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:

• 

  Almost an excellent vehicle - 2011 Chevrolet Malibu
  By Chris S - August 9 - 2:10 pm

  I bought my 2011 Malibu LT2 back at the beginning of 2015 and have been using it for nearly 8 months. I opted for a V6 because it was such an excellent price that I figured "why not?". That engine has some pull to it (roughly 250hp) and sounds pretty smooth. The only problem is the advertised fuel efficiency numbers arent quite right. In the city of Seattle, I get around 15-17mpg and on the freeway, if I am on cruise control between 60-65, I get sneak up to 29-31mpg (with a level road surface). Any incline will drop the hwy mileage to around 24-25mpg. Stop and starts with the V6 are what really murder your fuel efficiency here. The seats are almost fine, but my back will hurt after long drives because the seats force your shoulders in a bit and my upper back is forced back - almost like a mild squeeze. Smaller bodies probably wont notice this as much (Im 62 and have a wider build that the average person), but its an annoyance. The quality of the Malibu LT2 is inconsistent. I have some kind of leather/suede-fabric hybrid that makes cleaning a bit tougher than it should be. The dashboard and door panels are composed of a cheap plastic material that scratches easily. The instrumentation and radio/temp controls are fine. Nothing fancy but nothing to complain about. The 6-speaker system is adequate for most people. You can get reasonable volumes without distortion in the audio but the system is built to cap everything off in that department before you hit those higher volumes that would degrade your listening experience. Ive heard a 2013 Malibus 2LT/LTZ stereo which uses a Bose system (I think) and its a step up (though still doesnt quite compete with some higher-grade car stereos out there). As for reliability: Ive had my car in a couple times this year - once for a piston replacement (fortunately under warranty, but just barely) and the other for simple coil and spark plug replacements, which are actually easy to replace, I just hadnt learned how to do it yet (a YouTube video can literally save you $500 in parts and labor for replacing one or multiple coils that sit atop your engine). All in all the Malibu for this year is decent. It has a solid look to it and offers decent options, depending on what trim you end up with. The LT2 or LTZ vehicles are the best available so if you do buy one, try and look for those trims. But from what Ive been hearing about the newer Malibus - youre better off buying used 2014 and beyond because the 4cyl is closer to the Nissan Altima fuel efficiency ratings and the quality of the cabin materials has drastically improved. The 2016 Malibu is the first really desirable Chevy sedan Ive laid eyes on and makes me think the company could give Ford a run for their money in the next few years.

• 

  Epic Fail - 2005 Chevrolet Colorado
  By Gunslinger - August 8 - 7:42 pm

  The truck is an electrical and engine mechanical nightmare. Problems are too many to list. But here is a few common annoying issues. Tires wear on the front end no matter how many or by who the alignment is done by. There is a theft deterrent ignition that will make you late to muliple appointments on a regular basis. Changein the ignition switch is a costly waist of time. The fix for this issue is to wait 10minutes and try again starting the truck. Hopefully it does. The blower for the a/c works when it wants to. Eventually leadeing to a 100% failure burning out the wireing harness also. Dash lighting works 60% of the time. There is a sound made by the engine top end that sounds like the truck is a diesel. This is a gasoline engined vehicle. Exhause manifold cracks if water is splashed on it while driveing. Basically this is why chevrolet is no longer the manufacturer of choice for me. Ive been a chevy fan for most of my life. They managed to change my opinion by designeing and building this truck with the help of crackheads.

• 

  KING OF THE HILL - 2013 Chevrolet Malibu
  By BOB ALLENBY - August 8 - 6:17 pm

  YOU ARE GETTING THE BEST FOR THE PRICE ON THE MARKET

• 

  Its been a great vehicle - 2008 Chevrolet Equinox
  By Ben - August 7 - 9:43 pm

  Weve owned our 2008 equinox since 2009. Never had any issues until about a year ago. Minor maintenance issues, tensioner pulley, idler pulley, battery, etc... Major issues electrical problems, windows not rolling down or up, door locks work when they want to, hub assembly needs replacement. Over all weve enjoyed this vehicle, would purchase a newer model.

