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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  emissions or valves - 2007 Chevrolet Aveo
  By Debbie - February 4 - 8:48 pm

  Starting at 20,000 miles the car would die, would not start or started rough. At a stop light it would idle ok but when I gave it gas it would continue to idle, didnt move. I was told this was loss of compression. Gm is sort of working with me on this, I believe what they were saying is the emissions would not totally leave the valves and when it fired again, you get carbonization on the valves. They have cleaned the valves with a cleaner ($400.00 thank you). Whats next a valve job. Is gm kidding? this is a flaw in the engine design, or is it the emissions? will is pass emissions? it is great on gas, oh yah supreme only is recommended, it Burns hotter. Last Chevy for me!

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  Fast speed, faster break downs - 2008 Chevrolet Impala
  By Mixed Emotions - February 2 - 8:42 pm

  Bought used with 34000 miles, lots of wheel spin, 21mpg mixed 27 highway. can keep up with newer mustang gts and eat up 5.7 hemi chargers, BUT 4 fuel injectors replaced, bad onstar unit and a paranoia when driving more than 100 miles at a time. every time Ive been on a road trip a fuel injector goes bad. i should have learned my lesson after my 05 ctss water pump and transmission went out at 4 yrs and 33000 miles on the clock. no wonder GM went bankrupt so so so much fun to drive...until it breaks down. dealership would blame a flat tire with a nail in it on "unknown causes with no sure fix"

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  Chevy Needs to Prove they Build Quality - 2004 Chevrolet Impala
  By Jennsavage - February 1 - 12:51 pm

  I purchased this car about 4 years ago. It had about 35k on it and I purchased an extended warranty for another 35k. I have a black one and the paint job is really cheap looking. IF you have tinted windows, you cant get good reception from the AM radio. After owning the vehicle 1 year we had to replace the radiator, fortunately it was covered under the warranty I had purchased, otherwise that would have cost an about $1500.00 to fix. I can hear a clunk in the steering column, which might be a lose linkage somewhere, but disconcerting. The vehicle and plummeted in value since I purchased it.

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  bipolar blazer - 1996 Chevrolet Blazer
  By fussner - February 1 - 1:13 am

  I owned a 96 Chevy Blazer 4x4 and I beat the crap out of it, I got it stuck and almost flooded it and almost flipped it and have been thru many a trail or mud pit. But the thing is a mechanical mess! Its hard to modify not meant for off roading in any way, I went thru 2engines in 160k miles and will never buy a Chevy suv again.

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  Second S10 I Shouldnt Have Bought - 1996 Chevrolet S-10
  By nomad - January 30 - 2:29 pm

  This is my second s10 and both have had a SEVERE lack of power, to the point where your leg hurts after going up any little hill. The 4 cylinder is known for this, but these were the 4.3 v6 models! The problem is with the prehistoric overhead valve design the GM still puts in nearly all the vehicles even though every other manufacturer has moved to overhead cam design. If the previous owner didnt change their oil every 2000 miles or sooner, the lifters will mess up by 100,000 miles and the only fix will be to pump $500 into the engine, or buy a new engine altogether.

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  Electrical PROBLEM!!! - 2002 Chevrolet TrailBlazer
  By Ashmar - January 27 - 5:21 pm

  I bought a 2002 in February 2009, and by May I had to put 1,500 in it towards a whole new electrical system! It started doing strange electrical things and got to where I could turn the key over but it wouldnt start. It had nothing to do with the battery. We took it to a GM dealership to have it fixed. Well its been 7 mths and were back to where we started 1,500 dollars ago!This is ridiculous and unfair to the customers! Where is the customer loyalty???

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  Typical GM: Solid, but under-rated. - 1996 Chevrolet Corsica
  By Olive - January 27 - 7:57 am

  Had this Corsi for 16 years now, and not once has it been to the shop for anything more than an alternator. Its a typical Chevy of the mid-eighties/nineties: an inexpensive vehicle for the masses with pretty solid build construction, marred by poor quality control. But considering how much more I would have paid for an equivalent Honda or Toyota, this was a good value. I spend pennies on repair, not hundreds. I agree with others that the paint is awful, but in my case, the clearcoat is whats messed up. It has swirls and water spots even when dry. Cheap ABS plastic knobs keep breaking and falling off. The interior fabric is also chintzy, but isnt that why they make seat covers...

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  Not Happy - 2007 Chevrolet Avalanche
  By Mike - January 21 - 11:25 am

  Transmission went out at 40,000 miles. I have had in shop 4 times for rattles and grinding noise in steering column. They never got it fixed and I have given up on the dealership. I had 03 model and the interior was better on it. This one seems cheaper made and less comfortable.

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  In the shop again! - 2006 Chevrolet Equinox
  By WishIcouldgetridofit - January 18 - 9:32 am

  We purchased our Nox in early 2006. We had numerous fixes while under warranty. We had the ignition changed three times within the first 6 months. The key would get stuck-either on, off, or wouldnt come out at all. We had the wipers worked on. Strange noises popped up that they were never able to find. After the warranty expired the problems continued. We have replaced the tires twice in 75,000 miles. It took 5 visits to the shop to discover the coolant was leaking into the heads and the engine had to be dismantled. After $1,200 and 2 weeks out of the shop it is back in. It misses out at 50-60 mph and the check engine light is on. I wish I could afford to get rid of the stupid thing!

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  Fuel pumps in Chevrolet Malibu poor - 2003 Chevrolet Malibu
  By Katherine Knudsen - January 13 - 12:29 pm

  I have had trouble with the cooling system and now the fuel pump. This is my second malibu and the second time I have had to deal with a fuel pump. The seat is difficult to pull down in back for trunk room.