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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  Think they dropped it in the ocean.... - 2008 Chevrolet Aveo
  By wheiney - April 13 - 1:23 am

  Purchased my Chevy Aveo LT w/ every option (leather, sunroof, etc) and I have had more problems with this car than all my other cars combined in my life. *Chrome Trim pitting and rusting (replaced 3x) *Rear trunk lock cylinder rusting (replaced 3X) *Decklid had to be repainted and fixed due to rust coming through by the license plate (GM said it was a rockchip...really on the back of the car?) * Both rear door hinges had to be replaced * Whole shifter replaced. *Half of the exhaust rusted off and had to be replaced *O2 sensor went out yet never tripped SES light, but was bad enough to cause idling and driving surging. 5 other problems but out of room. All this by 22,000 Miles!

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  Just a car - 2011 Chevrolet Equinox
  By kayldee - April 12 - 8:50 am

  Headlights, whats with the headlights? They are mounted so far inside the fender and trim that the top of the light is cut off. In the city, not a problem, but in rural hilly areas you might as well drive with no headlights. You can only see a couple of car lengths ahead. Deer or people on the road, totally invisible. I sold a 2010 Camaro because of this. You couldnt see to drive it at night. I have a friend with a Lincoln MKz and she has the same problem. So far, so good mechanically. But the Equinox is ugly! Looks like it is nose diving down the road. It doesnt appear to sit level when parked. Really ugly. The rear shocks, struts or whatever need lowering.

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  UGh - 1996 Chevrolet Blazer
  By luvtoyota10 - April 8 - 1:57 pm

  This car is horrible. i only had 75k miles on it and it just started acting crazy and i had to fix it every month. I traded it in for a 2005 toyota highlander.

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  2011 Impala LT - 2011 Chevrolet Impala
  By superyouper - April 7 - 5:47 pm

  This car is one big disappointment. I have had several Impalas and traded in a 2006 for a 2011. I wish now that I had kept the old car. This Chevrolet model steers worse than my first car, a 1951 Studebaker. The steering is tight creating a stiff turning in town and on highway. My wife has arthritis and has a very difficult time turning a corner. The car has many blind spots including small mirrors,& rear headrests. I opted for bench seats and find them only fair for comfort. In my 2006 Impala I averaged 30 mpg on the highway. On this 2011 i get only 23 mpg. It seems to lack an overdrive. Unfortunately, I was naive enough to think that the steering was only temporary. Its not.

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  Just Okay - 1998 Chevrolet Blazer
  By afj21 - April 4 - 9:37 am

  I decided that after owning a 1998 Chevrolet Blazer LS for 10 years I should write a review on it. I purchased it in 2001 with 36K, AFTER the warranty expired at 60K , the car became a money pit. I called Chevy to see if they would assist me to no avail, the car was nickel and diming me to death. Drivers seat lever, all mirrors, passenger seat wouldnt lock in place, power windows quit working, rear hatch hydraulic lift levers, distributor (2X), heater core, new radiator, shocks (2X), chewed tons of brake pads and the check engine light on for Trans slippage for about 45K miles (which I refused to fix) Only after everything was fixed twice did it run up to 210K miles. Glad its gone.

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  Already want to trade in after only 3 months. - 2009 Chevrolet Aveo
  By bkm89 - April 2 - 6:12 pm

  Three months ago I traded in my truck to find a car with better gas mileage. We found an aveo. My parents really liked it, and the dealer(my fathers cousin) also told us it was a very good car. Not the case. I have no good things to say. The gas mileage is nowhere near the expected I get no better than 25, and all my driving is highway or back roads. Not good in the snow even with studded directionals. The heater makes a ticking noise, very loud especially on highway. Radio cuts out when you turn on the rear window defrost. Whistling noise if you hit 60mph sometimes lower than that. Looks and feels cheaply made inside. Doesnt meet my expectations worst car Ive owned.

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  Buyer beware!! - 2004 Chevrolet TrailBlazer
  By khaigh - March 18 - 7:48 pm

  Traded in my Subaru Outback with 300,000 miles for a brand new 2004 trailblazer. As soon as it was driven off the lot the truck stalled and the dealership said nothing was wrong. This problem continued. My husband, being a mechanic, found the problem that Chevy would not pay for...a bad air pump. We sunk over 8,000 into this truck and were stuck with it until 2010, when my husband traded it in for a 2010 Subaru. The truck is a mechanical nightmare. Chevy stopped producing the truck due to the excessive complaints. Also, not a good ride for people with back problems. I am so glad I no longer own this SUV and am so happy I got a Subaru Outback back...which I will never part with again!

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  What a waste of$ - 2002 Chevrolet Malibu
  By megsymc - March 16 - 3:20 pm

  I find it comical how similar everyones storys are. I have to laugh because this car has been a nightmare. The electronic issue is just ridiculous, no one should have to wait ten minutes to start their car because the car thinks someones trying to steal it. I have only owned the car for a little over a yr & put nearly $3K into it. Fuel pump, gasket, water pump, coolant leak, brakes, catilitic convertor, spark plugs... you name it Ive fixed it. I refuse to fix the electronic cylander or put new tires on it. Dont ever buy this car. I wouldnt even sell it to someone. Im junking it.

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  Moldy smell - 2009 Chevrolet Malibu
  By wi_native - March 14 - 1:35 pm

  When I first bought this car I really liked it. I thought I got a lot of features at an ok price. However the car has since developed a moldy smell in the heater & GM cannot/will not fix the problem. Ive taken it to 3 dealerships to try & fix this. The original dealership refuses to admit theres a smell. The 2 subsequant admit theres a moldy smell but refuse to fix it & suggested I take it back to the original dealership for repairs. The last 2 places informed me that they might not get re-imbursed from GM for warranty work if some other dealer had already worked on the vehicle.

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  My Doors will not Open - 2006 Chevrolet Cobalt
  By luxiestar - March 11 - 12:09 pm

  I recently purchased my used Chevy Cobalt in December. The first time my door got stuck I thought it was my fault because the next day the doors open. Earlier this week my drivers side door got stuck again my dad went out and opened it with no problem. But again the next day the door was stuck again and my dad and I could not get it open. I was with some friends last night and both doors were stuck we both literally had to climb out of the window to get out. This is my the first car that Ive ever bought. Ive only had this car for a short time and I really need it to get back and forth from work. Gm really needs to do something about this problem because