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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  Many Electrical and Engine Problems - 1997 Chevrolet S-10
  By jack - August 12 - 11:29 am

  I purchased this truck used from a local dealer with around 97,000 miles on it. It has had constant problems with electrical shorts in the wiring bundle. ECM circuit problems including fuel pump and ignition . I will never buy a S-10 again after reading all the comments on numerous sites . Chevy will continue to lose capital if they dont do a better job on quality control. Any one want a 97 s-10 cheap? Looking at Toyota after reading consumer reports.

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  Junk - 2005 Chevrolet Cobalt
  By Cathy McCort - August 9 - 7:21 am

  Watch out! You get a warranty and they refuse to cover the warranty. This car has a suspension problem that they will not acknowledge. In 6 mo we had to put on new tires and 1 year later we are on our 2 nd set of tires. The passenger side doors have slipped they hit each other. If the back door is open you cant open the front door. They claim we are responsible for this problem because of the mileage. we have been fighting with the car dealership and GMAC. We do not recommend this vehicle to any one. We do let people know in public when they inquire about the vehicle not to get one. I thought it would be a great family and economy car.

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  Dont buy one - 2003 Chevrolet TrailBlazer
  By Ruth - July 29 - 10:05 am

  I have own mind for three years. It has the V8, and it does get up and go. But its been in the shop for things like two new transmisions, still giving me trouble as I write this. Several air conditioning problems since new, and finally last year it ate it self up and they had to replace the whole air conditioner, including all the belts. Right now I have a light on the dash telling me according to the dealer that I have to pay $350 for them to tell me why? I purchase the added protection just about everything they wanted me to purchase, now its all ran out! Before the warranty ran out I was protected. What do I do now since the dealer told me that the air bags arent working?

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  So not satisfied, wish I can trade it in - 2005 Chevrolet Uplander
  By Maria Kerr - July 26 - 9:34 pm

  The van is very uncomfortable to ride in and also drive in. Seats are not made for anyone overweight, no excessive weight. The car is only a year and a half old and has been recalled twice. The gas pedal is so small that our feet always slip off. Should have made it a little wider than it is. I have owned a Chevy before and never had any problems, until now. I know I would never buy another Chevy again.

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  Cheaply Built - 2006 Chevrolet Malibu
  By jess_wells - July 25 - 11:26 pm

  We purchased this vehicle almost a year ago, and weve replaced the brakes twice. Neither sun visor stays up and the plastic mirror cover is broken on both sun visors. There is a rattling noise under the dash board that rattles loudly between 40 and 55 mph. The car has a difficult time starting, and we often have to turn the key three or four times to get the car to start. The dealer denies there is a problem with the way the car starts, and they say they can not fix the sun visors. We have a three day appointment to get the noise "looked at", but the dealer will most likely need to keep the car additional days to tear into the dash board, if they admit they can hear the sound.

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  Why GM stock is down - 2006 Chevrolet Uplander
  By S Anderson - July 20 - 12:52 am

  If this werent my company lease vehicle, I would have returned it. Why is Toyota about to knock GM out of the #1 car co. spot? The Uplander is a perfect example! They succeeded in making a Suburban looking minivan, and gave it a decent engine, but failed to take care of the customer. No arm rest for 2nd row bucket seats! No cup holders for 2nd row seats and pathetic front seat holders! No back air vents! 2nd and 3rd row seats weigh a ton to remove while Dodge, Honda, and Toyota have stow and go. GM can build an engine and advertise cars, but they cant design to save their lives.

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  Never again! - 2005 Chevrolet Malibu
  By J.W. - July 19 - 11:01 pm

  I hate this car! Have had just over a year. Has been to the dealer 4 times since April 2005 when purchased new. Car fails to start at times. Dealer doesnt know why! Not acceptable when a small child is involved here. This is a chronic issue. Noisy right front. Again, no dealer help on this. Gauges suddenly shut off! Back to the dealer for this issue. No help that time either!! Now power steering comes and goes as if possessed! Safety issue! Was at dealer again ....and again no help!!!

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  Worst car I ever owned. - 2005 Chevrolet Uplander
  By Jim - July 18 - 2:42 pm

  This car is the biggest piece of junk GM ever made. In the 1.5 years I owned it it has had 8 things wrong with it. The dealer had to turn 3 rotors because they were warped. Then the had to replace the front rotors again because they warped again. They had to replace the rear hatch struts since the door would not stay open. They had to replace the radio since the volume control on the steering wheel would jump two to three positions up or down. The dealer had to replace the altenator because the lights would randomly get brighter and darker. The car randomly stalls, dealer doesnt find anything wrong. The DVD player skips on any DVD, new or old. Dealer cant find out what is wrong.

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  Chevy Traverses are unsafe at any speed. - 2012 Chevrolet Traverse
  By Motso - July 18 - 6:01 am

  This is a dangerous car, heres why. The transmission wont down shift after a stop. Here is a typical scenario, you pull up to a stop sign on a 55 mph road. You see a vehicle coming, its 1/4 to 3/8 mile away, in most cars its safe to pull out and accelerate smartly (dont doddle). Not in a Chevy Traverse car should you do this because the transmission never down shifted while you sat at the stop sign. Heres what will happen, the higher gear will put you out in front of traffic but you wont have torque (power) to go fast/er. You sit and wait to get splatted. What you can do with your children in the back seat or the other couple youre going out to dinner with is FLOOR IT and over-ride the computer. Now youre peeling rubber and driving like a maniac 16 YO who snuck some of Dads beer while he tries to impress the girls on the corner. This lack of transmission down shifting scenario is a known problem that GM refuses to fix. Better to buy another brand vehicle and live. Another problem, the AC can only be run when the computer says it can. I had all my windows fog up on Rt. 95 at 65 mph with another couple in the car! I could not see to drive! The other guy quickly undid his seat belt and hand wiped the windshield in front of me so I could see out (like we used to do with 1950s & 1960s vehicles). After the excitement everyone commented on what an unsafe POS the Traverse is. Most Traverse problems including the 2 mentioned can be easily fixed "IF" GM would change the computer programming. Then again, they sell more cars if the ones already sold get destroyed in car crashes dont they? There will never be another GM car in our driveway. I dont know how many or what other GM models have similar problems. Im going back to buying foreign cars because they are safe at every speed. Update: I have since successfully sued GM under the lemon law. I took the money and purchased a GM extended warranty. I did this because the trade in value was so horrendously low that I refused to allow GM to screw me twice. GM will now have the pleasure of paying for repairs my POS Traverse incurs :-).

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  Dont buy it - 2002 Chevrolet TrailBlazer
  By jpf94 - July 15 - 2:00 am

  Since Novemeber 2001 Ive had my TBlazer in 21 times. First to go was the 4whd selector switch, then the oxygen sensor, then the 5 recalls, one of which was done last october and I got another card on yesterday! The gas gauge does not work anymore. Ive had the front diff. seals fail.