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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  Love the Cruze - 2013 Chevrolet Cruze
  By lstation - September 29 - 8:13 pm

  This is my first car review EVER. Just purchased the cruze and I love it! I test drove the 2013 Honda Accord and 2013 Nissan Altima. Unfortunately these were going for a pretty penny and the Chevy Staff really wanted to offload the 2012 models. As a result, I was able to pick up the 2LT model for 4,000 under MSRP. The car is well built, fun to drive, and excellent on fuel economy. I am very happy with my choice!

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  Wish I would have waited for reviews - 2009 Chevrolet Traverse
  By teyjay - September 29 - 4:10 pm

  I bought my car new off the lot in 2009. I have had numerous problems with this car since i bought it. Starting with the air conditioning knob which until this day has not been fixed because they can not duplicate the problem. The next would be the trip i took right after we got the car and the water pump blew which left my family of six sitting in the middle of no where with no cell phone access in 90+ degree weather. The car can not stop on a small hill without rolling back. But the one that i am dealing with now is the transmission. The car will not shift into gear, it shuts down on the freeway. Its going back in the shop yet again. Do not waste your hard earned money on this car!

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  HHR...road warrior - 2010 Chevrolet HHR
  By fordguy63 - September 29 - 10:34 am

  We bought this car for my wife in 2010 (new). The only problem weve had is with the ignition switch, which got stuck in the ON position & the car would not shut off. This happened on a Sunday afternoon & onstar was spectacularly unhelpful. The operator told us to find a shop that was open & go there, then sent us to Honda dealer which was closing by the time we got there (5pm). We finally had the running car disabled & towed to Bachman Chevrolet, per Onstars instructions. (something to do with warranty regulations blah,blah,blah). Bachman Chevrolet had the car up & running free of charge by 3PM Monday, so pretty good service on their part.

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  228,000 miles and doing great! - 1997 Chevrolet Suburban
  By runner97 - September 29 - 7:22 am

  My 97 4dr k1500 has 228,000 miles and is doing great. Just used it to pull my travel trailer 6,000 lb through Penn, Maryland, WV, V, KY, and back to Michigan and did great! Other than regular maintenace as well it is doing good. Cant be more happy with it. I dont think you can find anything better for pulling. Things I wish they would keep in the new suburbans. A simple, tuff, and not be afarid to get dirty suburban. The new ones are to nice. Why would you use it for hauling things in.

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  Great for just about anything - 1996 Chevrolet Tahoe
  By ladymgr59 - September 28 - 1:44 pm

  I bought my 1996 Tahoe in 2009 with 124,000 with the vortex V8. We are now in 2012, I now have 224,000 miles & driving it everyday. Work out of state and no worries about it failing yet. We have taken long trips, with extra people, camped in it, hauled motorcycles, and trailers. Now l will be pulling a camper. Great Truck as I call it. No leak at all, Have had to replace the usual maintenance like brakes, water pump, alternator, starter, fuel pump, tires. Never had any trouble with motor or trans. All power interior works like new. Runs strong.

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  Its doing its job. - 2004 Chevrolet Cavalier
  By evanz - September 27 - 9:08 pm

  This is my second car. I bought it, after weeks of searching for something else in my price range. I dont really like Chevy, but i got it in great shape, and condition. I bought it with 80,000 miles, and it now has about 105,000. Ive driven it across states without hesitating. The only thing Ive had to replace was the fuel pump at about 100. Everything else works fine, and even looks alright. The car isnt fast, but if you give enough gas it can go. I live in an area with snow, ice, rain, and hills, and this car works fine everywhere. I take good care of my cars aesthetically, and get their regular maintenance. But I drive the **** out of my cars, and this one is still holding up fine.

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  dont buy it! - 1998 Chevrolet Malibu
  By tessnluke - September 26 - 5:46 pm

  I bought this car used when it was only 2 years old and had low mileage. Nothing but problems with it. it was absolutely horrible. I must have spent thousands on repair and maintenance on this over the years, I couldnt wait to get rid of it.

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  Good truck - 2005 Chevrolet Colorado
  By coloradoguy615 - September 26 - 1:31 pm

  I own a 2005 Colorado Z71 LS Crew. She looks great and handles amazing. Cant say too much about the interior (very bland, but does the job). Ive owned her for about a year now and Ive only had to replace the brakes. For buying the thing with 100k miles and putting 19k on in 11 months its very surprising. She handles great on and off road. Plenty of power in the I5. I wouldnt pass the 2005 model year up for any reason. Looks better than the 2012 IMO. I drove a Dodge for 10 years and a 1999 F150 for 6 years. Ive been a loyal ford guy my whole life, this truck changed me to a chevy guy. Good truck, cheap to fix, easy to maintain.

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  I hate this car - 2005 Chevrolet Classic
  By kennedn - September 26 - 1:16 am

  I bought this car in 2006 with only 13,000 miles on it and it has been a nightmare. The first year I had to replace the brakes. There is a short in the system and I have been stranded more than once. I have had to replace the fuel pump twice and the transmission went out at 60,000 miles. Right now the car is parked because it will not start again, due to the short in the system. I am having problems even getting anyone to take it as a trade in. I will never buy another Chevy again after this experience.

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  7 Month Update - 2012 Chevrolet Cruze
  By gep10 - September 25 - 12:11 pm

  My Eco manual now has 9K miles. Not a single mechanical issue the car is still tight with no rattles or squeaks. The overall fuel economy (computer) has improved to over 38 MPG for >80% city driving. My best 50 mile economy is 50.0 MPG (computer). Got an indicated 45+ MPG for a recent 450 mile trip (20% @ 75 -80 MPH, 70% @ 62 MPH, some city) which is probably around 42 MPG actual. The computer is consistently 2-3 MPG high. My only complaint is the hood has a few chips in it Ive read other complaints about this as well (soft paint??). Overall, Im very pleased with this car. I highly recommend anyone shopping for a high MPG car test drive a Cruze before making a purchase decision.