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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  JUST SAY NO !!! - 2001 Chevrolet Blazer
  By memphis815 - July 2 - 4:45 pm

  This is the worst vehicle i have ever owned... every year you can count on replacing the fuel pump.. if you own one of these do yourself a favor and buy the replacement fuel pump with a lifetime warranty ... it helps cut the cost down later. then you only have to pay to have the new one installed. i cant keep wheel bearings in it.. the longest it has gone is 15 months between replacements ..rear brakes calipers lock up.. was to that this is happens a lot because they use cheaper aluminum calipers and they tend to go out. once you replace the factory junk ones it seems to fix that problem.. it has a strange problem with constant misfires causing check engine light to come on. thats not all.

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  Great Car - 2003 Chevrolet Malibu
  By alan1945 - June 30 - 4:04 pm

  Purchased as a used rental car in 2004 with 15,000 miles. I now have 203,000 miles and change the oil at 5,000 intervals. Non maintenance repairs have only been a fuel pump, thermostat, and alternator. MPG is great. Consistently averages 30-32 highway at 70+ MPH and 26-28 city. Will easily go 55,000 to 60,000 miles on a set of tires. Nothing great to look at but the most reliable car I have owned, especially considering the price. Would like to get something newer but the thing just wont quit.

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  So in love! - 1997 Chevrolet Tahoe
  By elcamino_girl - June 27 - 10:14 pm

  I couldnt be more THRILLED that this is my first vehicle! I was going to trade it for a small car, until I got it on the road. Had to fix the rear brake lines to get it road worthy. currently need to fix one stabilizer bar, front brakes could go any day, part of the front drivers side frame is rotted pretty bad, the vehicle clicks funny when reversing and theres a leak in the gas tank near the top. She had about 427k when I got her. after putting on almost 1000k a month since Oct, Im STILL in love. I will be sad when she has nothing left to give, hopefully that wont be for a long time yet

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  Definition of a "normal" car - 2002 Chevrolet Malibu
  By noah14 - June 27 - 9:30 am

  The 2002 Malibu is extremely normal. Its practical, a bit faster than you might think, but its boring looks keep it in the "grandma car" category. Pros: -Practical size. Not to big on the outside, plenty of space on the inside. -Reluctantly fast. At first I thought I was driving a slow car since I got it from my grandmother, but its actually pretty quick compared to these new eco-friendly 4-cylinder sedans with a million gears that wont let you touch 4,000rpm. If you coax it, itll move. Cons: -Looks. Its not ugly, its just boring. Silver lining: cops wont notice you. -Lots of little repairs. Annoying things like the indicator keeps clicking for no reason.

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  Basic and uncomfortable death trap - 2011 Chevrolet Aveo
  By marissahill - June 26 - 1:25 pm

  I bought used from rental company with 38k miles. My alternator was out immediately, which is not supposed to happen until 150k miles according to dealership. Beware of where you take the car to get it fixed, because Midas quoted me $600 for part alone (which is not accurate, but part is rare). Gas mileage is way lower than advertised - I am very disappointed. I drive all highway and my 2007 Kia Sportage got better gas mileage than this car. Worst part of vehicle is acceleration. It will not accelerate quickly, which is scary when turning onto busy streets or merging onto freeways. This car has to try so hard just to do basic things. Constantly makes noises and RPM jumps around.

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  303,000 miles and going strong - 2004 Chevrolet TrailBlazer
  By jweil810 - June 25 - 7:04 pm

  Im absolutely amazed that I have over 300,000 miles on this car. It will be 10 years old in November.

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  Not the great expected changes in the Tahoe 2015? - 2015 Chevrolet Tahoe
  By tahoeltz2015 - June 25 - 4:40 pm

  I have had 5 Tahoe since 1996 and this is the first one that I bought and had to returned to the dealer for fixing within 20 miles The back door is malfunctioning doesnt open/close automatically. Also several visible blemish on the exterior paint were detected. The ride is weird and the 1 second response to pressing the gas pedal is very odd. The bottom of the front seat is very narrow and has very little padding you fill the 2 brackets after 15 minutes driving. The center console is too wide and the hatch bother the driver side. The front end of the hood is way too highm about 3 inches higher that 2014 body the driver can not see when parking the other car gas millage 14mpg

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  2014 2LT RS Crystal Red Camaro - 2014 Chevrolet Camaro
  By joe_wi - June 25 - 10:15 am

  At the time of this review I have 1500 miles on my Camaro. So far so good. Ive been driving a Celica GTS TRD for a long time and had zero issues with that car so I am hoping for the same with this GM product. I am happy with all aspects of the Camaro. The exterior looks and the performance are both tip top. The interior took some getting used to. The controls are not completely intuitive. I am not impressed with the steering wheel radio controls. I also would have like to customize the in-dash menu selections for performance and mileage/trip readings. The HUD is pretty cool and I like the choices of that display. The manual tran is smooth shifting and solid.

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  Painful - 2013 Chevrolet Malibu
  By amanda0310 - June 23 - 11:25 pm

  I was so excited to purchase my new Malibu. The style is sleek, elegant, and sporty all in one. The MPG is right around 27 for me personally. My biggest problem is the comfort. I didnt notice it until two days later when my back was in so much pain. The head rest forces your head forward and they are not completely removable. The lumbar section of the seat is not positioned correctly and is rather stiff. I have tried different pillows, reclining the seat completely back and sitting up free style (which is super uncomfortable). Ive spoken with 2 customer services reps from GM who passed it back and forth only to pass it on to the dealership which in return said there was nothing they could

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  100,000MI and no issues. - 2005 Chevrolet Uplander
  By dderbowka - June 23 - 10:44 pm

  Bought this vehicle at an auction, no problems what so ever. Starts in any weather without issue. The vehicle is mainly highway driven, do notice however when driving at night the lights flicker but it does not affect the performance of the vehicle in any way. The van is easy to maintenance, Also has good power for towing for the 3.5L engine size. Seats are comfortable - At least the ones with armrests which they should have mandatory in all vehicles. I feel that the van will go into the 200,000 MI range from what I have been hearing from others.