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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  worst truck and no support from GM - 2015 Chevrolet Tahoe
  By rafi - September 30 - 3:48 am

  there are not enough space in back,try to get the jack out when you have flat tire most of the technology on this truck wont work, the dealer and GM does not support the customer to fix the problem ,I have an LTZ model and I have so many problems with it I ask everyone to think good before buying this truck, some of the problem I have this 2015 Tahoe are,automatic lift gate sticks open sometimes and wont close with I push the close push button,some times the door steps get stuck and open pull out when I open the door,one day I was driving and notice that I lost the lights on bottom dash board where the climate control are I had to stop turn the truck off and restart it ,my driver seat keep breaking the dealer fix it ones and the problem came back again,and the last thing on it so far was when I push the start /stop button to turn the truck off the truck did not shut off I had to push the button few times til the engage shut off,I will keep update on this page on any new problems I will have on my truck to make everyone aware of this truck and let them think twice before buying since GM does not care about the customer.

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  Terrible Product Quality - 2008 Chevrolet Malibu
  By Bill - September 28 - 5:51 pm

  Door locks two down and two to go....at $300 a pop, passenger airbag failed just before warranty went out and chevrolet they never fixed it tire pressure sensor failure, headlamp replacement is a human factors nightmare....have to remove the entire front end to replace a headlamp bulb.

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  Check engine light misery - 2014 Chevrolet Cruze
  By Amity - September 21 - 1:39 pm

  Dont buy. My car has 15k miles and Im in arbitration with GM because its been to the dealership five times in six months with check engine light problems nobody can fix.

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  Leaky lumina - 1997 Chevrolet Lumina
  By Preston Alexander - September 21 - 11:13 am

  When I received the car a few months ago, it had great millage, it has great get up and go and it is great on gas. It used to be a security car at UNT. since I got it, I had to replace the starter and seal a leak in the transmission line. Now it is leaking power steering fluid and its going run from $200-$500 to fix. Thats a whole lot of money when your a broke college kid.

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  Back to the Drawing Board - 2011 Chevrolet Traverse
  By Shirley Williams - September 21 - 10:37 am

  I purchased my "Brand New" 2011 Traverse in July 2011. Between 2013 & 2014, I have had the radio replaced, the back windshield replaced (2X), a back signal bulb, a front bulb, all the switches that control the electric windows, complete set of new tires, and in May of this year, 2015, I had to have a new engine along with a new coil and these items are not part of the number of recalls that have been issued. Now my breaks are squealing when I apply them and my gas needle isnt registering correctly and of course another recall on the automatic lift for the trunk area. Im so sick of this vehicle and all its issues. Before I purchased my Traverse, I had a used 2002 Dodge Caravan that didnt give me any problems. Had I know buying "NEW" would put me in this predicament, I would have kept my van. At least if something on it needing fixing/replaced, it wouldnt matter so much because it was used. Who would have thought with all this technology that you have so much problems with a supposedly New Vehicle?

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  dissapointed in indy - 2012 Chevrolet Cruze
  By Carman - September 21 - 6:41 am

  I absolutely loved this car when I first bought it .. honestly I still really like it. I have 51k miles and I am on my third turbo. GM has done a poor job of fixing this issue. I am terrified to take my car out of town as I do not know when my turbo will go out again.

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  Transmission Failed! - 2009 Chevrolet Traverse
  By Amin Khan - September 18 - 9:30 am

  Be aware and stay away. A quick internet search will tell the whole story. My transmission is shot, broken,kaput! Constant water leaks, Squeky steering Dead battery, no explanation passenger seat belt light comes on without warning Drinks gas

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  dont buy!! a waste of road space - 2015 Chevrolet Malibu
  By Larry Ingram - September 15 - 1:45 pm

  this has to be the most uncomfortable car ive ever driven, i actually traded a cobalt that i wish i had back, im a long time chevrolet and long time GM customer, i will never buy again, this car is junk, GM offers no support, i was actually tol "too bad, you bought it" "maybe you should have shopped more" no way to treat a customer if you ask me.

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  buyer beware - 2008 Chevrolet Malibu
  By brenda duran - September 7 - 1:59 pm

  low miles and multiple times in shop. Headlights go out frequently- bulb cost a few bucks but must have mechanic replace. Door locks dont work. Catalytic converter bad- shocks bad- overall value HORIBLE!!

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  Oh what high hopes I had for a GM vehicle - 2012 Chevrolet Cruze
  By John S - September 1 - 5:50 am

  So this is my first delve into buying a GM vehicle for about 15 years. But it probably will be the last one I will ever buy. My wife and I thought we were buying a good used 2011 Cruze LTZ. Only had 29,000 on it and looked great! Oh but how looks can fool you, turbo went out a month into ownership, how does a turbo fail with 29,000 miles? OK well then we think OK fluke right. No, then a few thousand miles later water pump leaking. OK, well maybe another fluke. No, water pump replaced 15,000 miles ago?? What? A water pump that lasts 15,000 miles? So these two engine parts should last well beyond what they have and obviously being on third water pump in 34,000 miles does not seem to indicate GM has done anything to actually fix this problem. Guess every third oil change I need to replace water pump? The car drives fine, but the 18" low profile tires are expensive to replace, why you would put 168 MPH rated tires on a econobox car Ill never figure out? Then you have the questionable turbo issues, oil sludge potential, I have seen these engines with less then 50,000 miles have total engine failure due to oil lubrication issues. Now you have the reduced value of the car because these issues are getting worse. I would not recommend this car to anyone at this point from my 4 months of ownership. If you do have one, make sure to change the oil, use synthetic if you want the engine to last to 100,000 miles, watch coolant levels, burn better gas for improved MPG and dont expect GM to do anything about these issues.