• 

  Colorado: You ROCK! - 2015 Chevrolet Colorado
  By Doug - August 6 - 10:55 pm

  I have owned a Tacoma and a Frontier. Both were great trucks. The Colorado is the best truck I have had. It is comfortable. Smooth ride. Outstanding interior. Awesome exterior. The technology is top rate. I love driving it. I have received a lot of people checking it out and asking me about it. I am very happy with my purchase and would encourage others to buy a Chevy.

• 

  Unbeatable - 2004 Chevrolet Suburban
  By Greg - August 6 - 7:06 pm

  For the costs, the towing ability, comfort! Comfort! You cant beat it. Easy to get parts, Highly reliable, this vehicle is unmatched.

• 

  Do Not Buy With Active Fuel Management - 2008 Chevrolet Suburban
  By Jon - August 6 - 7:02 pm

  The Active Fuel Management System causes major problems on this vehicle. $2,000 in fixes so far and it isnt fixed. World Class trained Chevy Technicians are having problems figuring out how to deal with the AFM and how to fix the problem. Next step $4,500 to go in a look and maybe fix the problem. Maybe. Suburbans were supposed to have a great engine. The Active Fuel Management ruined it. Dont let them lie to you. There is also a special memo inside of Chevy mechanics only talking about a high oil consumption problem that needs 11 parts added to the vehicle to fix the problem at your own cost. Chevy wont tell anyone outside of their network that they had to have Chevy engineers come up with a band aid. They also wont cover any of the cost. Do not buy a 2008 Suburban from anyone.

• 

  Its a real POS - 2005 Chevrolet Cobalt
  By Phillip Najarian - August 6 - 4:41 pm

  I fell in love with this car when I was in high school, I loved yellow cars and it seemed like the best thing ever, a cute little bright yellow coupe. Unfortunately, I was better off loving it from afar. I purchased this car used, and it is the base model so other models may not be this bad, but IT IS HORRIBLE. Its so loud inside the car with road noise that you cant have a conversation, the doors are MASSIVE, if you are in a close parking spot you cannot get into the vehicle because the door opens 8 feet. The doors also weigh a TON, multiple times I have been bruised massively because I stick my leg out of the car to get out and the door comes back and pins my leg. The seats are the most uncomfortable things Ive ever sat on, if I ride in my car for over 30 minutes in a single day my back will be killing me, and I live out in the country so if I go anywhere beyond the gas station by my house it is over 30 minutes. The interior set up is stupid, if you push your seat all the way back you cannot reach the radio and climate controls, but if you move it closer then you feel like youre sitting at a desk because of the huge dash board. The back seat is basically nonexistent, I can fit one of my dogs back there. For such a small car it gets awful gas mileage, I usually average 25 or so, my old Dodge Neon got upwards of 40 mpg. Chevy itself is very rude about fixing the recalls on this car, and basically just acted like I didnt deserve to have a working, safe vehicle. It does what a car basically should do, it goes, it stops, it has seat belts and it has a radio which works (although the CD player does not). But it loses me on all of the little things that matter in a car, comfort, design, fuel consumption. It just doesnt make any sense as a car.

• 

  2003 GM fuel pumps defective. - 2003 Chevrolet Malibu
  By Eric Puckett - August 6 - 12:45 pm

  My 2003 Chevy Malibu fuel pump went out. While looking for a new one I found some interesting facts. 1 website had over 90 complaints on that part for that model and year of GM cars. Normally parts for cars interchange every 5 years. The 2003 GM models fuel pump was only put on cars that year. That makes me believe that GM knew the pump was defective. Wy else would GM only install that pump for 1 year when they always use parts for 5 years. Something to think about.

• 

  electrical issues - 2015 Chevrolet Equinox
  By elaine wogomon - August 6 - 11:30 am

  I bought my 2015 equinox in may 2015. so far it has been in the shop 2 times for electrical issues, first time my whole dashboard shorted out radio included. 2nd time radio shorted out made an appt for the next day to have it looked at . when i went to go out in the car later that day my battery was dead too!! Very frustrated