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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  A Car Dont - 2002 Chevrolet Malibu
  By rsg71 - May 25 - 6:39 am

  I bought this car in 2005, and it has been in the shop nearly every year. Last year, it was in the shop 3 times, and it it would be on its way again if I wasnt getting rid of it! The fuel pump, lower intake gasket, anti-theft sensor that wont turn off (the key IS in the ignition), and then some routine maintenance things. I dont mind paying routine up keep of a car, but the parts and labor is outrageous for the most basic things! The thing that appalls me the most- Chevy KNOWS about these problems but has done nothing to make it right by their customers. Will not own GM again.

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  Not Good! - 2006 Chevrolet Uplander
  By beavispkp - May 23 - 7:11 pm

  GM had a good idea but skipped on the build quality. Ours has 60K miles and it has the gas gauge failed leaving my wife stranded, 3 doors become misaligned and wouldnt shut properly, continuous starting issues, the instrument cluster burn out, the DVD player failed, and the seats are ripping. Worse yet, the exterior trim pieces have all faded in the sun and are a different color than the van. It has alot of great options, does average on gas, and rides nice but its all negated by the build quality. This car is one to avoid!

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  not a car for weather if you want to drive - 2011 Chevrolet Impala
  By travler2 - May 20 - 7:02 am

  Rented this car for a 2 days in Denver May 2011. Rained daily. One problem with car is rear view mirror might as well be left at the factory. Cant see through "lazy boy" giant head supports in rear seats for a view though the rear window. Side mirrors small, no lateral extension, and soak up rain drops until they are useless. I had no vision from behind. As far as forward, the headlamps were so useless I exited the expressway to stop and see if they were actually on. Lane changes were scary at night in the rain given this. Cant report more because I rented a F150 next day that I felt safe in. One fun comical note on the Impala is a rear spoiler on a car that is a slow as a dump truck.

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  I hate this car so much!!!! - 2007 Chevrolet Cobalt
  By mrunkows - May 19 - 12:10 am

  I thought for sure I was trading in my beater car for a nice reliable car. Wow was I wrong. This car is so horrible in the snow, there is literally no control on the smallest amount of snow. It even spins out when your going real slow. You probably would have better luck getting to where your going safely if you got out and walked. This car is terrible. It just spins out all the time. If you live in a place where it never snows, then this is a good car. I literally cannot stand this car at all. Everyone knows this car is crap in the snow. In general its a crappy car.

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  Biggest Mistake I EVER made!!!! - 2005 Chevrolet Equinox
  By hawleyzoo - May 18 - 8:56 am

  This car has been the biggest mistake I have ever made - have replaced brakes and rotors 4 times, control arms twice, fabric stains very easily and will NOT come clean, temp gauge has been replaced twice, have had to have tire bolts replaced every time I get tires rotated because the threads have been stripped, headlights and seals are bad ALL the time, and now my drive shaft is toast due to bad U joints. Car only has 85,000 miles on it. I should have known to not buy a Chevy when they were going under, but have learned to never buy one again. Shoddy parts, shoddy workmanship - and they wonder why they are going under??

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  Just got rid of this car... - 2005 Chevrolet Equinox
  By sydspapa - May 15 - 8:14 pm

  We had purchased this vehicle used with 19,000 miles on it in 2007. I immediately realized it needed brakes and rotors. Electrical system was whacky, started would run and run when you tried to start it. Buttons wore badly and paint rubbed off the dash and interior badly as well. Last straw was a flat tire that took 4 hours to get off due to it being rusted to the car. The only good thing was that the dealership liked the features and it only had 53,000 miles on it which made a nice 6k down payment on a new Dodge Journey R/T. Bye Bye Equinox...

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  IMPALA THE UNSAFE VEHICLE - 2008 Chevrolet Impala
  By randykn - April 26 - 8:51 pm

  These cars are JUNK 34,000 miles equal 3 sets of tires, brakes 3 times. Rotors last a month at best. Can not be aligned properly, (recalled for goverment vehicles but not the public. DO NOT BUY A IMPALA you will be disapointed. Dealer suggestion to solve the brake problems is to NOT drive on any hills, quoate "these cars were not made for driving in the mountians" for 40 years i have driven GM cars but NO MORE. My 97 Taurus with 320,000 miles does not have the problems that my 2008 Impala has. Thouhjt i would buy my wife a safe car, boy was i wrong. NO MORE GM PRODUCTS FOR ME

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  Good for about 55K - 2003 Chevrolet Venture
  By gotribe2 - April 22 - 9:40 pm

  Bought in 2003 from dirtbag Bob Serpentinis now defunct Aurora dealership. The rust on the passenger side rear wheelwell is epic. The windshield wiper motor and wiper transmission have a mind of their own since 45K, 2 replacements at $300 a piece. Now the windshield has a leak somewhere too. Once this thing was out of warranty it started crapping out. NO GM HERE EVER AGAIN.

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  Dont Buy This Car - 2008 Chevrolet Cobalt
  By mightymouse4 - April 20 - 12:11 pm

  So I baught this car brand new, needing something good on gas. Its great on gas, getting 36 mpg on the HW, but after owning it only 2 years, it is falling apart! I do all the maintance, change the oil before its do, and treat it good, but it was a huge mistake. Ive had to do the front brakes twice, replace the rotors twice, have the door adjusted, put shocks, ball joints, and a Clutch! Even the dealer told me the clutch is poorly designed, and Im luckly it lasted that long. Now there is some kind of cluncking in the front, and its not the struts! Im working one it every other weekened, and its only an 08! Oh, by the way, GM does not cover a cluth on the power train warantee!

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  I hated this car - 2005 Chevrolet Cavalier
  By laurastett111 - April 14 - 7:31 pm

  I bought this car with 30k miles and within the first few months, I had to take it to the shop. Interior is cheap, and wears very easily. with in a two years of having it, the seats started to wear through. I have had to replace the power windows engines twice, and know at 100k miles, it is starting to make noises. My fincee is 59 and he can barely fit in the car. hard to hold more than two people.