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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  15 years and still new - 1995 Chevrolet Lumina
  By Edgar - January 31 - 9:28 am

  I inherited my 1995 Lumina in 2001 with 4k to 5k on the odometer. The Good. No interior rattles, all power accessories work well, and now with 72,000 miles the engine still runs like new. Smooth ride and tranny. Feels safe. The Bad. It is not the most reliable of vehicles. At just 10000 miles or so i had a leaking intake gasket manifold that cost $800 to fix. minor things such as the power door locks breaking, the AC not working, brakes warping, needing a new ball joint, and fuel injectors needed cleaning. The seats are not very ergonomic and feels like i am sitting in an old catchers mitt. Overall...the engine has adequate performance for freeway merging and makes for a tolerable commute.

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  A great little SUV - 2000 Chevrolet Tracker
  By dan - January 30 - 2:07 pm

  I have had a few of these and the 4 CYL engine is the way to go. The v-6 seems to have timing belt noise issues and does not hold up any near as long as the 4 cyl. These have no real towing ability and seem to eat front brakes. The body panels dent easily. The power steering rack and pinion also is known to leak. All in all it will go about anywhere and has ample heat and AC. I have seen the 4 cyl models with well over 180K miles on them with no issues. A safe bet for a used vehicle. It it hard to buy them at the market prices... these hold their value quite well.

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  Great Truck - 1997 Chevrolet Tahoe
  By Andy - January 30 - 8:48 am

  The best truck Ive ever owned. Its very reliable, great for road trips, towing, getting around in the snow etc. I bought it with 130k and now it has 170k. I had to replace the intake manifold gasket and have the transmission rebuilt but, other than that its been small cheap stuff. One of the best things about owning one of these is parts are plentiful and cheap. It doesnt get great gas mileage (12-15) but, its a V8 Truck. I would rather put extra money in the tank than have $1k repair bills on a vehicle that only a dealer can work on.

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  i love my HHR always - 2007 Chevrolet HHR
  By love my HHR always - January 29 - 11:29 am

  I feel it is a very comfortable car given the price range. The biggest attraction of this car is its unique retro style from the 1949 Chevy Suburban. I really love that old style with a mix of modern features. Another good thing is the mileage and the seating is really comfortable, leg room. The visibility is OK, but not great because of the unique body shape and windows are small, but that is a not a problem as i get used to it. The biggest problem is the depreciation of the car value. SO , may be a used car would be a best bet. But overall, i recommend this car who love the old style.

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  Good basic car = LS - 2008 Chevrolet Impala
  By swhite - January 29 - 10:20 am

  I drove my Impala LS for two years as company car before buying. It hasnt ever needed mechanical repair. At higher mileages, i do "hear rattling" or something. The tires do wear unevenly which may be the rattling. Otherwise its a great car and easy decision to purchase for my personal use after being company car.

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  New car - 2009 Chevrolet Cobalt
  By St Helens Matt - January 28 - 11:58 pm

  I am getting 35 MPG and the cabin is quite. Best of all, I got it brand new for $10,000.

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  Think Twice Before Buying - 2005 Chevrolet Malibu
  By my 2nd malibu - January 28 - 7:52 pm

  I have owned my malibu for approx. three years. I was very disappointed at the fact that I have had my car in the shop for the same problem three times with service techs not knowing what was wrong with the car. I have also had to replace every single exterior light on my car, even the L.E.D. break light that was supposed to never go out. Its sad to say that the previous malibu I owned a 99 model has never had any problems and continues to run great.

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  10 pretty good years - 1995 Chevrolet Astro
  By dad_the_fixer - January 28 - 6:53 pm

  This has been the family truckster for the past 10 years and 90K miles, and has pulled a camper 1/2 across the country, and has hauled the family on many long (13 hour drive) trips. Only let us down twice - once for a fuel pump (managed to get it going, no tow needed) and once with a cooling system blowout. Now, at 200K miles, its got headgasket problems (maybe its had those for a while now) ready to retire it.

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  Great look sucky engine - 2005 Chevrolet Equinox
  By sammy_jo08 - January 27 - 10:15 pm

  I bought my nox almost 8 months ago. How its not running at all. I bout it with 50k miles, I have never beat my car nor let the antifreeze go low, some how a headgasket is broke. That after it wouldnt start. We replaced the battery and the starter. The starter was smoking so we thought it would be that, nope. So the headgasket is supposedly broke. I hope we get that fixed and its perfect. Also the seats do stain really easy. I bought seat covers the first week I owned it

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  Needs to be Recalled - 2006 Chevrolet Cobalt
  By What a joke - January 26 - 9:44 pm

  I have had several minor problems with my cobalt, over the years, including needing a new windshield wiper motor after two years. However, this new problem takes the cake. The sensor that signals the car is in park doesnt work. Therefore I cannot turn off my car and remove my key, until the battery dies. My friend who also has a 2006 cobalt had the same problem, she got hers fixed for $450. They claim not a common problem, but strange both of us had the issue. Mine is automatic and hers is manual, so that sounds like more than a few people would have this problem.