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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  Changed MInd - 2003 Chevrolet Malibu
  By broker037 - October 22 - 2:03 pm

  Rated good before...changed mind. At 64,000 miles worst car ever owned. Head gasket broke down at 40,000 miles due to DexCool AntiFreeze ... GM only would pay for 1/2 "IF" you take to dealer. Cheaper to go to private shop. No wonder they went bankrupt. DO NOT BUY!

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  Not too proud - 1993 Chevrolet Corsica
  By meenyt - October 16 - 2:09 pm

  Bought this car as a "program" back in 93. Had many problems with it. Water leak in front dash area. Paint peeled, door locks would freeze in winter, transmission was going when traded for Ford in 05. I guess it wasnt the worst car we ever had, that would have gone to 86 Subaru wagon. But it was far from the best. Only kept so long due to finances, or lack thereof. Glad we got rid of it when we did. Only had about 75K on it, and it was about done. Probably never purchase GM product again. Every one (EVERYONE) has had water leak problems.

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  Unhappy - 2007 Chevrolet Equinox
  By Susie - October 15 - 9:04 am

  We bought our 2007 Equinox brand new, noticed a smell and inside windows kept fogging up this summer. Found that our carpet in the back was completely soaked with water. By the time we found the issue, our carpets had a black mold on them. I have a small child who is a severe asthmatic and I feel this is a safety issue. Our Equinox is currently back at the dealership for recurrent leaks. So far the dealership cant figure out the source of the leak, so AGAIN I am in limbo, renting a car, hopefully it wont take 6 weeks, like the first time.

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  DONT DO IT!!! - 2003 Chevrolet Venture
  By BAD Deal! - October 13 - 11:26 am

  This van is a piece of junk!! I got this after owning a 7 year old pontiac van that I never had a problem with. This Venture has already had tons of problems!! I have had to replace the headlights 6 times, both of the front blinkers blow out, the window doesnt roll up, the real windshield wiper doesnt work, now there is something wrong with the transmission. Not to mention the fact that it only had 80,000 miles on it when I got it and about every 3 weeks in between oil changes you have to add a quart of oil. Oh yeah, and the drivers seat handle broke off as well as the hatch handle. I am not hard on my vehicles and have never owned something this junky! Not worth it!!

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  Lemon - 2007 Chevrolet Suburban
  By Brad - October 11 - 10:54 pm

  Transmission is junk. 4,000 miles after warranty expired the transmission failed. Searches on the internet produced many hits with the same issue. It seems Chevy knows this is an issue and has failed to do anything about it. Sad that a vehicle that costs over $50k can fail after only 40k miles... This is my second Suburban to have the same problem. Definitely buying an import next time. Americans cannot build cars.

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  1st To 2nd Gear BUcking Transmission - 2001 Chevrolet Silverado 1500
  By Florida Nick Nack - October 8 - 2:00 am

  This truck would shift with a series of distinct bumps, as many as three, on the automatic shift from 1st to 2nd gear. The dealer could not fix the problem so I went through the Florida Lemon Law process. The final arbitration decision was that the shifting problem had no "significant safety of monetary impact on the vehicle" therefore my request for replacement was "DENIED". Chevy, with the Arbitrators concurance, said that the bumping shift was a normal feature for this vehicle. BUYER BEWARE!

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  15 Months After Purchase - 2006 Chevrolet HHR
  By UnhappyHHRowner - October 7 - 4:30 pm

  I rated this car highly when I first bought it but after 15 months of ownership, the honeymoon is over. The build quality of this vehicle is horrid. I have been a loyal buyer of domestic cars and my last two purchases from GM (both 2006 vehicles) are dogs. The HHR has been in the shop for a myriad of problems from front brake rotors, electrical issues, wiper problems, injector replacement, pulling, among others. The metal is paper thin and susceptable to dents. It is a fun car to drive when the check engine light is not on (which is about 50% of the time). My dealership has been great but I can not say the same for the engineers that built this piece of junk.

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  2008 Chevy Malibu LTZ is junk - 2008 Chevrolet Malibu
  By Anne Marie - October 7 - 12:39 pm

  I fell in love with this car when it was first launched and really wanted to have one. I thought I was lucky when I got a used one with 13000km on it. It was a gm employee demo car. At 22,000 the car started to pull to the right, dealer couldnt find a problem. At 27000km it was out of line and I had to pay $200 for have cambers installed in order to line it up properly. At 29000km the fan is beginning to go on it. Its a piece of junk. Certainly not worthy of car of the year.It will be my last GM vehicle.

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  This Vehicle - 2006 Chevrolet Uplander
  By wendy - October 5 - 8:12 pm

  This van has been a pain in the neck since we bought it. It has 60000 miles on it and we have replaced the tie rods twice. Bought two set of tires cause the alignment is off because of the tie rods. If you have 1/4 tank of gas and park on a slant you will not be able to crank your car. I have gotten out with 1/4 tank of gas went in the store and come back out and crank my car and it says no fuel. The sliding doors will not close good and will come open while going down the road. I would like to shove this van up the Chevy peoples behind. It is a lemon and not worth anything.

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  Coming from Fords, very dissapointed. - 2004 Chevrolet Express
  By Greg - October 3 - 4:52 pm

  Mechanically these are superior to the Fords, as far as engine and transmission. However, everything else is worse. The old 1975-1992 Econoline has more room, feels better, drives better, handles better, body is more solid, I could go on an on. The Express interior is very cheap and uncomfortable. Hard plastic creaks and feels like its going to break whenever you touch it. Feels coarse and unpleasant on skin. Front seating is cramped and much less roomy than Ford. Rides like a "rock". Feels like you better handle it with "kid gloves" or it will break. Sliding door rattles and shakes like tin foil when you close it GENTLY. All doors, controls, seats, and dash feel cheap compared to Ford.