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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  Malibu a Reliable Car - 1999 Chevrolet Malibu
  By camaroz - June 6 - 2:00 am

  Our Malibu has been extremely reliable. No mechanical defects. One minor interior trim issue fixed under warranty. Truly a great mid-size car at a great price. We have the 2.4 liter 4 cyl. Not as responsive as the 6cyl but, a little better mileage and the deal we got was great.

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  Serious accident - 2006 Chevrolet TrailBlazer EXT
  By keith carr - June 5 - 7:06 pm

  Had a serious accident. I was hit on drivers side front tire full length of drivers side. $12000 in damage, but the good news is no injuries. No jarring inside. Nobody got a scrape or scratch or even a bruise, This thing totally protected us and there was no damage inside. I would definetly buy another one. They are fixing this one, but it gave us total protection in the accident. You cant beat that, and the damage was all cosmetic. The other car was totalled.

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  Original owner - 1998 Chevrolet Camaro
  By mike - June 5 - 12:22 am

  Im the original owner of a 1998 Z28 Camaro and its been a really great car. Ive had it now for 7 years and have been driving it every day and in all types of weather. Its an absolute hoot of fun to drive. The LS1 V8 is a lion of an engine and it has incredible acceleration and handling - even to this day. Its also been very reliable considering how these cars always seem to have a bad rating in this area The only drawback is the difficulty of getting in and out of the car

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  Big, comfortable, reliable, nice driver - 2003 Chevrolet Suburban
  By BigDave - June 4 - 5:53 pm

  We have had four Suburbans since 1995. All of them have been better than the last. The 2003 is by far the nicest and best riding of the four. Ours has everything but DVD and middle captains seats. We have had no major problems in 44K miles. Several small things were dealt with under warranty, but no big deal. We get fair mielage, about 15, and we are suprised at how fast and powerful this is with a 5.3 motor. With our kids grown and out of the house, we went without a Suburban for 3 months, then decided to get this 2003. Are we happy we got one more.

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  ZR2, all the options - 2000 Chevrolet Blazer
  By laner - June 3 - 12:07 pm

  Ive had the Blazer for 3 months now, and its everything I expected and more. Its fun to drive, and the highway mileage is above 20mpg. I love being able to have the rear seats down for easy storage. Of course theres wear and tear, and parts to buy, but its an SUV. Its kind of expected.

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  Good ol Faithful - 1999 Chevrolet Suburban
  By Happy Soccer Mom - June 1 - 9:37 pm

  "The beast" was purchased with 69k on it and has never skipped a beat (now 113k). I might have gotten a gem, but I swear by Toyota & Honda....now I swear by Chevy. The last year of the 350 engine in the Suburbans is a classic. The new 323 in year 2000 and newer has more torque but less oompf for towing than mine. Traveling highways out to Arizona, with 4 passengers and full luggage load we got 26mpg! Tows like a dream. I too, have a small A/C leak - glad to hear from previous review its a cheap fix. Bilstein shocks and it rides like a Cadillac. PLENTY of room for carseats, dogs, etc. All power seats/heaters still work like brand new. Im a very happy Chevy owner! I will drive this truck till the doors fall off!

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  Purchased But Not Pursuaded - 2007 Chevrolet Corvette
  By mike wilk - June 1 - 8:17 pm

  Purchased a 2007 Corvette Coupe. Still getting used to this car. Traded in a 2015 Camaro V6 for it. With no warranty other than a 30 day/1000 mile transmission warranty, feel somewhat walking on thin ice. Took car in for oil change. Oil seeping around oil pan. It turned into a $900 job by the time all was said and done. Shortly after, I noticed the front quarter panel was sticking out, no longer attached to the frame. Tab connecting panel to the body was broken and duct tape was hanging down on the ground. Took vehicle back to place of purchase and showed them my findings. Car went to body shop for repair. No charge. As for the car itself, its a vette, plain and simple. Repairs are expensive, parts are expensive, anything that says Vette on it is expensive. Still, its a corvette. BASED ON REPAIR COSTS AND MAINTENANCE COSTS, I CAN I EXPECT $1,000 MINIMUM CHARGE FOR BRAKES, TIRES, A/C UNIT, TORQUE BEARING ETC... If I had the opportunity to do it over again, Id choose to get a 2008 or newer and automatic. Stay away from convertibles and not interested in a track car. This purchased car is a daily driver and I enjoy driving the standard, after all, it is a muscle car, still, Im an older guy and driving over speed bumps everyday just to get to the main road sucks. Overall, the the 2007 Z51 3LT has many advanced features that are credit worthy. Its a beautiful car and deserves to be run. "Drive it like you own it (or as my wife says, "Drive it like you stole it."...and enjoy the ride!!! There are those are on the road that wish they had a Vette and there are those who drive a Vette. Cheers.

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  Great - 2003 Chevrolet TrailBlazer
  By ltz2003 - June 1 - 2:00 am

  The vehicle has been great so far. I only had one problem so far a leaking Rear diff. seal. One trip to fix it. I would tell anyone to buy one of these. Hope to have it for a long while

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  love it hate it - 2014 Chevrolet Equinox
  By Missy - May 28 - 7:37 pm

  Its a comfortably reliable SUV. The steering goes out. Chevy is aware but doesnt recall. And has a clause in warranty to not cover. But I love my SUV. Hate Chevy for not fixing a issue that there aware of. Safety concern.

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  Really nice car - 2003 Chevrolet TrailBlazer
  By Desiree - May 27 - 8:54 pm

  I fell in love with this car the moment I saw it. It has all the room our family needs, and plenty of safety features (such as front and side impact air bags and OnStar) to help us out if we need them. It has the DVD for the kids, and that could be considered to be a safety feature in itself! It has plenty of power for passing and getting on the highway, way more than you even need. The steering controls are also very nice. The standard stereo is enough for me, but it needs rear speakers for the kids. Love can sometimes be blind though. Fuel efficiency is not one of its best features, which is a growing concern.