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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  Transmission issue & More - 2013 Chevrolet Cruze
  By Brittany Vallejo - March 7 - 6:23 am

  I bought my car brand new in May 2013. Within a couple of months I was experiencing the car lunging forward while at a stop, loss of power, and loss of acceleration. MPG has also been significantly impacted. I was originally getting 36-42 mpg highway, and now get 28-30mpg. I took the car in several times and had ALL recalls performed on the vehicle, including the transmission part. "Fixing" the transmission made it worse, to the point where when driving it would feel as if we were constantly being rear-ended, hard. Final in Oct/Nov 2015 ( I cant recall now), GM agreed to totally replace the transmission with a new one (not used). Guess what, this didnt solve the issue and Im to the point where I physically can no longer drive the car due to the pain caused by the constant surging and jerking the car makes. Getting rid of the car is not an option since the Cruze has flooded the resale market (thanks to Cruzes being rental cars), as my car is approx. $5-6k under water. I contacted Chevrolet directly to resolve the matter and they advised me that they are unable to help, and to work directly with the Dealership. The Dealership cant fix it, so now Im stuck paying for a car that cant be driven.

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  Dont buy this crap!! - 2011 Chevrolet Equinox
  By Peeded off - March 6 - 5:06 pm

  2011 bought new..4 motors!! The factory and 3 used motors!! Fuel economy inaccurate as well!

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  Worst Chevy Ever Owned - 1995 Chevrolet Blazer
  By Ken Harper - February 15 - 2:00 am

  Im on my-no less than-5th EGR valve! And 4 or 5 other problems related to carbon build-up. Talks with GM determined that they just dont care that they produced a lemon. They extended warr on egr to 75,000 miles, but wont solve the cause of the problem. Bought new and babied. Wish some good lawyer would file suit against Chevy and GM. re:EGR problem!!!

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  Buyer Beware - 2002 Chevrolet Blazer
  By Dave30327 - February 1 - 2:00 am

  Please spare yourself the headache by not buying this piece of junk. Mine was in the shop six times in six months and the last couple of times was because they had to replace the gas tank because it was cracked. The dealer and Chevrolet could not have been more disinterested in my problems. I asked both what if this happened and the car blew up, they said did not deal in What ifs! It was so bad that I traded and lost a bundle just six months after I purchased it because I was so scared of it.

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  Run or pull out your wallet!!! - 2009 Chevrolet Silverado 1500
  By N. Peterson - January 23 - 4:43 am

  Bought this truck with less than 100k on it. Started this loud chirping almost immediately. Two mechanics that I trust looked at it and both recommended new engines. Apparently Chevy had major design flaws on this engine and did nothing more than issue a service bulletin. Ive heard people anywhere from 20,000 miles and up having to swap these engines! Totally unacceptable. After a life with Chevy, were finally going to make the switch to another company...

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  Junk! - 1997 Chevrolet Tahoe
  By POD in Houston - January 7 - 2:00 am

  Anyone buying a Tahoe needs their head examined! What a piece of pricy JUNK!!!! After spending over $7 Grand in the last two-1/2 years on repairs, Ill never buy another GM vehicle again, even if I have to walk!!!! Buyer Beware!

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  Last of the Beasts - 1997 Chevrolet Camaro
  By Normy - December 31 - 2:00 am

  Beatiful sleek styling....immense torque, good handling. A true high-tech muscle car..comfortable, reliable...alot of bang for the buck. Long live the F-body !

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  WORST VEHICLE EVER - 2011 Chevrolet Equinox
  By Pam - December 30 - 11:24 am

  I bought the car used from Carmax with 35,000 miles on it. Unfortunately I did not do much research, I loved the look of the car and went for it. The first 8 months were good. Then a self destruct button turned on and ever since January of 2016 Ive been in and out of the repair shop. Its never anything minor and all known issues to Chevrolet. However, they dont care about their customers so what the hell. The first incident I was driving in the middle of a snowstorm to pick up a friend from the airport. Out of no where the vehicle refuses to accelerate and some message comes us with stability trac, reduce engine power...turns out the throttle body needed to be replaced. Ok, theres $200 + tax deductible I should be good to go. Nope. The following month Im driving, no warning lights, no nothing and Im backing out of a driveway (I drive for UBER) and my car will not get into gear. Eventually I get out of the driveway and my car goes into limp mode...come to find out the TRANSMISSION went out at 42,000 miles!!!! Another $200 + tax deductible. The following month I get a regular oil change and 2 weeks later new tires and the mechanic tells me I have no oil in my car and suggested I get an oil change. Ummm excuse me, I just got one 2 weeks ago. Fortunately there was a "service bulletin" for this and Chevy replace the Pistons and Timing Chain. I dont understand why a recall was not done as this is a serious issue. Anywho, 2 weeks later I notice a huge oil spot in my parking spot....well one of the gaskets that was replaced was defective and had to go and have that replaced. The Chevy dealer tried charging me my deductible to get that replaced, but after pulling up paper work that this was covered under the repair done just two weeks ago, I should not have to pay. One would think my troubles would be over. Nope. Check engine light comes on for the Camshaft Position Actuator. Then I get a letter for yet another service bullet for the catalytic converter. However, Chevy will not fix it until it causes a problem. Just yesterday (Oct. 4, 2016) I had the Fuel Pump replaced as part of a recall. A recall Chevy did not make me aware of. I got that email from CARFAX. The amount of time I have to take off of work for this car to get replaced is absurd. I can only imagine what problem will arise next month. Do yourself a favor and avoid this car at all costs....You will pay more in the end.

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  wonder what is wrong - 2017 Chevrolet Equinox
  By Emily Forside - December 27 - 10:25 pm

  Purchased Equinox on June 20th 2017. Sept 11th 2017 went to start the car and it was dead. Called roadside asst. sent tow which jumped the battery and the car started ran car over 1/2 hour and drove it for 1/2 hour, brought it back turned it off 45 minutes later tried to start car dead. Next day towed to dealer today 9/13/17 still have no response from dealer what is wrong (battery, alternator, starter or parasite drain). Dont feel very confident in this car. Less than 3 months since purchase and only 730 miles and I have NO CAR.

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  READ THIS, IT COULD SAVE YOUR LIFE! - 2002 Chevrolet Malibu
  By amills - December 10 - 2:00 am

  I owned a 2002 Malibu LS. This car is very dangerous to drive. The brakes on these cars are a joke. After reading the other comments left about 2000 cars which have the exact same kind of braking system, I see there is obviously a manufacturers flaw. The reason I am even leaving a message is to warn anyone who is considering the purchase of this type of vehicle. I had a very bad accident due to brake failure. I had problems with the brakes 2 weeks after I purchased the car. The car was totalled in the accident & the air bags did not go off. I dont feel this car is safe by any stretch of the imagination.