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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  Not worth the work - 2006 Chevrolet TrailBlazer
  By Alexis - September 21 - 12:50 pm

  I have loved this car, but I do not have the time nor wish to spend the amount of time necessary in up keeping this car. The older it gets, the more the little things keep adding up. From the AC to the fan to the hatch hydraulics to the windshield wipers to the driver door panel to the sun roof to the electric shorting in general...... the list goes on and on. I have always felt pretty safe driving it, unless the battery dies or the fuel pump fails. You need AAA with this car.

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  SO DISAPPOINTED - 2009 Chevrolet Traverse
  By Denean - September 15 - 3:28 pm

  Got my 2009 Chevy Traverse from Rick Hendricks in January 2015 Transmission wasnt working properly so I went to Rick Hendricks mechanic shop in Feb. They said there was nothing wrong with the transmission. Months later in May they had to fix it because the transmission went out. Now a month later the transmission is slipping again. I have powertrain warranty that will cost me $150 but I shouldnt have to pay anything.

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  Not Very Reliable - 2007 Chevrolet Tahoe
  By britt123 - September 15 - 1:07 pm

  Although my Tahoe LTZ has never left me on the side of the road, Ive had my share of expensive problems with it. I have had to replace the lifters because one of them was stuck. Chevy dealership told me theyd cut me a "deal" and repair it for $2500. I took it to a trusted shop in town and spent $1800 on parts and labor. On our last visit to the dealership, we were told our front differential would need to be replaced and this would cost around $2500 as well. The mechanic even suggested we think about trading our Tahoe in...real reassuring right? I have Lexus GS400 that is almost 10 years older than this truck and it still runs like a champ and Ive only had a few minor repairs here or there. The interior of the truck is nice. My toddler enjoys the DVD player. The 3rd row seating is a little cramped and the storage behind the 3rd row seat is almost nonexistent. The dash cracks. The door handles peel. These are little things I have learned to deal with. I love the look of the Tahoe but I hate that were running in to so many problems and we havent even reached 200k miles yet.

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  The Fastest Mistake - 1994 Chevrolet Corvette
  By Mark Johnson - September 14 - 11:42 pm

  The 1994 Chevrolet Corvette is by far one of the coolest cars Ive ever seen. Pop-up headlights, reverse hood, targa top, V8 5.7, etc. As a 17 year old boy I decided to purchase this car from a family on Craigslist. It was a nice dark purple, clean body, with only 70,000 miles on it. I had it inspected and obviously there were a few things wrong but nothing to bad, because I only payed 2000$ for new brakes, radiator, and headlights. After about 1 month however...needed a new intake hose, new horn, plastic was wearing, fuel was leaking into the filter, water pump went bad. Im about 4000$ sunk into maintenance. The car is worth $6500 by next month I could afford another vette. No, this is not a reliable car. Yes, Im a dumb kid who spent money on a car I didnt need. MOVE PAST THIS. Look at it. Its the American Dream and its beautiful. It goes like hell when it runs and it ALWAYS turns head. Give it love, and if you dont mind paying for the maintenance, and fuel-which can be expensive if you drive a lot, you will learn to accept this car. 3 stars as a daily driver. But if you find a nice one and you whip it out on occasion, I guarantee your smile wont come off and you will come back to Edmunds and write a 5 star review.

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  2008 Impala LS - 2008 Chevrolet Impala
  By Dederic Crisp - September 9 - 2:07 am

  I bought this car used abt 3.5 years ago. lock actuators had to be replaced. I know have 200000 miles on it and its been a pretty reliable vehicle. I only wish GM wouldve gotten the kinks out of the motor and transmission.

