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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  Bad experience - 2006 Chevrolet Colorado
  By Scott - December 3 - 11:11 am

  I bought this truck new. It is a Z71 with almost all options including the rare sunroof on a regular cab. This truck has had constant issues. Most of them have been fit and finish. A lot of rattles and the interior is poor. I will live with the truck until getting positive equity and trade it for a Toyota or Ford.

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  Now I know why we always bought Toyotas - 2005 Chevrolet TrailBlazer EXT
  By mwermuth - December 3 - 4:39 am

  A complete lemon. We purchased the car in 2005 and have had more problems than we ever had with any other car. Year 1, trips to dealer for repairs 4 Cause, after market DVD player falling off the ceiling and no volume in stereo. Water leaking through window seal. Year 2, trips to dealer 3 Cause, broken belts in two tires, that they denied were a problem. Resulted in complete replacement of tires and wheel hub and bearing assemblies. Year 3, Replaced breaks and rotors Year 4, Replaced tires and exhaust system which had completely rusted out. Year 5, New breaks and idle pulley and serpentine belt. Also new water pump. Cont...

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  A Chevy man - 2001 Chevrolet Venture
  By badbob - November 28 - 4:43 pm

  I have never owned a Ford, but that may change. I have never seen an auto with more problems than this one. My wife bought it used and it was back and forth to the shop with one thing after another to b repaired. Now out of warranty its my job to repair. It tkes more time than the 74 Chevy truck Im restoring. The electric seat is jammed in the foward position making it impossable to drive. The windows always die in the down position. I drive a car to get from point A to point B as most of us do. The more options the more trouble. I dont need a Dolby surround sound theater, global tracking,or a fuse box with 30 miles of paper thin wires leading to useless options. Are You listening GM?

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  DONT BUY!!! - 2015 Chevrolet Colorado
  By Eliot - November 28 - 6:03 am

  To many problems with this truck. Break issues, check engine lights, its just a waste of money. DONT BUY!!!!!

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  Silverado 2500HD LT - 2003 Chevrolet Silverado 2500HD
  By jyuhas - November 27 - 10:00 am

  I bought this vehicle new in August and now have 6500 miles on it. It has been back into the dealership 5 times for repairs to the Power Mirrors and Windows. The Power Door locks also had to be replaced. The 6.0 Liter V8 motor on this vehicle is very quiet but seems very sluggish though this may be due to the transmission gearing. There is some wind noise when driving down the road at highway speeds. This vehicle has Anti-lock brakes but on one occassion during a panic stop they locked down.

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  TrailBlazer Needs V8 - 2005 Chevrolet TrailBlazer EXT
  By Jordan - November 24 - 10:26 am

  We purchased a used 2005 Trailblazer EXT to replace a Chevy Astro. Although the TrailBlazer has almost 70 more horsepower it has worse performance than the old Astro. It also gets worse gas mileage. Duh - we could have had a V8.

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  No more Chevy for me - 2006 Chevrolet Impala
  By slim - November 23 - 5:08 pm

  I own a 2006 Chevrolet Impala lS, and I hate that car. I bought it with 46,234 miles on it, at 50,000 miles the water pump started to leak, so I had to replace it. The gas mileage is poor, the inside armrest is already broken, I had to replace a speaker that stopped working or worked when it wanted too, the automatic trunk relaese button works when it wants too, the power door lock switch on driver side door only lets you lock the doors not open them. The transmission shifts how it wants too, sometimes smooth sometimes kicks in the gears harsh shifting, and then this past Friday something happened with the power steering, all the fluid leaks out. I am not happy at all with this Impala. No more Chevy of any kind for me.

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  Poor Quality - 2005 Chevrolet Equinox
  By Gerald - November 19 - 7:56 pm

  I purchased this vehicle for the style & fuel mileage. This vehicle has very cheap interior & mechanical components. Interior finish rubs off with use. Radio finish comes off. Gas cap broke. Windshield washer pump quit. If you open the windows there is a terrible thumping from air presure.

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  The Worst Monte Carlo Poorly Built - 2006 Chevrolet Monte Carlo
  By lbuckland - November 17 - 8:13 am

  This was the 2nd monte carlo I purchase and believe me the worst. Problems first started 100 miles over warranty. Car would not shift into gear. Took to Chev was charged for a new ignition. Few months later same problem took to another shop told it was shifter cable. Pd again. About a yr later same problem. Next was the dash it started coming apart. Next, ac went out which happened with both monte carlos at 6 yrs. Well, now it is the transmission. As for the car not shifting if was the shifter when you would try and push button down to put in gear it would not go but would do it randomly. Finally, I figured out after so many times of paying it was mainly in the winter. Well, needless to say.

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  I want an apology - 2008 Chevrolet Impala
  By Sad GM - November 12 - 8:39 pm

  I now understand why GM is going bankrupt. Their cars are awful. My Chevy Impala is an embarrassment. Cheesy seats, pain getting in and out of car and not scrapping the parking brake. Upside peppy with decent MPG. the downside, craftsmanship, design, seats, handeling cabin noise, sound system. The people running GM owe me an apology for this lack of effort. The reason why GM performs so poorly is that they are out to make a buck not a car. The Japanese have learned make a good car and the bucks will follow. Goodbye GM and good riddance. I wish you would take back my Impala.