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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  2001 chevy impala - 2001 Chevrolet Impala
  By laura - March 23 - 6:30 pm

  battery light continuously come on, changed the battery and it still comes on. service light comes on after bringing it into the shop. car bucks to the point where the cars about to break down, and is undrivable. dashboard lights dim. hesitated start.

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  my life mistake - 2004 Chevrolet TrailBlazer
  By GodOfWar65 - March 23 - 5:48 pm

  So a 2004 trailbalzer i got one day. some $14,000 is what it costs. (still paying it) anyway within a month of when i got it i had to change that battery. then more months later my head lights go. when the first sign of winter showed up i popped it into 4wd, and it never can go back to 2wd. took it to a dealer and my 4wd module is broken some $500 repair oh and a secondary air intake malfunction hit me too. now i get grinding from the front when i break, (i changed pads and inspected it) now this machine is not that old and not alot of miles on it and i drove it like an average person and i got dumped on... my instrument panel light flicker when i break or excell. very up set with this SUV!!!!

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  Bad experience - 2008 Chevrolet Uplander
  By Dorothy - March 23 - 4:35 pm

  I bought this car 8 months ago and have had nothing but problems with it mainly the front end. I dont like the fact that the center seats doesnt recline and no armrest on them. Also they set to close to the side doors. I have owned a van before and their was storage room under the back seat. Overall a poor design. It does get fairly good gas mileage and I like the room, but not so sure I would purchase another Chevrolet and for sure not a uplander.

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  What is Edmunds problem? - 2002 Chevrolet Camaro
  By earlr - March 23 - 4:17 pm

  After reading the Edmunds editors reviews of the 4th generation Camaros, I suddenly felt the need to write a review of my own. I dont ever recall seeing such obvious bias in a review but then, I havent read many other reviews of American muscle cars, so maybe thats where their issues lie. I am very happy with my 02 Camaro sure its not perfect, and its not Japanese, but it is a lot of fun to drive, is as reliable as any other car of its ilk, and oh did I mention its a blast to drive. The car has over 120k miles on it now, and the engine & transmission are a solid now as they ever were. Ive been able to fix any minor issues that have come up.

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  Not all that - 2009 Chevrolet Malibu
  By Jamie - March 23 - 1:15 pm

  I was dazzled by the shiny wheel covers when the salesman whipped it around the lot, and was tired of shopping for cars so I decided to buy it. The performance is okay, and as stated before,the car is nice to look at, the factory stereo sounds okay, and the car is a smooth ride. I had heard about the cheap plastic on the interior, but didnt realize how CHEAP it is. It scratches very easily. Also, the front window scratches easily too. The right front headlamp gets condensation behind the lens, and there is a rattle in the dash that happens when the gas is applied. The windows are too skinny, reducing visibility greatly. Yes, the trunk opening is too small. Paint is blotchy in spots.

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  Last American Car - 2004 Chevrolet Malibu
  By Neveragain - March 23 - 11:28 am

  Bought this car new. Gas cap pressure seal has broke twice. At 300 miles and at 36001 miles (dealer wouldn’t cover second….1 mile over ) Stock tires went off at only 15000 miles Blows turn signal bulbs a lot (24 in 7 years) Rear caliper broke (left hand side) 20, 000 miles Left hand ball joint (can’t replace just ball joint have to replace lower control arm) 40,000 miles Lots of bugs, turned on car with remote start……radio came on, has never done it again. Remote start used to start at 100 yards, today it won’t at 10 feet…..battery changed in remote….still 10 feet Remote broke three times (poorly made) Passenger seat heater…..comes on by it’s self Gas mileage used to be 32 highway,

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  3 Yrs Old & Broke Down Again... - 2007 Chevrolet Impala
  By Chris - March 23 - 9:56 am

  My 2007 Impala was purchased new, with extended warranty. In 2009, the heat and blower went completely out on me. I had to take it to the dealer several times to get it fixed right. Now, I am battling a check engine light and "reduced engine power" as the car tells you, making the max speed 25 mph. After two full days of servicing at the dealer, it experienced the same issue again just 3 days later. I have been without transportation for 12 days & counting..... Just not the kind of reliability I would expect for a 3 yr old car with only 55,000 miles!! Service repairs typically require a 3 day lead-time to schedule in my experience...major inconvenience! Hard time getting service rental too!

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  Awesome - 2010 Chevrolet Malibu
  By jomman - March 23 - 12:16 am

  this car is great, wish it had just a little more hp though but its still fun to drive and quick to respond

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  Tires are really important - 2003 Chevrolet Malibu
  By tires are important - March 22 - 11:09 pm

  Got the car for my son. I noticed HUGE road noise, especially interstate driving, and just figured that the car was a noisy cheap car. I was trying to sound proof it, but did some research on the tires, and saw that the tires that were on there EVERYONE complained about the road noise, so i switched them out, and the car rides like a dream..much, much quieter

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  POWER DOORS RESOLVED - 2007 Chevrolet Uplander
  By jake - March 22 - 6:46 pm

  The rubber lining an the inside of the door, the seal is blocking the sensor. You will see that the rubber is too big and has a bunch of holes in it from the door hitting it. When the door hits it, it opens back up. All i did was tape the rubber away from the door, then it closes just fine!