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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  Piece of junk - 2007 Chevrolet TrailBlazer
  By st2000 - February 26 - 9:07 am

  Still cannot understand how I got this vehicle. Noisy, doesnt keep the road, the interior is just like they were making cars in late 80s. It has only 10,000 on it, but have already fixed it 5 times. The best feature is to turn wipers on. Ive been cursing the designers mother since I tried to turn wipers first time. That was my last American car.

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  The Car that Could Have Been, But Isnt - 2008 Chevrolet Impala
  By Henry - February 23 - 4:46 am

  Rented a brand-new Impala SS for a recent two-hundred mile trip. With a nice exterior styling and a roaring V8, this car could have been a huge hit for GM. However, it lacks the refinement, features and quality that are present in even entry-level import sedans. Despite its sport pretentions the cars steering and suspension are numbed with novacaine. Transmission lacks the auto-stick feature and is neither sporty nor refined. Wind noise is pronounced The interior lacks any character and feels generations behind both in quality and in content of my 06 Civic. The quality throughout is inconsistent. Overall, the car has a feel of being designed by the bean counters for the rental lots.

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  Great for Teaching 2 Teenagers to Drive - 2000 Chevrolet Malibu
  By RR - February 22 - 4:03 pm

  Rented one and loved the performance. First 50,000 miles no issues. Then had to replace manifold gasket and fan control twice. At 100,000 the manifold gasket, air conditioning compressor, and rack n pinion need replacement. Still gets over 30 mpg on long trips but typically 16-20 mpg in suburban driving. As usual, Chevy had a good idea that was executed poorly.

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  Colorado is a poor truck. Buy Toyota! - 2004 Chevrolet Colorado
  By GB - February 20 - 12:05 pm

  My 2004 Colorado has had trans leak. Front axle seal and front differential seal leaks. Front end eats tires. GM re-aligned after several calls to GM customer service, now a bad vibration has developed with no fix by GM. Replaced heater blower fan twice. Replaced speaker, cup holder, seat adjuster broken. Interior very cheap. Been in the shop about 14 times for diagnostics and repairs. Have to fight GM for them to fix anything. Poor truck. Will buy Toyota the next time!

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  The Worst Truck Chevy Ever Built - 2004 Chevrolet Colorado
  By sparklesandgems - February 11 - 4:05 pm

  I purchased this pickup in 2004 basically due to the rising cost of gas. It has been a electronic nightmare. First the heater messed up, they changed it under warranty. Next the radio would not go off. They looked at it said found nothing. Next the bolts on the door fell off they been replaced twice more. Now the heater is making noises again. The bolt is off the door again, which causes a popping noise each time you open the door. And yesterday the drivers side window would not roll down. And of course it is no longer under warranty. And it has a recall because the brake lights fail to work. Ive owed 4 Chevy trucks and the Colorado is not a lower price truck, but just a cheap made truck.

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  Colorado - 2004 Chevrolet Colorado
  By stephen - February 9 - 8:50 am

  My Colorado has been such a let down. It feels way too light going down the road. It bounces and is not responsive. Although aesthetically the car is nice, it just did not perform the way I thought it should.

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  This aint no Camry - 2016 Chevrolet Malibu
  By PJB - February 4 - 10:08 pm

  Had the car for a long term rental. Thoroughly unimpressed. Really sluggish acceleration. Transmission not ver responsive especially in reverse. The car wallowed like an overloaded boat even with only two people in it. Decent interior room but not much more to say on a positive note. Suffered seriously in comparison with our Camry and Sonata.

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  Too many electrical problems - 2004 Chevrolet Malibu
  By Bob - February 1 - 4:25 pm

  Too many electrical problems. Turn signal intermittant, noisy steering column, horn blows constant, removed horn fuse to stop horn. Dealership, Chevrolet should be accountable for these problems. This was a GM certified program car. This is first GM purchased and the way I look at it, will be the last! Buy American products and get junk for your money. Not good business procedure! This was a good looking car.

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  Costly Van - 1998 Chevrolet Astro
  By james - January 30 - 8:04 am

  We have owned an Astro since 1999, bought at 2K miles. We have paid for repair after repair since then. Some of the repairs have been for the same thing over and over. If I were to put together all of the repair reciepts, I think the total might even shock us. Watch out for idler arm problems! Again and again- its just poorly designed. Also, weve had multiple problems with the electrical system, little motors and switches, etc. In contrast, we also own Toyota products, which havent needed nearly the amount of expensive and redundant repair. Beware!

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  Run Far Far Away! - 2001 Chevrolet Impala
  By Piece of Junk - January 29 - 8:39 pm

  Ive only put 24k miles on this car and have had to replace brakes and rotors twice. Thermostat twice, the temp gauge keeps going out and when that happens the air/heat doesnt work properly. New exhaust system only to find out it was recalled and gm only reimbursed me 60% of the cost. Rattles between 55-65. Performance is horrible. Gas mileage is nowhere near what GM claims. And this week the transmission just went out. I am buying Japanese from now on. This car is completely unreliable and I would recommend you not even test drive it. I now have so much negative equity that I have to buy a much more expensive car to carry it.