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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  Crappy car - 1997 Chevrolet Malibu
  By jescalex - April 8 - 2:35 am

  This car has been through 2 water pumps, one timing chain, (due to a dumb mechanic!), I have had brakes put on 4 times. It wears tires quick. Everything that goes wrong is very expensive to fix. Brakes alone for this car are $150. This car is not worth any amount of money paid for it. I know its a used car but 2 water pumps in 6 months. Thats nuts!

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  Bad Front Suspension - 2005 Chevrolet Silverado 1500
  By D Cates - April 7 - 2:26 pm

  On the test drive I noticed a jolting feeling in the front end. Salesman said no problem, probably shocks and it is under warranty. Come to find out they have had several other like trucks in for the same thing. They have changed shocks, balanced tires, even replaced springs. On amedium smooth roads it is a constant irritation. Aaround curves it is a challenge to keep on the road;. At the right speed on a long bridge it is a fight to keep the front-end from bouncing out of control. now they (GM) say it is normal for this truck to ride like that. That is straight from GMC. Also the A/C has a constant gurgling sound. GM said that was normal also.

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  Dont Buy one of these! - 2006 Chevrolet Colorado
  By wigditty - April 1 - 5:59 pm

  This truck may look like a good vehicle, but dont let it decieve you. These trucks dont get any better gas mileage than a full sized Silverado. The engine knocks, the suspension squeaks, and the ride is wobbly at best! Youve been warned!

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  Gutless Fuel Hog - 2005 Chevrolet Silverado 3500
  By Loyal Stutzman - March 19 - 4:20 pm

  4.5 MPG loaded, 12 MPG empty! Duramax with Allison automatic transmision is a joke! Low power, worse fuel economy! This was by far the worst value for my money since I started buying vehicles in 1986! Will soon be selling this pile of junk for a more powerful, economical gas rig! I loved Chevy trucks until I bought this hunk of junk. You cant even start up an incline loaded without using low range 4X4! Forget quick take-off! Imagine 25 MPH uphill in the Rockies for miles and miles! Yes, I bought it brand new, had it dealer serviced right on schedule, all the updates they had, etc. and still no performance!

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  Chevy Blazer - 2000 Chevrolet Blazer
  By sandi777 - March 10 - 10:00 am

  very wobbly ride. needs better suspension. Everything needs to be changed and the dealerships themselves have never bent over backward to help. Dealerships not fun to work with.

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  Not happy with it - 2002 Chevrolet TrailBlazer
  By MENSA - March 10 - 10:00 am

  Purchased my 2002 LTZ new and had too many problems, hood hinges that squeaked, strap fell off the rear gate, 4 safety recalls, cracked cylinder bore liner (factory recall) it has been in the shop for two weeks now. I only have 7000 miles, too many problems.

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  Poor - 2007 Chevrolet Avalanche
  By jc - March 7 - 8:41 pm

  Very overrated. typical Chevy, poor mpg. Lots of cab noise. Many blind spots, instrumentation is poor, must take eyes off road for extended periods of time to figure controls, out of standard arm reach

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  A Cheap car in many ways - 1997 Chevrolet Cavalier
  By KidsCar - March 7 - 2:05 pm

  Although it didnt cost much to buy as a used car, it has cost relatively a lot since I bought it. Head gasket $1000, rear shocks $300, alternator $300, not including tires and brakes (normal wear items). Although it looked great when I bought it for my daughter, I wish Id spent more on a Civic or Corolla and would have ended up with a better car. It has annoying issues like a leaky trunk seal, poor paint on bumpers, slipping door seals, etc. I had not purchased an "American car" in several years - this product reaffirms why.

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  Problems - 2004 Chevrolet Avalanche
  By Richard - March 6 - 4:15 am

  Ive had intermediate steering shaft problems, replaced both Idler arms , water pump , blower modular, stereo, and now my transmission is burnt out Im real disappointed. What happened to reliability and pride in workmanship. I paid cash for a truck loaded with problems. Dont buy this truck! After 3K miles the first truck was replaced because the steering problems could not be corrected. All the problem above are on the second truck. Ive had it with this truck.

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  Malibu shows its age - 2002 Chevrolet Malibu
  By dcsc08 - March 5 - 9:52 pm

  My Malibu developed ignition problems just after the warranty ran out. Brakes are poorly designed and underpowered. Now at 80000 miles, it developed a cooling leak in the manifold which necessitates that the manifold gaskets be replaced at a cost of over $1200.00