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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  Good economy car - 2005 Chevrolet Aveo
  By Gary - December 6 - 9:57 pm

  Ive owned my Aveo for about 2 years. On the highway it gets excellent MPG (avg. 33-36 w/A/C). Decent MPG in the city. In my opinion, the engine is underpowered and highway acceleration can be scary. The car feels very light, which is very evident when driving over 65mph. Exterior feels cheap and dents very easily. It did, however, get very good crash test ratings. Overall, this is a good inexpensive car. Its unbelievably reliable, even in subzero temps. Do not try driving this thing on snowy roads.

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  TrailBlazer OK - 2005 Chevrolet TrailBlazer
  By Dennis Greene - December 5 - 6:00 am

  The vehicle now seems to be OK. It took a long time to work all the bugs in the electrical system out almost every other week it was in the shop. Now I enjoy the ride and the comfort.

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  Silver Malibu LS - 2003 Chevrolet Malibu
  By rhonda - December 4 - 1:42 pm

  Ive enjoyed my Malibu LS. The only problems Ive been having lately are starting and staying charged up. And the radiator seems to run hot. But other than that I have enjoyed my vehicle. I would recommend it to anyone.

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  Good offroad vehicle - 2004 Chevrolet TrailBlazer
  By Jack - December 2 - 12:12 pm

  Trips include rough offroad and long distance events. Performed well. Problems with clunky second gear shift after four wheel driving. Also, cruise control fails after. Reason unknown but re-enters after battery disconnect for 30 min.

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  After 8 yrs - 1999 Chevrolet Malibu
  By not a lemon - December 1 - 9:48 pm

  Bought this car new and after 8 yrs still havent had major problems. The only 2 issues with this car I have had are the rear lights (brake/reverse) burn out frequently and have had water pump replaced twice. Other than this, the last 93k miles have been problem free.

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  Handling issues - 2005 Chevrolet Blazer
  By H. Wiebe - November 30 - 3:34 pm

  I have owned my ZR2 Blazer for 21 months. It is a comfortable vehicle in the city and in the country. It is ablsolutely terrible on the highway. It has no tolerance to a gusty cross wind. It goes all over the road. I believe the problem to be the tires. I am getting the published fuel mileage however it doesnt come close to my 89 S-10 which also had a 4.3. I would think the Vortec 4.3 should get better mileage than a throttle body 4.3.

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  This Blazer is OK - 1996 Chevrolet Blazer
  By stephen - November 28 - 3:08 pm

  I bought this 96 Blazer new and have found it to be very reliable. It now has 150,000 miles on it,and yes, Ive had to put some money toward repairs, but overall it has been a very good vehicle and Id buy another one in a heartbeat. It still runs great and it has never made me walk. Its very comfortable and the body is holding up nicely. Its been a great car!

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  2.0 is the way to go! - 2016 Chevrolet Malibu
  By Rick Rajala - November 27 - 10:01 pm

  Great ride- firm but smooth and quiet. Acceleration is strong but linear- not sudden jerk. Average 30 MPG. Handling is sporty- but not a sports sedan. Transmission shifts smoothly and always in the right gear- no hunting. Seats are comfortable. Forward visibility is good, but headlights just adequate. Side and rear pillars block view- rear camera helps with backing, but not great- maybe just need to get used to it. Forward Collision Assist is okay, but rain and fog can cause inaccurate calculation which has resulted in sudden braking for no reason- no cars on rural road. Side mirror alert also shows a ghost vehicles- ie none there. Lane Assist does not work well in wet weather.

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  Why Ill not own another U.S. SUV - 2003 Chevrolet Tahoe
  By F. X. McGrath - November 26 - 8:13 pm

  Too many mechanical problems after 60,000 miles. Replaced fuel pump, water pump, instrument cluster, (speedometer stopped working), replaced horn, engine gasket, steering problems. For a vehicle of this age and mileage these types of problems should not occur. Ill not own another Chevy. My next vehicle will be Japanese or German. U.S. auto makers need to make a more reliable vehicle if they want to compete.

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  Ear to ear grin - 2003 Chevrolet Silverado 2500HD
  By Dan - November 26 - 2:56 am

  Great riding and looking truck, rides much better than Ford and Dodge. The crew cab is plenty spacious for 6. All shined up the truck looks great with chrome tube step bars. The Duramax diesel is a great engine, very quiet and powerful. Instrumentation is better than any other truck, period. Real gauges, with numbers (are you listening Dodge?), are the only way to go, not fake gauges like on the Fords. The bench seat console is very comfortable, much better than the armrests on the bucket seats. The RDS radio is cool, shows what song and station are on. Dual zone climate control is neat, cold for me, warm for the Mrs. Id buy again, very nice truck, very nice ride.