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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  GM is Back in Business - 2009 Chevrolet Impala
  By George - November 27 - 9:27 pm

  I picked up a 2009 Impala as a long term rental while awaiting delivery of my new 2010 Toyota. After the first 2 months of driving this car, I have to admit that I will miss it and even have wished I had considered this before ordering the Toyota. I have owned several GMs over the years 60s - 90s. My last a 1995 Grand Prix convince me never to own another. However, this Impala has changed my mind. This is a lower end rental unit and I would have ordered a higher optioned model. My only minor complaint is the outside mirrors, they are small and triangular and NOT heated. This is the first car I have owned in years not to have heated mirrors. This should be standard.

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  Is this a Japanese car? - 2010 Chevrolet Malibu
  By Cindy - November 27 - 4:20 pm

  I have only owned this car for about a week and a half and I love it already. It is the tightest car Ive ever driven and its fun to drive. I just love the xm radio. I bought the base car and it feels more expensive than it is. Im so proud of the car. I wanted a sports car, like a Camaro, as I love GM cars. This car is more economical, but fun to drive in a different way. Fit and finish has come a long way since I bought my 2003 Impala.GM is really going in the right direction. My friends who just bought the Toyota Camry were upset when they found out how much car I got for my money and how great the car rides.

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  NIce Izuzu - 2009 Chevrolet Colorado
  By Gary - November 27 - 2:47 pm

  Traded in my 15 year old S-10 on the cash for clunker deal. Nice enough truck. The front seats are a little cheap. The floor pan is up much higher that I am used to, feel like you are sitting in a little kid chair. If I plan to keep it for a while I will have to yank the bed liner out as it is starting to leave a gouge in the paint on the tailgate and front wall lip. Very roomy both front and rear. Plenty of power, at least for me. Weird thing about the cash for clunker deal, I got $3500 for my S-10 because the gas mileage on the Colorado was supposed to be better. I got 20 mpg consistently with the S-10. I get maybe 18 with the Colorado.

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  Awful! - 2005 Chevrolet Silverado 1500
  By jessicaw1 - November 27 - 10:29 am

  Ours has been nothing but a problem! They dent VERY easily. The engine light comes on for no reason that the dealer can find. The cd player broke at about 30,000 miles. The console broke at 40,000. All the gauges stopped working at 45,000. When we are in neutral, it read 50 mph, when driving at normal speeds it maxes out. The glove box fell out. The 4 wheel drive got stuck on. It was stuck on for 3 days and was making an awful noise. We finally got it back in 2 wheel drive and the noise is still there. For its age, it has low miles and is not used for anything out of the ordinary. Not even driven everyday. Horrible truck, WOULD NOT RECOMMEND!

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  Not too Shabby - 2005 Chevrolet Aveo
  By ahartney - November 27 - 9:17 am

  This car is overall pretty dependable. I drive it to and from work everyday, regularly change the oil and havent had any major issues up until now. Last night, was driving and heard a pop. I looked under the hood and it had sprayed coolant all over, starting from the passenger side near the air filter box. Turns out that a lot of Aveo owners have had the same issue. The factory thermostat housing is made of plastic and is held together with glue. Mine basically separated into two pieces right at the gasket. Options are buy an aluminum one for approx. $100.. ($91.78 plus tax from the dealer) or use plastic weld to glue it back together. By the way...parts are only carried by the dealer.

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  6000 miles and 12 trips to the dealership later... - 2016 Chevrolet Camaro
  By Alex D - November 26 - 7:09 pm

