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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  Ive grown to like it. - 2007 Chevrolet Aveo
  By Unclewally - September 18 - 9:16 am

  I purchased my brand new black LT 4 door with all options except sunroof, leather and steering wheel audio controls. I checked around and it was the least expensive car with the options I wanted. I needed a more fuel economical car being that I commute 150 miles round trip a day, for four days. My 11 mpg (highway) Ford Explorer, V8, All Wheel Drive was killing me at the pump. (I still love my truck). I put the car to the test as soon as I got it. I had a custom made tow hitch installed to pull a mini tear drop cargo trailer and drove to Houston Texas. She was loaded with 3 adults and pulling a loaded mini trailer. She didnt miss a beat. Mind you the car is cheesy. You get what you pay for.

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  Worst Cavalier I have ever had. - 2003 Chevrolet Cavalier
  By CM - September 16 - 10:22 am

  This is my third Cavalier and I would warn anyone to beware. I have had more problems with this Cavalier than any other and have had over 100,000 miles on all my vehicles. I just had to replace the engine, have replaced the fuel pump and now all the gages are crazy. I can be driving along at about 30 miles per hour and the next thing I know my speedometer says I am going 110 Miles per hour. Same thing happens to gas gauge and temperature gauge and now the tachometer is starting to go crazy too. Also the switch for the heater wont work right either. This car has been giving good treatment and service but this kind of problems should not be happening. Needless to say GM fix it for a price!

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  Wheel Alignment & Steering Shaft - 2007 Chevrolet Impala
  By CB - September 15 - 12:38 pm

  Rear wheels not adjustable for alignment. Had tire dealer put adjustments on aftermarket. GM would not support this action after-the- fact. Heard of police car recall in effect for a similar problem but GM would not standby or admit to failure of virtually same problem on my vehicle.They did not allow under Chevy extended warranty. Required new intermediate steering shaft at 57,000 miles. Drivers door leaks during rain.

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  Impossible - 2013 Chevrolet Volt
  By Gene - September 12 - 1:19 am

  It is impossible to update the navigation system on this vehicle. I can buy an update for a 2012 and a 2014, but GM hasnt seen fit to update the 2013. I am old enough to have owned a Chevy Vega and I vowed never to own a GM auto again but my wife wanted an electric car.

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  Noisy - 2005 Chevrolet TrailBlazer
  By j. m. - September 10 - 1:02 pm

  I got one because I thought it looked good and it was a Chevy which made me think reliable. I have a 03 Blazer with over a hundred thousand miles no problem at all. With less than ten since I bought my 05 TrailBlazer with 30 thousand miles Ive changed the water pump, power steering went out and the windows howl at high. Speeds due to bad weather stripping around the doors. The engine does have plenty of power and it handles well.

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  Unstable car - 2005 Chevrolet Monte Carlo
  By catiiis183 - September 10 - 8:10 am

  The vehicle is unstable in rainy weather. Hydroplanes a lot even at low speeds. Not made for winter or rainy weather. This is a spring summer car only.

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  Horrible Experience With This Car - 2009 Chevrolet Malibu
  By One Unhappy Customer - September 8 - 9:00 pm

  Within the first 10 days of ownership, had to return this vehicle for following repairs: - incorrect fuel pump controller installed by factory. - defective computer - dead sunroof, power windows, The dealers only response is to throw parts at the car. They cant explain why the computer went dead, why the sunroof and windows are blowing fuzes, etc. With each new malfunction they assure me that the car is now fine. Right... The message from GM is that all these problems are unrelated and there is no single underlying root cause. Right... At this point it is plain that my brand- new 2009 Malibu LTZ is defective and unreliable. I will never buy another GM product

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  Well, you get what you paid for.... - 2002 Chevrolet Cavalier
  By Violette - September 7 - 10:00 am

  Yes I will be zipping around but Ive had my problems. The car has already had the computer replaced, about 3,000 miles ago, that dealership at FL-GA border - do not recommend - took 6 hours to locate a rental and was given "tips" by others who got their car in record speed. My dealership, however explains well and is very friendly/helpful, even though they cant find the "new" problem yet.

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  Never again - 2005 Chevrolet Impala
  By spar5 - August 31 - 9:22 am

  Bought car with 12k miles on it and by 20k it had become a nightmare. At 24k needed to replace warped rotors and again at 40k. Idler arms on both sides needed replacing at 38k. Front end still squeeks like crazy but is hard to hear at times over the rattles in the dash. Post on drivers side also rattles. window motor on passenger side went out. Now tranny problems. Done with GM products!

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  GM needs to recall - 2007 Chevrolet Malibu
  By unhappy - August 29 - 10:48 am

  I was recently in a car accident do to steering wheel locking up and being unable to steer car. Front axle broke and A arm broke GM sent out an inspector which they determined the reason this happened was that I had hit a curb and that is why it happened. I refuse to believe that and am very unhappy with there answer. I cant believe that such a reputable company has let me down. I also cant believe that they told me that this problem had never been reported when in fact I have found many complaints on the internet about the same thing I really do not feel comfortable in this car anymore and will never purchase any vehicle from GM. I really think they need to look into this and recall cars