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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  Never again! - 2010 Chevrolet Impala
  By luvtaymae - March 30 - 2:58 am

  I will never buy another Chevy again! Recently had the transmission replaced in our Impala which is ridiculous! The servicemen at the transmission shop were shocked that a transmission only three years old had to be replaced. And to think I bought the car figuring it would be a good value boy was I wrong! Should have heeded the warning from the 2001 Chevy Monte Carlo SS that I owned prior to this car it also needed multiple major repairs. No more American cars for me Im going foreign from now on...

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  Traverse........What a piece of - 2011 Chevrolet Traverse
  By xroads - March 29 - 7:20 am

  If you are looking for a good dependable vehicle, dont think about a Traverse. Bought a brand new off the lot 2011 Traverse in the fall of 2010. Right of the beginning there were problems. The on-star had a broken wire that had to go back to the dealer. Then, two different computers went out in the first 20K, then at 30K the transfer case went out. Now it is out of warranty and the front wheel bearing has gone out, and the radio buttons are going bad. Gas mileage? Dont even think you are going to get close to what they advertise. We average right at 17mpg, with lots of hwy driving. Just about to 60K miles, and we are due to replace the second set of tires. dont buy!

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  Oil Eating Monster - 2002 Chevrolet Prizm
  By josiewhales - March 28 - 11:28 am

  Believe that comment about using a qt. of oil every 100 miles, its true @ 120+ K mi. And with that, the mpg is only 20 mpg avg. May be OK for low mileage but Prizm engine is not long lasting .I put new seals and rings in, still burns oil and bad mpg. Cant see smoke unless you hold throttle 3/4 down for 6-10 seconds. ( This is a must before buying ! ) Do not buy with over 100 K. It may look like a Corolla, but engine doesnt last like one. I got robbed. Wouldnt recommend Prizm.

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  Steering Shaft defect - 2009 Chevrolet Traverse
  By mngirl - March 28 - 10:53 am

  Currently there is 51K on my Traverse. I do like it, it fits our family of five perfectly with room to spare. I didnt give the review 5 stars simply because there is always room for improvement. That said, I had a major problem with my steering column recently. While driving the vehicle, I suddenly and with no warning had no control of my tires - zero steering! When the vehicle was hauled to the shop, I was told that the steering shaft was completely dismembered and fell "out of place". Hmm....has this happened to anyone before?

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  First New Car - 2004 Chevrolet Cavalier
  By rdaub - March 27 - 5:23 pm

  2004 Cavalier was my first NEW car purchase {had purchased used cars prior}. After 180,000+ miles can not really complain. It did what it was purchased to do - used as a commuter car, averaging over 400+ miles per week. After all of those miles, still getting 30+ mpg. Yes road-noisy ride, cd no longer works, replaced clutch after 175,000+ miles, shifter needs replaced [hard to get into 1st or 2nd, really loose]. But for a "basic $10,000.00 car" in 2004, it has been a worthy vehicle.

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  2013 Chev Eco Cruze Manual 2000mi review - 2013 Chevrolet Cruze
  By rneuman - March 26 - 10:15 pm

  This car does everything it says it will. Great mileage (30 -34mpg in town). Peppy and fun to drive. Comfortable seating. No build quality issues. So far compares in quality to my last 6 Japanese made sedans/SUVs. The Cruze is quiet, dependable, and exceeds my expectations for 19K I paid for car. I am over 50 years old and this is the first manual transmission car I have owned and I am loving it. Great job GM!

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  The most misunderstood car in America - 2013 Chevrolet Volt
  By pvolt - March 26 - 8:54 pm

  This is a wonderful car, plain and simple. Everyone seems to want to make it only about whether or not the battery will pay for itself but that really misses the point. This is a stylish, distinctive, comfortable car that is really fun to drive and has, as one of its many features, a minimal need for gas. It costs under $30,000 despite what everyone says. If you buy one you can get a $3,000 rebate, a $7,500 tax refund. And for $30,000 its a terrific car. I traded in a Prius V (that also cost $30,000 BTW) and its a WAY better car. I have owned BMWs, Jaguars, Audis, Mercedes and many other "fine" cars and this is different but equal or better than them all!

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  First and last new chevy - 2013 Chevrolet Cruze
  By curly14 - March 26 - 6:49 pm

  1500 miles on my first new car EVER wish I would have read all the reviews about the transmission shifting problems. The car goes from 2 to 1 gear to the point it throws you forward GM thats the ways they are designed but I can test drive the other two new ones in there lot. I told them it sounds like you have two more headaches coming back. The door lock and unlock buttons are in the center console, what idiot decided after 50 years lets move the location? I trying to get GM to buy back we"ll see what happens Ive owned all GM but thats about to change permanently! Not even close to 35 mpg more like 25 best so far was 28

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  Great design BUT poor implementation by GM - 2012 Chevrolet Volt
  By ronmaf - March 23 - 10:56 pm

  I purchased two Volts, One for my wife and one for myself in July 2012. We drove them all over. One went to Baltimore the other to Tampa. The car averaged 130 MPG. at the 7th month of ownership I started hearing this loud sound like an electric Drill every time I coated to a stop of hit the brakes. I gave the car to the dealer, it took them a week to fix. 10 days and 300 or so miles later the car has the same obnoxious sound. I went back to the dealer. This time they called in a GM Engineer to take a look. They have had it for a week already with no fix in sight. I really loved the technology of the car, but GM cannot get the quality right. there is the GM-Volt forum with more info.

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  Chevy Hit It Out of the Ball Park - 2013 Chevrolet Volt
  By hbbob - March 21 - 11:16 am

  Incredibly electronically sophisticated vehicle. Light years ahead of any other hybrid or electrical car on the road today. I installed a 240 volt charge station to speed up the recharging process, plus it reduces the cost of each full charge from 13kw used to 10kw. For me in Calif., it costs $1.70 for each full charge. I normally get 43 miles on each charge and on gas anywhere from 45-60 mpg (light foot on the throttle). Assuming 10k miles/yr and 10% of the miles on gas, the total cost would be about $460/yr or a $2,000/yr savings over our other gas costs for 10k miles/yr. The volt cost $32k after all rebates. Do the math...this car is a no brainer!