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:

• 

  Very Sad - 2008 Chevrolet TrailBlazer
  By sosad - May 12 - 12:55 pm

  In the first year my 2008 TrailBlazer has had the rack and pinion, steering column, sircoil, stabilitrack, airbags, foam insulators, window regulator, left rear shock, five new brake boosters and 1 master cylinder all replaced after failing. Gm paid to have them replaced under warranty. My car is a lemon I wanted a buy back. They have been terrible and are just allowing me to have these newly replaced items warranted with extension. Gm has made me so so sad.

• 

  Not Reliable - 2004 Chevrolet TrailBlazer
  By kaka - May 11 - 8:00 am

  Leased my vehicle in April 2004. By May 2004 the check engine light popped and the vehicle would lose power at any speed over 40. Dan Perkins could not find the problem and instead of listing the problem on the work order the tech simply put women complaining of problem. In 2008 I had a choice purchase or give the dealer $4,000 for the problem. The tranny just let go. I get 4 miles to the gallon and the car is rough to ride in. It actually worsens my back condition. Also, the noise level is terrible.

• 

  Hit and lots of misses - 2010 Chevrolet Malibu
  By TeRedmond - May 10 - 10:28 am

  I wanted to like the car for sure. I do want an American car after all though this car seems a bit foreign for my tastes. Gas mileage was not that great, heavy load and not great trunk space. Use of foreign materials irked me greatly.

• 

  I hate my Traverse, never buy gm again - 2009 Chevrolet Traverse
  By I HATE MY TRAVERSE!! - May 9 - 10:08 pm

  Very disgraceful gm, Chevrolet and dealership customer service, servicing, corporate office, deceptive dealer, 4019 miles dead no start, very poor 12.5 mpg, transmission issues, engine noises whistle knocking, brake squeals, poor visibility front bumper and backing, interior light stayed on 2 hours battery save feature malfunctioned, XM annoying calls, gm owner for 25 yrs and Im done, will never buy gm again. Should of bought Honda/Hyundai. Stay away. Driver side under doors a small bar to protect plastic gas tanks on impact, hope it works? Driver window shimmy off track, dealer did not do detailing ripped me off $398. Gm/Chevy customer service no support claim dealers independently owned and cant help me.

• 

  Chevy let me down again. - 2009 Chevrolet Aveo
  By Becky - May 9 - 6:18 pm

  Radio can’t have duplicate stations or it will get stuck in a “loop” not allowing you to listen to your other preset stations. Mileage has never gone over 25 mpg. NOT power door locks. This is a crock! Keyless key is touchy & alarm goes off. Rear window locks at half way down. There should be an optional override feature to allow windows to go all the way down. Cup holders are a joke and poorly made. They won’t open when its cold and they’re flimsy. After month old and dashboard, and back hatch rattles. Crappy windshield jets. Sprays stream vs., mist/spray. Low tire warning STAYS on even when over filled. Driver side window needed adjusting twice after 1 month, makes popping sound.

• 

  Unreliable - 2009 Chevrolet Traverse
  By rod howard - May 5 - 1:36 am

  Ran great for 1500 miles and then the check engine light came on, 2 days in the shop for repairs. A month later the Traverse starts to jerk when accelerating causing transmission to fail, 4 days in the shop. Got it back and it ran great for 6 month it starts again. Trade for Lexus RX450h

• 

  Dont ever buy impala ss again - 2006 Chevrolet Impala
  By kittycat23 - April 30 - 4:44 am

  i bought 2006 ss impala nothing but problems my check engine light came on twice sensor went, the wheel bearings front two replace, radio went out on it quiet playing my cds all under 40,000 miles then my tires went less the 2000 miles i put on. bought 1200 a set went out, water pump went out at 42,000 my tie rod went at 50,000, remote starter broke, poor handling during the winter, the radiator croaked at 52,000, the transmission leaked twice the hose of it broke not under warranty, cost 250 dollars never ever buy a gm product again

• 

  Horrible Car - Shame on you GM - 2007 Chevrolet Impala
  By Stephanie - April 23 - 7:33 am

  I bought my 2007 Chevy Impala with 30,000 miles on it I thought I had a great car. Turns out it is NOT a good car. Several things going wrong now and I am at 60,000 miles. My outside trim is falling off, have to add oil before 3000 miles with no explanation, my traction control comes on in warm, dry weather and causes the car to slow down with warning lights saying "reduced engine power" and now the check engine light is on constantly. So far leaving the traction control off is working so I can at least drive it. The radio is junk, the heater only works while driving, not while idling so warming the car up is not an option. Thats great news in MI. I am done with GM vehicles and I WAS a fan.

• 

  Sorry I bought this - 2007 Chevrolet Tahoe
  By sorry I bought it - April 23 - 7:19 am

  We bought this 07 Tahoe to haul around our 3 young children. We thought this was going to be a functional family vehicle for many years to come. Boy were we wrong! The Chevrolet engineers obviously do not have children. The LATCH placements make the 3rd row inaccessible when using a child seat and the LATCH system. The 3rd row seats do not fold flat and are too heavy to be taking in and out, the rear doors are designed to come to a sharp point and small children darn near cut their heads open on them when open. My breaks are hanging up at 40,000 miles, my battery died at 30,000 and left me sitting, the door hinges are all frozen up, and do not work worth a crap....wish I had more room

• 

  A Disaster in Navy Blue - 2008 Chevrolet Cobalt
  By emily207 - April 23 - 7:01 am

  Never in my life have I had such an experience with a car. I traded a 1996 Pontiac Sunfire for my 2008 Cobalt, and within months, wanted the Sunfire back. The major issue I had with this car was the lock cylinder. Eventually, I had to have the car towed out of my garage because the key simply wouldnt turn in the ignition. It sat in the shop for a month. I got it back in the middle of January, was rear-ended two days later, and got stranded in a parking lot three days after that when the key wouldnt turn AGAIN. I was completely fed up with the Chevrolet experience and traded it for a 2006 Jetta. I think a person is supposed to be sad to see a car go, but I was HAPPY.