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:

• 

  Junk - 2000 Chevrolet Malibu
  By Jim - January 26 - 7:51 am

  These cars are junk. Horrible brake system. Intake gaskets prone to failure. Piston slap noise when started cold. A/C problems. Ignition switch and other electrical problems. I could go on. A company that sells a car this poorly designed should be shunned by the buying public forever.

• 

  Transmission problems - 2006 Chevrolet Impala
  By greg drew - January 22 - 8:01 pm

  I bought the car because I thought it would make a nice go to work car and be reliable. Ive had nothing but trouble with it. The transmission has had a jerking problem since it was new that the dealer wouldnt fix because they said their computer said there was nothing wrong with it. The radio went bad. They didnt want to fix that until I got beligerent with them. It has a coolant leak that they cant find, so that is still leaking. Unhappy customer!

• 

  Never again - 2001 Chevrolet Blazer
  By JUNK - January 22 - 8:36 am

  I purchased my Blazer in July with 38,000 m. In December at 49,000 I had to replace the transmission. Since then things have gone downhill. Ive had to replace both tie rod ends, my rocker arm, 4 door hinges, my windows get stuck in the down position in 5 degree weather. My gas gauge picks its days to work. An to top it all off again I am replacing the transmission for the second time! I have always been a Chevy fan until now. It has been the biggest lemon ever!

• 

  Its a bonafide LEMON - 2003 Chevrolet TrailBlazer
  By Chas. Brown - January 21 - 2:00 am

  Brakes squeeked from the beging but dealer couldnt find the problem despite 7 trips in for repair. Transmission went out at 6,000 miles. Drivers area is cramped. GM repurchased and we bought a Tahoe, which is a 10 times better car!

• 

  Korean Quality! - 2004 Chevrolet Aveo
  By Never Again - January 19 - 4:46 pm

  This car was awful. Ive owned it less than six months and Ive had to put an average of $400 per month to keep it on the road. In the time that I have owned it, three of the four wheel bearings have gone bad, the tranny went, the engine is going.

• 

  borken down on highway... - 2014 Chevrolet Silverado 1500
  By kevin - January 19 - 2:18 pm

  ....90 degrees outside 17k miles. driven gm for 30 years 17 k leaves me on side of hiway will be trading off not sure what to buy driven gms so long brken down on highway

• 

  not happy w my chevy - 2014 Chevrolet Silverado 1500
  By not_happychev - January 15 - 7:28 pm

  I traded my 12 Silverado for a 14 Silverado. Big mistake. I have been at the dealer to many times for recalls. The truck shakes at the start off from a stop and at hwy speeds. The dealer said it was the tire pressure. Not so even with correct pressure. I have also had a rear whining/grinding sound which I was told it was tire noise. After 3 trips back to dealer I was told it was the rear bearings. After replacing the bearing noise still there. The truck now has 15k mi and I am ready to look elsewhere for a better product. Good thing I leased the vehicle.

• 

  Never Again - 2006 Chevrolet Uplander
  By ladyj43 - January 15 - 8:07 am

  I bought my Uplander in Jan 06 and it only had 3800 miles. Since then, I have had 2 sets of brakes, 3 sets of tires, my steering wheel readjusted, some kind of rod underneath replaced, and a few other things. Most of the problems came in the first 6 months. Thank God I bought an extended warranty for another $2700 on top of the amount I paid for the car. Complained to AG and Dept of Trans with no responses from either. Chevy wasnt trying to hear me either. I try to support American made because my dad is retired from GM, but American made is not supporting my pockets.

• 

  HHR is my last American car ever - 2006 Chevrolet HHR
  By norm - January 14 - 7:22 pm

  Ive owned 16 American cars. Really felt patroitic about buying them until I got sucker punched with the HHR. The drivers window does not roll down in the cold. The drivers door does not open from the inside. The headlight required a body shop to replace. The headlights turn off when I make a rt hand turn. The air filter involves 13 steps to replace. The air and oil filter were dealer only parts the first year I owned the car. The rear lights are not normal, and Ive been rear ended twice. Im ready to trade it in for a Yaris.

• 

  Hindsight is 20/20 - 2006 Chevrolet Equinox
  By shemedic - January 14 - 12:28 pm

  Got this vehicle with 80 miles on it. Other than the pathetic turn radius and the frequent trips to the gas station, the constant cleaning of the interior seats and the center console, the useless space in the rear (unless whatever you want to unload, you do it through the passenger seats, not the rear door..unless you want everything littering your driveway), the never ending check engine light to which the only apparent cure is to reset it for a fee..and finally now, no heat in the coldest winter in 4 years, it was reliable & relatively comfortable..for less than one year.