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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  First time owner of Impala - 2009 Chevrolet Impala
  By 2011franf - September 24 - 7:39 pm

  a friend who has a impala just like mind was having some issues with her car. on this edmunds.com site when i was reading some reviews about other people who had similiar issues with there impala.I was surprised to read the reviews..I purchased my impala in 2011 and one month later when driving home from work the check engine light, service traction control light, ABS light, service airbags light, and tire gage light all came on at the same time..needless to say i did not know what was going on. before I could get it into the shop the next day i was exiting the ramp to enter the freeway when suddenly the car accelerated on its own and slammed me into a brick wall.

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  An okay car with a few flaws.. - 2008 Chevrolet Cobalt
  By danielsmith85 - September 24 - 11:37 am

  I have to say my Cobalt has been a pretty good car in terms of reliability. Theres been a few problems but Ive had most of them were fixed by my local dealership. At 23,000 miles my power steering pump quit while merging on the interstate, lol wonderful right? (Replaced under warranty) At 51,000 miles my radio would randomly turn off and start working again when it wanted to. (Replaced by GM under warranty) And my door speakers would only work when its warm outside. (I just had new ones installed from Best Buy.) But besides these things the car has been great. Its fun to drive and has a lot of pep for a 4 cylinder. Its great on trips and I plan to have it for many years to come.

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  Death trap & money pit - 2007 Chevrolet Malibu
  By v85 - September 21 - 8:15 am

  This is a horrible car. Not long after I bought it, the steering rack had to be replaced (ended up being replaced 4x in under a year). I had to replace the sway bars and the brake pads were warped - keep in mind this was all at 30k-40k miles. Even better? At 63k miles, the engine light came on because the thermostat was broken. Also, in 1 month, I received 2 recalls - one has to do with the brakes, the other has to do with the transmission. In 5.5 yrs, I put almost $2500 in keeping this thing running. I recently traded it off for a foreign car. Thanks for the solid work, GM!

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  Expect about 10 years life - 2011 Chevrolet Colorado
  By romulan1 - September 21 - 3:16 am

  I bought the truck new in 2011. Regular cab 1 Lt 4X4 Currently the frame rails have rust up and down them. I expect the rust to eat through the thin frame rails in less than 10 years from now. My 99 Dakota has thicker frame rails and also more black paint on them.

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  New and improved yet one BIG GAP - 2015 Chevrolet Tahoe
  By vticeman1 - September 17 - 7:30 pm

  Ive owned 3 Suburbans prior to downsizing to the Tahoe. I selected the LT model, full leather, heated seats and steering wheel….. etc. The electronics on this are pretty detailed yet it does NOT have navigation. Totally unacceptable for a $60k vehicle. Nav and texting on screen are available in Chevys very inexpensive sedans, yet to acquire such sought after technology in the Tahoe, you need to spend another $8k. Complete BS. THIS may be my last Chevy.

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  Ford man to Chevy man - 2014 Chevrolet Camaro
  By oreduks - September 17 - 12:45 am

  was shopping for one of the big three modern hot rod. picked mustang 1a camaro 2a and challenger 3. after 2 mustangs fell thru (not my fault) i went to the 14 camaro rs. boy am i happy. have 600 miles and still 1/2 tank on my 2nd fill up. i live in oregon bought it in washington. drove 300 miles avg 70 mph and got 30 mpg. nice. tinted the windows the second day and now im going to have it two-toned paint. ill still have my 60s ford but for new im very happy to have this camaro.

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  best car Ive ever owned - 2009 Chevrolet Malibu
  By lovethiscar2 - September 16 - 7:24 pm

  I have had many brand new cars but this is the best. in the last five years I have driven my 2009 Malibu 138000 miles and not one problem. Not one. I replaced my tires and brakes at 75000 miles and the rear brakes still had 1/2 their life left. Everyday I thank my lucky stars for buying the Malibu and would buy another in a heartbeat.

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  Do Not Purchase a 2008 Chevrolet Suburban - 2008 Chevrolet Suburban
  By patsfanman67 - September 15 - 2:29 pm

  Junk!! My Suburban has required air bag sensor replacement ($300), the 4 wheel drive stopped functioning for unknown reasons, the Stabilitrac stopped functioning for unknown reasons, the Traction Control stopped functioning for unknown reasons, exterior lighting stopped working (puddle lamps, license plate lamps), and window buttons stopped working. All before it hit 80k miles! The frame and undercarriage is rusted beyond recognition too. General Motors is proven unreliable and proven to be unable to build a sound vehicle. I will never buy another GM vehicle and I think the company should have been allowed to go bankrupt.

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  Major Chevy Aveo failure - 2005 Chevrolet Aveo
  By chevyvictim - September 15 - 1:05 pm

  I bought my Chevy Aveo brand new in late 05, loved, babied and maintained that car very well. 3 days ago the timing belt failed at only 55K miles on the freeway, totally shut the car down including power steering and brakes at 65mph, Im very lucky I was safe. And now I find out that the engine is basically destroyed because of the belt failure, with repair costs of approximately $2500. And to top it all off I find out Chevrolet knew about this particular problem long ago but did nothing to warn owners or recall, totally negligent. Incredibly corrupt company if you ask me, I and many other Aveo owners are very angry, and I feel a class action lawsuit is necessary

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  Dont Buy!!! - 2008 Chevrolet Cobalt
  By jackieevilla12 - September 15 - 12:32 pm

  First off, there is a recall on the ignition switch that is highly dangerous. I bought my car 6 months ago, 68,000 miles on it, and it seemed to be in great condition. I got the ignition switch replaced by the GM dealership, and 2 months after that the car started having problems. Right now Im still not sure if it is the battery being drained or if the alternator went out. The car itself is still in great condition and should NOT be having this problem. The first time the battery was drained, nothing on the vehicle was working. Not the remote, not the break pedal, and on top of all that, the key was stuck in the ignition and wouldnt come out until i got a jump start.