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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  Beware! - 2000 Chevrolet Blazer
  By jake118 - November 17 - 1:19 pm

  These cars are great to use as stunt vehicles to be driven off a cliff and explode on impact. If there was a trophy for the junkiest cars on the market, these would be among the top competitors. I have owned 3 GM vehicles, and after going through numerous adventures I can honestly say that GM builds their cars specifically to break down in various places over and over again, so the owner would be obliged to have it fixed repeatedly. This probably keeps the gm business somewhat afloat through the money invested into parts and labor. for anyone who wants to avoid headaches and frustration, buy Japanese cars that have proven themselves Reliable, Efficient, and Long-lasting,you will be happier

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  P Poor car - 2007 Chevrolet Impala
  By davidnc1 - November 16 - 10:25 am

  Bought the car with 4k miles in 2008. Rear tires gone at 11000 miles. Had no heat at idle. Dealer replaced 1st set of head gaskets at 14000. Got 2nd set at 46000. Ran hot at 55000 miles on the interstate. Intake gasket leaking. Transmission has a hesitation when cold. Then bangs into gear and sometimes chirps the tires. Transmission slips after extended idle. 2 dealerships cant find problem. Many minor problems with interior and exterior. I was a GM technician for many years and have always had a Chevy in the driveway. This is the last one. Impalas are NOT American made. Made in Canada.

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  If you are considering buying this, DONT. - 2008 Chevrolet Cobalt
  By henniferx3 - November 14 - 7:21 pm

  Complete waste of money.So bad I probably wont buy a chevy EVER again. I bought my 08 cobalt at the end of 08, it had 29000 miles on it, bought it for $9300..the carfax said it was in the shop for minor electrical problems, and I had just figured they were all gone because it got fixed. WRONG. About 2 months after owning this car, my power steering went out. Next, my ignition and gear shifter. Then one day when I was driving the locks started locking and unlocking very fast and since then all the buttons including for the windows quit working. Not to mention I have ONE speaker out of 6 that works now. Theres just too much to type. Battery dies for NO reason..All electrical problems.

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  falling apart shortly after I bought it and continue to - 2005 Chevrolet Cavalier
  By jazzy1998 - November 7 - 10:08 pm

  I bought 2005 Chevy Cavalier sedan in fall 2005. Problems started with the drivers seat handle breaking off then the seat would flop back while driving. Chevys customer service suggested replacing the whole seat. The catalic converter died (was under warranty) an ion sensor went bad. The seats are uncomfortable you can feel anyones foot movement near the seat .The dash rattles. The glove compartment handle broke, drivers visor flops, had to replace drivers power window motor and switch this year. Now it wont start not sure whats wrong now. All this on a 5 year old car. Piece of junk.

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  Do not like my new Traverse - 2011 Chevrolet Traverse
  By ldewar - November 5 - 1:07 pm

  I have had 3 GM mini vans before this vehicle and loved each of them. I wanted to buy another mini van, but GM stopped makeing them. I reluctantly bought this vehicle as it has only a few inches shorter wheelbase. I do not like the look of the exterior, the console takes up a lot of space--no longer can the passenger get up and move to the back while traveling. I find the seat design very uncomfortable and my back is in pain constantly and it rides a lot rougher than my mini vans did. The interior is smaller, etc. I do not like the large wheels and I get lousy gas mileage (19 mpg Hwy). My mini vans would get up to 26 mpg. Wish I hadnt bought it! It is peppy on the highway.

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  Avoid GM Trash Talk - 2009 Chevrolet TrailBlazer
  By silencedogoode - November 5 - 11:49 am

  This Trailblazer was the worst road commode I have ever owned. The quality at GM sucks. At 5k mi the trans. slipped. At 8k mi the heater core plugged, and 10k,,,heater core again. Dexcool was eating the seals. At 13k mi, the engine suddenly locked up, after a tow, the dealer told me the eng. was blown. GM at first would not honor the warranty,,,no surprise with Obama at the helm. Squeaks, rattles, loose, and cheap plastic trim, everywhere you look, I was disgusted. I drove this mechanical [violative content deleted] to a Subaru dealer, and bought an 09 Outback LL Bean. Wow! What a difference.

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  poor mileage and runs poorly - 2011 Chevrolet Equinox
  By robgrv - November 2 - 10:01 pm

  The car ran great when new, now has 4500 miles on it and it starts to shake/missing when it lugs down in gear. Dealer said nothing was wrong so taking it to another dealer. This morning it made a grinding noise when I started it. Junk

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  extremely dissapointed - 2008 Chevrolet Aveo
  By annie53 - November 2 - 8:33 pm

  This was my first brand new car. I was so excited, since my husband bought a 2004 Aveo and was getting a solid 40 mpg. Then, I bought my 2008. From the first week when I wound up with the new tire gauge light lit up. "Really, couldnt they have checked the tires before I picked it up?!?!?" Constant issues with the tire light. Too cold in the morning, lites up, too warm in the afternoon, lites up, and several trips to the dealer when they say nothing is wrong. No matter what I or my husband drove could not get more than 24 mpg in it. Again the dealer said nothing was wrong with it. First set of tires (in both Aveos) needed before 6000 miles. GM put the cheapest garbage they could.

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  Will never own another chevorlet car.... - 2010 Chevrolet Impala
  By shadowslake - October 24 - 12:16 pm

  2010 LS Impala. Had the car from new. It has 43k miles on it. The vent in the AC that switches from hot to cold has been replaced twice in a year. The inlinement is expensive adding $100 to the cost because of design. The transmition died last week (warenty) but still.... 43k miles... really? The gass millage sucks too.

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  Dont do it - Dont buy this vehicle - - 2010 Chevrolet Equinox
  By massrambler - October 22 - 4:28 am

  My transmission broke with 35600 miles. The cluch seemed to slip between the engine and the transmission causing the rpms to go to over 7,000. The car has been in the shop for 15 days and the mechanics do not have a clue as to what to do. I should have realized how terrible a purchse this was when I felt how underpowered that car is. After all you have a 2.4 liter 4 cylinder enging trying to haul around a 5,000 pound lump of metal. I got 300,000 miles with my old Jeep Cherokee and I have only gotten 35,600 miles on this thing before it broke down. This was a very unwise financial decision to get this Equinox.