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:

• 

  Mid-80s GM Crap Carry-Over - 1992 Chevrolet Beretta
  By VonBounden - September 6 - 2:00 am

  Every little plastic nob came off in my hand or broke completely. The e- brake came off the shaft once as it was only held on by a single little screw. The shocks were so soft and the suspension so undersprung, you could drive it around a corner at 20mph and the fuel pump couldnt get enough gas to keep the engine running because it leaned so heavily. It had the GM-Paint Disease, where the EPA mandated paint wasnt properly matched to the primer and began to wash off. This is a rust-free car, mind you. Horribly underpowered breaks. Paper- plate speakers produce a lovely timberless sound quality that can turn even your favorite song into dreadful noise.

• 

  I wouldnt buy one if I were you. - 1995 Chevrolet Blazer
  By Never buy one - September 4 - 2:00 am

  The Blazer has cost twice as much to fix it as we paid for it. 2 motors, 1 tranny, AC compressor, catalytic converter, O2 sensor, water pump, ball joints, radiator, various electrical faults and much much more. It needs constant attention every time you fix something it breaks somewhere else. To make it worse the trim shakes rattles and squeaks over every bump.

• 

  Dont Ever Think About Buying One - 1995 Chevrolet Blazer
  By Big Bad Bob - September 2 - 2:00 am

  Ive reploaced the engine twice plus 1 transmission, 1 AC compressor, 1 rad, 1 water pump, ball joints, 1 catalytic converter, o2 sensor. Now all I need to fix is the brakes the funny clonking noise the interior rattle and the noisy fuel pump and it should be OK! I cant believe GM ever thought it was acceptable to sell it.

• 

  dont make the same mistake I did! - 2003 Chevrolet Tahoe
  By cokbiter - August 13 - 10:00 am

  On the 6th day of ownership of my tahoe..the compresser to the a/c locked up. And the exact part that caused the problem was not cover under chevys "bumper to bumper" warranty, so i had to shell out $296 to fix the air! On the day I was suppost to pick it up the dealership called me in the morning and said it was ready. So I had my boss drop me off at the dealer. The mechanic blew the compresser at 10am and no one had contacted me to give me the heads up on keeping my rental! Can you belive that with simular equipment as the tahoe, the sequoia with the same milage has about $8000.00 more resale value over one year!

• 

  What a Farse - 1998 Chevrolet Astro
  By Astrotrash - August 13 - 2:00 am

  This van has been lousy since the get go. At 16,000 miles, it died on the freeway. The catalytic converter, oxygen sensor and fuel pump needed replacing. It has broken down numerous times. The fuel pump has been replaced twice, rear AC twice and on and on and on. The cabin had an unlocated water leak which caused the carpet and padding to saturate and produce mold. GM Customer relations had to be brought in to mediate. After paying for new padding and having it happen again, we finally just removed it and put it back in place when we traded the ridiculous thing in. It rides like a mattress suspended on beach balls. First and LAST GM experience.

• 

  Poor Chevy - 2003 Chevrolet Corvette
  By Hello_786 - July 26 - 2:00 am

  It looks kind of cool but i dont like it nomore because every week i have to get it fixed.

• 

  DONT BUY CHEVROLET - 2003 Chevrolet Venture
  By JETAMIS - July 25 - 2:00 am

  tHE POOREST FIT AND FISISH I HAVE EVER SEEN ON AN AUTOMOBILE. POOR BRAKES...HAD TO BE REPLACED AT 12000 MILES, POOR ENGINE IDLE...YOU NAME IT THIS CAR HAS A PROBLEM WITH IT. THE DEALERSHIP CAN NOT/WILL NOT REPAIR THE PROBLEM WITH ENGINE IDLE.

• 

  I will never buy another Tracker - 2003 Chevrolet Tracker
  By Marilyn F. Young - July 24 - 2:00 am

  I have problems with the brakes. Eight times my brake were replaced. I took the car off the lot, a week later, leaking power steering fluid. The car is terrible.

• 

  Buy a Silverado instead - 2015 Chevrolet Colorado
  By Junior K - July 22 - 9:54 am

  I traded my 2014 Silverado for the 2015 Colorado based on the size. I had broken my ankle and it was a little more difficult to get into the Silverado because of its height so I buckled down and bought the Colorado with a Crew Cab. Beautiful looking truck that seemed to ride nice on the Test Drive. The next day I had this weird feeling that I shouldnt have traded, but I really didnt know why. My first trip to my dads house which is an hour and a half from me on hills and winding turns, it handled really great but it wasnt shifting right. The dealer didnt know why at first but was willing to try to find out why. I was going to try to keep it awhile to get it paid down but then several recalls later and many visits to the dealership, it just cost me money. The dealership was 30 minutes away so even with the warrantys I still spent a lot in gas going back and forth from the dealership. The gas Mileage wasnt as good as it should have been compared to the Silverado. I got almost the same gas mileage. I was missing my Silverado more and more every day. I was leaving my job one day after a hard days work and I threw the truck in Reverse to back out of my spot and then I went into drive and thats when the Gearshift just fell off, I mean completely off. I had no gears but that, so I had to go straight to the dealership, I couldnt back up or anything. They fixed it and gave me a car to drive, and then later I had to have my dash and cameras replaced. The shifting seem to get worse the longer I had it and then it started using oil. The oil was 2 quarts low at time of change. The straw that broke the camels back was the AC. It worked great but the line that goes from the AC Pump to the vents was corroded and ended up causing mold to form behind the dash which smelled so bad that I almost vomited the day I decided enough is enough. I have always been a Chevy fan and I still am but I have not had a good experience with this truck. I went out on June 30th and traded it in for a 2017 Silverado. I must say that I believe Im going to be happy again. I didnt have that feeling the next day like I did with the Colorado. I didnt know why I had that feeling but I think there was something to it. Would I recommend this truck?...If you want a smaller truck that looks good and has a good stereo then yes I would, but if you want quite in the cab as well as smooth shifting and more comfort and reliability, then no I would not. The only thing about this truck I liked was the Color and the Bose Sound System. That is it.

• 

  Biggest mistake of my life - 2000 Chevrolet Blazer
  By Blazer Hater - July 9 - 2:00 am

  This 2000 Blazer has been nothing but a headache. I dont have a tow package and most miles are highway. I dont ride it hard or off road, HOWEVER, by 60000 miles the transmission blew, the hub assembly had to be replaced and every little thing inside has fallen apart or off (ie the seat adjuster). Its been nothing but a money pit. I cant get ANYBODY to buy it and the dealerships almost laugh when I drive in asking about a trade. Big time money sucker. Dont ever buy one or any other GM vehicle. Im going back to a Honda. Forget this domestic crap.