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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  Vibrations - 2014 Chevrolet Silverado 1500
  By taps929 - August 8 - 8:46 am

  Highway vibrations pretty bad - been to the dealer 7 times and counting - dealer, techs and reps claim they feel nothing, what I feel is normal for these trucks, yet keep throwing thousands of dollars worth of parts and man hours at it - new shaft - shimmed rear end for shaft angle - tires - going on my 3rd exhaust for whistle/screech noise when coming out of v4 - rental cars fees- field rep came out last time and said he felt nothing yet ordered new shocks all the way around - (if its fine why do they keep fixing nothing??) pinion whine is terrible - radio bad - exhaust drone in v4 @ 40 and 50 mph deafening - all new..... shoulda waited a year or two till they ironed out issues

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  I never thought to check during test drive - 2016 Chevrolet Equinox
  By EJM - August 7 - 8:07 pm

  Where is the CD player?

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  Mediocre sedan - 2008 Chevrolet Impala
  By Jeff B. - August 4 - 5:16 am

  If you never drove a Honda Accord, Mazda 6, Camry, or Nissan Altima, the Impala might seem like a great car. However, having driven this car for a few months now, I find it excels in only one area -- gas mileage. I get about 28 mpg average, which is great for a large 6 cyl car. Everything else about the Impala seems crude & under- developed. Its already been in the shop twice for a faulty steering part & brake rotor resurfacing (at 15,000 miles). Acceleration is rough & uneven, handling is awful, and seats are poorly designed. This is not the car that will save GM from bankruptcy.

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  Piston knock - 2002 Chevrolet Silverado 2500HD
  By BC in Arkansas - August 3 - 10:00 am

  Engine knock. The dealer told me it was a lifter and that is normal to knock after start up. I took it in a few weeks ago about the start up knock again. This time I was given a bulletin from Chevrolet stating that they are experiencing this in several engine sizes. It is a piston slapping the cylinder that is causing the knock. Chevrolet says it is harmless and they are not going to do anything about it at this time. Ive been told they are issuing 100,000 mi. warranties to those who continue to complain. This truck is cheap compared to my 1994 Chevy 1500 I had. This is my last Chevy PU.

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  My little calvalier - 1999 Chevrolet Cavalier
  By Sirjames - July 29 - 10:38 pm

  Its not a Cadillac it was not made to be. It was intended to be cheap, reliable, transportation I bought mine in 06 and its a 99 and I still own it now in 2016. I paid 2,200 dollars for it and it had 80,000 miles on it. Now it has 200,000 miles on it. Change the oil regularly and your maintenance. Things I have replaced a starter, alternator and normal wear and tear. And parts are cheap because its American. Also its the 2.2l I-4 automatic my daily driver but not my only vehicle. But I think if you take care of your car it will last in my opinion.

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  Vibrating transmission - 2014 Chevrolet Silverado 1500
  By George - July 26 - 12:12 pm

  This truck started out with a shifting vibration at different shifting points. Brought to dealer and told it was learning how I drive. This with a load clonking sound when in reverse also told that was a coupling and nothing to do about. Now at 27K and truck is noisier than ever,told dealer truck has A.D.D. Would not buy another GM

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  For Mechanics Only - 2001 Chevrolet Monte Carlo
  By Slim - July 24 - 8:33 am

  This car requires constant maintenance. If youre not a mechanic, Id get something else. The head gasket went at 85000 miles and cost just under a grand to fix. Tie rods, hazard switch, locks, etc, etc, etc. It cant go but three weeks before something else falls apart.

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  WORTHLESS - 2001 Chevrolet Impala
  By jferri6 - July 21 - 2:00 am

  I have been intimately involved with automobiles for over 20 years and have never owned a vehicle that was as worthless as this one. it is my experience that there is 20%markup in ANY vehicle and over the first year it depreciates 20% so with this in mind my $25000 impala can be bought for 20K and would be worth approx 16k after the first year, well what a surprise it was to me to learn that this vehicle was only worth 12 grand at best after only the first year????? please dont be a fool like me , save your misery , or steal it.

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  Not a bad SUV...Not a great SUV - 2017 Chevrolet Trax
  By C. Beck - July 8 - 8:17 am

  I love the size of the 2017 Chevy Trax and some pretty nice features with OnStar. The seats are a bit small, especially if youre a bigger person, and this also makes the arm rest hard to use. It has two USB ports in the front, which is nice, but the space its in is pretty small so your phone or accessory might not fit and will have to find another solution. Im a single guy and dont need much space as a vehicle goes, so this is perfect, but if you have a larger family or like to haul lots of items around this is not the SUV for you. The windshield wipers that came with the Trax were horrible so I have to change those out right away. I purchased this SUV in February 2017 (so just a few months ago) and already Ive had to take it in for repairs. The two plastic molding strips on the roof started to come off (going down the highway with those flapping around isnt fun), the pins in the back to raise/lower the cargo cover went missing, the breaks in the cold/early morning hours are very sensitive at first. The other thing to note is the cabin pressure when closing the back passenger doors. If the front door/doors or a window is open, the back doors will close with ease...but should all the doors and windows be closed, if you open the back doors and close it, you will need to slam the door hard in order for it to close all the way. I was first told that it was because the doors didnt fit right, then I was told it was because of the cabin pressure and there is no way of fixing that issue, so you will have to learn to slam the door hard to get it closed. Bluetooth is iffy! I have an iPhone 7 and it always connects/reconnects my iPhone while in the car. I’m not sure why it doesn’t hole a Bluetooth connection.

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  Stupid ! Move - 2016 Chevrolet Impala
  By Gene C. - July 6 - 9:16 am

  Shop around other makes. Didnt come equip,with auto start,rear view camera, and safety warning systems that other cars are coming out with. So shop for better safety features, that are available on other brands. General Motors, has become very tight on giving customers a complete package. You have purchase all the items at extra cost to you. So make sure you take the time to look carefully at what your buying. This car doesnt keep its value. It drops almost five thousand dollars when you leave the dealership. I just checked it out on the car dealers site, and Im very disappointed with this purchase I made, I feel stupid. Be careful not to be rushed by the car salesman,if they do it to you. Then say thank you for your time and leave. Never go too late at night,because you will be rushed. GOOD luck.