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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  Stupid Design Decisions - 2017 Chevrolet Cruze
  By Paul Mathis - February 13 - 7:01 pm

  Ls version has no rearseat cup holders which should be standard...ridiculous. Its also suboptimal to have a back up camera but no xm radio..should at least be a option...and no driver side vanity light on mirror...really...I mean really.

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  Enough, Im ready to trade for Tundra - 2005 Chevrolet Silverado 1500
  By fish_a_lot - February 11 - 5:13 am

  I too experienced the rattly loose steering shaft. Truck developed the drive line clunk at 5000 miles. Repeat fixes helped but not solved the problem. Lately the drive axle had to be replaced. This breakdown occured while towing my boat. The Tow Mode switch also died on its own. All work was covered by warranty. Im scared what will happen after the warranty expires with 5000 miles left to go. To that end, Im trading it in for a new 2007 Tundra. First new vehicle bought, last Chevy I will buy.

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  Apparently not for New England area - 2014 Chevrolet Corvette Stingray
  By mainemic - January 27 - 11:53 am

  I have had my new Corvette for about a month and the negative features overshadow the thumbs up I get from lots of folks. The biggest gripe is this so called fuel saving feature. If while cruising along I have to back off the gas, slow down and reapply, the transmission stays in high gear and I can feel the car jerking to get up a hill. No engine lights have come on. This is my 4th Corvette and now I am wishing I had of gotten the standard transmission.

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  Versitle Car - 2004 Chevrolet Malibu Maxx
  By dec1010 - January 25 - 11:53 am

  Change the seats and the steering and this would be an awesome and versitle family car. The drivers seat is very uncomfortable, and I have had four major steering repairs. The flexibility, leg room, and adaptability are the best Ive seen on a car in a long time. I average 28 mpg overall in a large car with a 200 HP V6, which makes a family car economical and powerful enough to satisfy most people.

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  uncomfortable seats - 2004 Chevrolet Malibu
  By Tony P - January 22 - 2:00 am

  driver seat(material) digs into lower back at seam very hard to drive in city let alone highway. If I had to order car again I would check what other seats are available.Chev is trying to alter my seat if possible to make things right.Test driving car without a winter coat on is my recommendation

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  Will it hold up? - 2005 Chevrolet Equinox
  By Farfel - January 17 - 10:00 am

  Overall, a good experience, but wonder about build quality. Have purchased mostly foreign cars (Toyota, Honda) and wanted to go American this time. If they let me down, itll be my last. I know repairs have been a big part of the American auto profit picture, but who wants to hastle with that?

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  X - 2012 Chevrolet Traverse
  By charles decker - January 14 - 2:29 pm

  Best value for a big SUV.

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  Great Looking, but Poor Reliability - 2005 Chevrolet Equinox
  By Tim - January 4 - 5:10 am

  My wife and I both purchased one of these in Sept. 2004. My wifes started having a thumping, grinding, vibrating noise from the rear when she would make a turn. This is quite common in many different reviews online, something in the rear differential seems to be the culprit, not to mention the brake rotors warping. Should you need to stop, leave plenty of room as they shake, vibrate, and fade. We traded one for a Certified 05 Tahoe that we paid $27K for. Great deal since a new Nox is $24K. MPG not much different either. Tahoe display shows 16.2 MPG w/ 5.3 V8. I tracked mileage per tank vs. actual file up with the Nox for the first 10K miles and only got 17MPG.

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  Chevy Silverado - 2001 Chevrolet Silverado 1500
  By AK#18 - January 3 - 2:00 am

  The vehicle has stranded me three times in less than two years and was about to fail another time. It has been the same problem with the distributer rotor getting corroded each time. The first time it failed, the GM repair shop burned out the starter motor thinking that it was just low on gas. Then they claimed that I had been driving through deep water. At another GM repair shop, the next two times it was blaimed on the AC dripping on the distributor rotor and the final time was due to it being somewhat rainy. So apparently the Silverado is like a rock as long as it is not too warm or rainy.

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  Worst purchase Ive ever made - 2003 Chevrolet TrailBlazer
  By Toothfixer88 - December 29 - 10:00 am

  Its been nothing but problems. The air conditioner didnt work, the transmission went out due to "small metal shavings present from manufacturing" and metal fragments were on the "other side of the filter". This left us stranded in an intersection, and were almost struck by an oncoming car. They fixed it and it worked for about 2 miles, then the same thing...then they put a new "throttle body" in it. Then the windshield wipers went out in a downpour the three days after getting it back. Now the air conditioner still doesnt get cold and it jerks in and out of 2nd gear.