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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  Lifelong Chevy owner - may change - 2002 Chevrolet Silverado 1500
  By Kevin - October 17 - 5:13 am

  Average vehicle to drive. 54,000 replaced air conditioning, power window motor. 74,000 rebuilt the transmission, 107,000 rebuilt the transmission. Dont flush the transmission, drop the pan. Only had flushed twice, once at dealer, once at ASE certified. Needed a new tranny within 2 days - both times. Get the 5.3, not 4.8 - no gas savings there. A very disappointed lifelong Chevy owner. Ive got a 94 Chevy 4.3L with 300K that runs better than this one.

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  Chevy Junk - 2000 Chevrolet Silverado 1500
  By Yach - October 15 - 2:00 am

  When its cold out, whenever I start my truck, I get a alot of clacking in the engine. It only last for about 5 minutes then goes away. Chevy said its caused by carbon on the pistons and they wont fix it. They extended my warranty another 25000miles and another year. Drivetrain makes noise. they replaced the timing chain once, it still makes the same noise. Emergency brakes sticks in the cold. They fixed it once, now it wont go down all the way.

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  New car had problem - 2006 Chevrolet TrailBlazer EXT
  By blackext - September 26 - 12:26 pm

  At 1000 miles we had car trouble. A few ground wire bolts connected to the engine throttle body sensor were not completely screwed tight. So far, no engine damage, but this says a lot about the poor, careless quality of build. This was not a result of a defective part, but a result of a negligant, careless assembly worker. What kind of standards are set in place for quality assurance at GM? Also needed an alignment from the moment we pulled off the lot.

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  Transfer Case - 2006 Chevrolet Silverado 2500HD
  By jrmcmaster - September 19 - 2:00 am

  Transfer case totally shot at 70,000 miles. Started malfunctioning within first year. Chevy did not back it. $2850 to replace.

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  2016 chevy cruze - 2016 Chevrolet Cruze
  By Wilver mundo - September 11 - 8:42 pm

  I just bought 2016 chevy cruze I am only getting only 24 mpg this car sucks I am sorry I got this car please dont waste your money in 2016 cruze

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  Shakerado - 2014 Chevrolet Silverado 1500
  By m1tanker1 - August 5 - 2:45 am

  I, like many others, have a crew cab with the shakes. Once you get up to speed, you will feel it in the steering wheel, seat, console, and floor. There are quite a few others with this problem and GM threw many parts at their trucks (tires, rims, driveshaft, TCM updates, rear axles) and they still shake and vibrate. At least they received some attention from GM, because I was basically told by my dealer that this is a problem with the trucks and GM has no fix. Throw in about 6 recalls, one tailgate cable longer than the other, a radio that sometimes works, and an interior that is so cheap, it scratches and rattles just looking at it.

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  Bad Chevy - 2003 Chevrolet Silverado 1500
  By Justys - July 22 - 3:06 pm

  Sheet metal is very thin. Vehicle get dents from acorns falling onto hood and roof when parked under oak trees. (Had to cut down one of our trees to stop further damage) Installed a truck rack which extended over the cab, and this caused airflow problems resulting in the roof vibrating. Had to modify the rack to stop the vibration. Dealer has had vehicle in many times for repairs. The most serious being failed front hub at 37,000 miles and power steering pump replaced at 42,000 miles. Also, the windshield wipers would not turn off. If key is left in ignition in the off position and vehicle is reentered and started, the chime starts ringing and stays on. You must turn it off, remove the key, and then reinsert the key and start it again. I will never buy another Chevy truck. Going back to Ford.

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  Constant problem - 2014 Chevrolet Impala
  By Joe Szymborski - July 22 - 11:01 am

  Theres and issue with the secondary injectors and the pump. The emissions warrenty good until 150000 miles should cover it but they use a loophole to get out of fixing it this is a 800$ fix that happens once a year! Beautiful car but not worth the headache. Ill never buy Chevy again.

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  this car is not reliable - 2005 Chevrolet Aveo
  By martin fan - July 19 - 10:00 am

  we have had our car for about 3 mths and it has been in the shop all of the 3 mths except 3-4 weeks. the front end stays out of align and they cant fix it. they didnt offer to swap out or buy back, we had to ask for it. still havent been taken care of. lets people know that all general motors is worried about is the money, not the satisfaction or safety of the buyer. ill never buy another chevrolet as long as i live. someone needs to step up and make satisfaction happen and quit using excuses to stall the buyer.

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  Disappointed - 2017 Chevrolet Impala
  By Charles young - July 3 - 5:40 pm

  I purchased the 2017 Impala lt.I had test driven three other Impalas.The ride was very good.The one that I have is worst riding car that I have ever had.I does not smooth out bumps on streets or highways.I find myself bracing for bumps.All the reviews that read ( including Edmunds ) talked about how smooth the ride was.That is not the case for the one that I have.I am very very disappointed.