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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  Piece of junk - 2005 Chevrolet Aveo
  By Big Mistake - November 10 - 9:53 am

  you name it it has gone out or broke while driving. I git this for my daughter hoping this would be a good car.,. All I can say is thank god she is alive and hasnt been killed by the crap of a car they chevy put out. There was a reason I dont but chevys.

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  Go for some other car - 2008 Chevrolet Aveo
  By Rodolfo - November 10 - 9:52 am

  Like a toy car. Everything is plastic and cheap. Minor but constant and annoying issues with brake lights, hatchback lock, pulls left. Chevrolets expensive and mediocre technical service. Fuel consumption is disappointing. Manual gearbox feels "sticky" and slow. Overall mediocre car. Boring, cheap feeling, noisy.

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  this is why imports are better - 2005 Chevrolet Cobalt
  By jhodges83@yahoo.com - November 5 - 10:47 am

  Ive always had import cars. Ive had an 02 eclipse and a 03 Audi 1.8t. Due to the economy and a recent child I need to get something a little more reasonable. I found an 05 cobalt an decided to buy it. Well now Ive had it for a month an Im mad about it. The thing is junk. It looks like a big piece of plastic. The inside looks looks cheaply made. Even my base eclipse looked an drove a of a lot better then this.

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  Disappointed in Chevy - 2008 Chevrolet Impala
  By Frank - November 4 - 8:50 am

  This car has had to be back to the dealer 7 times for emissions related codes that cause a check-engine light within the first 17 months of ownership. It happened 4 times in the first year, but I didnt file a lemon law claim in time (it had to be done within the first 12 months) and now Chevy wont buy it back and I have changed to a different dealer for the last couple of repairs.

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  dont buy one - 2007 Chevrolet Equinox
  By Rob - November 2 - 11:24 am

  Things I dont like center console is cheap and the cup holders are horrible, the engine knocks no matter what, the mirror covers on the visors always brake, the passenger air bag is faulty, there is a LEAK SOMEWHERE in the car that covers my floor board and cargo space. The chrome plate around the shifter is a driving hazard. The AC can not handle the space and there are no rear vents and the vents in the front have a limited movement. The interior lights are cheep also. The center console set up is very poor design. I would never own another 07 equinox and would get rid of it now if I could afford to take a hit.

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  Dont buy Chevy!!!!! - 2008 Chevrolet Aveo
  By rskinner - October 30 - 9:30 am

  The car has been falling apart since we got it. The radio didnt work since day 1! The bolt that holds the car together fell off. There is only 18,000 miles on the car. I dont believe it should be falling apart so quickly. This car has been in the shop 3 times this month alone. At 10,000 miles it already had a leak in the motor! Dont buy Chevy! I know we wont from here on out! What a bunch of lemons!

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  ARE YOU KIDDING ME?! - 2007 Chevrolet Cobalt
  By jstrachan84 - October 28 - 4:47 pm

  So I bought my Cobalt BRAND NEW. There was literally 1 mile on my car when I got it. Well of course now my car is out of warranty and at 39,000 miles the power steering light comes on the dashboard. A really cool extra feature happens and the steering wheel completely locks up. I looked this problem up on the internet and apparently this happens pretty frequently. After much arguing, Chevy agreed to pay for the part. The motor for the electronic power steering is what went. This part has been an ongoing problem with the Cobalt but the part has not been recalled. Even the mechanics at the local Chevy dealership by my home were arguing with Chevy that this is not a part that should of broke.

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  Terrible company car - 2007 Chevrolet Impala
  By Traveler - October 28 - 12:51 am

  I have had 3 Impalas as company cars in the past 6 years and have had multiple problems with each one. The steering locked up and left me stranded twice with my 03. My 05 and 07 have both been in the shop multiple times for various reasons. The trim on the driver side door has peeled of on both. All of these problems happened with 50,000 miles or less. One of my biggest complaints is the heater. My last 2 Impalas would not blow hot air when the car was idling. I cant believe all of them are like this but after having 2 new ones that both operate this way I wonder. For a free car I cant complain, but I would NEVER buy one of these for myself.

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  When it starts to go wrong, gets worse - 2001 Chevrolet Venture
  By unhappy - October 26 - 5:09 pm

  Our 2001 Venture has been very well taken care of with regular dealer servicing and low annual milage (about 8500 miles per year). About a year ago, the head gasket started to leak... Since then we had to replace the head gasket, then instrument cluster control module an now - the driver side window mechanism. All in all it about $5000 of repairs on a 8 year old van with about 70K miles on it! Also the dealer - Fisher Chevy in Boulder - treated us very poorly. And the repair cost just snow balled. And now - there is no telling what will be next! Awful reliability and build quality.

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  DONT EVEN BOTHER - 2014 Chevrolet Impala
  By Dalton Richards - October 26 - 3:25 am

  I recently purchased a 2014 Impala LT eco sedan. First off when got the car loved it! The car now has 77,000 miles and Ive had nothing but problems with the car! First off battery went out when diagnose a new vehicle usually you can tell when battery is going no this car will leave you stranded from what I experienced! Second when it go cold my ABS light comes on and dings at me to service stabletrac! Next had a Intake rocker arm solenoid go out and just threw my car around for a ride. Love the car but I have had nothing but problems I am to point I wont by GM products do to this terrible terrible experience Ive had with this car! Going back to Dodge!