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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  Good car for the price - 2000 Chevrolet Cavalier
  By Jason - May 21 - 6:17 pm

  I bought this car cause I wanted a 5-speed car that was cheap on gas. I have had good success with GM vehicles. The car has plenty of power when needed, but enough low end power to pass without down shifting at highway speeds and to no have to rev it up just to get it going around town. There were issues I had to correct from previous owners attempts at repair. Things that are actually problems were the brake rotors that warp and turn signal stalk/cruise control/head light switch (multi function). Rotors are an easy fix as any aftermarket fix the issue, performance rotors and pads help with pedal feel though. Suspension is compliant and handles ok, but could use sway bars and strut towers.

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  Issues as soon as it was out of warranty - 2006 Chevrolet Equinox
  By Unhappy Mom - May 21 - 3:27 pm

  As soon as my Equinox was out of warranty the problems started occurring. To date Ive had to have the brakes replaced, the fuel cap, cellnoid, some other part for the emissions and now a fan has broken in the motor. In totally it has been almost $2000. I will never buy a GM product again!

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  Reliable car, good highway car, - 2007 Chevrolet Tahoe
  By dwightex - May 21 - 12:30 pm

  Bot it while I owned a restaurant and had 3 grandchildren near by. Now that we have closed the rest and live in the city, we look like aliens driving this will all of the hondas and bmws. Great highway car, very safe in the mountains and in the snow. Hard to park in a parking garage, which is what I have to do now.

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  My Aging Z28 - 1995 Chevrolet Camaro
  By Bryan - May 21 - 11:51 am

  I bought my Z in the Spring of 2003 from a young guy who was the second owner. I think he must have ran the heck out of this baby, but it rode good on the test drive and he kept it spotless. I have had it 6 years and put 75,000 mile on her. The body has help up nicely and it is a fun and powerful car. The oil pump quit working 3 days after I bought it and it spun a crank bearing. I had a new LT1 motor in it which has been outstanding so far. The transmission has some poor factory engineering however. My mech. tells me that there is a drum in the tranny made of aluminum that is too fragile to handle the high torque output of the car. Basically Z28=fun/looks/$$$. But Im not complaining

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  06 Impala lt - 2006 Chevrolet Impala
  By TheSheeve - May 21 - 11:16 am

  The is 2 yrs old, bought brand new off the show room floor. We have had it in for repair for steering, stereo stopped working, rear defroster, remote starter, gass leaks, oil leaks, and the car gets bad mpg. The factory rotors only lasted 1.5yrs before warping. Oh... And the struts need replaced.

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  Remarkable power, handling, and styling. - 2008 Chevrolet Silverado 1500
  By Wutisay1 - May 21 - 9:13 am

  Moved up to the truck from an S-10 to tow our boat The ride is amazing, especially for a standard-size truck. Plenty of power. I am getting about 19 MPG, with mostly highway driving. That is not bad, I think, for such a capable vehicle. The fit and finish is the best I have seen on a truck.

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  Front Passenger a Big Negative - 2005 Chevrolet Impala
  By Gogo - May 20 - 8:33 pm

  We purchased the Impala in 2005. The five star rating played a big factor in our purchasing decision. We totaled the vehicle two weeks ago. Definitely not a 5 star in the front passenger seat. A person hit a cow on a state hwy and killed it and we came up pretty quick behind them at 65mph and had to run over the dead cow because we couldnt evade either direction. We went airborne with both air bags deploying. The first impact going over the cow wasnt bad but the airbags deployed and were not still deployed when we came down and hit the pavement and then bounced twice after hitting the ground. Driver received minor injuries. Passenger received head, neck, shoulder and back injuries.

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  Cruze near 120K and 6 Years Old - 2012 Chevrolet Cruze
  By DRThoreau - May 20 - 4:40 pm

  Having bought Japanese cars for more than 30 years after a bad GM experience in the 80s I read that GM had finally built a car in this class/price range worth buying! The Cruze has proven that early assessment to be true. A recall and two other repairs were covered under warranty, a failed battery after only two years was not! Its replacement has lasted for 3 thus far! Front seats are a bit short on the base and can catch some drivers mid thigh and after extended periods become uncomfortable, back seat okay for kids or one adult passenger. Trunk space is exceptional and the 1.8 liter 4 though noisy when pushed operates pretty quietly otherwise. Tires are critical to road noise in this vehicle as road surfaces vary. Here in South Carolina where the pavement seems to be some of the most noise producing I have traveled on, a tire with too much wear transfers all that noise right into the passenger cabin. regular recommended oil changes, tire rotations and a replacement set of OEM tires at 60K and that is the sum total of expense thus far. Upcoming spark plug change, transmission flush and new front disc brake pads will be needed soon. That being said i think that I will be able to get another 100K out of this vehicle! Another 8,000 miles on the clock and after replacing plugs and timing belt as recommended the Cruze continues to serve us well! Now at 118,000 miles and counting. Another set of tires will be due to be put on. Brakes were changed and probably had a few thousand more miles in them. Regular oil changes, tire rotations and all is well. The interior of the car has also held up well with only the wear you would expect from nearly 6 years of use.

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  Worried I made the wrong purchase - 2005 Chevrolet TrailBlazer
  By Dee - May 20 - 1:25 pm

  I traded my 2001 Jeep in for a trailblazer, loved the handling the first time I drove it. It had 31K when I purchased it and now it has 36K. I have had to replace both front wheel bearings (which thank god I purchased the extended warranty) and the air pump system needed to be replaced. Currently since my check engine light came on due to the air pump my cruise total will not stay engaged. So back to the garage. I am now starting to feel a slip in the transmission. There is also barely any room up front and the wind noise in the doors and windows are annoying. Wished I read these reviews first. I would of stayed with Jeep or Toyota.

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  junk - 2006 Chevrolet Cobalt
  By unknown - May 20 - 10:43 am

  dont buy!!! this car is junk my brakes never stop squeaking dealers cant explain. no room in car for anything seats stain with rain water windows dont roll down all the time airbag light on for no reason...drivers side door handle fell off...my dome light hangs down now cant get it back in!!! total garbage...my 2004 malibu rocked compared to this car