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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  Disappointment - 2009 Chevrolet Tahoe
  By Bruce - October 19 - 7:55 pm

  Our purchase of a new Chevy Yukon has been a major disappointment to me. My wife enjoys the size and ride but we have owned Suburbans for the past 20 years. The fuel mileage has been the biggest disappointment with mileage no better than 14mpg whether highway or in town. Our old Suburban got 17 - 18 on the road. Performance is also not what was expected. The engine has died in the middle of a turn and there seems to be a small miss when slowing for a turn and then accelerating. Unexpectedly thee is NO storage under the seats or anywhere. All in all, for the money, I think a Lexus, BMW, or MB may have been a better idea.

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  Heated Seats left me Out in the Cold - 2007 Chevrolet Equinox
  By Dr. J. - October 14 - 8:55 am

  I love the exterior my 2007 Equinox. XM radio is a great feature. However interior is full of issues. Heated seats work intermittently. Dont wait until winter to try them. You might be out in the cold. This feature isnt for the duration of the 5 yr, 100,000 mile warranty. Check them throughout the year even in the summer. Right passenger airbag sensor doesnt always work. GM recall for this. Driver side seat mechanism didnt work once for 2 days. Took it to dealership to fix. Chrome center panel reflects sun causing blinding glare when driving. Remember some things are only under warranty for 2 years so dont delay taking your car in for repairs. Make sure its in computer system everytime

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  Never again - 2000 Chevrolet Impala
  By Amalia - October 14 - 12:07 am

  I have owned it from the start, 9 years now. Ive kept up with maintenance and read the owners manual. Despite this, Ive been having problems over the past 3 years that in the past month have come to a head. The problems include a broken water pump, coolant leaks, radiator problems, temperature gauge braking, the window motor failing, a transmission problem that often makes it hard to pull out at green lights, an engine that doesnt like going over mountains, and the blinker wirings loose. Ive brought it to two places that have been trustworthy for family and they cant figure it out. Far too many problems for 65k - was it made on a mon/fri?! Will not buy Chevy EVER again.

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  Chevy forgot what a SS is! - 2007 Chevrolet Impala
  By Sier256 - October 12 - 9:37 pm

  Powerful engine but 305hp keeps it below competitors, FWD kills the fun, 16mpg, interior quality is really bad my radio or my exhaust makes rattles inside the car really annoying and embarrassing. Single exhaust with dual tips very deceiving You cant even modify it to a true exhaust. Due to the side mounted manifold mount and the single pipes dug in to underbody. The fun went out fast never buying a chevy SS ever they ruined impala SS. The only good thing its the comfort ride and size. If u looking for a performance sedan look at legacy gt or charger rt better or same mpg better speed and size and a hole lot better quality by far and most of all fun to drive!

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  Created acount to post this.. - 2005 Chevrolet Malibu Maxx
  By mpatricio - October 12 - 11:19 am

  This car my grandparents bought brand new. Was given to my mom and then to me. It currently has 229,000km now on it. Needs transmission work for afew years now. There is a knock in the car whenever you turn right, costs 500 bucks to fix. This car has 5 recalls on it atm.. for power steering which the steering cut out on me on the busy highway as I was merging. This car has had nothing but problems over the past 2-3 years. Changed the alternator like 5 times in 2 years. Constant little isuses, enver buying a gm after the 68 and counting recalls ALONE in 2014 for chevy.

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  Good not Great - 2007 Chevrolet Impala
  By HondaFan - October 11 - 11:17 pm

  A very acceptable form of transportation. I went from a Malibu to the Impala missing the outside temp gauge, rear folding seats in the Impala LS vs the Malibu LS. No telescoping steering. MPG is good for the size of the vehicle. Handling is terrific in straight line :-). Overall a decent car for the price. Check the NHTSA website for recalls and technical service bulletins this car is riddled with them, most are minor but worth considering if you are going to buy one. This is a company supplied car for me so I dont get much say in brand choice. Honda and Toyota have nothing to fear however.

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  chevy jolt - 2016 Chevrolet Volt
  By greyvolt - October 11 - 12:02 am

  loved how olid and quiet and smooth this felt on smooth road at dealer and bough it. but when you hit bumps the cars bottom weight makes it JOLT. rear passengers hit their heads on the slanted door opening getting in or out and heads touch ceiling which is at upholstery and glass window of hatchback. the car is fun driven alone when you can twist and turn around corners blithely, or accelerate like a race car. only getting 34 mpg. supposed to be 42 (no i dont always race around. im a very cautious normal driver. the paddle brake on steering wheel lurches and gives motion sickness. its too touchy. cant apply it gently. interiors electronic lights hard to understand, hard to tell if car on or off.

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  Think again - 2003 Chevrolet TrailBlazer
  By Ericw - October 10 - 2:00 am

  My wife and I have had this car for 1 year and we are already thinking about getting rid of it. We feel that the reliability is extremely poor. Here is a list of problems: Automatic driver’s side mirror replaced 5x because the motor could not return to our preset driving positions, the rear windshield wiper never touched the rear window, the rear windshield leaked, there is a noise in the dashboard when you go over bumps in the road, the stereo shorts out and has been replaced 2x, fuses had to be replaced, replaced headlight. I can’t imagine what this car will be like in 2- 4 years. We are now looking at the Pathfinder or Honda Pilot

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  Not as good as I thought - 2009 Chevrolet Malibu
  By Lynn - October 9 - 10:42 pm

  This car is not for people who drive in the country. The paint allows common driving on grid roads to take the paint off down to the steel, chips the windows and lights. The open hubcaps allow mud to get next to the wheel and causes a shimmy in the steering wheel. The trunk is alot smaller then my 2005 Malibu, the ride is good but the tires do not have traction.

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  No Customer Service here! - 2008 Chevrolet HHR
  By Tracy Tharp - October 8 - 11:23 am

  My HHR has had wind noise and water leak issues from the first month I have had it. Who wants to pay thousands of dollars over many years for a new car that has been a lemon from the start. It is now leaking for the fourth time and really (?!), wouldnt you think that Chevy would step up and not make me fight for what is right? But they are not! I am going to have to contact a lawyer! Thats not customer service!