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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  The best car will win - 2007 Chevrolet Silverado 1500
  By Mike - December 27 - 2:33 pm

  I remember why my last Chevy was in 1994 I didnt keep it very long. Traded it for a Nissan. Has not been back to the dealer, but I should have taken it though. The seat foam is showing on both sides sticking out the bottom. We only have about 23,000 miles on it and the tires will not even pass my next state inspection, and no!! its not my driving, I`m 58yrs old and do not drive like a teenager. The chrome on the rear bumpers is already rusting. There is a strange thumping or bumping sound when you take off or shifting gears. And I don`t like not having the option of buying the On-Star, which I pulled the fuse on because as soon as I turned it on, they began to try to sell me more.

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  Problems already - 2007 Chevrolet Malibu Maxx
  By Mike 123 - December 5 - 7:16 pm

  I purchased this car used from a dealership, with 32k miles on it. I also own a 2005 Malibu sedan. I immediately noticed a clunking sound coming from the steering column when turning the wheel at low speeds. This is a sound I also noticed in my 2005 Malibu. I took it back to the dealer and they had to lubricate the intermediate shaft in the steering column. The shades to the sunroof also broke, so they ordered new ones for me as well. The car is comfortable, rides well and has good acceleration with the 3.5 liter V6. I dont understand how some people here are getting 29 mpg however, because I am getting about 18 mpg in mostly city driving. Disappointing mileage.

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  never again - 2000 Chevrolet Blazer
  By jolter - December 4 - 10:00 am

  My second Blazer - First one went for 70m miles with just a brake job and tires - I thought ok lets do it again- Well Chevy must have shut down their Quality control the day this car was built!!! 4wd problems - brake problems- noises coming from every corner of the car. Gas gauges stopped working. 2m miles out of warranty both front wheel bearings gone -$1700 job- I told GM this is a leased vehical, you know where you can stick it! At least they were honorable enough to agree and pick up the tab - Will never buy a Chevy again!!!!!!!!!!!!

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  Get what you pay for - 2005 Chevrolet Equinox
  By Rush EIB - November 27 - 5:36 pm

  Bought the Equinox new in March 2004. We have had several mechanical & electrial issues since. Our Equinox gets about 16.5 MPG overall. We liked the design and the utility the Equinox offered. The interior materials are cheap. If we had to do it again, we would have purchased a Liberty or Vue, and lived with the smaller vehicle. We plan on trading the Equinox in due to reliabilty issues.

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  It is so-so - 2005 Chevrolet Equinox
  By chevgirl - November 15 - 4:53 am

  We bought the Equinox when they were hard to find. At first we loved it but then it started having problems. Within the first 2 months my front struts were replaced and now it is in the shop waiting for a part, which cannot be found right now. Also go for the leather the cloth is cheap. I do like the sunroof and we had a dvd put in and like that. My suggestion is wait for next years model so all the kinks can be worked out.

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  2003 Chevy Silverado Timebomb - 2001 Chevrolet Silverado 1500
  By Former Chevyman - November 9 - 10:00 am

  Camshaft and lifter failure at 71K! Pitted cam lobe evident once exposed along with a worn valve lifter. Was diligently maintained including oil changes, routine servicing, etc. Independent repair shop says defective parts were installed at manufacture. Took 70K miles to manifest itself hence the time bomb. GM says off warranty so no help or assistance possible with $4500 repair costs. Also a front shimmy since it was new has been troublesome and apparently is not fixable per Chevy, Les Schwab Tires, and independent repair shop. CD player failed at 45K miles, never bothered to repair. Third new Chevy truck I have owned and its definitely the last.

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  bad experiance - 2002 Chevrolet Monte Carlo
  By richard - November 4 - 2:00 am

  the monte carlo is a nice looking car, but I have encountered a great deal of trouble. The paint is defective, My hood had to be repainted three times for them to finaly replace it. my abs modulator has gone out. the car has been worked on three times for having a hard start, and the problem still exists. the dash has been repaired and/or replaced at least three times.

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  Nice ride, too many problems. - 2001 Chevrolet Silverado 3500
  By libertynh - October 31 - 9:50 am

  Transmission position sensor failed just out of warranty. Truck starting shutting off while driving at 40K. GM no help. Found online info re: bad crank position sensor and replaced to fix. Both problems known to happen on other trucks. Exhaust stud broke and flange warped. Tailgate latch rusted inside gate and does not catch. Transmission slipping after stop and go. Toyota went 3 times as far with no problems.

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  Cobalt coupe LS 5speed 2006 is just OK - 2006 Chevrolet Cobalt
  By john - October 31 - 2:40 am

  This is a good handling car, with a great ride and somewhat quiet, good looks and good value, huge trunk but small opening. I am everaging 32 MPG and very happy with that. No arm rest on 5spd tranny models, cup holders are too shallow drink tends to tip over in turns, interior is very attractive but extremely cheaply made, the door fabric is pulling away from under the door closing pull cup, American cars depreciate faster than Japaneese cars by a large margin. I am "buried". If you want one buy a used one, its a decent car

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  Typical GM - 2014 Chevrolet Impala
  By Michael Jock - October 29 - 2:41 am

  This car has hesitated for a long time and the dealer will do nothing to fix it because it does not set off a warning light. It will cost me big money to get into it so I will just stumble along until I trade it in for a Honda or Toyota. The tires were bald at 33k miles. I looked up the stock tires on Tirerack and they are ranked near the bottom. Sometimes the Bose head unit will go blank and freeze for 10 minutes or so. No idea why. This car is typical GM, they Almost get it right......