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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  Malibou has worst breaking system - 1999 Chevrolet Malibu
  By barr0104 - February 6 - 2:00 am

  The brakes on this car were awful, the inside breakpad was wore down to the steel and the outside pad was at 85%, I have heard nothing but bad things about these aluminum break pads.

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  Why my 2017 Chevrolet 1500 is a antique - 2017 Chevrolet Silverado 1500
  By Doug Gray - February 3 - 8:56 pm

  My Chevy 1500 crew cab High Country is a antique! I put 7,400 miles on it and traded it in on a Ram 1500 Longhorn here is what I liked about the High Country the looks great, the 6.2 v-8 is why I bought it great power and fuel mileage, now what I did not like: the 8 speed transmission shifted out of first way to soon, if I gave it a little gas and let up it would make a load thump and when you come to a stop and need to make a turn it would shift out of first 1/2 way into the turn so in traffic you lose that power of first gear, only a 26 gal. gas tank Ram 32 gal., to manual shift the trans you have to take your hand off the steering wheel, I also had a problem when I used it in first it was great but when I shifted into second a couple times there was a big lag, I hated the key fob you had to lock/unlock the truck with it the Ram the fob remains in your pocket and just touch the door handle (inside of handle to open outside to lock and you HAD to use the key for the start) the seat belt was always dropping off my shoulder, on my Ram I could get lower gears (for towing) would have made a huge difference, the Ram was much better going over railroad (bumpy) tracks, both trucks have the 6 4" bed the Ram seems to have a tighter turning radius?. The worst part is Iam a Chevy person, I drag race with only Chevy engines and I do love the LS engines

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  Lo and behold - 1999 Chevrolet Malibu
  By nomorechevies - February 2 - 11:13 pm

  I bought this car because I got a deal. Im on this site looking for a new car and felt I owed it to anyone thinking about a Malibu to say dont do it! I was surprised to see that everyone on here has had similar problems. Head gaskets, coolant goes down without a leak, heat/AC only works on the third or fourth setting- first two burnt out, went thru wheel bearings left and right, I have put more money into this car than I paid for it! I thought I just got a lemon, apparently so did everyone else who bought it. It was comfy, pretty good on gas, and nice to drive. When it was actually running. Or not in the garage with 5 mechanics around it who couldnt pin what was wrong with it.

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  Comfortable ride with good power - 2003 Chevrolet TrailBlazer
  By BrewTownDan - February 1 - 1:16 pm

  One of the most comfortable riding SUVs Ive ridden/driven. Handles very well, but the 4WD is lacking if youre really in the thick of things. Definitely opt for the locking rear differential if youre going to test its limits. The interior is a bit drab could definitely use some sprucing up. However, the large controls are very user-friendly. The numerous rear storage compartments are useful. Actual workmanship of the vehicle is ok, but after only 4 years of ownership, door moldings are working their way loose and rust is developing from the inside-out along the bottoms of the doors. Taillight lenses and license plate lights also let in far too much moisture.

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  S10 4 X 4 EXT CAB - 2001 Chevrolet S-10
  By Ray - January 31 - 1:21 pm

  As with other owners of this year S10, Ive replaced all the universals, three ball joints, driver side front wheel bearing,all during the eighty thousand mile timeperiod. My ABS brake system failed and will cost over five hundred dollars in parts to fix. I just avoided two major slow speed accidents when the ABS refused to allow me to stop. And, theres been lots of little things that I didnt expect to have to replace and/or repair on a truck this new. Plastic door latches, fuel sender unit and pump, complete replacment of all rear brake parts, etc. My service engine light continues to come on, even though it has been serviced several times. Quality is not job one at GM anymore

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  Good so far - 2000 Chevrolet Blazer
  By Dbinie - January 30 - 9:25 pm

  Have had good luck with this vehicle. Gas mileage has been less than expected. I average about 15 MPG town or highway. Hood cable and passenger reclining handle broke but from reading the reviews I am not the only one with these problems. A little rough on the off road travel but it gets the job done. I think that it is a great vehicle for the price.

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  Piece of Junk - 2001 Chevrolet Blazer
  By Junky chevy owner - January 30 - 3:32 pm

  What a piece of junk. Had nothing but problems with this truck. Transmission went at 55K, both door hinges had to be replaced, windows get stuck, never know when its going to die on me.

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  New Car Trouble From the Start - 2003 Chevrolet TrailBlazer
  By Yorkie - January 28 - 11:23 am

  This car was a candidate for the lemon law. I bought this car fron newand in the first year to 18 months it had trouble starting first time in cold weather, after at least 4 visits to the garage and 2 battery changes a short on the earth lead was found. It also had a problem with the seal around the licence plate disappearing down the back, again this was repaired 5 times, taking 1 hour 30 mins each visit. To top it all off at 4 years old I was told the steering gear might be going. Needless to say I decided to sell at this point. A new car that was nothing but trouble from the start, the customer service from Chevy leaves a lot to be desired.

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  Workhorse - 1994 Chevrolet Cavalier
  By sailordave - January 27 - 6:34 am

  Had mine until a truck ran a yield sign and hit my drivers side front fender. Trucks tire stopped on the hood of the car. Engine and transmission still ran but was declared totalled. No major problems with the car. Loved that I could easily reach and change the fuel filter myself without jacks or lift. Solid little car. Sure miss it especially since it was paid off in full.

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  Needs improvement - 2004 Chevrolet TrailBlazer
  By jcfisherking - January 26 - 8:12 am

  Had problems with mine. Wheel wells kept falling down, trim around doors fell off several times, transfer case had to be rebuilt at 33,000. Vibration in drive train transferred to rattle under dash that caused me to dump the thing. I couldnt stand being in it when the rattle/vibration started. Never buy one again, ever. Recommend not buy!