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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  start saving now for monthy for repairs - 2007 Chevrolet Cobalt
  By SCsCrazyItalian - August 25 - 8:57 pm

  This car is very fun to drive and has a cute body, but those are about the only good things I have to say about the car. In the very few months I have had the car I have had the breaks replaced, had to buy a new battery and have had the whole gear shift unit replaced. It is not practical at all. There is no space what so ever in the back seat. The inside paint scratches way too easily and the stereo razzes very easily. Over all just not a practical car. Oh and if you get one with a fin on the back forget about rear visibility.

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  Get a warranty - 1999 Chevrolet Malibu
  By jl - August 24 - 4:58 pm

  I bought this car in 2003 with 40,000 miles on it. It now has 91,000. My Corsica had the head crack at 59,000 miles, so I bought this. The mechanic at the dealership told me to get a warranty because I would have the intake gasket go bad in a year. Three months later, he was right. Two weeks after that, the fuel pump. I am now on its third intake gasket, third alternator, second water pump, fourth set of brake rotors, and the list goes on. The $1300.00 warranty paid for itself twice. The blower resistor also went bad, causing only two speeds of the defroster to work. Now I think the freon needs charged for a second time. When the car works, it works well.

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  What else can go wrong? - 2005 Chevrolet Cobalt
  By reallybadcar - August 22 - 1:49 pm

  I have had the most trouble with this car, i bought it with 2k miles. Then everything started going wrong. The windows motors stopped at 3k. The steering column had locked up and needed to be replaced, at 12k. At 24k miles, a horrible knocking sound started up, the dealership, said the 2 front struts were faulty, the manifold had a leak in it and needed to be replaced, and the wheel bearings in the front dif were faulty, and of course the supercharger was faulty and was replaced. Cant forget the boost gauge meter went out and needed to be replaced at 8k miles. And now the big pool of water that comes from the leaking ac unit, this is my new fun thing to get fixed, but now its out of warranty

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  Needed new engine ay 71,00 miles - 2006 Chevrolet HHR
  By WCS_in_SM - August 22 - 12:15 pm

  Updates "Smooth Ride" 7/22/09. 1,000 city miles after new oil cooler, HHR overheated, towed back to Rydell in Van Nuys. No compression. Diagnosis: head gasket, cost $3000, estimated 4 days in shop. Week later, still in shop, they said the engine block was cracked, needs new engine, cost $6,000, ready five days later. So $1,100 for the oil cooler and service and $6,000 for the engine. Wish I had bought a 100,000 mile warranty. HHR is well maintained, mostly L.A. city driving. Only possible explanation for block cracking is quarterly 800 mile round trip at 75-80 mph. Too much for 4 cyl engine? Would not buy another American car without long warranty.

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  Fell short of the hype! - 2017 Chevrolet Cruze
  By Debra Svitko - August 22 - 9:18 am

  The car sits very low to he ground and is very light weighted so I had to add sandbags to the trunk for weight. You can’t wash the interior to keep it clean without it falling apart. Great in gas. Comfortable interior.

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  No More GM`S - 2004 Chevrolet Impala
  By No More GM`S - August 20 - 11:39 am

  Bought the car new. 3000 miles ac compressor froze. 2 steering racks replaced before 55,000 miles. Manifold gasket let go at 60,000 miles. Speedometer sometimes will not work9 (no safety issue here). Now the transmission will occassionally slip when taking off.

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  JUNK - 2004 Chevrolet Impala
  By Kyle - August 19 - 4:46 pm

  04 impala LS/3.8L/90k miles. CClunking in steering wheel, ABS/traction control lights coming on at random, ABS pump coming on at random, cruise control malfunction, loud whining when I turn. I replaced all rotors and brakes, replaced struts, new tires replaced front wheel hubs, alternator, "greased intermediate steering shaft" and aligned wheels. Car still has a slight shake when I drive, still getting the ABS/TC light, ABS pump still engages AND still a light occaisional clunk in the steering column. even went back myself with a multi meter to check each hub individually to see if a sensor failed and check for bad wiring. Checked out OK. I found the problem. All substandard components.

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  Not Impressed at all!!! - 2007 Chevrolet Equinox
  By Lindsay - August 19 - 12:27 pm

  I bought the car when i was pregnant. The headrest is a vision blocker when trying to look in the blind spots(the tiny windows in the back) The seats are now as hard as bleachers think its causing my back problems. The plastic dash board and steering wheel are So hard to clean. Not to mention that the trim around the shifter is a huge chrome piece that of course the sun hits and blinds you while you are driving. This could cause an accident. Bought brand new in 07 still havent reached the gas mileage that its supposed to be getting and i do a lot of highway driving, when bought it got 16MPGs, now only at 18.3MPGs. HHMM! Sound system?? WHAT HAPPENED!!!

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  dont buy gmc - 2005 Chevrolet Malibu
  By patriotic gal - August 18 - 10:59 pm

  I too will not buy another one, Chevy of any kind, does not hold resell. The inside is built shoddy, carpet has holes. Have replaced ignition twice in 6 months, power window motor went out and was so called fixed at dealer, shoddy job, air condition control has to be repaired .

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  Never again - 2004 Chevrolet Corvette
  By GM JUNK - August 18 - 10:00 am

  I have owned over 5 corvettes This is the worst. Nothing but problems. Both fuel senders went out, AC quit, radio changes channels by its self. Seat memory as a mental defect. Wind noise, Exhaust system needed repairs, Engine replaced Just quit on I-95 Over the past yeat it has more time in the dealer than on the road(Im not counting the time spent driving to and from the dealer or on a tow truck) Goodbye Chevy