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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  Worst Vehicle I Ever Owned - 2008 Chevrolet TrailBlazer
  By David Binder - April 24 - 7:17 am

  The stabilitrack light comes on and the dealers can not find a problem. The vehicle once would not move when that light came on. We finally used Onstar to capture the error code but the dealerships we took it to could not identify the problem. The windows are slow to go up and are noisy.

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  Needs a recall notice - 2006 Chevrolet TrailBlazer
  By darrell - April 19 - 1:39 pm

  Ever since Ive had the vehicle I have had nothing but problems. The traction control light come on all the time and the check engine light. Ive had it tested for the traction control lights and they said the computer chip needed reset and they did that. However, the lights still come on all the time. Now we are experiencing a very bad miss in the engine and it wont hardly run. I will never own another Chevrolet because Ive had nothing but trouble ever since Ive purchased this vehicle.

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  Nice but could be better - 2002 Chevrolet TrailBlazer
  By john d. - April 17 - 2:00 am

  The first six months were ok, after that we started having trouble with 4way falshers coming on when you put on turn signal, still doing after 2years, have had in back to garage 3 times for transmission problem, it acts like it is slipping you step on the gas and the engine rpm goes way up but you do not go anywhere. Alot of wind noise.

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  Built Cheap 05 Colorado - 2005 Chevrolet Colorado
  By jsken - April 15 - 4:26 pm

  This truck is cheaply built. I have had to replace the tires on it at 30K miles. Now they tell me I need to spend $1500-2000 on new brakes, shocks, struts, and tie rods. I have had the front end aligned once and it needs it again at 50K miles. The interior molding in the windshield was ruined after 1 year. Numerous rattles and squeaks. I would be ashamed as a manufacturer to sell this vehicle.

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  POOR MPG - 2009 Chevrolet Express
  By ED - April 15 - 10:05 am

  You would think gm would do a lot better on mpg. Im lucky to get 15 mpg with no cargo and 12 mpg with 8000 gvw. The spli outside mirrors are very annoying. Im still not used to them after driving it for 11 months. The plastic door panels clip in place and often pop out, then the clips break off, very cheap. At times it is difficult to see the driver info display because of the steering wheel.

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  very expensive to replace or repair - 2000 Chevrolet Cavalier
  By sherrykkkee - April 9 - 5:44 pm

  Drivers window has never worked right. About 400 to replace motor which helped for short time... Back window coming loose, that is a 595.00 cost. I have a fungus growing in back seat due to water leaks. Door rubber was replaced before.... Not a good car for tall people. Have been repeatedly ripped off by dealership and other mechanics.... I only put the top down about 4-5 times a year.... If I touch drivers window button, it could take 2 days to get it back up.....

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  power windows Tahoe 2003 cost - 2003 Chevrolet Tahoe
  By W Brooks - April 8 - 4:36 pm

  The care was never the greatest car but it is paid for and who wants to go through the hassle of buying another one. I just cant believe that it cost me $477.00 to replace ONE rear window automatic window on the 2003 Tahoe. Just before this, out of the clear blue, the drivers seat seatback broke and that was another $368.00. Just hoping the economy will get better soon so I can afford to get rid of this money pit. No wonder GM is going under. Who wants a vehicle that even after you pay it off you are still paying the big bucks for the little things you expect to last. I call this Tahoe my Yugo. Now the windshield washer reservoir has gone out..probably another $300.00. Never ends....

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  poor body integrity - 2007 Chevrolet HHR
  By joni - April 8 - 8:34 am

  I really love to drive my HHR LT, but the exterior body has gotten really bad. I live on a gravel road and the the rims are flaking off and I have absolutely no paint left in front of my rear wheel wells. It is starting to rust all ready and I have under 28,000 miles on it. Took it back to dealer at under 10,000 miles and they really didnt care. Have replaced the sway bar links already too. Just a cheap car. Gas mileage should be better than 25 average, but its not. Bad handling in winter conditions also should be noted.

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  Impala Poor - 2007 Chevrolet Impala
  By Impala - April 6 - 6:28 pm

  I have owned Chevys since 1981. This car has a very poor interior design. Esp if you get the front split seat. Items fall between the seats all the time. The ctr console forces this. Suspension problems, brake problems and overall poor quality. My 2005 Equinox is just as bad. No more GM for me.

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  Time to fix the Impala again : ( - 2004 Chevrolet Impala
  By dloc - April 5 - 10:35 am

  The Chevrolet Impala, Hmm hmm hmm. Where do I start. The exterior design is boring to say the least. The interior design even more boring. The heater/AC vents have all broken on my car (Thanks GM for really putting some effort into designing this car) I bought this car used in 2007. Right after I bought it the AC broke and the water pump went out. About $500 in repairs. What else is wrong with this car that shouldnt be: The cigarette lighter went out, the rear defroster went out, the back right window stopped rolling up, I had to replace the front wheel bearing assembly. Ohh and now it makes a loud annoying squeaking sound coming straight from the serpentine belt.