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:

• 

  worst car ever - 2002 Chevrolet Cavalier
  By * - April 21 - 10:15 pm

  Cd player doesnt work. The stick is hard to move and sometimes doesnt go into park and has to be shoved. Dashboard rattles. Mileage does not show up half of the time. Passenger side window does not go up, therefore it never goes down. Air conditioner wires cracked. Im sure Im forgetting things but I just cant remember everything wrong with this car. This is the worst car known to mankind, probably getting rid of it during the summer.

• 

  1999 Chevy blazer - 1999 Chevrolet Blazer
  By Bubba - April 19 - 2:34 pm

  I bought this car brand new and loved it until i had to buy a new engine at 95,000 miles. Then a couple days after the new engine had to get a battery, transmission, hoses, a/c, and heat replaced. And now i have 190,000 miles on the SUV and 99,000 miles on the new engine and its falling apart. Heres a list: 1. 10 leaks in the hoses on the car alone and it will cost $2,000 to replace them. 2. Have to get a catalytic converter which will cost for this car $1,500. 3. The driver door interior is falling apart. 4. Both seats dont move position because of malfunction. 5. Waiting to see what else..... I bought this car for $33,000 and have put $10,000 into it. I will never buy a Chevy!!

• 

  Buyer Beware, Mileage is Terrible! - 2005 Chevrolet Equinox
  By BBB - April 14 - 11:36 pm

  With gas prices the way they are, I would definitely look at another small SUV. I have not been able to get more than 16 mpg with this thing. If you are looking for economy, this is NOT the car. The salesman used the "Great MPG" as a sales tool...dont fall for it!

• 

  just junk - 2000 Chevrolet S-10
  By eric - April 14 - 11:38 am

  This truck is a piece of junk. At 44,000 miles I had to replace the water pump. At 46,000 I had to replace the trans. The handle for the seat to recline broke soon after I bought it. I also had to replace the breaks at 25,000 miles. My wife has a 01 f150 that pulls a fifth wheel and it had 60,000 before the breaks went out. Also with 100,000 miles the trany is still going strong. My son has a 87 f150 and has less problems than I am having with this piece of junk. He has 250,000 and his trany is still going strong. This is my last Chevy, going back to Ford. Like a rock my foot.

• 

  I hate my Equinox - 2008 Chevrolet Equinox
  By Harry P - April 10 - 6:42 pm

  Really disappointed that I bought this truck. Traded in my 2003 fully loaded Trailblazer EXT and this is such a step down. GM really went the cheap route in the interior. The Sport version lists for $40k Cdn and there are so many better trucks for that amount of money. The biggest complaint is the ride. From what I can tell the Sport is the worst of them all but it is totally uncomfortable and bounces all over the road. This will be traded quite soon.

• 

  trying to get rid of it - 2000 Chevrolet Blazer
  By berdiddly - April 10 - 11:02 am

  This was my first car I bought on my own, second car to have. I bought it with 35,000miles, and a week later had to buy a new battery. Three months later had to buy a new alternator. A week later the seat adjustment handles broke off. At 40,000 miles the gas gauge went out. 60,000 miles, my heater went out and found out that I have a leak in my radiator so I have to fill that constantly, I also found an oil leak. Now at 72,000 miles, I have had to replace the bearings, brakes and rotors TWICE in one month. I wish I would have known about this web site before I bought my car. Be sure to research all cars.

• 

  Dissatisfied - 2005 Chevrolet Uplander
  By Camie - April 9 - 8:03 am

  We have had several trips to the dealership with repairs on this vehicle. The automatic rear passenger door tries to open while car is in motion. "fixed" at least 4 times. The car only starts when it wants to. You have to push the gas to start the vehicle. I would not suggest buying this vehicle.

• 

  not a good deal in the long run - 2006 Chevrolet Malibu
  By horribu - April 8 - 11:26 am

  I leased a 2006 Malibu in July of 06 and have currently only put 18,000 miles on it. It has already had significant transmission problems and suspension and steering problems. The windshield leaks, the cd player broke, the interior trim was gouged by a cardboard box! I am dissappointed in every way with this car. Initially I liked the exterior styling and the price, but I truly wish I had gotten something else. Now I am stuck with this car that is not as good as used cars I drove in college until my lease is up. I recently purchased a 2nd car from Nissan that is vastly Superior in quality and was the same price

• 

  Like A Crock - 2000 Chevrolet S-10
  By Randy - April 7 - 8:40 am

  I have sincerely tried to convince myself to stay with American made vehicles. Sorry Chevy, you are the best thing that has happened to Toyota trucks. Im done. Before I hit 100k I have gone thru 2 gm fuel pumps, 3 sets of wheel bearings, oil cooling lines, heater core, u-joints at 45k, 2 handles for the 3rd door, seat recliner handles snapped off, headlight mounting assembly cracked, countless rotors, 3 times stranded and towed. Handle for rear slider window broke. Tailgate rusting last year. Interior fit and finish sucks-evrything makes noise. Tranny whine at 90k. 4 wheel drive has been reliable and works flawlessly. Motor is powerful.

• 

  Known Engine issue - 2017 Chevrolet Silverado 1500
  By Mark S. - April 4 - 2:15 am

  The 5.3 engine has a noticeable hesitation at various speeds. There are also times when decelerating quickly, the engine slams down into gears. Research on the internet provides numerous complaints by 2017 owners. This is a known problem by Chevy and they even had a Service Bulletin on it.The guess at the problem is to do some type of diagnostic on the engine and of if falls within certain guidelines, to change the transmission fluid. Not sure why you change the fluid on a new vehicle. Reading also indicates this solution does nothing. Stay away from this vehicle.