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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  ok truck - 1997 Chevrolet Blazer
  By jay - March 3 - 4:55 pm

  this truck was a good vehicle, it was reliable, considering that this website states a lot of problems, only problems it had were because of me. It hardly needed anything other than the usual, oil change. gas was bad seen it wasted more gas then my Tahoe (v8).the power was bad as well considering engine size 4.3 and only 190hp

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  Not a bad vehicle - 2006 Chevrolet TrailBlazer
  By Hurb - March 3 - 2:14 pm

  I bought this vehicle used with around 9k on it. Ive got close to 100k on it and its still running strong. I have done the regular maintenance, recently changed out the spark plugs myself (which terrifies me with these new cars) and still going. The only thing that Ive had to replace were the plastic panels on the bottom of the front seats. Tows awesomely. Mileage can be better, but on a really good day, no wind, flat straight road, I can pull 23mpg, maybe. Im not a chevy fan and was kinda forced into this vehicle, but I am impressed overall.

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  Burns oil....... - 2007 Chevrolet Suburban
  By paula - March 3 - 10:09 am

  I love the car but hate all the problems it has and the dealerships way of fixing it.It has burned oil since i bought it they did tests said it was in normal range.. If someone pays 50000$ for a car normal range of oil usage should be 0.I bought it so i would have a dependable car and that is not the case. They put a new engine at 54000 miles because it was burning 1 qt every 500 miles now.. I dont like having paid 37000$ for it an it being 2 yrs old and needing a new engine but i think at least its fixed .. WRONG 3000 miles later oil light on Im being told now its normal for the new engine to burn oil breaking in whatever. I bought a lemon well oils burning seems to b a problem with this car

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  2001 Suburban - 2001 Chevrolet Suburban
  By Bob - February 28 - 3:29 pm

  Bought our Suburban new summer of 01. Overall, it has been a average vehicle. Its power and handling are subpar by todays standards but are certainly adequate. Braking is not very secure feeling. The controls are laid out well and are easy to use. However, the design doesnt look all that great, kind of cheap. The front seats are extremely comfortable. 2nd &3rd row seats complete opposite. Quality has been bad but not terrible. Lots of problems and has caused some real headaches. Luckily, all of the tons of problems it has had have been relatively inexpensive to resolve. However,my friend got a lemon with his 02 tahoe. Nothing but problems,thousands spent on repairs,left them stranded often

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  Quality & Moon Roof Problems - 2006 Chevrolet HHR
  By Mark DeBaker - February 27 - 3:11 pm

  The moon roof made noise from the start. The dealer put foam in it twice. Turns out after the warranty was up that the actuator is failing. It cannot be tightened & is a $1,000.00 repair that GM will not back up. The glass can be seen bouncing. The car hydroplanes in light rain, slush and snow because of the wide low profile tires. Expect to pay a fortune to replace the low profile tires. Window controls are poorly located. Rear passenger seating is small. Wipers stop working sometimes. Takes a technician to replace the air cleaner. Gas mileage is very good. Disappointed that GM will not back up Mfg defects. Do not leave the dealership without documented repair paperwork.

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  JUNK - 2004 Chevrolet Cavalier
  By Kevin - February 25 - 3:04 pm

  I researched this car to death before purchasing a 2004 model in 2005. I read all sorts of positive notes on it, kind of like here. Let me tell you it was the biggest piece of junk Ive ever owned! Everytime I turned around there was something wrong with it. Engine light always came on, had problems with the brakes, trunk wouldnt open anymore, headlight quit working, just to name a few. I only put 26,000 miles on it, so its not like it had a lot on it.

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  Blown head gasket and other issues - 2006 Chevrolet Impala
  By Blown head gasket - February 23 - 6:42 pm

  By 64,000 miles experienced the following issues: Blown head gasket, oil pan gasket leaking, Lower trans cooler line leaking, water pump blown, water pump gaskets leaking, and poor GM customer service. Local dealer was somewhat helpful. They did good work on the car. Wish I didnt have to go to them but the car is junk.

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  dont buy it - 2006 Chevrolet Equinox
  By aggrevated - February 16 - 5:32 pm

  Check engine light comes on and we fix the problem. Couple weeks later its back on and this cycle has continued the entire we have owned it. The jack storage compartment door falls off constantly. The rear seat cover comes off ever now and then have to clip it back together. Seat cushions are impossible to keep clean. The vehicle has good pick up and rides well. It is roomy inside and especially the back seat. But Id never buy another one.

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  Gas sucker - 2005 Chevrolet Equinox
  By setheus - February 16 - 12:30 pm

  Bought the chevy Equinox LS 2005 3 weeks ago. With 23000 miles on it. We test drove it and pilled back in the dealership and it was smoking from the front grill. So they said we put it trough service. They called back and said something between emission and oilfilter is wrong.They replaced the part ( took them 3 Days to do it.)They had to order the part.It uses a lot of gas. Im driving between 60- 70 miles a week and have to fill this sucker up every week. Getting ready to bring that car back and go buy one somewhere else. BAD GAS MILEAGE.....:-((

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  problems - 2007 Chevrolet Impala
  By davegrnd - February 15 - 10:06 pm

  I currently have 66500 miles on this vehicle, and I have had some problems. The first was that the wipers quit working, which they found was due to a blown fuse, and they dont know why. The second problem was defective coolant crossover gaskets,both of these were covered by the warranty. My latest incident was last week when I stopped at my local insurance agents office,and when I came out, I could NOT shift my vehicle out of park, I had to have it towed to the dealership to have it repaired( broken wire in counsel). The repair was over $200.00, and not covered by the 100,000 mile powertrain warranty. The vehicle also has had dash rattles since I purchased it.