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:

• 

  2003 Monte Carlo LS - 2003 Chevrolet Monte Carlo
  By ep1 - November 13 - 7:29 pm

  Really like the style of the car, though not very happy in the way it handles, sloppy but sort of controlled has the feeling of being very nose heavy up front in cornering manovers presently having steering shaft issues the dealer lubed and greased the steering shaft seems to be much better - great gas mileage and a real head tuner on the road.

• 

  Not satisfied - 2007 Chevrolet Cobalt
  By Valerie - November 13 - 3:23 pm

  We bought our Cobalt brand new, with 16 miles on it. Thought it would be a great car but so far it has proved us wrong. We had alot of minor issues within the first 4 months but they were covered under warranty thankfully. Now our back windows dont roll down at all and havent since shortly after the warranty was up, of course. No idea what the issue is but will not be fixing it. The emergency break never worked. The visor cover broke just lifting it up one day. The back seat is so uncomfortable. I hate when someone has to sit back there because its worse than sitting in a truck!

• 

  Nice window - 2008 Chevrolet Aveo
  By Amanda - November 13 - 2:22 pm

  I had had my chevy aveo for 1 year and I placed my dog in the back seat and shut the door. I than proceed to the drivers side and I noticed that the hatchback window shattered and it cost $1000 to replace. I think that the cars parts are cheaply designed and are very expensive to replace. The gas mileage is great and the space for a small 4 door car is great but other than those 2 things I think the car is cheaply made and not a reliable car.

• 

  Turn Around - 2005 Chevrolet Cobalt
  By Turn Away - November 12 - 9:11 pm

  First year: Radio replaced twice due to shorts, door panels replaced twice due to peeling, instrument cluster replaced was shorting out, a/c blower replaced was making lots of noise. Power steering went out now 1200 repair. Any review you see that is good, theyre lucky. Stay away from this car like the plague, never will buy chevy again! Emailed GM with my issues and they have never contacted me. They have issues with their cars and dont care....safety concerns....WARNING STAY AWAY!!!

• 

  ok chevy - 1995 Chevrolet Blazer
  By ok chevy - November 11 - 9:35 pm

  had a 92 chevy astro had to sell that piece of junk so my dad loaned me his winter beater it was good the first year beat the crap out of it, it still runs the 4.3 is underpowered with a full load by myself it hauls the leather seats are hard 510 i fit perfectly in it if i was any taller i would be uncomfortable

• 

  Fully Loaded - 2005 Chevrolet Equinox
  By ADG21282 - November 11 - 8:47 pm

  Bought brand new. Fully loaded, paid extra for paint color. Loved it in the beginning. Then the problems began. CD player replaced 3 times...CDs get jammed in player, some dont play at all. Window controls and cup holders must have been placed by a blind guy. Sounds like a helicoptor is on top of me when the windows are open. Leather is horrible quality. Interior paint is chipping off. Uneven tire wear. Had issues with cooling system within first 2 years. Now, I get to play "Equinox Roulette" everytime I get in...will it start today? Found out a cylinder is misfiring and the coolant looks like mud. From reading other posts, seems like a blown head gasket...awesome.

• 

  OK truck - 2006 Chevrolet Colorado
  By GM Veteran - November 10 - 7:29 pm

  Use the truck for 154 mile RT daily commute and occasional hauling/trailering. Over 115K so far. Engine power seems low but it pulls and hauls well. Man trans has annoying grinding when going into 3rd gear. Lousy seat back tilt lever ergonomics: pull lever forward to tilt the seat back forward requires two hands, makes it hard to put things behind the seat. Put your stuff on the ground, move seat, pick stuff up, put behind seat ARRGH! Whats worst, my left front spring has sagged and the replacement parts are only available from the dealer at a cost of $600. Lack of aftermarket really upsets me. I was a 17 year GM engineer. I will think long and hard before I will buy another GM vehicle.

• 

  03 Crew Cab Problems - 2003 Chevrolet S-10
  By Gary - November 9 - 1:58 pm

  Bought truck basically for light duty and travel to/from work. Has 77000 easy miles on it. Thus far, have gone thru 2 complete sets of tires, blown headgaskets twice, thermostat twice, water pump once, brakes twice. GM installed DEX-COOL may be eating engine gaskets dealer is "unaware" of any DEX-COOL problems. I now have thick dark sludge in radiator overflow tank and in top of radiator. GM service mgr suggests I try to manually draw off sludge, clean out tank, and see if that helps, if not a thorough flush will have to be done. Fun to drive factor quickly failing.

• 

  Disappointed in Gas Mileage - 2005 Chevrolet Equinox
  By Illinois Chevy Owner - November 8 - 8:16 pm

  I really like this vehicle, but am very, very disappointed in the gas mileage. I get about half of what the EPA rating on the sticker. I think the shifting is a problem because the tach goes wild as it shifts through the gears, but the dealership ignores me. I am also disappointed in the wear of the interior already, and Ive only had the vehicle 7 months! It is a comfortable ride, and I like the room and the features of this vehicle, but I wish I had bought something else. And its really sad because I have always had such good experiences with Chevys.

• 

  Malibu for a day - 2009 Chevrolet Malibu
  By Mike C - November 6 - 12:50 pm

  Yesterday I turned in a 2009 Malibu . I put 253 miles on this car in the Bay area. I handles the freeways well except the raised expansion joints on the 880. I had rented a 2009 camray the week before on the same route. In general the new malibu is a good car on its owns merits, in comparison to the camry, engine power similar, NVH similar..good!, Build quality similar. Interior a toos up. THe malibu has better seats hands down . The malibu has a very poorly designed Front door , entry and pillar arrangement. I am 6 foot tall and not fat. The B pillar has a plastic ledge seemingly designed to remove the rear pocket. I ruined a new pair pf slacks in this car. There is no need to this foolishness