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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  Reliability Problems - 2006 Chevrolet Impala
  By Ted - January 8 - 10:31 am

  I have a 2006 3.9 engine. 66,000 business miles in 2.5 years. Transmission, front end bearings, water pump, tire sensors, sway bar, all have failed. I like the car, but too many repairs. All dealership repairs. No explanation. I will never buy another Chevy. Thank God its a company car, not too much out of pocket.

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  Awesome car, never had trouble - 1999 Chevrolet Malibu
  By raavango - January 8 - 6:41 am

  Awsesome car, never had any issue up until the 160000 miles that I put on the vehicle

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  Loving it so far - 2000 Chevrolet Blazer
  By loving it so far - January 8 - 2:11 am

  We had just purchased it a few weeks ago. I have owned a 1999 Chevy 1500 2wd with the same 4.3 Vortec, and I loved that truck. So far, our Blazer has been flawless. Bought it with 110,000 miles, and last week we drove it over 600 miles for the holidays. It was icy at times, and the 4wd worked great! A great price and a wonderful purchase.

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  Would Be Great If It Worked! - 2003 Chevrolet Avalanche
  By Lindsey - January 7 - 8:50 pm

  This is absolutely an awsome vehicle, when it works. Bought it used with 75,000kms, had a few problems with it not starting in -15C the first winter but overall it ran good. Last year we started having issues, we bought it for $26,000 and weve put $18,000 back into it in maintenance ($8,000 in the last 6 months) . We cant get it running long enough to sell it. Had the entire front end torn apart a few times but no one can find the problem.

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  Going on my 5th year of ownnership - 2004 Chevrolet Malibu
  By proudboomerlady - January 7 - 12:39 pm

  Overall I have been happy with my purchase, the car is fun to drive and handles well. Not crazy about the dashboard, and the Onstar is worthless to me. I cancelled them after a 2 hour wait for a battery that died in 102* temps...Ride is pleasant but somewhat noisy on highways. Front and Rear seats are comfortable. Gas mileage is is great on interstates. I feel this car is excellent competition to the foreign manufactures. I now have a little over 50K miles and have not really had to use the extended warranty I paid for for the amount it cost me. Dont recommend buying it.

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  Nothing better - 1994 Chevrolet Camaro
  By Green Bean - January 6 - 8:25 pm

  I bought this car in 2005 with 67,000 miles on her. Now in 2009 I have 152,000. This is my favorite car ever. Would not trade her for anything except a Z28. It handles amazing and cant complain too much about the power since it is a v6. Its had its fair share of small little problems needing to be replaced like ball joints, tie rods, and other small things. But this is all to blame on how I drive her. Great car for anyone.

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  This is one great van! Bring it back! - 2002 Chevrolet Astro
  By Ron - January 6 - 8:18 pm

  I have owned four of the Astro series and one Safari van since 96. Ive had only good experiences with them. Maybe I apprciate its comfort level, driveability and road feel because I dont expect this truck to drive like a luxury sedan. My Astros gave me better mileage than any pickups Ive driven from time to time (including the big new Toyotas), yet with much bigger enclosed hauling space for my tools, lumber, etc., with the seats out. Then, when you need it, unlike a pickup, its a great people mover too. And, as far as the styling goes, a nicely detailed 2002 Astro looks better than anything else out there. Im keeping this one!

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  Best 20K used Sport Car - 2004 Chevrolet Corvette
  By David McCann - January 6 - 3:25 pm

  Find a shop that specializes in Corvette repair and service. Many dealers do not.

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  Love my TrailBlazer! - 2008 Chevrolet TrailBlazer
  By New chevyowner - January 6 - 1:36 pm

  After being a 25 year Ford customer and having a dismal experience with my last Explorer, I decided to make the switch to a Chevy. Wow what a difference, I should have done it years ago. The TrailBlazer is as beautiful as the Explorer, with a much smoother ride. I cant feel every little crack in the road like with the Explorer, the transmission is superb with none of the problems I experienced from day one with the horrible Explorer transmission (so far, I havent had it long). Chevy offers the 100,000 mile powertrain warranty which tells me that they put alot of confidence in their product.

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  Take care of your car, will take care of you - 2006 Chevrolet Impala
  By GM - January 6 - 1:24 pm

  I bought my impala from a dealer. To date, I have only had to replace a $65 dollar part. This car has a lot a room and great for long distance driving. Gas mileage is about 26 miles on the freeway which great if you consider the comfort. I change the oil as required, I dont abuse my car by jack rabbit starts. The brakes have not been replaced but will be changed based on the owners manual. I will be replacing the tranny oil and filters as required by owners manual as well. When you buy a used car you have no idea if the previous owner took care of the vehicle. I would buy another Impala. This time a SS. These cars are fun to drive. Power