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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  Tragedy - 2008 Chevrolet Uplander
  By brox08 - March 30 - 9:14 am

  This is the worst vehicle on the roads. The van features poor and ill handling. OnStar is the best feature. I am now trading it in for a New Sienna. Never drive this again

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  Rust bucket to be - 2011 Chevrolet Equinox
  By Ty F - March 30 - 6:16 am

  Test drove several Equinox-s. MOST suffered metal pitting rust through the lower door panels and wheel wells. Some rust is to be expected in this Chicagoland climate but such extensive rust on 5yr old cars is a serious concern. I didnt find a single one with no rust even if the rest of the vehicle was immaculate.

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  buy foreign - 1999 Chevrolet Venture
  By jffrnkn - March 27 - 11:21 am

  Bought van with 37,000 miles on it. Great for awhile, but then had trouble with electrical to back tail light. Had head and manifold gaskets replaced right before 100,000 miles. Three months later, transmission starts acting up. While in the shop having the tranny looked at, the bearings and crank go out of the engine. Beware and buy Honda or Toyota. No more gm.

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  I got a lemon - 2005 Chevrolet Cobalt
  By Rebelsbaby - March 24 - 1:01 pm

  I bought my Cobalt brand new with 12 miles on it. From day one it has been nothing but problems. It is in the shop 22 times in the first 30 days because the air conditioning was leaking in the floor board. I called GM and they refused to do anything about it. After that I had to have 4 gear shifts replaced and the linkage in my transmission replaced. It also had electrical issues but everytime I took iot in the dealer could not pull the code because the computer automatically reset itself when you turn off the car. I will never own another one

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  American Quality - 2001 Chevrolet Silverado 1500
  By er54 - March 23 - 2:00 am

  IÂ’m embarrassed that this is what Americans are producing. About every 1.5 months that I take it in for something broken. Here is the list of problems: rear leaf spring pads, squeak under accel, leaking front diff housing, selective operation of heated seats, lumbar support moves w/ door open& engine running(honest), service 4wd light, engine missfire(bad fuel injectors & press.reg.). What bothers me is most of these problems the service writers say "oh thats common, we have a fix for that." Thanks for working to improve your product GM. The engine still shudders/clunks @ idle & uses oil.

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  If knew now when I bought it. - 2002 Chevrolet Impala
  By Michael - March 22 - 11:34 am

  This car is in the shop more than I drive it. I have had to replace the engine three times (due to over heating), transmission twice (hard shifting), security moge, headlight switch (headlights turn off at night while driving), catalytic. Convert (car smoking), hubs, axles (loud roaring), steering column (popping, ) and the list goes on. All and all I have sent over $11,000 on this car in repairs its not worth buying oh yea did I mention there is a class action lawsuit on this car from years 2000- 2005 with the 3.8l (or k modle under lawsuit search) engines. I going to mark this car as a dont buy! Trust me!

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  Air bag light - 2010 Chevrolet Malibu
  By Terri - March 22 - 4:37 am

  Is anyone having issues with air bag light going on periodically? Chevrolet dealer stated they cannot repair it unless the light is on when I bring it in. I am concerned about my safety but that does not seem to be a concern of theirs.

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  Converted Uplander for Wheelchairs - 2007 Chevrolet Uplander
  By munshpe - March 21 - 10:09 am

  I bought a Braun Entervan (a Chevy Uplander that has been converted by the Braun Corporation for wheelchairs) 7 months ago and have had it in the shop 15 times. The ramp was improperly installed, the Smart box failed, the Braun wiring harness was broken, and the Braun applied weatherstripping fell off (I had a GM dealer fix some of these problems). Ive also had Onstar problems, seatbelt, and molding problems that are GM issues. The initial quality was very low.

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  Dont buy this Van! - 2001 Chevrolet Venture
  By Chevy Venture - March 15 - 9:58 pm

  We bought this van about 2 1/2 years ago with around 34,000 miles on it. It was very nice for the first year but then things started going wrong with it such as brakes needed replacing, tires wearing out too early, alignment off, sound system acting strange, video stopped working, doors not closing right. But the worst part is six weeks ago the transmission went bad and we replaced it for $2600! But it gets worse. Three weeks later the head gasket blew which is another $2000. With only 80,000 miles on this van, I am very disappointed. Weve owned estate wagons for years and never had to put money like this into them. My advice, buy foreign never American. Dont ever buy a Chevrolet.

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  Horrible Interior Quality - 2006 Chevrolet Malibu Maxx
  By Andre Garcia - March 13 - 12:30 pm

  Bought the car with 8K Miles, when the car reached 12K Miles door panels (door seams) started to turn yellow because of poor quality material used, dealership claims that this is normal wear. Multiple other problems, noises and ratles inside the car. Many of the problems are still there, GM customer service says they cant do anything since the dealer said its normal wear and tear. The car itself is good, but I will have to sell it soon, before the whole interios falls apart. Will never buy another Chevrolet, no wonder they are in such financial problems. Would not recomend this car to anyone.