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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  Never will get a GM product again!!! - 2016 Chevrolet Malibu
  By Keith - June 28 - 10:45 am

  After having car for 5 months, I had 10 things wrong with it. The dealer kept my car for 1.5 weeks, only for them to tell me they couldnt duplicate any of my complaints. First, the drivers door=was misalingned from factory, after dealer "realingned door, then it wouldnt close properly. It ripped the rubber gaskets. Also, the drivers door lock on the handle was getting so it wouldnt work (had to press the button at least 6 times to get it to unlock). The drivers seat bottom had a "loose" feeling to it when going around corners, told the dealer they wouldnt feel it in the city (straight roads), they couldnt get it to do it. The list goes on, too much for this review. All I know is after 5 months, I took a hit and unloaded this car and bought the Ford Fusion, MUCH better car and was cheaper than the malibu!!

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  my bad truck - 2014 Chevrolet Silverado 1500
  By ward - June 16 - 1:08 am

  not safe, to many problems with electrical, shifting problems from 2wheel to 4wheel,very poor support from dealer or GM to fix the problems!!!!!!!!!!!

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  Test Drive of new 2016 Colorado - 2016 Chevrolet Colorado
  By JimR - June 9 - 2:43 am

  Was going to buy a new V6 Colorado until test drive this past weekend (Nov 27, 2015). Rides nice but transmission hesitates / stumbles badly when applying the gas. Going up interstate ramp or even around town. Real bad hesitation and totally unacceptable to the point you feel the vehicle will stall and hope somebody else doesnt rear end you. I asked the dealers agent riding with me about the hesitation and he didnt say one word. I wont be buying one of these.

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  Dont do it. - 2016 Chevrolet Spark
  By Nicole - January 31 - 11:53 am

  Right... Check out the spark forum. Own a 2015 spark bought brand spanking new with 30 miles on it, tranny has gone out, been in the shop 8 times after I take it back in for tranny issues, no AC, electrical gremlins... Really loved it when the traction control came on, on a clear day on perfect road conditions causing almost a wreck. Really loved it that Chevy tried to charge me to have someone pick up my mom when my tranny went out 4 months into owning this car, because apparently having a passenger in the car and driving more than 12 miles away from home isnt normal. I have a stack of papers of repairs and yet Chevy has done nothing but caused me stress. This last breakdown, dealership had car for 2 weeks, providing no loaner and left me stranded in another state. I cant pay my bills this month because I had a 2 week expense for being stranded and Chevy didnt want to hear about it at all. Ive had caseworkers on my case who make appointments but dont keep them, dont call back. Last time I called when I was stranded the lady laughed at me on the phone, and when I demanded for a manager she took her time hoping I would hang up, I didnt hang up and I heard everything she said to the manager and I said ummmm.... Still here

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  Last Suburban I will ever buy - 2007 Chevrolet Suburban
  By Marty - January 23 - 12:22 am

  I have owned 8 Suburbans in my 42 years of driving. The 2007 LTZ is by far the worst design since 1985. Replacing a headlight is pure insanity. New transmission at 100k. $5000 in repairs this year alone. For a giant vehicle the storage in the front console is poor at best. The engine and electronics have a mind of their own. Needs 1 quart of oil every month, where is it going? I had a 2003 Suburban, 200k miles and other than normal repairs I only replaced 1 starter, 1 water pump and 1 alternator. No transmission, no a/c, no accel module, no transfer case and I could replace a headlight on my own in 5 minutes instead of paying someone for 90 minutes of labor. Buying an Infiniti or Nissan this weekend and looking forward to it. The final straw was my phone call to GM when the transmission failed and the girl told me, "you should have taken better care of the truck!" Im a fanatic with my trucks, this was a faulty defective part but she did not care, so neither do it......adios Mexican Suburban, hello USA Nissan!!

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  Aweful - 2002 Chevrolet Corvette
  By Tom - January 22 - 11:58 pm

  Great looking car. I have spent over $5000 dollars fixing BCM, steering column lock, tpms, master cylinder in shift clutch system , headlights, windshield wipers and washer system comes on and will not stop out of nowhere. Poorly engineered car. Electrical problems. Look at the forums. Everyone is having problems In many areas. I have driven many Honda’s and never had one problem. BMW’s are great cars. Mercedes as well. this car is junk.