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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  Death Trap - 2011 Chevrolet Cruze
  By trivera21 - October 14 - 9:29 am

  I thought I found a great gently used deal and it turned out to be an absolute lemon. Thermostat housing unit, switch pump valve, hoses, oxygen sensors, spark plugs, ignition coil...you name it, I had to replace it. Engine overheating, check engine light constantly being on, never being able to use the automatic start...This car isnt worth the $300/month payments. I could care less about the gas mileage it gets me, because Im having to put hundreds into keeping it running. Recall after recall and now brake issues? No thanks. Stay far away. Im trading this puppy in for a jeep.

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  Not that great of a car - 2002 Chevrolet Cavalier
  By christinafeb7 - October 8 - 7:39 am

  I got a 2002 cavalier coupe (auto) as my first car. When I got it, it had around 140k miles. Didnt own the car for 2 months and i already had to replace the fuel pump which was about $500. Couple months later my serpentine belt broke and burned in my engine, horrible smell! The belt was about $20. a couple months after this, the bracket that holds the muffler rusted and broke and the muffler was almost falling off. then my car got super loud and i found out there was something wrong with the catalac converter(bad speller) well, then someone pulled out in front of me and i wasnt going over 30 and my car got totaled. Not reliable or safe if you get in an accident.

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  Horrible 2009 Traverse - 2009 Chevrolet Traverse
  By aburgener - October 6 - 9:13 am

  We have had the Traverse for about 2 years and just on Friday I was driving down a 4 lane highway and it didnt want to shift. Barely, made it home alive and took it to the auto center. They informed me they would not work on it because it would happen again and so when I tried to move it, it would not go in reverse. We have had problems with the power steering and 3 recalls on it. Something is wrong with the 2009 version of this car. My brother had the same problem and when we were at the repair shop the owner said his sister had the same problem. We are getting another estimate because the first one said it was the transmission... if you have money for lots of repair go for it.

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  I was so happy to finally have my Camaro then... - 2014 Chevrolet Camaro
  By 46chevy2 - September 30 - 5:27 pm

  Dont buy this car unless you can tolerate the unnerving sound and motion of gasoline sloshing back and forth at ever start and stop! It is like a swimming pool is in your trunk. The dealership solution is to sell you a different model car. GM refusing to recognize the problem documented on many blogs and chat sites. The Gas Tank needs better internal baffling and or sound deadening. Suggestions have been turn the radio up but when I have a Sport car want to listen to the engine not explosive liquid bouncing around in my gas tank. We saved since 2010 to buy our new 2014 Camaro RS and it was a great day .

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  Honeymoon is ending already? - 2014 Chevrolet Spark
  By tishpit1 - September 30 - 4:16 pm

  After looking for a high mileage, low cost car that has a real backseat or can fit 3 dogs with seat folded down, Spark was the best choice. Test drive was impressive. But, the honeymoon is over at 14,000 miles. 2 recalls being done (a/c that is very anemic and PVC), the car hesitates at times so bad, you press the accelerator and it just sits there...scary! (CVT) It lurches, especially at slow, parking lot speeds. "Quirky" at first, now its annoying and more pronounced. Sound system is crappy, though touch screen is nice. Various int. noises come and go. Build quality for the long haul appears very questionable.

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  First time owner of Impala - 2009 Chevrolet Impala
  By 2011franf - September 24 - 7:39 pm

  a friend who has a impala just like mind was having some issues with her car. on this edmunds.com site when i was reading some reviews about other people who had similiar issues with there impala.I was surprised to read the reviews..I purchased my impala in 2011 and one month later when driving home from work the check engine light, service traction control light, ABS light, service airbags light, and tire gage light all came on at the same time..needless to say i did not know what was going on. before I could get it into the shop the next day i was exiting the ramp to enter the freeway when suddenly the car accelerated on its own and slammed me into a brick wall.

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  Expect about 10 years life - 2011 Chevrolet Colorado
  By romulan1 - September 21 - 3:16 am

  I bought the truck new in 2011. Regular cab 1 Lt 4X4 Currently the frame rails have rust up and down them. I expect the rust to eat through the thin frame rails in less than 10 years from now. My 99 Dakota has thicker frame rails and also more black paint on them.

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  Major Chevy Aveo failure - 2005 Chevrolet Aveo
  By chevyvictim - September 15 - 1:05 pm

  I bought my Chevy Aveo brand new in late 05, loved, babied and maintained that car very well. 3 days ago the timing belt failed at only 55K miles on the freeway, totally shut the car down including power steering and brakes at 65mph, Im very lucky I was safe. And now I find out that the engine is basically destroyed because of the belt failure, with repair costs of approximately $2500. And to top it all off I find out Chevrolet knew about this particular problem long ago but did nothing to warn owners or recall, totally negligent. Incredibly corrupt company if you ask me, I and many other Aveo owners are very angry, and I feel a class action lawsuit is necessary

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  Dont Buy!!! - 2008 Chevrolet Cobalt
  By jackieevilla12 - September 15 - 12:32 pm

  First off, there is a recall on the ignition switch that is highly dangerous. I bought my car 6 months ago, 68,000 miles on it, and it seemed to be in great condition. I got the ignition switch replaced by the GM dealership, and 2 months after that the car started having problems. Right now Im still not sure if it is the battery being drained or if the alternator went out. The car itself is still in great condition and should NOT be having this problem. The first time the battery was drained, nothing on the vehicle was working. Not the remote, not the break pedal, and on top of all that, the key was stuck in the ignition and wouldnt come out until i got a jump start.

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  Look elsewhere.... - 2011 Chevrolet Traverse
  By mislcat - September 12 - 6:22 pm

  We purchase our Traverse with several upgrades including captain chairs in the rear, DVD, 20" wheels, nice looking Diamond White paint, in addition to other things. New, this vehicle was great, quiet, comfortable to ride in. Then the problems....The car quit on my wife twice while on the highway. It went into a reduced power mode and had to be towed. The first time, we paid for repairs at the dealer. The second time, they told us it was a warranty item and replaced something in the intake/fuel system. Then the water pump went out (another warranty item). Then three more recall items. Now the air conditioner has gone out! Several law firms are now contacting us regarding lemon laws.