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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  Piece of Junk - 2001 Chevrolet Blazer
  By Patrick - March 17 - 9:45 am

  My Blazer had some good attributes, but quality of manufacture was not one of them. Overall this vehicle was junk! It rattled almost from the day I bought it. The dealer never could find out what was causing it. I had a Toyota before this and I only bought this vehicle because the dealer made me a good offer. In the end, I really paid for that good deal. I meticulously maintained my Blazer, but I don’t think that it really helped. At 102,000 miles, the transmission went bad and I went back to Toyota and I will never buy another American car again.

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  First and Last GM vehicle - 2015 Chevrolet Colorado
  By P. Mackin - March 17 - 6:59 am

  I like most everything about my Colorado with one MAJOR exception. The automatic transmission will not downshift when attempting to accelerate from low RPMs. It bogs and acts like a manual transmission that is in too high a gear. This is especially frustrating in traffic when you are constantly slowing down and speeding up. When on the highway in cruise control when going uphill it will slow down 2-4 miles per hour before downshifting to maintain the set speed. Both of these issues increase in severity as the ambient outside temperature increases. I have had this truck to the dealer four times for this issue and have been told that everything is operating normally. Not only is it very frustrating but it is also a safety issue.

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  Power Steering Problems - 2005 Chevrolet Cobalt
  By Beware! - March 16 - 10:56 pm

  I have had several problems with it. Some arent life threatening (like the power windows not working and the brake light flashing), but Ive had a MAF Sensor short which caused the car to stop running while I was doing 60-65 MPH and the steering locked up. Fortunately, the car started back up. Ive recently dealt with another steering issue. I was driving down an uneven/bumpy road and a "power steering" message came up on the information panel and the speedometer went out. The steering became very mushy and it was difficult to control the car. Ive also dealt with the car not starting and the cab filling with gas fumes. There has been severe hesitation and loss of power when the A/C is on.

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  Be aware! - 2006 Chevrolet Aveo
  By enigmaz - March 12 - 10:22 am

  Got this car for my wife over a year ago. Took it on a 1200 mile trip and was great! Gave us good mpg, comfortable, no problem. But now after a year found out that the headlights are going dimmer, fuel economy is terrible (lost about 7 mpg), nasty belt noise and the brakes do not respond as good (almost crashed twice). Also, the resale value is very bad. I guess its like a brand new broom. Works fine just the first couple of times.

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  Maintenance Nightmare - 2001 Chevrolet Venture
  By familyGuy - March 7 - 11:51 pm

  This has been the worst vehicle Ive ever owned. I bought it used at 45k miles. Intake manafold gasket started leaking at 50k miles ($800 dollar repair), transmision went out at 60k miles ($2000), fuel gage stoped working, cd player stoped working, water pump and heater went out...the list goes on. The only good things Id say is that its comfortable and has good safety features. ..none of which matter if you cant keep it running.

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  Not at all impressed - 2001 Chevrolet S-10
  By Erik - March 7 - 5:43 pm

  The truck has been decent with the usual, ALL 5 u-joints needing replacing at $200 a pop, as well as the hanger bearing, front driver wheel bearing, and most recently the entire rear differential. This one proved too much for me to hang on to this vehicle. Every year I needed to replace the Cap and Rotor, not to mention the squeaks and creaks from the shoddy craftman ship of the interior plastic. Will not buy again.

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  FIrst Year Mistake - 2004 Chevrolet Colorado
  By justin04 - March 7 - 10:37 am

  Absolutely horrible experience. Engine has failed twice. Exhaust system has failed twice.Transmission system failed once. GM covered exhaust and transmission, but fails to stand behind their engine. Vehicle only has 32k miles, 2nd engine failure at 20 months old.

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  Nice Family Van - 2001 Chevrolet Express
  By David - March 4 - 1:26 pm

  Bought new in July 2001. Due to kid reduction am ready to sell. Was great family van. Tows great. Plenty of room everywhere! No better vehicle for 2-4 kids.

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  Worst Vehicle Ever - 2006 Chevrolet TrailBlazer EXT
  By disappointedcustomer - February 28 - 1:16 pm

  The first year of ownership was great...after that it went totally downhill! It has been in the shop more than all of my previous vehicles combined. Air bag problem, emblem fell off, rear wiper went bad, bumper warped and was replaced, steering problem that cant seem to be fixed, fuel tank replaced, three of the doors have had panels replaced (a couple more than twice) and Im sure to suffer from more. Glad I bought an extended warranty since I have used it twice already. Cant get rid of it since the value isnt worth anything.

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  Room to Improve - 2007 Chevrolet Cobalt
  By Gail - February 26 - 1:20 pm

  Agree, need to pull interior door handles closer so as not a far reach. My biggest trouble is the seat, dash and steering. With long legs you move the seat back, but since the steering wheel doesnt scope, youre reaching. The steering wheel for tall people cuts out part of the speedometer located on the left and no matter how I adjust the seat and steering, its just not comfortable. I wish it had more head room also and a little more pickup like my previous small car. Im really just not happy at all with it and I really regret buying it. The trunk could use a larger opening.