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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  Another piece of GM junk - 2005 Chevrolet Impala
  By kandis67 - January 6 - 12:57 pm

  I bought this car in 2011 with 54k miles on it. I now have ~78k and it has just been one problem after another since day one. Huge lack of power, stopping on a slight incline on the road would cause me to roll backward when releasing the brake. Transmission jumps and skips. Cant get it to start 85% of the time. Fuel regulator began spitting out gasoline at 60k ($180 fix). Tie rods are crap. Wiper motor is seized. Heat randomly shuts on and off.

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  Poorly engineered - 2007 Chevrolet Express
  By ehibma - January 1 - 2:59 pm

  I borrowed this vehicle for my growing family, and knew within 5 minutes it was horrible. The kids had to duck under seat belts to get to the 3rd row. No head rests for the back rows. You feel every bump in the road. What were the engineers thinking? They didnt think this through at all. Saving up for a Mercedes Benz Sprinter.

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  My Current Malibu Experience - 1999 Chevrolet Malibu
  By tburts - January 1 - 11:53 am

  For the most part, my Malibu is a pretty good car. It gets good gas mileage, has needed power when you need it and is comfortable to drive. It is a plain in styling. However, they are meant for small/medium families. Quality is ok for the Malibu. However, the head gaskets can be a potential problem if left unchecked. Engine also has the typical "click clack" sound when started cold. Click sounds eventually disappear after running for a few minutes. Transmission shifts well.

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  More than meets mediocre expectations - 2011 Chevrolet Cruze
  By jackstraw93 - December 30 - 8:52 pm

  The most common complaint everybody has is that there is a problem with the transmission. After test driving dozens of cars in this class and finally buying this one I can say the computer operated transmission is STRANGE but youll have the same problems on all other cars with the ctv transmission. That being said I so far love the car. It is very comfortable in the front seats, and for the price crams alot more technology into it than any other car ive seen in its class. Very quite ride, very smooth ride, and while its not "Fun" to drive, (I do miss my truck with its RWD and tire smoking fun) its VERY plesent, very quiet, very very smooth, great on gas if you arent driving like an idiot

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  Equinox Road Noise - 2013 Chevrolet Equinox
  By zed58 - December 29 - 9:42 am

  Overall the vehicle is not too bad. The tire road noise is terrible. On the coarser paved roads the noise is very noisey and distractive. The vehicle is equipped with Michelin Latitude Tour tires that are also terrible in the snow. I will be looking for new tires if that doesnt remedy the problem, a new vehicle

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  Feeling discouraged - 2010 Chevrolet Equinox
  By sunset5 - December 27 - 10:38 am

  I recently bought this equinox over the summer practically brand new as far as mileage because i fell in love with it when i rented it for a month. Since i purchased it i have slowly began to experience problems with it which are so depressing and are making me consider giving it up. My most recent experience with Chevy was my check engine light. I brought it in to get checked. They told me it was my Mass airflow sensor that needed to be changed in which they tried to charge me over $600 to replace. I took it to another shop and ofcourse replaced it for under $200. I payed Chevy for checking it and telling me what the problems were but now my car is shaking and stalling. So what now?

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  FWD HORRIBLE in the snow. - 2013 Chevrolet Equinox
  By mgrauvogl - December 27 - 8:42 am

  Love my new Equinox overall. Very stylish, roomy and lots of fun features. The back up camera is a plus and added with OnStar I have a reliable, comfortable driving experience. There are two things I do not like about the vehicle...one is driving on wet or snow covered roads. I elected not to pay the extra for the AWD and am kicking myself for it. I figured for the amount of time I spend on bad roads I really didnt need the AWD. Well, even on the city roads when the least bit wet or a dusting of snow and I feel like there is no control to the vehicle at all! And secondly, the blind spots are real bad.

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  Cruze to a crash - 2012 Chevrolet Cruze
  By jwestbrooke - December 24 - 8:46 pm

  The 2011 Chevy Cruze is the absolute worst vehicle to ever come out of Detroit. The 2012 Chevy Cruze is not quite as bad. It will prove to be the most rear-ended car ever built. Whenever you are in town, the computer can take control from the driver and make hopelessly stupid mistakes. If you are doing 35 mph and back off the throttle by as much as one milimeter, the computer can take control of the vehicle and decide "Oh, he must want to stop. Here, I will help you." The computer radically downshifts the transmission, shuts down the fuel injectors, alters the ignition timing, and will slow the vehicle to 20 mph within 2 seconds. The computer has taken control. You are helpless.

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  Easy to Drive Car - 2010 Chevrolet Impala
  By 99snitsky - December 23 - 6:10 pm

  I like how the car drives with the soft suspension, it absorbs bumps very well. All models come with an 8 way power driver seat with lumbar. I am tall and I have plenty of head/leg room. Mine has the floor shifter and it isnt marked, when shifting you have to look at the dash, very cheap. I like the interior layout of the radio, climate controls, and dashboard. Very straight forward and easy to use/read. On the downside the interior is full of cheap plastic/ fake wood. The car has a huge trunk, it nice going shopping knowing you have room. The back seat is small for a large car. I didnt have the car long enough to comment about reliability.

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  Purchased a used Volt - 2012 Chevrolet Volt
  By tdj1 - December 22 - 6:58 pm

  I have been driving Hondas and Acuras all my life. With the kids grown, I decided to look for a replacement for my Honda Pilot. I narrowed my choice between a Prius and a Volt. I test drove both. The Volt was more fun to drive and felt like it was built better. I was very surprised. I rarely drive much more than 40 miles a day. Im VERY happy with my Volt. I spent all day running errands and didnt burn a drop of gas.