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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  Problems... - 2008 Chevrolet Silverado 1500
  By d04 - June 3 - 5:10 am

  We have had numerous problems with our 2008 Chevy Silverado that we purchased new and has low miles. One of the problems is power lock failure. Recently the passenger side quit working, but since we are out of our warranty, GM would not cover the cost. However, after speaking with several people from GM I found that they will do a voluntary recall if they get enough complaints from the consumer about this issue. Even if you have already paid to have this problem fixed in the past, please call 866-790-5600 [non-permissible content removed] to let them know of the problem and maybe we can get them to do the voluntary recall so consumers can get reimbursed for the repair costs.

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  Average American Vehicle - 2005 Chevrolet TrailBlazer EXT
  By Sgt_Coolio - June 2 - 10:00 am

  This vehicle was purchased with a mindset of being paid off and lasting a long time. Well the vehicle has been paid off, but only lasted in top shape a few thousand miles. At the age of 12K miles the seals around the door began to become warped, the underseat plastic panels broke off a few from then. At 42K miles, the speedometer became faulty. At 48K miles, the gas meter became no good as well. Hence I work in the field quite a bit, the vehicle would sit in a parking lot for a few weeks at a time, causing the shocks, and calipers to become rusty. Overall this vehicle is not bad for company/government usage but for a family and a service member,perhaps a better choice is needed.

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  2007 Z51 Manual (bad fit and finish) - 2007 Chevrolet Corvette
  By sir vettealot - May 28 - 3:42 pm

  Don’t get me wrong the car is so much fun to drive and looks great but the interior quality is very bad and does not compare to any German or Japanese cars’ quality. It feels a little cheap. My friend drives a 2008 BMW M3 which is comparable to the vette in power and price but the interior quality on the beemer is much better than my corvette for the same price. Some of my interior trim is coming off and the car is still under warranty.

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  Cant believe theres not more recalls on this vehicle - 2001 Chevrolet Monte Carlo
  By eyzofblue72 - May 28 - 2:50 pm

  I bought my 2001 car brand new in Nov 2000. Within the 1st year the driver seat heater went out - so had that replaced. Since then, I have had to have my catalytic converter replaced which now as I have been doing research found out it would have been covered under a Special Policy Adjustment - Catalytic Converter #05551 -(09/14/2005) Models: 2001-02 CHEVROLET IMPALA, MONTE CARLO EQUIPPED WITH 3.4L (RPO LA1 - VIN E) OR 3.8L (RPO L36 - VIN K) V6 ENGINE. Which surprisingly GM didnt bother to send. Now 4 years later, my catalytic converter needs to be replaced again. My security light has been on since 50k miles and Ive had to replace my 4th gear shaft and the list goes on.

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  Very poor quality build - 2008 Chevrolet Malibu
  By James - May 26 - 7:26 pm

  I saw this car and fell in love. It looks good, has lots of nice features and is fun to drive. The build quality however, is HORRIBLE. Here is a summary of all the warranty work: Ive had the rotors machined 3 times, a new set of brake pads, bottom joints rusted - body shopped and re-rust proofed, drivers door rusted - body shopped and repainted, headlight filled with water - replaced, then came out of position and had to go in AGAIN, transmission seal leak - replaced, my passenger side heated seat has had 2 switches and a relay put in it, and it STILL is not fixed! It turns on whenever it wants. Steering column is now separating, remote start makes horrid knocking sound

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  Watch Out - 1999 Chevrolet Silverado 1500
  By Dash - May 22 - 10:00 am

  Would not recomend my worst enemy. The truck now needs its 3rd ABS sensing module. GM knows but dont care about the problem. I traded today and took a loss just to rid myself of the problem. You cant find the part in a salvage yard because if you keep a 1999 silverado you will need one and GM dealer gets $700-$1000 .

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  Issues as soon as it was out of warranty - 2006 Chevrolet Equinox
  By Unhappy Mom - May 21 - 3:27 pm

  As soon as my Equinox was out of warranty the problems started occurring. To date Ive had to have the brakes replaced, the fuel cap, cellnoid, some other part for the emissions and now a fan has broken in the motor. In totally it has been almost $2000. I will never buy a GM product again!

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  Worried I made the wrong purchase - 2005 Chevrolet TrailBlazer
  By Dee - May 20 - 1:25 pm

  I traded my 2001 Jeep in for a trailblazer, loved the handling the first time I drove it. It had 31K when I purchased it and now it has 36K. I have had to replace both front wheel bearings (which thank god I purchased the extended warranty) and the air pump system needed to be replaced. Currently since my check engine light came on due to the air pump my cruise total will not stay engaged. So back to the garage. I am now starting to feel a slip in the transmission. There is also barely any room up front and the wind noise in the doors and windows are annoying. Wished I read these reviews first. I would of stayed with Jeep or Toyota.

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  Reliability - 2005 Chevrolet Aveo
  By Candace - May 19 - 11:54 pm

  I only had my car two year and it broke down on me in the summer and it only had 67,000 miles on it. The thermostat housing melted the auto repair man said that it happened only because of how cheap the car was made and what it was made of. The car being fuel efficient is great but if something happens and it over heats then you need to get a new engine which is worth what the car it worth. I would not recommend this to anyone.

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  Never Again, will i buy a GM product - 2003 Chevrolet Cavalier
  By jeff - May 19 - 7:10 pm

  I bought my cavalier new in 2003 and i am not hard on a vehicle. But since i have had this car new it has been thru 3 sets of brakes and rotors, 2 times to have the horn fixed, first time was under warranty second time cost me some major money. The fuel pump went and that was a major blow to my pocket book. Over all the car is ok but when it comes time to fix something you better have a brinks truck in your back pocket to fix the stuff that goes wrong. I have a 94 S-10 that has 126000 miles on it and it hasnt cost me near what the cavalier has cost me. So i will never buy another gm product again.