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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  mixed feelings - 2002 Chevrolet S-10
  By s10ct - August 30 - 3:58 pm

  02 4.3L 2WD Base w/ Ext. cab, 115K. Always kept up with oil changes, tranny & coolant flush. Put more $ in this truck than care to admit...but yet I reflect on its continued performance. Items replaced: fuel injectors, thermostat, rear main seal, front caliper seized twice (same one each time) so new front brake system each time, replaced radiator, 100K tune up so new plugs/wires/dist.cap/rotor. 3rd door useless, oil cooler line replaced, and the big one...blown tranny at 113K (google s10 sunshell and youll see what I mean). This truck better last until 200K+ with all Ive put into it without any more costly repairs. Truck still gets 24mpg and has lots of get up and go when i need it.

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  I miss mine - 1997 Chevrolet Blazer
  By speedboy3000 - August 30 - 12:40 pm

  This was my second car, and it was the best thing a kid could have. Its 4x4 system got me anywhere and everywhere I wanted to go, places that none of my friends could get to. Loyal, trustworthy, and a real blast. And by real blast, I mean literally. Going over a mountain pass, it threw a rod. Unfortunately replacing the engine would cost as much as the car was worth, so I had to part with it. I researched if this was a regular problem, and to no avail. This was a fluke. It was a great vehicle and only wearing parts had to be replaced. I would get another in good condition in a heart beat.

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  No issuse until now - 2009 Chevrolet Impala
  By nickstjl - August 29 - 8:27 pm

  I was given my 09 impala as a graduation gift from my grandmother just a few months ago and it was a perfectly fine car until last week, im not sure if other people have these problems but I do and i makes me wanna sell the car at this point. First sometimes the key wont turn i have to physically move the steering wheel and push up in the shifter thing behind the steering wheel and then it will start, and the other problem i experience is that if I am waiting at a light or a stop sign for more then 10 seconds and i go to press the gas the break pedal sticks and the car revs up and burns gas. And when it dooes this the check engine light comes on for a split second, anyone else like this?

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  Never buy governmert motors - 2003 Chevrolet Cavalier
  By danddad33 - August 29 - 4:26 pm

  bought the can new with 7 miles on it. around 350 miles the heater switch went on it. Next one happen around two years after owning the car. wife called and told me car will not stay running. I ran the car about a mile to the house, with it stalling about 100 times. this is 36,000 the fuel pump went. well the good news was that the car was too new for the bolts to rust. I changed it. around 54,000 miles the gauges on the dash went hay-wire. Stepper motor bad, easy fix with the dash pulled apart. Now that the car is 12 years old and 97,000 miles the motor went. I have a ford ranger close to 200,000 miles only thing went was the timing belt. I love my ford!!! NO MORE CHEVY!!!!!

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  Best small truck money can buy - 2002 Chevrolet S-10
  By dougdangelo - August 29 - 1:29 pm

  My friends and I have owned s10s since we were old enough to drive. I bought my 02 s10 for $3800.00 with 168k on the odo. Since that time it has towed my boats, pulled trucks 3 times its size off the beach, been loaded with 1500 lbs of concrete blocks for home improvement projects, spent a good deal of time off roading in the hills of KY, and all the while took me an additional 72,000 miles. I have now passed the truck to my brother who uses it every day. I cant say enough good things about it. It is completely bulletproof. There is a good reason you see so many of these things on the road to this day. There is nothing on the road today that posesses the rugged simplicity of the S10.

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  Great car - 2012 Chevrolet Volt
  By solcar - August 29 - 11:28 am

  We bought a Volt 2 months ago. If we had stayed around town we would have used no gas. Despite taking several trips over 200 miles to our second home, and multiple long commutes to work out of town, we are averaging 112 MPG, by plugging into 120 v charging at the destination. It beats our Prius for mileage on long trips handily, and rides much smoother. It gets over 40 mpg with the switch to gas Since we have solar the charging is carbon free. Very satisfied so far!

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  2012 chevy sonic lt i love my car - 2012 Chevrolet Sonic
  By joes02 - August 28 - 10:07 pm

  I have owned this car sense may 2012 I wanted a new escape but I went to ford to look at them and for a used 09 escape they wanted 25,000 i said no way. Went to Chevy and looked around they where nice and very helpful I looked and looked at the sonic until i found the one I Loved Test drove it and went back to buy it, They made sure i could really afford the car because Im 19 buying a car WITHOUT CO SIGNER and going to college. I knew I could and may I say Im glad I got my Sonic I love it I had a 95 nissan that I loved but I wanted a New car so I got what I wanted. It gets 26 mpg and Im happy with it i wish was more because of the STUPID gas prices but not complaining. Love this car!!!

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  The best car weve ever owned! - 2013 Chevrolet Spark
  By witnessofjesus - August 27 - 2:08 am

  Weve had our 2013 Chevy Spark for about three weeks now and its the best car ever! We love using the Chevy MyLink Infotainment system that allows us to stream audio via our Smartphone using Pandora and Stitch applications, with more applications to follow in the near future.

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  Best Purchasing Decision I Ever Made - 2012 Chevrolet Cruze
  By ratrbridin - August 26 - 6:02 pm

  For the first time in my life, I have made a WISE decision when purchasing a new vehicle. I was very skeptical giving up my truck and buying an "Economy Car." Im 6 215lbs, but my new career has me driving a personal vehicle to make sales calls. I am overly impressed with my Cruz Eco. Very stylish, and the biggest surprise is from the 1.4L Turbo. It is very responsive and I am AVERAGING 35MPG, with my best score on the highway being 42.6MPG. I thought I would be embarrassed to drive an economy car. Chevrolet has made a believer out of me, however. I love this car and would and am recommending it to all my friends and associates. Way to go Chevy.

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  A lot of fun - 1999 Chevrolet Tracker
  By steadc - August 26 - 3:50 pm

  I bought my Tracker for my first car and I learned how to drive manual on it. Its so much fun to drive and I get pretty good gas mileage. The only thing thats had to be replaced is the clutch and soon to be the tires and top.