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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  Problems - 2008 Chevrolet Impala
  By Riverhouse2 - September 7 - 11:40 am

  I bought the car with 63000 miles and within 3 days of owning it I had it in the shop twice because it would not start. At 89000 miles the transmission acted up so had to have that fixed. At 140000 now the reduced engine light is on and you loose speed. Reading other reviews on this model seems Alot of people are having the same thing. In fact the dealer told me with the transmission issue "Oh these cars are known for that." Frustrated that GM will not do anything about it.

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  Good SUV, but not worth $40,000+ - 2018 Chevrolet Equinox
  By Angelica15 - September 7 - 8:46 am

  I do like my SUV. The ride is good , but couldve been better for the price. Not as smooth over bumps, but ok. The interior is beautiful, but cheap materials that show smudges easily. I got the leather vinyl interior, and some parts of the interior just gives you that plastic feel. Again its nice but definitely overpriced!

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  Trim is plastic that breaks easy - 2006 Chevrolet HHR
  By plastic crap - September 3 - 11:44 am

  Glove box on top of dash, made of all plastic, button broke plastic screw holders and they call it trim work. must replace entire box which in 2008 was $250. Inside door handles are made of plastic and break off in your hand when opening the doors from the inside. though the broken piece is less than a 3 oz piece of circular plastic. The dealer says to fix. You must purchase a entire new door. I was quoted $468 dollars to replace with (another entire door with a plastic handle which will just break again) x 4 doors is crazy and not covered under any of the warrentees they sold me. will not buy another chevy.

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  Shouldve stayed FORD!! - 2009 Chevrolet Traverse
  By Mark - September 1 - 1:29 pm

  Should have stayed Ford, decided to try Chevy, very disappointed with the performance and reliability. The Check engine light has come on over 7 times in less than 6 months, first few times they said the gas cap was not put on properly. Over 35 yrs of driving time, I know how to put a gas cap on. The 4th time a fuel injector was replaced, the 5th time back to Gas cap, 6th time they replaced a coil and spark plugs, 7th time yep you guessed it, Gas Cap. We like this vehicle, we are not happy with the performance, we got a lemon, working with GM to get it replaced. I know "Good Luck". GM had their chance, going back to Ford especially if they give me my money. Shouldve have stayed FORD.

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  99 tahoe - 1999 Chevrolet Tahoe
  By Smallie6 - August 30 - 2:48 pm

  Bought truck last summer. Has 92K miles. I needed a good tow vehicle for hauling my boat to the lake. It is very good at hauling the boat. That is the good news. The bad news in the last three months It needed a new transmission, water pump, and intake gaskets. I am afraid to drive it because I cant afford any more repairs. Very high cost of ownership.

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  Poor Build Quality - 2005 Chevrolet Silverado 1500
  By Mike - August 30 - 10:10 am

  Not very satisfied. It was a nice ride at first, but after it gets broken in it becomes like a tank and things start falling apart. The "like a rock" statement is long gone and I will never own another Chevy truck again if this is their new standard. My 86 pickup lasted well over 200,000 miles with no major problems but apparently you cant expect the same quality anymore.

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  Lack of power steering - 2005 Chevrolet Cobalt
  By be careful - August 30 - 8:36 am

  One evening driving home the power steering suddenly went out. It nearly caused an accident. We drove straight home and parked the car until Monday and had it towed to our dealer. Evidently once the car is shut off, the thing resets itself and starts working again, so there werent any codes to work with. It was supposedly fixed by the dealer. Four days later, in a very sharp turn the power steering went out again. We ran off the road this time and barely got it under control. This time I drove to a gas station, filled up and the car ran all night until the dealership was open the next day. This time they got the proper codes and are fixing it right. I hope. I am trading it off asap.

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  Disappointment - 2004 Chevrolet Suburban
  By Wild man - August 29 - 2:00 am

  I found Suburban & Expedition drove and rode very similarly. I had considered buying a Suburban when purchasing the Expedition about 10 months back. After renting, Im glad I saved about $8,000. My two biggest disappointments were poor and shoddy use of plastics, doors werent aligned well, and rarely closed tightly. Been waitng to see when Chevy would make for a simply fix for folding down rear seat in the Suburban. Still waiting. The Expedition has a 60/40 fold down rear seat, which is utilitarian. The fold over, unbolt, remove and sit in the garage approach isnt what I want in a $40,000 vehicle.

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  Poor passenger comfort - 2010 Chevrolet Aveo
  By D - August 28 - 1:11 am

  Ive only had the vehicle for 3 weeks and wish we would not have gotten it. There is 1 cup holder in the back for your passengers (anyone with kids know thats not going to work very well.) There is no arm rest in the front passengers seat or in the back. The one in the front can be purchased at an additional charge of course. The mirrors have a strange reflection in them, You feel like your looking through a glass filled with water. The fabric is about as cheap as you can get its already got little fuzzies on the seats & its got less than 200 miles on it. There is very little storage in this car. I Wish there was a 30 day satisfaction return on vehicles, this one would have been returned!

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  Dont buy GM - 2004 Chevrolet Malibu Maxx
  By JuliaG - August 27 - 10:10 am

  I have owned this car for less than a year (less than 70,000 miles) and it has had more than $3000 in repairs. The most recent issue for me was loss of power steering while on the highway. Its obvious to me that GM was aware of this safety issue, having issued a recall for the same year/make/model, although not including my VIN and they are not at all willing to assist me, although the dealership offered me a 10% discount on my bill. I will never again purchase a GM vehicle after the poor customer service I have received and vehicle quality I have experienced.