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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  Great - 2006 Chevrolet Malibu
  By mnfish - August 24 - 1:30 pm

  Bought car used in 2007 for $12,400 with 18k. Been driving it for over three years at 30k miles a year. Have 109k on it now and have had no issues. Replaced brakes once, tires once and had two easy fixes, one for a wheel bearing (covered under the power train warranty) and another steering linkage replacement, covered under warranty as well. Car is fun to drive, has plenty of get up and go with the 2.2 4cyl. The under coating has also started to go, and I have some surface rust in the wheel well started, but this is due to some paint being chipped.

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  My Review - 2007 Chevrolet Cobalt
  By Rachel - August 23 - 9:58 pm

  This car is the worst car I have ever driven. Been in the shop more than 4 times. Air conditioner flooded passenger side floor board. Radiator had to be replaced, head gasket replaced and told I need a new engine. Steering wheel shakes when you get over 55 mph and shakes when I slow down. Fuel system sucks. Oil and fuel meter in car not accurate. I will never buy from Chevy again after owning this piece of junk car. Dont buy a Chevy cobalt!

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  Control Arm - 2006 Chevrolet Cobalt
  By Annie - August 23 - 4:57 pm

  The front end I going out. It needs a new control arm passenger window keeps moving slower and slower. So it needs a new control arm because the bushings went at 35,000 miles and the dealership refuses to fix it.

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  Not an ideal long term car - 2006 Chevrolet Cobalt
  By gessvt - August 23 - 3:50 pm

  Bought this car at the end of 2006, dealer took about $6000 off sticker. Car has had numerous repairs under the factory extended warranty, including 3 sunroof replacements. Car also eats brake rotors. Recommend buying the best rotors out there if you want to get mileage out of them have them bedded as well. Car is starting to show rust bubbles on hood, truly a shame since it gets washed and waxed on a regular basis. Painted interior materials flake away. Rattly steering column noises. Wheels corroded after about a year. No engine or transmission troubles yet. I hope to get a couple more years out of it, but by then it will be a disposable car with no trade-in value. Avoid.

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  Fun at any speed - 2010 Chevrolet Corvette
  By Mack - August 22 - 7:34 pm

  Had been wanting a Vette for years but was always concerned about quality. Test drove a Cayman but options took it over 70K. Recent reviews about GM getting serious about quality, the GS option and 0% drew me in. Great power, good clutch/trans relationship, clutch is not as heavy as I expected. The seats are as bad as all magazines state, brake dust is also an issue but the car is so much fun, it doesnt matter. I grin every time I start it. Chevy has done a very good job. quality is first rate, no rattles and not one problem. Decent sound system but not great. Just finished a road trip (1000 mi) great highway mileage. After many overseas performance cars, it feels good to buy American.

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  Camaro - 2000 Chevrolet Camaro
  By Scott - August 22 - 12:36 pm

  Purchased the convertible over a year ago. Great vehicle for 5 grand. V-6 has good power, still in new condition.

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  Driver side door will not open - 2006 Chevrolet Cobalt
  By UpsetCustomer - August 22 - 10:55 am

  Went to lunch found my drivers side door would not open. 2x before lock issues. Supposedly fixed by Riverton. Apparently not. Two weeks after same issue. Took 8 months to get it fixed. They had my parts on the shelf and never called me back. Closed the repair order waiting for payment from the warranty company. Now the damn door will not open. Want to charge me $150 just to tell me what is wrong. I cut my panel, reached in, all of the mechanisms are working. Still cant get it open. This is a recall problem. Check the web and see how many others have the issue. I refuse to pay and I will continue my journey to find someone to fix my car at no charge. Never buy a GM again.

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  I Must Have One of the Good Ones! - 2001 Chevrolet S-10
  By JTS64 - August 21 - 3:28 pm

  After reading all of the negative reviews on here, I felt that I should share my positive experiences with my truck so far. I bought my V6/auto truck new in 2001, and it has NEVER been back to the dealership for work. I replaced the battery myself when it started seeping acid from the side post a couple of years ago. Other than that, its just been oil/filter changes and suspension grease jobs. I have driven the truck on 3000 mile round trips to Florida three times and have averaged 24 - 26 mpg on each trip! The seats are very comfortable for road trips as well.

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  I love my Equinox! - 2010 Chevrolet Equinox
  By Mommy2 TPG - August 21 - 8:39 am

  I previously owned a Ford Focus. I had searched for 2 years for a larger but good on gas vehicle. I looked at the Mazda 5 and the Nissan Rouge. The Chevy was the best deal and the most comfortable. I do wish they would be a bit more honest about the MPG on the 4cyl. I drive about 50 miles one way to work and only 5 miles is city. I average 26-28mpg. Which is great, but i expected a little better. I do live in the mountains, But I travel I-81 and set cruise at about 72. On our last trip down to the beach we got 30mpg going (with eco ON) and 18 while there in traffic (with eco OFF) and 25 coming back home (eco ON). ECO causes loss of power but not enough for it to be a big deal for me.

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  Pros and Cons at 50,000 miles - 2007 Chevrolet Suburban
  By Tim in Wisconsin - August 21 - 8:14 am

  1st, everyone is complaining about oil leaks. I can drive mine from WI to AR 850 miles in one day, and not be down a drop. I can drive mine to work and back, etc, and be down a qt at 5K miles. I believe that when there is no compression in the cylinders when I am in V-4 mode some trace amounts must be getting past the rings. No oil in tail pipe though, and pass emissions with flying colors. 2nd, my #3 cylinder had a hydraulic lifter collapse. I have the 327. This is what happens when major manufacturers subcontract their work. Dealer took care of it a-ok. No problems since. Third, every snow my "service 4WD" light comes on. Always goes out after night in garage. 18mpg at 60 mph, 16 at 70