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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  Love this car - 1997 Chevrolet Tahoe
  By garihee - July 19 - 9:13 pm

  Incorrectly reviewed as a 2 door a few years ago. 202,000. 4th transmission has outlasted previous 3. 350 running strong and smooth with K&N factory air replacement and routine oil changes. Recent road trip showed 18 mpg, and that with junk tires and a loose front end. Im patiently waiting for original exhaust system to give me an excuse to upgrade. One through rust spot, rear wheel well. Time for fresh paint and interior, as leather has worn due to heavy use. Handles great after front end rebuild. Passengers "brake" and then joke about Tokyo drift on the on ramps, but she just sits down and goes through em.

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  Best compact truck - 2012 Chevrolet Colorado
  By coloradoguru - July 18 - 5:16 am

  Bought in 2004 new, at 163k miles! Loved it and it fuel sipping ways so much bought another 2004 single cab 5 spd, capable of whomping those heavy Hemis. 19 gallon tank that runs on 87 equals great value on a truck built for economy. My single cab has caltrack latter bars, intake, Spal electric fans, exhaust and corvette c6 seats. Having a hard time replacing them. The eaton locker on both is a traction dream. I am a car guy, that sells an average of 6 cars a year personally, Im stuck on my Colorados!!!

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  Fun little car but not good in snow - 2013 Chevrolet Sonic
  By vernmuffin - July 17 - 10:17 am

  I had been researching the Sonic extensively since its release and, after hearing my husband complain a lot about the lack of fuel economy of his Silverado 1500 pick-up (and receiving a $1000 private offer from Chevy) we decided to buy a 2013 RS this past February. We were planning to use the car for business travels that didnt require the truck, and short, run-about trips that didnt require a ton of cargo room or space for our 3 dogs. We thought by purchasing this vehicle, we could save mileage on our aging mini-van, as well as my husbands work truck (Silverado).

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  Disappointed - 2010 Chevrolet Traverse
  By littlejen - July 16 - 8:44 pm

  I got have a 2010 traverse. At first it seemed like a great car until about a year ago when it started falling apart. It is the worse feeling in the world having a 3 year old car that is always broken. At 65,000 miles we had to have the replaced warranty covered it, but not having my vehicle for a week was annoying. It costs 190$ to replace the headlights, they have to remove the front end to do it. Cosmetically its falling apart toggles and buttons are coming lose. Its currently in the shop again. As Im driving down the road today the gas gauge starts flip flopping like a fish out of water and it wont shift gears. Lithia has my car more than I do.

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  Best Kept Secret - 2013 Chevrolet Malibu
  By newbie1968 - July 15 - 9:04 pm

  Best kept secret out there, a real value for the money. I got a 1LT with the conv package and am impressed with the features for the money. Great car for little money (low 20s...)

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  my first car - 2006 Chevrolet Cobalt
  By joco29 - July 14 - 6:17 pm

  I bought my cobalt new and i now have 145,783 miles on it and it has never once let me down and stranded on the road. Not even so much as a dead battery, and yeah the battery i have in it is the one from the factory! The only work ive had done to it is ive had the electric power steering replaced from the recall as it just randomly stopped working while i was driving. But besides regular oil changes and maintence such as alignments and such ive never had one thing wrong and would reccomend it to anyone! And Ive worked at various car lots so Ive driven just about every car and id still reccomend this car over any other comperable car foreign or domestic. This has made me a chevy guy for life!

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  Exellent job of Chevrolet - 2013 Chevrolet Volt
  By don238 - July 13 - 12:59 pm

  Owned a Porsche Cayenne and tired with the price of gas, I was looking for a hybrid or electric car. I use the car less than 50 miles/day, after the test drive on the Prius (no power, dont feel safe) and the Volt (good acceleration, nice and solid design), I take the decision without hesitation. With the help of Chris Sanchez (honest, good knowledge, patient, professional) and the team of Simpson of Garden Grove, now Im very happy to own a Volt, I enjoy every day my car without attention to the gas price, I feel free. Thank you to Chris, the team of Simpson of GG and also Chevrolet for the excellent job

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  GREAAAAT!! - 2013 Chevrolet Traverse
  By cincymike - July 13 - 8:03 am

  Traded from an 2011 SRX. No comparison, this is a much better ride and performance. (plus the cost diff)

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  Biggest mistake I ever Made!!! - 2008 Chevrolet Equinox
  By jabner - July 13 - 4:59 am

  Purchased my Equinox new in 2008 with 56 miles on it. The issues in order of occurance: Rear window washer quit, power steering locked up, tire sensors malfuntioned, driver side window & lock and cd player all quit working simultaneously, misfiring at 50mph (changed plugs and wires. Still misfiring) Both headlights have been replaced 9 times in 5 yrs and are very hard to replace. Headlights quit simultaneously each time. GM dropped the ball with the Equinox. Why has there not been a recall?

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  Im calling out the reviewer who reviewed this car originally - 2006 Chevrolet Cobalt
  By stig_wanna_be - July 13 - 2:12 am

  So, on that bomb shell, lets begin. The car has been awesome, I have had it for a year and put on 20,000km. The car has gobbles up twisty mountain roads with ease and inspires confidence. I think the car edmunds acquired had the cheapest tires around or are trying to get you to buy a civic. Sure Ill give them the benefit of the doubt for the plastics on the interior and the back seat but we are talking about an economy car, not a $100 million dollar machine. As per the dire lack of interior storage, this has adequate storage for the commute unless you have to store a body with you on your commute, but then again you would be using the massive trunk for that.