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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  Overrated - 1997 Chevrolet Venture
  By micheal laraio - January 18 - 12:48 pm

  This has been the worst van I have ever owned. From day one the sliding door has not worked right. The engine light goes on for no reason. The dealership cant fix it. I cant wait to sell it.

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  Unbelievable Problems - 2016 Chevrolet Malibu
  By S. M. - January 11 - 8:05 pm

  Let me start off by saying I traded in a little Toyota Prius C for this car (big mistake!) thinking it would be a nice, reliable larger vehicle. I was wrong. I purchased this car in March. With less than 1500 miles on it I have had it in the shop twice. The first time the car had less than 1k miles on it!! It feels like a transmission problem. I am familiar with the system where the car will turn itself off while at a stoplight and then back on again- Im fine with that system. What is not okay is when driving in DC rush hour traffic, accelerating, braking, or slowing down and the car will violently jerk. The first time it felt as if I was rear-ended. I took it the dealer and they said they could not find any codes or problems with it. A week later, I had to drop it off it there again tonight. The car is unsafe to drive- the violent jerking is scary and in heavy traffic, cars behind you dont have much warning. It makes a loud clunking noise sometimes and sounds like the engine is going to drop out. The jerking is so bad if you dont have your seatbelt on, you WILL be thrown forward and injured. I cant believe this. This vehicle is less than one month old. Another issue is the Chevy MyLink system touchscreen. Occasionally it wont turn on, and other times Apple Carplay wont work. I called Chevy and they offered some "troubleshooting" tips but nothing was a permanent fix. I am having the dealer take a look at it as well. Chevy said Apple Carplay not working with certain Iphones is a "known problem". Then why has it not been fixed??! I am frustrated. I traded in a perfectly good little, reliable Toyota and got this monster. I like the car otherwise, but not enough to buy one again. It is very comfortable (compared to the tiny Prius C). My gas mileage is pretty decent- hovers around high 20s and occasionally dips up or down. Im very short and find visibility not to be an issue. If It didnt have the jerking problem, I would love this car.

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  Last Chevy I buy - 2006 Chevrolet Colorado
  By got_rut - January 11 - 2:20 pm

  This is the by far the cheapest truck I have owned. It shakes like crazy when you drive over 50 MPH. The suspension makes a horrible squeeking noise when you turn or use the brakes. For god sake the tailgate cables arent even the same length. This truck has been in the shop 12 times for a number of problems and I only have 6000 miles on it. When I was truck shopping, I couldnt justify spending $28--30000, so I bought this truck. I would suggest doing some serious shopping around before you make the decision to save $2000. Think about every aspect before the purchase. PS there is a reason that GM is giving such good incentives to buy their vehicles. Maybe they arent that good!

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  Waste of money, constant problems, - 1997 Chevrolet Venture
  By kb - January 10 - 10:25 pm

  Nice to drive. Very unreliable, intake gasket, transmission, waterpump, door handles, drink holder, windshield washer system, power sliding door, power window switches, oxygen sensors X3, trim falling off doors and floor, headlight lens blew off at like 25 mph, heater quite. This is what I remember happened to mine by 79,000 miles with scheduled maintenances haveing been performed. I will never by another GM product because of owning this vehicle unless they greatly improve product. Bought vehicle with 59,000 miles and sold at 80,000 miles and had owner 4.5 years. I paid $11,725 for vehicle and sold for $500 because of its mechanical shortcomings. Real waste of money.

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  Leaky 2004 Colorado - 2004 Chevrolet Colorado
  By Kate J Triplett - January 9 - 12:28 pm

  Drivers side of cab has been filling with water ever since we got this pickup. Our dealership techs have been unable to fix this, despite repeated stays in their shop. Its been with them since before Thanksgiving this round (Jan.8,2007). For a brand new vehicle, this is unacceptable. We are looking into lemon law for resolution with GM.

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  Never Buy a First-Year Product! - 2004 Chevrolet Colorado
  By j_r_denver - January 6 - 12:50 am

  This truck replaced a 2001 Dodge Dakota. It is equipped as a 4x4 extended cab with the I-4 engine, which is a horrible mismatch for a truck of this weight. The construction of the box is terrible, with noticeable gaps in the welds where the floor of the box joins the front wall. It came from the factory with the front end out of alignment. It has had non-stop power steering problems, The pump was replaced under warranty, after having not been properly filled at the factory. The replacement was also noisy. It is now down because of failure of the high- pressure hose. Several bowtie-fan friends have called it a lousy representation of a what a Chevy truck should be.

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  Wheres my FORD? - 2006 Chevrolet Silverado 1500
  By Eric - December 31 - 3:30 pm

  Cant pull or haul anything but a pot of soil without hurting a sensor. Sensors go all the time, Tranny slips and leaks, 18k miles and already had to replace tranny, rides like a model- T, and wheres my new F-150?, am I still complaining about this Chevy? oh yeah, FORD wins! Chevy took the buyout. you lose Chevy, and I just bought an 08 F-150 SuperCrew, nothing personal, but Bye Chevy..

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  Piece of Crap - 2003 Chevrolet Silverado 3500
  By chevy guy - December 31 - 10:00 am

  I had this pickup of about a month then it broke down. I had to have it towed and repaired. Found out that the engine was messed up. Thats the last time that I buy a chevy!

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  Crappy car - 1999 Chevrolet Lumina
  By Deann - December 30 - 11:45 pm

  We bought this car new and from day one we have had problems with it. Had to replace brake drum a couple of times. They were so bad that we couldnt even get them cut.The drums kept burning up brake pads. Had to replace head gasket that cost me a pretty penny. Radiator leaks. Now there are problems with the transmission, sometimes it seems to be stuck in 1st gear. I dont know. I would never buy a Lumina again.

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  This car has major problems from day one - 2003 Chevrolet Express
  By TOM SCHUMANN - December 29 - 11:29 pm

  This car has major problems with it from day one. The first time in it and started it the check engine light was on. The car pulled to right, the a/c kept blowing warm. Engine tap. Tranny slips into reverse. Window kept coming loose. Blinker has moisture, bowtie was peeling. Multiple repairs on the right side sliding doors. Tierod replaced, gas pedal assembley replaced. Differential, had to be completely rebuilt. Glove box lock assembley, rear door windows both leaked water. Rear jack cover keeps falling off, seat belt retainers all broke off. Gas tank cap assembley replaced, gas gauge never read correct. 1/8 of tank left me 1 gal gas. This is all I can remember. p.s. The check engine light is on again, cause, fuel