no one can find and I keep having dead batteries. They cost around $200 if you buy them and install them yourself and you can plan on adding another $50 to have it installed.

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  Great when its working - 2004 Chevrolet Malibu
  By Malibu is not bad - December 30 - 1:36 pm

  We bought a Malibu LS in 2004 and when it works it is great. We have gotten highway mileage anywhere from 35-38 mpg on several cross country trips, and it has nice acceleration when needed. We had to have the steering column replaced (under warranty) and the mechanic explained that this was a common design flaw in the 04 Malibu and that we were just fortunate that we werent doing anything dangerous when the power steering went out. Other than that and a few other maintenance (under warranty) issues, we like our Malibu and if we were in the market for another sedan we would get another Malibu (but our family is outgrowing sedans).

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  SPARK-A GOOD VALUE FOR THE MONEY - 2017 Chevrolet Spark
  By Don Eustace - December 30 - 5:54 am

  Four stars. Great gas mileage at 35 miles per gallon highway. Good value for the money.

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  Good cheap car - 2003 Chevrolet Cavalier
  By Matt - December 29 - 2:43 pm

  Bought this 03 Cavalier used, 125000km on it, it has 175,000 on it 2 years later. This car was my hero in bad times once I was finished school looking for a job. It is so cheap to maintain and repair. Somebody hit my car and ran, I bought a new bumper for 40 bucks from somebody and put it on. Nothing has gone wrong with this car, except a fuel pump, because all I could afford was to put 5 bucks of gas in it and ran it on the light the whole time (my own fault). You will dust standard Civics and Corollas in this thing, not any Japanese cars give you 155lb feet at mid range. Fuel economy is excellent. Car gets a bit rattly with age, but so does any car. Buy it!

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  Lower Intake Manifold Gasket - 2003 Chevrolet Impala
  By Dion - December 29 - 2:09 pm

  We bought this car new in November of 2002 as we needed a roomy family sedan and the Impala was the greatest value at that time. I never was a Chevy guy but with our financial situation at the time, the car was too good to ignore. It has the 3.4L motor. Later I found out that these motors have a design flaw which can cause major engine damage if not addressed right away. The repair cost for the lower intake is $850 but GM covered it as the car was under warranty. Boy in hindsight I should have questioned the oily slime under my fathers radiator cap in his Grand Am which also had the problem. But I didnt and he paid the $850. If it lasts to 200k miles, still a great deal and comfortable.

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  Best car ever! - 2003 Chevrolet TrailBlazer
  By mikeyy - December 29 - 1:27 am

  This car is the best. i can pass anyone out in it. lots of power. very comfy seats, feels like my couch at home. radio is awesome really loud and lots of bass. ac works great. engine noise is really quite around 1,000-2,000 rpm but once you get past 3,500 rpm the beast comes out. Just a great car

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  Good truck, but bad mechanically - 1998 Chevrolet S-10
  By 10tca01 - December 28 - 9:20 pm

  My S-10 is my first vehicle ever owned. I was very excited to get it, on accounts of I had heard S-10s were great. I bought it used with 39,000 miles on it, and yes, it was a 98. The first month I had it, the transmission went out. 39,000 miles! I was very frustrated, it was an expensive repair. Hoping it would be the last thing, I went on. But its just been one thing after another. The trans, the A/C, the water pump, and the shocks. I should have gotten rid of it after the trans, but kept it because I liked it. The truck looks great though, good design inside and out, and very little cosmetic problems. Good chassis and ride. I would buy another S-10, even with the problems I had.