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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  Bye Bye GM - 2006 Chevrolet Malibu
  By Chevy Lemon - November 11 - 4:24 pm

  Rotors at 6K, lot rust..not, headlights shake, both units are loose, tap on the lense, youll see, no GM fix! Tie rods replaced at 12K along with rotors, again! Power train control module, door latches, security system, horn blows all by itself, check engine light, thermostat, blows all over the road, wind & road noise, car shakes so bad the visors move, rattles, clunking under the floor & pedals, 34K & going for another rotor "fix" as we speak #7, you can only file them so many times, replacement might work but no, tires are junk, told I needed 30K on them before they will replace under my warranty. What! No wonder GM is going under. Worst car ever. A roach! So much for "Buy American"!

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  Does this car fall under the lemon laws? - 2006 Chevrolet Monte Carlo
  By Linda - November 6 - 5:33 pm

  Over the last few years I have always driven Chrysler products and loved them, but when I test drove the Monte Carlo I fell in love with it. Little did I know that every few weeks I would be returning my car to the dealership for some type of repair. The repairs have ranged from the tire monitor sensors to the heated seats and the brakes and also dont let me forget the heating system. I buy brand new cars so I dont have this problem. If this car holds up for the next 2 years I will be getting rid of it and going back to Chrysler products and if someone would offer to buy it right now I would sell it and take my loss if you would even call it a loss. I wouldnt recommend buying this car.

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  Malibus are trouble - 2001 Chevrolet Malibu
  By nicole - November 4 - 12:26 pm

  I bought this car used at 70,000 miles and have had it only a year. I have had more problems than I can believe. I put more money into it than it cost in general. Ive had my car to 4 different auto shops and 2 dealerships several times and no one can permanently fix the problem. Ive fixed the starter module twice, fuel pump, ignition switch, 3 censors, radiator, brakes twice and several connections were so rusty they quit working. Right now its sitting in my drive way because it wont start. Do not buy a Chevy Malibu ever! Its a huge waste of money.

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  Dont Waste Your Hard Earned Money - 2002 Chevrolet TrailBlazer
  By smokiesmum - November 3 - 10:00 am

  Not only have I had this car in for service at least 10 times, I lost a ton of money in its resale value. The build quality is terrible, half the problems I have had were deemed as "could not duplicate" by the dealership and went unfixed. Now, I am trying to unload this hunk of junk and getting hosed by the resale. This is the fourth Chevy in a row I have owned that has NOT performed well, you would think I would have learned my lesson by now.... Dont make the same mistake I made!!!

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  This car is absolute junk! - 1995 Chevrolet Blazer
  By pvanaman - October 31 - 7:18 am

  This is the worst Chevy ever! Oil lines broke, destroying engine (there is no mention anywhere in owners manual that the oil lines should be replaced at regular intervals) egr valve has to be replaced every 2 years. I replaced the fuel pump, fuel pump sending unit, nut kit, both handles that recline seats broke, windshield wipers work once in a while, brakes work so-so. 4x4 needs constant maintenance. Rust around rear wheels. Ive owned Chevys for 40 years ands this will be my last one ever! No wonder they are losing market share to Japan.

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  Terrible Car - 2006 Chevrolet Cobalt
  By Bryan18 - October 27 - 4:03 pm

  I bought this as my first car. I bought it as it was a new car in the price range of the used cars I was looking at. I mainly bought it for the warranty because any car I have been in it has always had many problems that the dealer needed to fix. This car was no exception!! I have been to the daelership at least one time a month to get something fixed on it, and it is always some stupid thing that needs to be fixed. Every time I have gone in their, they have given me a hard time about fixing the thing! I am very disappointed with GM for producing a car with this pad of build quality the electric power steering is also horrible, GM could you be cheap again and give us a normal hydraulic steering

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  Dont Buy One - 2005 Chevrolet Tahoe
  By azvincent - October 26 - 4:54 pm

  I purchased my Tahoe new in 05. Big mistake. Since week one, I had nothing but problems. I owned the vehicle a little over three years and only had 15k on the odometer when I finally got rid of it. With only 15k miles, I had the Tahoe at the dealership 14 times for multiple problems from minor to major. I was actually told by a representative at the dealer “Who knows, maybe the car was built on a Friday”. I took a huge bath on the depreciation but it was well worth the cost to get it out of my driveway. I replaced the Tahoe with a Subaru Forester and have been happy ever since. If you have money to throw away, by all means drive a Tahoe. I don’t think GM will ever figure it out.

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  Poor Minivan choice - 2005 Chevrolet Uplander
  By G - October 8 - 8:16 pm

  05 Venture 106,000 miles. Ive owned minivans for the last 14 years and this is by far the worst in many aspects. I start with the poor suspension design. It requires lots of maintenance, constantly replacing sway bar components, ball joints, shocks, rear spring actually broke during driving. And it still doesnt drive as comfortable or responsive as my 2003 Chrysler town and country. The transmission is always in need of attention. Work done to trans as follows. Servo bores, solenoid, fluid, filter,magnet in pan, you name it, its been done. Engine is poorly designed. Spark plug wires arc of engine due to, who knows, dealer doesnt. Bad ground, poor design. Causes lack of power when you really need it. Merging on freeway etc. The interior is falling apart. Door handle cover constantly pops off. It is the glove box now. Door closes and it rattles everything inside the door. Ceiling vents fall on passengers heads as we hit any kind of bumbThe interior rattles from many different sources. Dash is cracked. Leather vinyl seats rub on lower seat trim cover and makes all kinds of funny noices. The rear park sensors stopped working years ago. Key fobs are glitchy for lock and unlock. If the MAF sensor or IAC isnt in tip top shape car wont start. Wont throw an engine code either, so if your not aware of this problem. Get ready to start throwing money and parts at it. Too bad because I replaced my 2004 Chevy venture after it was totaled with 180,000. I drive to Disney world every year and for the past 4 years I havent trusted this thing and take my 03 Chrysler Van that has about 150,000 over this thing. It rides way better as well. Just not as good looking in my opinion.

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  I will NEVER buy another Chevy - 2005 Chevrolet Malibu
  By Nikki - October 7 - 2:38 pm

  I purchased my Malibu 14 months ago. 6 cylinder, looked sporty and was roomy. I loved it for one whole month, and then it started to fall apart. In the last year, I have dealt with and replaced the following: power steering module twice, entire steering column, slip joint, lower control arm, tie rod, all four rotors and brake pads. The horn fuse lasts about 1 week before it blows out, and there is a short in the electrical system, and because of it I have replaced all turn signals and head/brake lamps in the last year. And the sun roof pours water into the back seat, and every drop shows on the cheap material. I am looking for a new car, and I will never ever buy another Chevy.

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  run in the other direction! - 2006 Chevrolet Cobalt
  By notbuyingchevyagain - October 5 - 11:33 pm

  we bought this car at a good price new, and it has been nothing but trouble from day one. it has had a rough idle for over a year and multiple things have been replaced (engine mounts, throttle body, maf sensor, etc) and nothing helps. it has been in the shop more than it has been on the road and is still not fixed.