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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  Unreliable SUV - 2007 Chevrolet Tahoe
  By md1735 - December 26 - 10:09 pm

  Junk, poorly made GM vehicle. Wont buy another after how I was treated by Chevrolet Customer Service. Said it was all my fault and not a vehicle defects (too many to list)

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  A money pit. - 2002 Chevrolet Impala
  By Darren - December 4 - 2:00 am

  GM went bankrupt and there vehicles could make you go bankrupt. I have had nothing but trouble, had to rebuild transmission at 115,000, did all the recommended maintience. Ignition switch went bad, air conditioning went bad, catalytic convert plug, wiring harness is going bad. You name it. Heated seats went bad, window module switch went bad. I doubt I would ever buy an Impala or anything close to it again. Its a great road car if the long term reliability was there. U (you) A (aint) W (working) workmanship is subpar. Thats what you get for paying people doctors wages to build cars. Good luck GM you will need it.

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  Peice of JUNK!!! Rip OFF!!! - 2007 Chevrolet Impala
  By Peice of JUNK!!! - December 4 - 2:00 am

  The heater does not work when you are at idle speed. The shifter jammed up for no reason. Screw came out of driver and passenger seat that holds molding to seat, customer support is aweful. Windshield wipers went awry for no reason. Wiper fluid bottle is too small. Hydroplanes when you hit a puddle of water...the front bumper is too low to the ground causes the hydroplane effect as if you are hitting a small hill. Very very dangerous when driving at 35 plus miles an hour. Gas cap is faulty causes the engine light to come on. Engine light malfunctions the remote starter!!

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  Another GM Failure - 2005 Chevrolet Classic
  By Charlie - November 30 - 2:00 am

  Clunky to drive, lousy gas mileage for the size (lucky to get 22 mpg), power windows starting to slow up at only 5 yrs old, and saving the worst for last: the Passlock system causes the car NOT TO START AT ALL. Google it if you dont know about it. Very unsafe, very unreliable. Has left my husband stranded and late for work many times. GM wont offer a recall even though they know this is common and their fault entirely. DO NOT BUY THIS CAR.

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  Avoid Neglected Corsicas - 1995 Chevrolet Corsica
  By Threetails - November 29 - 2:00 am

  I got this car in 2004 as a daily driver. The previous owners hadnt taken care of this car. Mine has a tendency to blow spark plugs out of the block! This has happened to me twice. My car has a host of other problems including anti-lock brakes that lock, bad weather seals, and a tendency to overheat in traffic (even in sub- freezing weather). This car doesnt like extreme temperatures and the steering system creaks and groans in the cold. It can be a very forgiving car when something does go wrong and you can usually limp home even when its something major like a torque converter. If you buy a Corsica, find one that has been well cared-for and youll have an OK car.

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  Disappointing but... - 2009 Chevrolet Aveo
  By ScootsG8 - November 26 - 2:00 am

  I bought my Aveo5LT in August of 09 after getting a job an hour from home. I drive rural highways nearly all the way. A 15mph wind makes it unnerving and a 25 mph wind makes it downright scary. Being in MN, its difficult to get around in snow with the small tires and short clearance. Im averaging 31 mpg on the highway and thats not enough. Its loud, not really well-built and to be honest, its easy to imagine heavy damage meeting anything larger than a mailbox, should you get in an accident. The oil filters are spendy. Suzuki builds the for Chevrolet. The only saving grace of the Aveo is the room. Im 63" and have no issues with headroom in the car. Value is so-so.

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  DO NOT Buy a Chevy Uplander - 2008 Chevrolet Uplander
  By momof2 - November 26 - 2:00 am

  Had it 2 years and now the battery goes dead for no apparent reason. Sometimes it starts, sometimes it doesnt. The dealer will make you pay just to look at it.

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  the car that makes me nuts - 2009 Chevrolet Traverse
  By zectbu1 - November 25 - 2:00 am

  Okay, lets see where to start. I thought this car was going to be amazing and fun to have. Well it turns out it is the complete opposite. I have been to the dealership 6 times! And now lets talk about the customer service, it is unprofessional and rude. I have had so many problems with this car it is incredible. It even has warranty so it shouldnt be a problem but no, they dont want to change my tires they didnt even want to give me a rental car. I have a weird rattling noise coming from them and they wont change them. I am incredibly disappointed with this car and I do not advice this car to anyone on this planet. Here is a list of all the things I have done to this car, steering etc.

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  Lemon uplander - 2007 Chevrolet Uplander
  By doc olds - November 23 - 2:00 am

  Very poor vehicle from Chevy only 8 months of reliability and all down hill from the (uplander) from the vent cover in the top of the head liner falling off all the time to glove box breaking off when opening it to no heat in the back of car to all major thing going under the hood like I said (very poor uplander)

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  Same problem, 4 times in 3 weeks - 2009 Chevrolet Aveo
  By sunshine - November 21 - 2:00 am

  the acceleration is not very good however,the good fuel economy makes up for it. i have owned this car just under a year now and recently have been having problems with the car. They keep fixing it but 2 days later it breaks again. tomorrow will be the fourth time in less than three weeks that i will be taking it into the dealership. other than this, i love the car, but i guess you get what you pay for! Cheap price means cheap quality