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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  Cheap but gets the job done - 1996 Chevrolet Blazer
  By Kev - August 23 - 1:28 am

  This car was purchased brand new 11 years ago and since put 87000 miles on it. It has been fairly reliable throughout these mile. However, on the down side, performance and quality is on the poor side. Maintenance is a real biggy. Since its American, fixing this car is a hassle thanks to poor design of the engine bay. The major problems that comes up are the fan and alignment issues. Frequently, my coolant tank will get dirty with grime and dirt and needs to be cleaned. Also, I noticed once I have the AC on, the car will sometimes overheat, going past the mid point of the temp gauge. This can be a result of a recall back in 1997 with the fan.

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  what was I thinking - 2002 Chevrolet S-10
  By stang fan - August 18 - 2:39 pm

  I have 107,000 and I work at a chevy dealer ant the people there say its just broken in. I have had the truck for a little over 2 years and i have put over $2500-$3000 into fixing it and another $1200 to do yet. it gets the same gas milege as a fullsize truck I barely get 20 mpg on the highway for long trips. I cant wait to trade it in, I will never buy another GM product again, this isnt my first bad experience with GM. GO FORD

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  AM I THE ONLY ONE WITH THESE PROBLEMS? - 2004 Chevrolet TrailBlazer
  By pcashotgun - August 15 - 2:00 am

  I HAVE HAD THIS VEHICLE IN THE SERVICE DEPT SINCE TWO MONTHS AFTER PURCHASE, THE BRAKE AND BLINKER LIGHTS ARE CONSTANTLY GOING BAD AND THE SERVICE ENGINE SOON LIGHT HAS BEEN ON OVER 5 TIMES, THEY HAVE PUT A NEW GAS TANK IN IT AND I HAVE HAD FRONT AND REAR AC PROBLEMS WITH THIS VEHICLE,I LIKE THE LOOK AND FEEL OF THIS VEHICLE WHEN AND IF I AM ABLE TO DRIVE IT.

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  The Reason GM Is Dying - 2007 Chevrolet Impala
  By Rollin - August 13 - 4:20 pm

  GM should be embarassed to put the storied Impala name on this fleet-grade rental car. Nasty seating. Floppy handling and dynamics. 1970s-vintage interior materials and design. Ho-hum styling. Spastic tire-pressure-sensor monitors. Fritzy electronics. Mediocre power.

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  This was my LAST GM vehicle EVER! - 2013 Chevrolet Traverse
  By Mike - August 4 - 10:00 am

  Before buying this car I would be sure that there were no other cars available anywhere in the world to buy. Though we entered our purchase of this vehicle when it was brand new, the manufacturer recalls (4 the first year) and ongoing odor problem in the A/C system pretty much ruined it for us. After EIGHT visits to the dealer about the odor, the NINTH was the charm - exactly one visit beyond the warranty! Once it was out of warranty, they managed to fix the 3-year-plus odor problem for $1300...and then told us to take it our complaints to GM if we didnt like it. GM promptly denied our appeals, and when the engines transmission became rough between 3rd-4th gears, we traded it for a new Honda Pilot the next week. We had had enough, and this was definitely our LAST GM PURCHASE EVER!

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  Chevy Cavalier, only so-so - 1999 Chevrolet Cavalier
  By CHill - August 2 - 4:17 pm

  This car has had more issues than not. The steering has always made a griding noise when at low speeds, the air conditioner has been broken since the second day after we drove off of the lot, and the cab space is next to nothing. I do not feel safe driving this car. Personally, I do not like it, but for a first car that is only to be owned for a short period, its ideal. Its cheap, and the price shows it. Youll drop the price of a new car to repair the a/c alone, though, so if comfort is your game you may want to steer clear of this model and year.

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  Good Car, Not - 1994 Chevrolet Cavalier
  By btdoug - July 30 - 11:42 am

  I bought this car a few months ago, with less than 100k miles on it. Ive had a lot of electrical failures that needed to be replaced, and the engine overheats on long drives. I know its getting to be an old cheap car, and its an American car, but I expected a little more reliability than what Ive got so far.

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  Not cracked up - 2006 Chevrolet Equinox
  By Ripton - July 24 - 7:50 pm

  Seats are hard and uncomfortable. 6 point seat adjustment is not enough. Rides fair and has good pickup, but not as nice as a Saturn VUE or Buick model. Steering is slow to react, but smooth. Lots of wind noise. I dont like this car. I leased it for two years and will be glad when it goes back.

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  GMs S-10 Blazer Disappointment - 2000 Chevrolet Blazer
  By Roger S. - July 22 - 10:00 am

  I bought my S-10 LT 4WD Wagon with 5,000 miles on it.At first I thought it was great,then things began to come up.First thing I noticed was the terrible Fuel mileage!I also noticed that the interior had more squeaks and noises than my Grandmothers old Rocking Chair! Next was the Mechanical problems.2 sets of Oil Cooler lines by 25,000 miles,the Muffler at 18,000,Seat recliner handle, Transfer case leaks.Now at 40,000 miles I have some kind of Suspension noise.Im now going to trade this dissappointment in.

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  Its a pain to drive - 2000 Chevrolet Blazer
  By oilerfootball - July 22 - 10:00 am

  If your looking for a challenge, this car is the one for you. I bought this in August and have had two wrecks that could be attributed to the mechanics of the car. It is very difficult to see out of with many blind spots, and it has very sloppy handling. Buy anything but this car.