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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  Great Economy Car - 2006 Chevrolet Aveo
  By Michael Mayle - April 18 - 10:22 pm

  I drive 50 miles round trip to work and bought this car for its economy. I like it so much,that I have parked my pick up and drive it all of the time. I find it exceptionally roomy and easy to manuver in the city. A real gas money saver

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  Aveo - 2004 Chevrolet Aveo
  By cc7879 - April 18 - 3:36 am

  I have only had the car for one and a half years and have had to have it in the shop twice. Luckily I bought the extended warranty because the timing belt broke a couple of days ago and now I need a new moter.

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  Mechanical nightmare - 2012 Chevrolet Equinox
  By Kathleen - April 10 - 3:55 pm

  I bought this car new and have had many mechanical problems. Excessive oil consumption lead to major repairs. Just replaced the cam actuators due to oil sludge even though I never skip an oil change. GM denied my request for reimbursement. I am not keeping the car and will never own a Chevrolet.

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  Vibration problems - 2004 Chevrolet Colorado
  By historyman - April 10 - 10:00 am

  Ever since purchacing my Colorado I have had vibration problems with this truck. You may wish to go to this website where others are experiencing the same with the 2dr reg cab z85 models as well as others. http://www.automotiveforums.com/vbulleti n/showthread.php?p=2159504

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  Never Again! - 2002 Chevrolet Blazer
  By Unhappy - April 6 - 10:49 am

  Has been a money pit! Front end is horrible and the electrical system has problems. Hard to start when it has been sitting a while. With gas at nearly $3/gal this is not a good vehicle to drive.

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  Back to the drawing board - 2005 Chevrolet Malibu
  By mooser - April 2 - 9:40 am

  As soon as I hit 5,000 miles all went wrong.Terrible noise and klunking in front end effects how car drives but according to GM not a safety concern.Car is getting worse over time. Dealership tells me they have orders from GM not to look at front end.GM tells me to be patient they will have a solution in 3 months or so. No biggie only dealing with this since Feb. GM not helpful at all! Now I am leaking gas out of the engine. At 6,000 miles I needed a whole new exhaust system and the steering column replaced after the steering locked up on me driving to work. But hey GM says it is safe to drive! Now the car just sits in my driveway no way I am placing my family in this car or any other GM Car

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  Unpleasant surprise - 2003 Chevrolet TrailBlazer
  By Kevinb - April 1 - 2:00 am

  I love the Blazer class and have owned one since 1989. (Every three years I leased a new one.) With the phasing out of the Blazer I went with the Trailblazer. I was very disapointed in this the vehicles performance. I have had to bring it in for four different repairs in just two months. Two of the repairs were major. The interior is very cheap- no light in the glove box, interior light switch is near impossible to turn on, and the sunshade covers half the window (wrong half). Also- what is up with the seatbelts?? these are the worst seatbelts I have ever seen.These little things do add up and unfortunately for me I didnt spot them before I purchased.

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  dangerous on the road - 2017 Chevrolet Spark
  By Ivannia - March 26 - 3:46 am

  My brother bought my mom a brand new Spark. He thought she is old and needs security, well that is not what she has. This car keeps turning off on her on the highway, on the roads just any place. She has taken the car to the dealer and the dealer does not seem to find out the problem and gives it right back. I do not recomend rhis car at all.

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  Think twice and buy a good warranty - 2003 Chevrolet TrailBlazer
  By Bill Wooten - March 17 - 3:50 pm

  I purchased a LT Chevy Tralblazer 2003 4WD in May of 04. At the time it had 23000 miles on it. I am an outside salesman and so far as of today (March of 06) I have had the following problems. I had to have a new transmission put in it around 65,000 miles. The starter went out of around 70000, at this time I also found out that the fly wheel was cracked and it needed to be replaced. Also,around 30000 some sensor went out causing low engine power almost causing me an (several times)in high traffic. Its been recalled twice for back stop lights. If you need a reliable car and are considering a Chevy Trailblazer please THINK TWICE. Today I have 75K on it. Whats next?

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  Last Chevy - 2003 Chevrolet Suburban
  By PW - March 14 - 2:53 pm

  Where to begin, probably the worst truck I ever owned. Four Wheel Drive front end was replaced, steering box of some sort replaced, speedometer cable/control, catalytic converter, battery leaked and went dead (15K miles), acid ate through the pump for the windshield washer. Tons of problems. Biggest pile of junk I have owned. Latest problem I have is it slips into 4wd, but the indicator light does not go on, happened twice. I am going back to Ford.