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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  11 year old Astro van w/ 135k miles - 1996 Chevrolet Astro
  By Kalei Baker - July 19 - 5:41 pm

  My friend gave this van to me 12 months ago, it had to be towed 3 times and it took about $900+ of repairs to keep it running. Ignition coil burned out = $280 repair. Spark plug wire shorted out = $190 repair. Fuel pump failed = $420 repair. Any repairs under the hood will be high labor due to the design that makes it difficult to access (via panel between passenger and driver leg area. The passenger exterior door handle broke off. When it runs, the 4.0L engine is moderately powerful. At 11 years old and 135k miles, repairs should be expected. I am selling the van, ASAP. I am much more satisfied with my Ford Excursion with 7.3L turbo diesel, which can also seat 8.

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  Very annoying problems with the 07! - 2007 Chevrolet Suburban
  By andb - July 19 - 3:50 pm

  If you dont want the price of leather, skip the 07 Suburban! We traded in a 02 Suburban that we loved and got a lemon. The fabric seats attract lint and hold it even through a vaccuuming with a $600 vaccuum. We have to vaccuum and then use a lint roller to even get close to getting the seats clean. We purchased fabric because we were so satisfied with the Chevy fabric in our 02 Suburban and 05 Chevy pickup. The 07 is a step in the wrong direction! At 64", I also have a problem with the location of the 4wheel drive knob. I knock it and turn it on everytime I get in without realizing it. Our 3rd row passenger seat has also had the knob for flipping it forward broken twice.

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  NO Wonder People dont buy American - 2006 Chevrolet TrailBlazer EXT
  By Stingray197212 - July 12 - 8:13 pm

  I purchased this Trailblazer with 40 miles on it. Lets see what went wrong so far. Air Bag sensor went bad at 100 miles. Back hatch broke off because of cold at 7000 miles. Radio stopped working at 16000 miles. Onstar went on the fritz. My Engine light, went on at 20,000 miles. My Fuel light stays on at 40,000 miles. Chevy Emblem fell off at 45,000 miles. Tranny slipped at 50,000 miles. 4 Wheel drive light sensor on all the time at 52,000 miles. What more can I say? DONT buy Chevy...JUNK. I have owned Chevys all my life...NEVER again.

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  Trans - 2008 Chevrolet Silverado 1500
  By squekie - July 10 - 8:40 am

  Have a 2008 Trans went out after 125,000 whats up with that GM ?

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  Shaky Chevy - 2006 Chevrolet Silverado 1500
  By Jim - June 29 - 11:23 pm

  Have a 2006 1500 Work Truck. The transmission went out at 7,000 miles. The heater blower wiring burned up at 8000 miles and again at 22,000. The exhaust has a vibration at 40 to 45 mph and the dealer said live with it. Another dealer repaired the wiring correctly and is sure he can fix the vibration. This is a 4.3 V-6 and I would say there is a major difference between service departments in Austin Texas.

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  Wish I could of tried it out for a month - 2004 Chevrolet TrailBlazer EXT
  By wigglebritches - June 24 - 11:10 pm

  The test drive was fine, but actually using the vehicle was another story. Gas mileage is poor; we get about 9 mpg pulling our camper and about 14 mpg avg. highway & city. The suspension is soupy; it wobbles a lot around corners & over bumps. The storage is appalling; I cant carry passengers, a stroller and groceries; there just isnt enough room. The stroller also falls out when I open the back hatch since it is crammed in. Having two car seats means the seat which allows access to the back hooks the car seat when you try to fold it down. Folding the back seats down is no easy feat. Not enough storage for little stuff. Little to no leg room when purse, back packs & diaper bags are stowed.

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  Silverado Nightmare - 1999 Chevrolet Silverado 1500
  By robert hansen - June 22 - 10:00 am

  A big lemon from bad water pump to poor engineering (door stops and parking brakes. Several recalls. GM refuses to fix major items of failure such as ABS computer ($1,200). My next car? You can bet it wont be GM!

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  Why Chevy lost me as a customer - 1997 Chevrolet S-10
  By Pete792 - June 21 - 5:11 pm

  I bought a 97 S-10 brand new, at the end of 96. It was a great looking truck, and appeared to be a decent vehicle when I test drove it. Little did I know what a lemon this piece of junk would turn out to be! Until I bought this truck I was a Chevy fan. But it didnt take long before I felt like they had taken advantage of me. I read many of the reviews, and was amazed I had identical problems with my S-10. Like the rear view mirror falling off, and the gas gauge breaking after about 3 years, and the A/C problems. Not to mention the engine repeatedly over heating and eventually burning up and had to be replaced. Pieces continue to fall off and things break regularly. Avoid this lemon!

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  Not as good as I expected - 1999 Chevrolet Venture
  By jumeplatt - June 9 - 2:58 pm

  I purchased the van with 55,000 on it so I expected it to be used and have minor repairs. The problems started with the intake gaskets blowing this turned out to be a very typical problem with the Venture coolant deteriorates gaskets (Dex-Cool). Then there is the engine rattling also typical for the 3.4, caused by short piston skirts (design defect). Water pump went out ended up being related to the intake gaskets (Dex-Cool). Then there is the transmission hydraulic pressure defect that results in having to replace the transmission also typical of the 1999 Venture. These are all very costly repairs and I would not have purchased the van if I had known they were all so common to the Venture.

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  Bad Transmission - 2009 Chevrolet Silverado 1500
  By Upset - June 3 - 8:20 am

  I purchased this truck in March of 2009. Parked it in the garage for a week and took a trip to Tampa Fl from TX. drove 900 miles and the transmission burnt up. used my ON Star (the truck wouldnt move) They did a diagnostic check and told me all was just fine.hmmm.Got it to a chevy dealer, instead of a new transmission they totally rebuilt the one that burned up. New clutches etc. In the mean time I had to rent a car spend a night in a hotel all at my expense. Then I received the truck back with a very large scratch on the hood that I will have to pay for to have repaired. Customer service for GM was no help at all.So now I have a new truck with 1100 miles on it with a rebuilt trans.