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 Needs Quality Control - 2007 Chevrolet Impala
  By rippontiac - July 16 - 3:16 am

  I owned a 1998 Pontiac Grand Prix that was fun sporty and fast. However its radiator cracked at about 200,000. I figured I should get a Chevy because i figured it would be a nice car. I was wrong I should have bought another Pontiac or Ford. Im replacing tires every 19,000 miles approximately because the car came with a weird toe angle on the rear tires, the suspension and steering are too loose. On the suggested improvements i ran out of characters

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  Poorly built - 2007 Chevrolet Malibu
  By tim - July 15 - 7:43 pm

  I bought this car hoping it would be a good vehicle like the previous GM products I purchased in the past. I am disappointed and the more I drive it the more I hate it. My number one complaint is road noise. You can here every bump you hit and everything rattles under the car. The plastic bumpers, grill, and lights are easily moved with your hands. the whole front end is held on by plastic clips allowing a lot of travel and contributing to the road noise. GM could have done a better job. Not the quality product I expected from GM.

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  Hate this car - 2007 Chevrolet Cobalt
  By Unhappy Customer - July 13 - 5:49 pm

  I hate this car. It tends to stall and has bucking problems especially when it rains. The steering wheel ALWAYS shakes a lot around 55 mph (or anywhere between 50 and 60 mph) after using my auxiliary cord for a while the radio goes in and out as if someone were constantly inserting and removing the auxiliary cord even though the outlet is not being used. I cant forget to mention the inconvenience of manual locks and windows or the 2 recalls. Plus, it only gets an average of 23 mpg. Dont waste your money on this car!

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  Electrical Nightmare-RUN-baby-RUN - 2005 Chevrolet Impala
  By ColoradoCyko - July 13 - 10:01 am

  GM has, for years, been having electrical issues, primarily with the instrumentation and blower controls. Our Impala has suffered such a nasty fate. First the speedometer found 6 oclock and never again moved. Then the Fuel gauge pegs out.($1500 to fix) Then blower motor becomes intermittent, then quits, then smokes. FIRE. The net is full of complaints just like ours. This all starts about 60K miles. Plenty of used for sale, no wonder, so steer clear. If youre an Electrical Engineer and have a fire fighters job, this car is for you.

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  99 Suburban LT - Not worth the $$ - 1999 Chevrolet Suburban
  By bilz3 - July 12 - 10:18 am

  We bought this used & had 85K miles on it. At 95k the fuel pump failed, $700. At 100k the upper intake gasket had to be replaced, $900. At 120k the trans failed, $1900. At 125k the steering box failed, $300 and I fixed that myself. Now at 163k the a/c wont blow from the vents and I was told that the whole dash has to come out. Also, one of the catalytic converters is bad. Overall, if I knew then what I know now we NEVER would have bought it. Biggest piece of crap Ive ever owned.

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  Oil consumption - 2007 Chevrolet Suburban
  By frustrated - July 11 - 11:22 pm

  Consumes 1.5 qt of oil every 1000 miles since 47,000 miles. Have to take to dealership every 1000 miles for oil consumption test to get GM to warranty if they ever find a fix. They were supposed to have a fix Feb. 2009, now it is July 2010 and still no fix. Have a friend with a 2009 Suburban with same problem. Also have had battery drain problems.

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  A/C problems on rental - 2010 Chevrolet Cobalt
  By scmhogg - July 11 - 7:52 pm

  I recently rented a cobalt for a drive through the California desert. The A/C seemed to work efficiently, until we reached a particularly hot stretch at 75 MPH, then the A/C shut itself off for 10 minutes. It continued on this on off cycle until we left the hot part of the desert. When it shut off, there was a ping from the computer and the recirculate light started blinking. Stay away from deserts in your Cobalt.

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  Shift lock problems - 2010 Chevrolet Aveo
  By dj morse - July 11 - 5:03 pm

  Problems after 1 month with shift lock on automatic gear handle. Cannot get car out of park.

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  Not the best I have owned - 2005 Chevrolet Malibu
  By Martin - July 8 - 11:54 am

  The interior is so easily stained along with a crappy radio. But the biggest issue is the steering. GM knew the steering was flawed but failed to recall it- I fixed the top part but today my mechanic told me to stop driving it. It will cost $900 to fix. The mileage and power have been nice and it is a pretty car. I replaced my wifes car last month and now have to buy another one. It will not be a GM.

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  I Used to Love This Truck! - 2003 Chevrolet Suburban
  By Nikki - July 7 - 8:03 am

  I bought this truck brand new in 2003. I love the interior space of this truck. Now, in 2010, the truck has 128,000 miles. Cant remember all the repairs I had done on truck. Most repairs was covered under warranty. When truck went out of warranty more problems increased. Now truck loses power while being driven (so dangerous), Front A/C control blows only on max, passenger airbag needs to be serviced. Took truck to Chevy dealership and they cant find the problem with any of the things I just listed. Got to keep 1/4 or more of gas in tank or car wont start. Wish Id known to keep truck until warranty ran out & then purchased another SUV. However, I will really miss this truck. :(