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  Impressed at First. - 2014 Chevrolet Cruze
  By BLH - September 8 - 4:42 pm

  Did a lot of research on the 2014 turbo diesel. Purchased the car in May. With less than 4000 miles on it, the check engine light comes on. To the dealer we go and 6 hrs later, they cant figure out the problem. The mechanics couldnt figure out the error code. Supposedly they had to call tech support and reset the electronics on the car. Now, the gas info doesnt read correctly. And its still not fixed. A full tank read out tells me I can get 400 miles to a tank of diesel. I have managed to get over 50 miles to a gallon and its a 15.6 gallon tank. The seats are low to the floor. The driver seat is power and will rise up but no lumbar support. Long drives get uncomfortable. We bought this vehicle because of the MPG and we travel often. The trunk space is so-so. It will hold 2 large suitcases and some smaller bags. The interior could be better. The sunvisors do not go far enough over to the middle to block out the sun. It does have rattles that you can hear and cant find. The stereo system sucks. It has a very "tinny" sound. I have tried adjusting it manually and per music style and it still sounds bad. The back up camera is handy. It beeps while backing up and if anything is coming from either side of the vehicle. The outside mirrors have a car icon that flashes to let you know there is a vehicle in your blind spot. It does have road noise and the car sits low to the ground. Hitting bumps and dodging potholes can be rough.

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  Drives smooth as a new car should....but - 2013 Chevrolet Cruze
  By MIchelle - August 31 - 4:02 pm

  OK the car in my opinion is over priced and these are the reasons why. 1. the dashboard, well I dont even know what that is other than plastic. This makes it very easy to wipe down. I mean a damp cloth with a little light weight cleaner (I use organic cleaners) and wham it looks new again. Problem I cant see that dashboard lasting and would be really surprised if it did. I keep my windows and the car covered to protect it so maybe this will help. 2. I have had to have rusting bolts replaced (MY car is 2 years old, 2013. With 28K miles on it. I bought it with 68 miles). In addition, the paint job wasnt all that great and after getting home with my car I noticed foggy areas on the paint. They fixed that for me right away but still I was left without my car for 3 days. 3. The paint is some type of silicon? Therefore press your nail in it and it leaves the impression. That is so not cool. Think about it. 4. The seats could use much improvement. I bought pads for them because they are sunken and not padded well as on many imports. My car was 18 years old so it took me a few weeks to notice this. I wish I had noticed before that. lol 5. The molding around my car which is the only metal I think it has after 2 years was discolouring and spotting. It got blamed on the rain. Really? Serioulsy? You think the rain did that but didnt touch the paint? I dont think so. Either way it had to be replaced. It really looked like a car that was 20 years old and Id had it for 2 years! Not cool. Not cool at all. Really bent me. 6. The seat covers, cloth on the seats, they do not hold up well. They do not clean well. Get covers if you buy this car. I already had to have one of the seats replaced. This was done a little over 1 year of owning the car. At that time there was another lady having the same thing done and she had had her car about the same length of time. 7. Due to the material they used for the interior it will show every mark. I mean if you vacuum and the vacuum drags across the "plastic" around the door near the dashboard or even where the gears for park etc are. It will leave a scratch. I also had that area replaced due to the scratching much to my vain due to they scratched [non-permissible content removed] out of it while replacing it and the old piece had less markings. :() 8. Lastly the key has buttons for opening the door and starting the car. Somehow for me it is super easy to hit and not notice I opened the trunk. Now please understand Im good to my cars. They laugh at me at the dealership and tell me my car is spotless. I laugh because Im bringing it in for a detail when they tell me this. My Toyota was a 93 and I bought it with 2000 miles. Not one spot on my car. No one believed me when I told them it was 20 years old. They thought it was a 2003 or so. :) I take very good care of my belongings inside and out. The bumpers were still jet black! No cracks, no marks on the inside! No tears in the seats nothing. What I do like about the car. 1. It is new and drives very smooth. The turbo has great pickup. Though a slight delay which is common in a turbo it can move when needed. 2. On a scale 1 to 10 the interior sound is about at an 8. With the radio on a 9. I dont listen to my music loud so its not a drowning out reason. 3. Love the layout of the buttons and accessories. Love how you can see the air pressure in the tires etc. Love all of that stuff. Love the extra pocket on the passenger side and both of the doors big pockets for stuff. The extra storage on the dashboard and I love the adjustable seat belts. 4. My car came tinted and due to the tint, within legal tinting, and the slant of the front windshield I no longer need sunglasses. Living in FL and in 2 years not one time did I need them. So much better for your eyes. Love it! 5. The trunk is big! Much bigger and much more room than I initially thought. I can really pack it! And the seats lay down. 6. I can actually start my car from inside. That is just so amazing and awesome to me. 7. Its a new car so it is to be excepted but it drives really smooth and handles the road well. No issues with sudden idiot drivers next to me or in the rain. 8. The radio and all works great but Im not into the On star at 226 a year. Sorry but that is a bit pricey and then you have to pay for the satellite radio. Maybe if it were all in one at 200 but never the less I had a taste of onstar and well emergency services left me laughing [non-permissible content removed] it was so embarrassing to use them. They simply tell the operator at 911 what you are saying. I mean really? And then when I said the car in front of me is on fire they said..."Is there smoke?" I nearly died. Thank God animal control came by and had a fire extinguisher on hand. No kidding. 9. They have many usb ports in which I have never used a one. Overall I really like the car. Really I do. I get very good gas mileage and I enjoy driving it. If it werent for GMs cheap parts...

