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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  Cursed from the start! - 2002 Chevrolet Cavalier
  By moseschrute - December 15 - 10:19 am

  I bought this to replace my 2000 4 door Cavalier that was totaled in a side impact crash. This car was built at Lordstown assembly recalled 2x due to faulty wiring in the steering column (Potential for wires to melt & cause a fire). Dealership says problem was fixed, but Ive found burnt wires near the gas pedal, the lights by the gear shift have burnt out, horn replaced many times, but constantly burns out (driving hornless since May-REAL safe), can`t install car starter b/c wiring unsafe, REALLY loud drive, constant rattling/squeaking, no power steering, cracked dash, heat/ac only works on full blast, ABS brakes GROAN & slow response time in snow/wet weather only $500 trade-in value

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  Piece of junk - 2006 Chevrolet Impala
  By Joe Smith - December 12 - 7:48 pm

  Soon after I bought it the power steering starting leaking and breaking hoses. Rear door wont open. Cant shift out of drive. Key gets stuck in the ignition. Front end feels like its coming apart. Should have been covered under cash for clunkers but presumably it is worth too much.

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  Not so good. - 2001 Chevrolet Prizm
  By jc0187 - December 6 - 10:38 pm

  Ok, bought this car from my father. I have replaced the O2 sensors. The cadalitic converter is going out, and the a/c no longer works. The back passenger window does not work. I do not like the interior-very uncomfortable.

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  Tires started wearing @ 10,000 miles! - 2008 Chevrolet Impala
  By chacha7 - November 29 - 2:15 pm

  Tires on these 2008 Chevy Impalas, are wearing prematurely starting @ 10,000 miles. Good Year dealer told me these 2008 are coming from factory slightly unaligned, causing premature wear. They also told me that they had 4 city police cars just in that @ 10,000 miles was in need of new tires all the way around on all four Chevy Impalas! And they wont do anything about replacing mine trying now for over 1 year. Had electrical problems with this sense 24 hours of having my Chevy Impala!

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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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  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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  Would not buy again - 2002 Chevrolet TrailBlazer
  By crestedchris - November 25 - 12:59 pm

  This truck has been nothing but trouble from day 1. Trans blew at 3000 miles and brought it back under lemon law. I got a new one. Had transmission problems again and it blew at 48000 miles chevy didnt replace it because it was over 5 years. (I didnt drive it much)so that cost me 3 grand. The entire rear differential broke at 81000 miles (another 3k invested) and the trans module that controls the 4WD broke at 82000. Its horrible on gas. (says 18/21 i get about 13/15 when I drive well) The power isnt bad but for 36000$ new it was a complete rip off. Its comfortable to drive but I would never consider owning one again. And the seatbelts are so uncomfortable.

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  Looks good, Drives terrible - 2007 Chevrolet Silverado 1500
  By Silverado - November 24 - 12:56 am

  On test drive there was a vibration between 45 to 55 MPH. Then we hit a little small broken pavement in the road and the truck jumps all over the place! Gas mileage is a joke if not an out right lie. We tested the gas mileage in several ways but, keep getting the same results. In town, the best gas to the cheapest gas was only 12 MPG. On the Highway, our biggest accomplishment was at 17 MPG. General Motors said the estimated sticker mileage quote was just a theoretical statement. At 45 to 55 MPH the truck has this vibration and in curves at a lower speed it has this same vibration. If driven from payment to concrete or a bumpy road the truck will dance and shake.

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  bought a money pit on wheels - 2002 Chevrolet Blazer
  By david christian - November 23 - 7:04 pm

  Just got my 02 Blazer out of the shop today for its semi annual $700-800 breakdown. Gas mileage is terrible, ride is loud and uncomfortable. Too many odd noises everywhere, just waiting for the next but now very expected $800 shop visit. Waiting to dump it when I can afford another car payment. Then again, soon fixing it might be more expensive than any car payment and I wont have to go without a car while its being repaired, huge inconvenience. Next will be Toyota for sure.

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  clunker - 2007 Chevrolet Equinox
  By challmez - November 14 - 8:33 am

  Bought it new in 2007. Biggest piece of junk on earth. Leaks inside entire interior rotten and moldy! I traded it in with 10000 miles on it 10/30/2010. What a piece of garbage!