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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  25,000 mile review - 2014 Chevrolet Silverado 1500
  By Stephen - December 10 - 8:29 pm

  I have not been pleased with my new Chevy Silverado. Ive had a couple of Chevy trucks before and had positive experiences. My truck required replacement of the front differential at around 10,000. It was replaced and the truck ran fine, like it did when it was new. But within one long ski trip it was whining again upon return. My second time in, the service manager claimed they couldnt hear the whine but also conlcluded that I was driving too much in AWD. (Auto mode) and that that was breaking the front diff. My argument that that in the Pacific Northwest, you need to drive in AWD a lot was deemed invalid. Anyway, my service experience has continued to decline. Electronic gremlins with the nav/infotainment system and parking sensors have persisted. The service departments dont want to take the keys if its not malfunctioning in their service bay. Came in after a road trip where my nav/radio was crashing every 5 minutes, for a full day. Had it on video malfunctioning. My new dealership service dept actually laughed at me and said that if it wasnt doing it now , that he didnt know why I had a problem with it. Ive taken the truck to several different dealerships for different issues both in Oregon and now in North Carolina and have had consistently bad experiences. Plus, I feel the truck is too new to have multiple, potentially expensive issues. Ive vowed to get rid of the truck, not because of its failings but because of the consistently horrible service. On the good side, when everything is working, its a great truck. The nav is difficult to use when alone and the voice recognition cant recognize anything I say. Always use OnStar now. But its very comfortable and incredibly quiet despite having off road tires. The gas mileage is much better than I expected. Better than anything Id replace it with, I think. If you were getting a basic model, fewer electronics, especially with 2WD, I think it would probably be a decent vehicle.

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  First Repair is a killer - 2004 Chevrolet TrailBlazer
  By Scott Stewart - December 10 - 8:55 am

  We bought our Trailblazer used from Carmax with about 14000 miles. Its mostly used for travel, as the gas mileage makes it tough to commute in. Just this week I noticed a hum in the front end.. Its the front hubs, bith need to be replaced, with a front end alignment to the tune of over $1000. I havent even ventured into the faulty speedometer and random flashing dashboard lights.. this will become a trade in sooner than later.

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  Piece Of Junk!!!!! - 2007 Chevrolet Cobalt
  By itsme - December 9 - 12:04 pm

  I bought this car to replace my tundra because of the high gas prices and Im a single mom. I have had nothing but trouble with it it had 36000 kms on it when I bought it in June and in november it needed new steering column links for sway bar right side bushing for control arms. March left links and bushings. This november had to take it back for another steering column, I had to fight for them to replace under warranty. Its a steering column should last a lifetime mines on its third. The warranty on the replacement one was up only by 5 days and I had to fight for its replacement

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  Tahoe Breakhoe - 1997 Chevrolet Tahoe
  By Tahoe Crap - December 2 - 11:02 pm

  Where do I start? I got mine 11-24-1998 and if I wasnt a very mechanical guy I wouldve gone mad by now. It would be a great vehicle if it wasnt breaking all the time. The list of things that broke are: Fuel-pump at 40K, Intake manifold gaskets 2X, Transmission at 80K, Front rotors continually warp- inadequately-braked vehicle, Water pump, Radiator, Interior plastic parts galore-Sun visor vanity mirrors R/L, Right side electric mirror, Alternator 3X, Rear cargo door strap, Rear speaker, Paint on hood and top shot, Dog tracking problem, Grill plastic parts are all breaking, Wiper pulse board. I am a bit remiss to not remember everything. If I ever sell it, it will have everything corrected.

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  Cheaper Honda LX SUV - 2017 Chevrolet Trax
  By Ron Leonard - December 2 - 2:58 pm

  If poky acceleration is ok, this car will delight with handling & hiway drives. On I-5 for 2 hours , it was fine both uphill & down in traffic at high speed. The rebates brought my cost down the mid teen level, and it has AWD as well. Manueverability is terrific, and parking in city is easy. Apple carplay and backup camera are both excellent. Seating is adequate, not plush, an area for improvement. Cold weather start & comfort is good. Havent tested AWD yet. Ive owned car for 7 months with low mileage experience; 34 miles r/t total 2-3 times per week plus local driving. Small trunk but fine for groceries or suitcase...with rear seat down can accept bike. Im satisfied with my purchase. Would love to have added heated seat, more seat support, heated side mirrors, cruise control. FYI, I drive this pokey vehicle in a spirited way... employing its manueverabilty more than the acceleration...and Im sure the mileage could be much better.

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  Really Disappointed - 2006 Chevrolet TrailBlazer EXT
  By Not Happy - December 1 - 12:10 pm

  MPG= 15 regardless of city/highway. This vehicle has spent more time in the dealers shop than my garage. Trans, rear defr, a/c, engine bearing, brakes have all been serviced, some of them twice. Im not hard to please, but this is the worst vehicle ive ever owned from a maintenance standpoint. (and they keep trying to upsell me some $500 maintenance package everytime i go to the dealer). I never had these issues with the Tahoe I owned prior to this.

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  Its suppose to be a truck not SurferVan - 2007 Chevrolet Suburban
  By diamond.s.ranch - November 29 - 10:27 am

  Love the look, got the z71 package. Drives great and smooth. No problems yet (2 years) except for tires wearing out so soon, replaced with Michelins, now alot better. I do not like the fact that the Suburban was always still a truck, for also carrying people, and now its more like a MiniVan/Good Times Van inside. Its embarrassing. I think soccer moms decided to make it a Van and request the Captain chairs in the middle or something. It took me months to find one with bench in the middle and back instead of chairs. And now the middle bench when you fold it up does not make the floor underneath completely flat, you have the floor wells. Its only flat toward the 3 roll seats back.

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  NOne - 2004 Chevrolet TrailBlazer
  By yoohoo - November 28 - 10:00 am

  I have had nothing but problems with this vehicle since I purchased it. It has been all electrical and has been in the shop more than 5 times in a year and a half@!!!

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  The most uncomfortable car - 2006 Chevrolet Equinox
  By Kim - November 27 - 10:36 pm

  This is the most uncomfortable auto I have ever owned or ridden in. The head rests are at a foreward angle, and there is very little cushion in the seats. My children even complain about them! Gas mileage is very poor. We are VERY disappointed. Will be the only car we get rid of within the first 6 months to a year. We normally keep cars for 6 to 8 years. The sound system is awful. My $10 clock radio has better sound.

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  Drives well...when it drives - 2003 Chevrolet Cavalier
  By crapaliergirl - November 23 - 6:46 pm

  I keep my cars in great shape - my previous car was a 30 year old VW in mint condition. This car - well. Under warranty: Bearings some sort of alternator shelf? catalytic converter Covered because though not under warranty, acknowledged problem: ENGINE (faulty block - if your engine goes - INVESTIGATE AND PUSH!) Not under warranty: brakes and rotors - constantly warps rotors within first 5,000 kms. $400 Fuel pump at 125,000 kms - although thousands of complaints, claim its a "fuel supply" issue and not a fuel pump issue. Yes - apparently, by the thousands of complaints, its one all over north America. nice one, GM. interior poorly setup - cannot use heat knobs with cup holders full.