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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  they hold up well - 2002 Chevrolet TrailBlazer
  By mike09 - November 16 - 9:28 am

  Ive had some problems here and there with the 4-wheel drive and the gas mileage is ok. but They hold up really well in a rollover accident. i lost control of mine and it rolled and it just shoved in the rear driver corner of the roof.

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  Gets you from A to B - 2007 Chevrolet Aveo
  By JimHo - November 14 - 9:46 pm

  Just traded an 07 Aveo LT sedan/automatic in a few months ago. It had no real issues and it got the job done for me until I was ready to move up to something nicer. The engine is tiny but then again the car is pretty small. You arent going to win any races in this thing but I could still pass safely on 2 lane roads. Driver visibility is excellent on this car due to the high seating position and wide windshield. Due to size, the car is also very agile in low speed tight turns, so its easy to park and weave through city traffic. On the LT (maybe others) they also throw in a lot of nice options that you wouldnt expect in this price class, like heated mirrors and foglights.

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  Reliable and Fun - 1995 Chevrolet Blazer
  By Fasttac - November 14 - 8:36 pm

  I bought this car from my grandfather. He really never treated it well, but never drove it into the ground. He neglected the oil changes and annual services. I got it at 92,000 mi. It needs a new EGR valve and AC compressor but other than that it runs great. I have had to replace the basic stuff (plugs,wires,fuel filter, etc) but it is super reliable. I think mine is the same as the 98-newer ZR2 package. 4x4 is reliable. The dislikes i have is the EGR valve. Mine is failing and causing it to run extremely rich. I also dont like the fuel gauge. It is so stupid because it goes up and down when i press the gas and brake. It also needs a pair of coil springs in front. ill buy the same one

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  Good car with lots of space - 2009 Chevrolet Impala
  By Laura - November 14 - 11:34 am

  Ive been impressed with the performance, handling, and comfort a good-sized car which made it easy for me to switch from my small SUV back to a car again. Strengths-I really like the driver’s seat, I can move the seat up (so I don’t feel so low to the ground) and the significant back support (which I love). Trunk space is amazing-a great car for families. I like my dark gray interior and the info provided by the Driver Info Center (tire pressure, oil life, etc). Weaknesses-the dual climate control dials move too easily(you end up changing them more than you wanted to). I wouldnt say its "fun" to drive, but its reliable. I havent had this, but someone else had a fuel sensor go bad.

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  Love this truck!!! - 2002 Chevrolet Silverado 1500
  By hnugent - November 14 - 10:00 am

  Looks great and lives up to the look. Feels like Im driving a Vet with a truck bed on it. Love the power and handling. Smoothest ride Ive ever had from ANY truck, and MOST cars. A/C and stereo controls are easy and efficient. The layout makes for quick adjustment without distracting from the road. Get compliments on it everywhere I go. Got two compliments on the truck in the last three days. Am very satisfied with my purchase!!!

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  Lil Blue Aveo - 2006 Chevrolet Aveo
  By BM - November 14 - 5:06 am

  Well I bought this new for my 16 yr old as a first car. I wanted her to have something new, reliable, and warrantied. So far, so good. She has been driving it about 50K miles and 3.5 years with no mechanical issues. She has had some brim and tire issues though. Chevy didnt want to hear anything about it though. After about 16K miles the tires were bald as a babies butt. She purchased some 40K Firestones and they are lasting. I was thinking it was a normal junky chevy front end or junky calipers etc ruining the tires but I guess it was the "no good" stock tires they put on it. Anyway, She has rode this sucker pretty hard in 3.5 years. She has been "ramming like a teenager".

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  WoW, I Really Like My HHR - 2006 Chevrolet HHR
  By MisterB945 - November 13 - 8:16 pm

  Ive only had my HHR 1LT for about two weeks, but so far I havent found much to complain about. I do feel my HHR is somewhat underpowered (it has the 2.2L 4 cylinder engine). Most of my driving is in and around the city, so the lack of power dosent affect me much. I am very pleased with the fit and finish and with the really comfortable front seats. I do think the power window controls could have been better placed. My gas mileage has been between 22 and 24 mpg in mostly city driving, but I havent had my HHR long enough to evaluate whether or not this is very accurate. My overall driving and ownership experience has been very good.

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  A piece of junk! - 2003 Chevrolet Cavalier
  By Valerie - November 13 - 3:30 pm

  Bought this car brand new with 3 miles on it. Thought it would be a great reliable car. WRONG! I had every stupid little thing go wrong with it possible. I replaced the rear turn signals about 20 times and finally the dealership did some fixing to it. Didnt work cause I Still had to replace it once a month. The windows, BOTH, broke and wouldnt go down so I had to have my father fix them several times. The interior lights had issues with flickering constantly. Another electrical problem the dealership fixed and it restarted again. Had some engine issues but luckily my father is a mechanic so it didnt cost too much.

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  Poor Fuel Economy - 2016 Chevrolet Traverse
  By bravo1 - November 13 - 2:15 pm

  To get a true review of this car look at the previous years, I got a LT1. The fuel economy they advertise is probably on a flat test track with no stop signs or signal lights. The car is heavy and on fuel economy we are averaging 10-14 mpg. The headrest is too far forward, Bluetooth is poor and hard to understand, and the Info system does not respond well. The fold down middle seats for access to the 3rd row seats could have been made smoother to operate, and rear visibility is poor. Over all the car looks good and the interior design is of good quality.

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  2004 chevy 2500 HD - 2004 Chevrolet Silverado 2500HD
  By clay - November 12 - 11:03 pm

  Ive owned this truck for almost one year and I am thoughly impressed with it. The only complaints I have beside the poor mileage 6.0 L. motor is that the sheet metal is way too thin. This is supposed to a heavy duty truck! Theyre great trucks to drive or pull with, but for working out of with guys loading tools in the back and especially over the sides they are too easily dented. The only mechanical issues Ive encountered is a irritating wind noise on the passenger side at the windshield and an annoying rattle inside the steering column. I drive off road daily on construction sites and the rattle developed quickly. This the second HD Ive had with this problem. But overall a great truck.