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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  An Elephant in the Alps - 2008 Chevrolet Corvette
  By Bill - September 3 - 6:00 am

  I got this car in place of a Porsche 911 S and believe me, this car is no Porsche. Its huge for a "sports car". A sports car is supposed to be small, powerful and nimble. The Vettes handling is comparable to an elephant trying to perform on the balance beam at the Olympics. Sure, I like the power under the hood. 30 horses with the dual mode exhaust sounds great, but thats about the only thing thats great on this car. After driving BMWs, Z cars, Porsches and even my Mercedes E350, I am very disappointed in the way this cars handing and appointments are for the money. Cant anyone in the U.S. build a "sports car" at least in the league of the afore mentioned. Pitiful.

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  Fix and repair daily! - 2007 Chevrolet Cobalt
  By Heath - August 29 - 7:59 pm

  I bought this car the day after Christmas 06. DidnÂ’t have it a month and Air conditioner coil busted. March the fan troud begins rattling, AC compressor squeaks and random not starting. I took it to the dealer tightened the fan troud, replaced the Ac compressor and couldnÂ’t find anything wrong why it wont start. June 08, gear shifter assembly fell apart! GM didnÂ’t cover it, 321.86. A year later (out of warranty) these things are still occurring with the same response! These cars are pieces of junk! Something always needing to be repaired!!

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  Consistency - 2006 Chevrolet Cobalt
  By ImportBuster - August 29 - 12:53 pm

  Car drives great. Dont feel the bumps much but hear them like cracking noises. First few thousand miles were good but in the cold Vermont winters the car took so much gas. About 19 mpg mix of city and highway. It would make loud noises from the heater fan when cold. On ice would lose the car accelerator functionality for about 10 seconds. Even if just one wheel touches some ice - no gas pedal. The car feels sturdy even at high speeds and the steering gets stiffer as we go faster. Car is fast with good pickup and great sound system. The transmission is having trouble already in deciding what gear to take.

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  Poor Quality - 2005 Chevrolet Malibu
  By chriskobesko - August 29 - 10:00 am

  I leased this car in April of 2004. I really like its looks however the build quality is hoorible. I have 5200 miles and I have had the heater stop working for 2 days, the temp gauge works when it wants to, and I have heard loud sporadic valve noise on occasions. I have more interior rattles tahn my 1990 towncar had-many more. It is usally hard starting especially when hot. _ Keep in mind this car has 5200 miles.

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  "Miserable" little car is a accurate - 2006 Chevrolet Aveo
  By Ctb - August 28 - 2:15 pm

  The Aveos ride is punishing on large potholes. Body rolls is extreme in all corners and handling is imprecise. The clutch is too light and the gearbox is rudimentary. Smooth shifts are extremely difficult. Acceleration is adequate on flat hills, but low torque make uphill acceleration a chore. Reliability is a problem. My vehicle hd a warped throttle body. The thermostat housing is made of plastic - a ridiculous design flaw - and ruptured (replacements are metal). Rubber bushing up front have compressed and made the car wallow even more than normal. Tire wear on the stock tires is poor. Mine reached 19,000 miles. Joyless, unreliable, and pointless, this is a terrible car with no purpose.

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  Read reviews before purchase! - 2007 Chevrolet Aveo
  By Watch out!!! - August 27 - 10:22 am

  This vehicle is cheap, but that says a lot for the quality of the vehicle. At 3000 miles, the windshield cracked....manufacturer defect. At 13000 miles, lost all my oil, which the oil light never came on...currently in the shop having the seals and gaskets in the engine replaced...might as well replace the whole engine. I bought this car for the gas mileage. Averaging about 28 miles per gallon on highway, and about 25 with the air conditioner on. Not good! The car shakes like it needs to be aligned, which I did and also had new, high quality tires put on and it still shakes terribly. I am truly scared to drive this car in high wind and rain. Hydroplanes bad!

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  What were you thinking Chevy? - 2002 Chevrolet Malibu
  By Big Pine Man - August 26 - 1:14 am

  I love Chevys but not this one. This has been a terrible car for me. I have so far invested about 3000 dollars in repairs. Fuel pump went, heater core, complete ignition and ignition harness needed to be replaced because car would not start, antifreeze leak, rotors, and several other smaller repairs. All these repairs were done when the car had less than 90000 miles. I love my 1998 Cavalier and my 2008 Silverado, but I would never recommend this car.

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  Should have gone with my gut.. - 2009 Chevrolet Silverado 1500
  By offroadgoonie - August 25 - 10:27 am

  Im going to lay it straight. This was a solid truck for the first few months of owning it. Owned this for about a year and since purchasing, Ive replaced the engine twice, had a transmission give out, and the heads get completely destroyed. "only" 72k miles on the truck, 2k miles on the new engine and about 1k miles on the transmission. Looks wise, this truck is flawless. Its a crew cab, although it might as well be an extended cab with the leg space.. but the interior is clean and looks amazing. Im mainly concerned because I was told how great gmc/chevy is and how Ford and Dodge suck.. ya ok. Tried it and youve failed so Im going back to my reliability. Piece of crap. No thank you!

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  Spongebob - 2005 Chevrolet Malibu
  By Citricacidcycle - August 24 - 10:00 am

  I was given this car as a rental while my trusty VW Golf was in the shop. This Chevy drives like a wet sponge. The steering wheel turns as lightly as a phone dial, but the way you turn it doesnt have much in common with the direction the car will go. Turn the wheel a bit to the side and the car will stoically go straight. According to the manual it comes with a 200hp V6 engine. Those 200 horses have been hidden well. When driving off from a red light the 90hp Golf Diesel feels livelier (and it gets you almost twice as far on one tankload). In terms of design, be informed that what looks like cheap plastic is cheap plastic indeed. The engineers must have slept soundly the past decade.

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  You dont get what you pay for - 2008 Chevrolet Cobalt
  By Marie - August 21 - 11:16 pm

  Cheaply made. Interior is uncomfortable and made of substandard materials. Visibility out the back window is horrid. It angles upward so you dont get a clear view of what is behind you. For everyday commuting in a flat area it is a fine car. It performs horridly in hilly areas and mountains. Definitely does not handle winding roads well as it does not hug the road on turns. I am trading this in for a either a Ford Focus or a Toyota Corolla.