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  Great car - except for a few things - 2015 Chevrolet Malibu
  By Bob Woliver - August 30 - 12:45 pm

  Have had a 2015 Malibu LS for about a month. Great gas mileage, decent power (but it is no dragster), reasonable handling but lacks road feel. Cons: poor rear visibility, no spare tire, a bunch of electronics piled on top of the battery making it difficult to check water level (something you do in a very hot climate like mine) and lots of road noise. Transmission seems to occasionally hunt gears at mid throttle going about 40-50 mph. I hated auto stop on my 2012 Honda Civic Hybrid and dislike it on this car - maybe Im just old school. I personally prefer my older 2009 Malibu with 90K miles on it. I would characterize this car as a typical American 5 passenger car from which they have engineered out every possible cost and I am only marginally satisfied with this car.

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  Tire pressure sensor meltdown - 2015 Chevrolet Cruze
  By Daniel Jensen - August 25 - 11:07 pm

  After only 80 miles in my brand new 2015 cruze 3 of my tire pressure sensors already malfunctioned:/.. The door handles are so cheap and feel like they will fall/rip off at any time. The center consul is not connected to the floor. Blue tooth does not connect to phone for music.

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  Not for long term use. - 2011 Chevrolet Cruze
  By Erica. - August 25 - 10:20 pm

  I bought my 2011 Cruze LT in early 2012 with about 18,xxx miles. I was so excited and it was my first car purchase on my own. I was in nursing school and commuting an hour each way to clinical sites and needed something that would sip gas. That it DID. I averaged 36 MPG at its newer years and LOVED that aspect. It was a great commuter car for that as it has large windows and I felt as though I sat up decently high to get a get view for merging and being in and out of traffic. Never a blind spot. It parks easily and turns on a dime to squeeze into tight spaces. Everything is very in-sync with those aspects. When it comes to overall car quality... Less can be praised. Within 8 months of purchase I replaced my FIRST water pump. Within 64 days I was replacing my second, blaming the failure on the initial repair. All the while I was borrowing cars and hitching rides because Chevy has altogether quit handing out loaners even when the repairs are obviously their fault (they probably cant keep up with loaner demand anymore). Again within 6 months the car is overheating again and another water pump. It is now 2015 and I just replaced my EIGHTH water pump. CHEVY YOU HAVE LOST ME FOREVER. It has had a new water pump every 10,000 miles. I can name about 10,000 things that lasted longer than 10,000 miles and my Chevy Cruze is not one of them. Im sure wagon wheels lasted longer than that and yet Chevy cant figure out water pumps... If I ever come into money Im going to videotape myself shoving this car off of a cliff somewhere very beautiful and send the video into Chevy for their next advertisement. Because no, youre not going to want to drive your Cruze around a pretty city night scene, youre going to be doing what I want to do. So lets get real and advertise it as such. "This is you in 4 years happily pushing your well maintained and STILL FINANCED vehicle off of a cliff out of anger because we are too cheap to put in parts that will last!" This is like one of those $5 Amazon purchases you make from China where you think to yourself. "This might electrocute me but lets try it!" But waaaaaay more expensive and waaaaay more aggravating. My eighth water pump issue brought me to having to wake up 2 hours early on a Monday, which already sucks, to take my car in and to be dropped off at work like some hobo. Thanks Chevy. Im now onto my second car purchase and staying far far away from Chevy lots.