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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  Thow away car - 2004 Chevrolet Aveo
  By notforchevy - January 27 - 12:25 pm

  Purchased brand new, never drove it hard. Took it on trips, always maintained the vehicle. 70k hits and the crank shaft position sensor goes out and the car wont start. 73k hits, the timing belt broke and now I have to pay $2000 for a new engine. Right when I got it back the transmission went out. Out of control

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  looks good but falls apart - 2000 Chevrolet S-10
  By johnson - January 26 - 3:17 pm

  it started out great and offroad capability is great... started to fall apart about a month after having it. had about 7000 dollars in repairs including a new engine, rear end, seals, bearings, water pump, alternator, cooler lines, oil pump lines, O2 sensor, and had a bad moisture problem that leaked water into the passenger floor mats... had lots of problems with the third door... vacuum pump went out twice.. would never get one again and couldnt wait to get rid of it!

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  A bad Truck To Buy - 2004 Chevrolet Colorado
  By McMahan - January 23 - 10:00 am

  This Truck has been in the Shop 3 time is the past 2 months to have the transmission worked on, still not fixed. Forget about getting help from GM reps to talk with about safety issue. They will just tell you that your safety is not their concern, but to try and fix the vehicle. I would be very careful if I were thing about buying this vehicle. For the price and better quality I would look at a different Truck.

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  Worst Chevy out of 3 that Ive owned - 2012 Chevrolet Equinox
  By Teresa hardin - January 20 - 1:16 am

  After 2 years the ignition wire had to be replaced. The fuel pump went out in 5 years. 6 months later a fuel solenoid had be replaced. The dash lights fade out for no reason.

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  Never Again! - 2000 Chevrolet Malibu
  By beatlegirl9 - January 19 - 2:14 pm

  Ive had this car 7 yrs & Ive had nothing but problems. It only has 67,000 miles as I dont do much driving except work & errands. I also do the reg. maintenance. I have an extended warranty that has been my lifeline in terms of shelling out money. Every time I take it to the dealership for repair, the same problems start back up a couple of weeks later. I have the manifold gasket repaired, my transmission replaced, the drivers side control panel replaced, the a/c control panel replaced(3x), fuel pump, a couple of the fuel injectors, the water pump & some others I am sure I am leaving out. Will never buy a Chevy or GM ever again based on the nightmare I have had w/ this car. Buyer Beware!

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  I should have bought a durango - 2007 Chevrolet Tahoe
  By Diana wenzler - January 18 - 5:25 pm

  I love amercian cars but not ford so i bought a chevy LTZ for cheaper than a middle of the line durango i used to think that was a good deal

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  No more Chevys for me, thanks. - 1999 Chevrolet Blazer
  By Chris - January 6 - 5:43 pm

  Bought it with 18K miles. It was beautiful and a pleasure to drive. But then came the mechanical problems. Front suspension wears out prematurely (there was actually a NHTSA investigation into the ball joints). Coolant problems and engine seal/gasket failures. Lots of other problems. Were thankful for the extended warranty we bought. It cost us about $5k extra, but saved us an additional $10k in repairs later. In addition to regular maintenance, our repairs to date total just over $15k. Sad to admit this, but Im not planning on buying American again. Not until American car makers earn my trust back.

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  Piece of Junk! - 2006 Chevrolet Cobalt
  By TerBear1968 - January 6 - 12:20 am

  I have owned my Cobalt for about 6 months. In that time I have had issues with the heating and cooling system and have had them repaired. I am now having issues with it again. There are loud griding noises coming from under the hood that the mechanics there say are "normal" from the air conditioning unit. Im sorry but there is nothing "normal" about the noise I am hearing. The gas mileage is currently running at about 13mpg in town and, if Im lucky, 27 on the freeway. A far cry from the touted mileage on this car. I do not feel this car is reliable and though I was assured I would not need a new car for many years to come, I am currently seeking another form of transportation.

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  1st and last Chevy Ill ever own - 2005 Chevrolet Equinox
  By Shadefly - January 5 - 6:36 pm

  This car has been a great dissapointment since we bought it. It had a window leak it took the dealer 4 times to fix, gas mileage is 25% lower than sticker (only to find out there was a brake cylinder stuck when we replace the brakes at 60k, dealer never discovered it or attempted to fix poor gas mileage), the alarm dings for no apparent reason and wont shut off, even with car running or key out (again dealers in Tx and TN could/would not fix), satellite radio goes to static in and around cities, even with clear view of sky. Just to name a few of the problems weve had with no resolution from the dealers or Chevy. What a piece of junk. Should have bought the Escape.

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  Nothing but problems - 2006 Chevrolet Uplander
  By chief_tc - December 26 - 10:04 pm

  Overall the vehicle is stable and mostly comfortable at highway speeds and is responsive in around town driving. No idea of fuel economy - my fuel system (sending unit to gauge assembly) has been replaced - service cant tell me why my wife keeps running out of gas when the gauge says 1/2 tank. Also had brakes replaced (2x), all side power door lock parts replaced (both sides) and now it needs to have the headlights repaired.