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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  06 Impala SS - 2006 Chevrolet Impala
  By eeterson - February 19 - 11:49 am

  Bought this car used with 60,000 miles. I ignored the fact I test drove it with check engine light and warning lights. Wanted this great looking big engine fueled car. Used car dealer turned the car over with all issues "fixed." Light came back on, transmission needed to be rebuilt. Dealer fixed that, had to fix trunk release issue. Power door locks stopped working. Sensors were going through the six months I had this car. Lots of little annoying things. Unreliable car but FUN TO DRIVE. Loved the power. And for all its flaws it was safe. I ended up rolling this thing pretty badly, totaled the car. Walked away uninjured.

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  Mixed feelings... - 2006 Chevrolet Cobalt
  By 823freckles - February 17 - 12:34 am

  I got my cobalt in 2009 with 17000 miles on it. I was constantly having problems with it-interior quality is awkward and shoddy, I failed an emissions test shortly after buying it, and some other problems I honestly cant remember, except they were costly. I also hated that it seemed to turn way too widely, at least for me-handling was awkward. I would have rated it lower, but as I just totaled it and walked away sans injuries, Im giving it a slightly higher rating. But I think there are cars just as safe, but more enjoyable to drive out there.

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  LS Cruze is a big disappointment! - 2012 Chevrolet Cruze
  By smokum210 - February 14 - 11:01 am

  I bought my 2012 Chevy Cruze LS a couple of months ago. The transmission in this car is terrible it lurches from 3rd to 4th bad. The gas mileage is not what they advertise. I only average just over 25 combined miles per gallon. The back seat is to small for my teenage kids. If you are used to a car with more get up and go get the cruze with the turbo.

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  Dont buy a 2004 cavalier RUN!!!! - 2004 Chevrolet Cavalier
  By hatecavalier04 - February 13 - 12:27 pm

  I love my cavalier.......when it is running! dont ever buy one I bought it with 65,000 miles on it and it has been worked on more than I have driven it. I take very good care of my cars but with this one it doesnt matter. It is cheaply made everywhere you look.it had an electrical problem which I spent a fortune to fix, probably way more than the car is worth. My cd player, radio and interior lights do not work still. If I try to put a fuse in it it just sparks...Im sure there is a short some where but im not putting any more money in this car. I have replaced the alternator multiple times with brand new ones. It dry starts, gauges dont work, replaced timing chain kit, etc. on and on

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  Worst car Ive ever had!!! - 1999 Chevrolet Blazer
  By nwiley - February 10 - 12:42 am

  Bought it used from original owner only had 97,698 miles on it I thought ohh what a good deal low miles He had service records and had even had proof it had just had a tune up.It sounded good drove good until the next day the transfer case wouldnt disengage so it was roaring from the bottom. Door hinges would always loosen up had those tighten I dont know how many times. Always had ball joint problems. Then out of nowhere all kinds of fuses started to blow mostly the power door locks. A/C went out .Check engine light came on always of course with no code. Fuel gauge never worked correctly. Radiator replaced.Always serviced it Tranny went out anyway at 114,000 miles after that sold it.

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  dont buy this car unless you enjoy head aches - 2005 Chevrolet Impala
  By jackie55 - February 3 - 9:22 pm

  I bought this car 3 years ago in hopes i would have a good car I drove out of the dealer and the car was pulling to the right bad. I took it back a couple days later to have them tell me it was something called torque steer. It turned out to be a wheel bearing. I replaced it on my own the dealer didnt pay for it and dont you know that torque steer was no longer there. I replace wheel bearings every 6mo. About 4 months later my radio started making crazy noises even when the car was off and all doors were closed. The radio stopped working all together a short time later. Then i noticed puddles of water on the floor in the back seat dont have a clue where its coming from. My dash goes crazy

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  "You get what you pay for" - 2005 Chevrolet Aveo
  By denisenjeff1 - February 2 - 3:01 pm

  I bought my 2005 Aveo LS new...very good value, its always been reliable, have had no repairs to speak of that I have made, just routine maintenance such as oil change, or other wearable items such as tires/brakes. The car was cheap, at the time I believe it was the least expensive car in the market. Well the car is also cheap, no frills bells or whistles came with it other then AC, shortly after owning it, the horn and the clock stopped working, those were the only "extras" that were on it, hey I still have radio, but dont try to turn up the volume, our speaker blew, so two work now. Yep cheap car, cheap price. You get what you pay for. But it has still gotten me from a-b!

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  Frustrated with GM - 2010 Chevrolet Equinox
  By catosmama - January 18 - 8:59 am

  I bought my 2010 equinox brand new two years ago November. At exactly the two year anniversary, the windshield wiper blades gave way - and they are expensive to replace. One month later, the check engine light came in. Took it in for repair. Then, it started shuddering for 30 seconds after you have shut it off and removed the key every single time you drive it. Then the stabilitrak light came on and off for no reason. One month after it was at the dealer, the check engine light is back on! Now I have to take it back to the dealer. It still looks great. It still is fun to drive. But I am not convinced that it is a quality, reliable vehicle. After owning four GMs, I am thinking of Ford next.

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  Horrible Car-Asking for a Refund - 2012 Chevrolet Sonic
  By cheyenneh - January 10 - 4:27 am

  My husband and I bought our 2012 Sonic Dec. 10th after weeks of car shopping. The car spun a bearing 15 days later (on Christmas Day) and was completely undriveable. Our local dealership, which has been very helpful throughout this whole ordeal, tried to get GM to replace the car. GM refused and told the dealership to just rebuild the defective engine. The dealership refused, and GM agreed to replace the engine-not the car, just the engine. The dealership installed the new engine, but the discovered while test driving it that the cam shaft sensor was bad in the new engine. It has been over 2 weeks, and there are still issues with the car. GM customer service is VERY unhelpful and dishonest.

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  2009 Traverse - 2009 Chevrolet Traverse
  By tigger68 - January 8 - 8:41 pm

  We bought our traverse in June 2009 and I had one problem with a computer about a year ago. Then October 2011 came around and our check engine light came on. It was something I dont remember. We took it to the dealer and it was the timing chain and it had been recalled. They had the car for 10 days. Then we had the car back one day and I was driving home from work and it started smoking. We attempted to drive to dealer and did not make it. A transmission clamp broke. they fixed it and then we got it back. We had it back in 4 days. The fixed and have had some hesitation and now transmission module is out? Now back we go again! Dealer has been working with us at least!