  First off before the fanbois go on the attack, yes, I understand its a first year car. But its not the fist time GM has bought or built seats, headliners, transmissions etc. Cant blame "first year car" on seats that were falling apart after 2k miles. Also my car was held up for 2 months in QC to ensure when my car arrived it would be semi problem free. Notice I didnt set the bar dramatically high using "semi problem free" I didnt expect a perfect car as no car is perfect but in the first 6k miles both seats have failed in some way from the motor, cooling/heating mech, latches etc. The A8 trans has been a nightmare with constant overheating issues even when driving in 34-55 mph areas with low to medium traffic density, even during break in. The audio and navigation system has been nothing but problems even after it has received a reflash twice. Also I think they had someone that was under 55 designing dash layout. Who thought it was a great idea to tilt the screen so far downward it causes the driver to crane their neck over and down to see the screen? The exhaust system rattles like it was from a mid 90s civic, even after being replaced. The idiotic run flats they fitted the car with are ridiculously loud and if I had any thought of keeping the car Id swap them out in a heartbeat. There there were issues like the hood not aligning properly and being told their dealerships BODY SHOP had to remove the front of the car to fix it correctly as well as the rear end sounds like it will fail at any moment even after the fluid has been changed in it twice. Still waiting for someone from GM to look at that to authorize a replacement rear end fix. The seat materials for a 50k car are awful, the headliner has sagged and been replaced. The interior rattles multiply weekly and Ive given up on trying to track them all down as the dealerships techs have made more appear than fix the existing ones. Yes its got 420 hp (sorry, I dont over estimate like car companies) and a new body style mimicking some of the lines of the new vette but its the build quality that kills this car. In 5 years this camaro will be no better than the mid 90s trash GM produced. Didnt they receive bailout money to save their company and not build crap like this? I was so tempted to purchase the car but at the last moment changed to a lease and I am so glad I did. Cars you should own m3, m4, mercedes amgs, porsche etc. Cars you should lease American produced junk like this. Its great they moved production back to the US but I would have thought American workers would should their thanks by putting pride into their work and building a quality product. And by all means dont take my word for it. Google issues for the gen 6 camaro, look up pages of issues people are having. People are getting entire motors replaced at 1000 miles, people are getting cars replaced because they werent painted correctly and people like myself with a two page list of issues just get the run around. Its sad because I wanted to like this car and it was my first time back in an American built car in 8 years but with all the issues I will be opting to end my lease early and just take the hit to get out of it. I would rather pay for a car that is worth the monthly payment rather than pay for a camaro that has mediocre reliability and quality.

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  over 100,000 miles on the original tires - 2004 Chevrolet Suburban
  By John - November 26 - 11:09 am

  We had a 97 Tahoe we traded in on the suburban because we needed more room I have driven chevys for over 30 years this is the best one yet it pulls well it rides great and is the most comfortable one yet this is one great suv

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  Great truck - 2008 Chevrolet Silverado 2500HD
  By Neil - November 26 - 10:00 am

  I chose this model as it could be converted to also use CNG and now I get about 20 mpg (CNG) on the freeway at 65 - 70 mph. With gasoline it would be 3 mpg better but CNG is $1.53/gal I use it in the mountains (+9000 feet) and it just goes anywhere. Upgraded to 285/75/16 tires for a snowplow (clearance) - Plow works fine with the 160 amp alternator. Replaced the catalytic converter in first year but otherwise no problems and I now have 34K miles and 2 years on it. I enjoy driving this truck. Its comfortable and rides easy. I tow a 8000 lb back hoe trailer with ease.

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  LAWSUIT IN THE MAKING???? - 2004 Chevrolet Malibu Maxx
  By amberdawn - November 25 - 9:49 pm

  Jan. 2010 I was pregnant with my 3rd child, and also dealing with the death of my mother. I needed a car that was reliable and safe for my kids. I loved how the car was small enough for me, but roomy enough for the kids. Test drive went great. Got the car home and seat broke, handles on seats broke, gas leak made baby very sick, power locks possessed, power steering freezes at times, cruise control works when it wants, horn honks randomly but not when its needed, CD ate my CDs and refuses to give them back, seat belts, brakes, wheels, etc. Seems to me that someone was extremely doped up when they built this car. Unsafe! Unfair to us consumers with high maint. bills. [non-permissible content removed]

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  Inferno Orange Screamer - 2010 Chevrolet Camaro
  By 15Again - November 25 - 8:43 pm

  This is the Chevy I have been waiting for since I was a teenager. 2SS/RS auto in Inferno Orange Metallic. Had the dealer install the black rally stripes and it attracts attention and comments everywhere. Incredible looks, nice handling, terrific power, it is easy to drive and quiet when you want it to be and goes like crazy when you want it to. Deceptively fast. Handling is confidence inspiring, I love driving this car and plan to keep it forever.