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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  I hate this SUV - 1999 Chevrolet Blazer
  By jenski - August 4 - 2:00 am

  I cannot tell you how much money I have spent in the 2 1/2 years that I have owned this vehicle. I have been through at least 6 sets of breaks/bearings and rotars. The motor blew up and the 4 wheel drive has not worked properly since that time. I cannot stress enough, do not buy a Blazer!!!

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  Lemon - 2001 Chevrolet Impala
  By Jh1969 - July 2 - 2:00 am

  My 2001 impala has given me nothing but trouble. Thank god for extended warranties. Too many problems to list

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  Garbage - 2011 Chevrolet Impala
  By Me - June 30 - 7:34 pm

  Youll be getting rotors every 6 months. Definitely not designed for a hilly state. This big cars has 190 horsepower. Thats a joke. Transmission went out at 45k but it was under warranty. Thats my selling point. Its in excellent condition with a new transmission. This car is for senior citizens.

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  A Terrible Vehicle - 1997 Chevrolet Blazer
  By golfgod550 - June 7 - 2:00 am

  Worst vehicle I have ever owned...I have put six batteries and three alternators in the truck and yet GM says there is no electrical problems with these trucks. The brakes failed and I ran into a sidewalk. The push- button 4WD had to be replaced. The heating system had to be fixed and now the AC does not get cold, despite a recent coolent recharging. Oh, and there have been countless recalls on top of these expensive repairs. This the last GM product I will ever own.

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  This Car is awful! - 1999 Chevrolet Cavalier
  By CavalierHater - June 2 - 2:00 am

  Ive had this cavalier for 2 years now and I just cant get it out of the shop. Besides it being ugly and small, the car has had bad brakes, bad spark plugs put in, very bad gas milage, engine mount problems, alignment problems, bad computer system, oil leaks, cracked air seals, not to mentino all the other problems ive fixed. DONT EVER BUYY A CAVALIER, EVER!!

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  WORST CAR I EVER OWNED - 1997 Chevrolet Blazer
  By Brian Selepack - April 27 - 2:00 am

  NOTHING BUT TROUBLE!! I HAVE TO TAKE IT TO THE SHOP AT LEAST ONCE A MONTH. BUY SOMETHING ELSE..

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  Cavalier is Junk!!! - 2002 Chevrolet Cavalier
  By marks - April 17 - 2:00 am

  Bought a 2002 Cavalier coupe. Car stalled at 60mph on second day with 75 mile on car and would not start. Called Dealer from cell phone on side of road. Dealer was rude. Car at Dealer for 1 week, fixed car and now the same problem. Bought car 3 weeks ago and drove it 3 days... Need to see a lawyer and get my money back...

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  Horrible - 2004 Chevrolet Venture
  By brandil1973@aol.com - March 30 - 2:00 am

  This van has been one problem after another & I will never buy a CHEVY vehicle again. The company (based on three dealerships)has the worst customer service imagineable. The body integrity of this van is terrible. We have had problems with the doors, headliner and outside trim. It has had electrical problems. We have taken it back to Chevy numerous times and the work is terrible, even when the general manager promises that he will personally "take care of it." All I know is that I do not want this van 1 minute after the warranty runs out.

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  I will never buy another Chevy Silverado - 2017 Chevrolet Silverado 1500
  By Doug Rockwell - March 26 - 11:27 am

  Google Chevy Silverado Vibrations before buying this truck. Vibrations and other problems that have been going on since 2014 are still not fixed in 2017 model. Dealerships and GM will not stand behind the warranty on the Silverado. After three visits for same problem dealership refused to work on truck anymore. Had to get GM involved and that was a waste of time. Looks like it is time to get a Lemon Lawyer and sue GM. Do not buy the Chevy Silverado there is a reason that Ford F150 is truck of the year again and out sold Silverado by hundreds of thousands of trucks.

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  Poor Engineering and Build Quality!!! - 1998 Chevrolet Blazer
  By NOMORECHEVYS - March 18 - 2:00 am

  Horrific ride but the worst thing is its POOR OVERALL QUALITY! Things that shouldnt leak @ 50K do oil lines, front differential etc... And worse yet, stuff that shouldnt "ever" break (even if its sitting in a junkyard), does door handles, seat adjustment knobs & levers. Not to mention, all the ball joints needing replacement before 50K. In fact, Im surprised the engineers that designed this piece of CRAP can sleep at night. No wait, its the Japanese who intentionally build in quality, right? I should have expected this from GM--needless to say, I sold mine and will be reading and believing these reviews "before" buying my next vehicle.