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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  totally dependable - 2004 Chevrolet Venture
  By momonthego - May 24 - 2:00 am

  We have loved this minivan! If you are not worried with what the "fashionable thing to drive" is, then you would probably love this minivan. No horror stories from anyone who we know who has a Venture (or other GM style) van. It is not fancy, but it hauls girl scouts, boxes, and anything else. Seats are pretty easy to remove, despite what others say, and it has a ton of storage room when you do take them out. Will buy another one when we wear this one out.

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  Poor Brakes / Bad Service - 2003 Chevrolet Malibu
  By Brake-Broke - May 24 - 2:00 am

  The car was fair to good until having to replace the brakes TWICE in less than 30k miles. Great prices to buy, but service is as bad as it gets with them. Gas mileage is not even close to the 32 Hwy mpg, Im lucky if I get 25- 26. do yourself a favor and DO NOT BUY THIS CAR. I will never get another GM vehicle. Cant wait to get rid of this car.

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  GIVE ME A BREAK! - 2003 Chevrolet TrailBlazer
  By toyota hater - May 24 - 2:00 am

  ok im not a trail blazer owner but i am considering one. Ive tested one and i belive it to be great. in response to the ignorant man or woman who wrote "AVOID THIS VEHICLE BY CHEVROLET!! gas mileage is signifantly lower the faster you drive,rapid excelleration,driving against wind,driving like a moron,stop and go traffic,or say to buy a toyota(it hates that).After all the complaints about it i am seriously doubting buying it.yes there is 6and a half pages of complaints so i am thinking avalanche,only half a page f complaints on it.

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  Retro - Just Like GM Cars from 30 Years Ago - 2011 Chevrolet Cruze
  By berlinetta - May 23 - 3:07 pm

  Poor assembly quality (squeaks and rattles) and an indifferent attitude in terms of customer satisfaction have marred my experience with my 2011 Chevrolet Cruze. After 30 days and 1,000 miles, this is the most disappointing initial new car ownership experience that Ive had in 25 years. This really is a nicely designed small car, fun to drive, and with a great interior. The back seat is cramped and fuel economy is very disappointing. Despite a real effort to make a competitive small car, my experience is that GM needs to work harder in terms of executing the details - especially in terms of build quality and customer assistance and satisfaction.

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  great car with tons of safety feature - 2016 Chevrolet Malibu
  By kun - May 23 - 7:02 am

  I bought this 2016 Malibu premier used car with only 3K miles, great looking, smooth drive and gas saver with tons of horse power. so far 1 free oil change/tire rotation done by dealer. I really enjoy the mylink. The safety feature like adaptive cruise control, high beam are useful, park assistance is great. Luxury inside with heated/cooled/memory front seats, 10 airbags and big trunk size are fantastic to me and family. update after 6 months with over 10K miles: I have no issue with the car at all, the experience I have now is still great. I really love tons of new features and plenty of power. The combined MPG is pretty constant at ~29. I totally drove over 10K miles in 7 months, everything in the car is very reliable.

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  chevrolet tracker opinion - 2004 Chevrolet Tracker
  By demetria hammonds - May 23 - 2:00 am

  I like my chevrolet tracker,its a good price,good on gas mileage,fun to drive

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  Like that truck - 2008 Chevrolet Silverado 1500
  By mr norm - May 22 - 9:56 pm

  Traded an 07 Classic in on this truck. What a difference! Handling, ride, and styling is so much better. It is a 2wd drive equipped with a 4.3 auto w/ 3:23 locking differential (next best thing to a 4wd without the expense & lower gas mileage, gets about 19mpg and goes in the snow pretty well). No, I cant pull stumps or tow a big load, but it serves my purposes well. Very happy with it.

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  Cevy Blazer - 1999 Chevrolet Blazer
  By April Odom - May 22 - 2:00 am

  This has been a great car to own and drive.

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  very nice - 2001 Chevrolet Suburban
  By DEAN - May 22 - 2:00 am

  THE PERFORMANCE HAS IMPROVED DRAMATICALLY WITH AN AFTERMARKET EXHAUST,THE RIDE IS GREAT,DRIVING IN THE WINTER ON BAD ROADS IS EXCEPTIONAL!!!THE AUTO-TRAC 4WD IS AWESOME.

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  I love my Chevy Impala - 2003 Chevrolet Impala
  By Linda Faris - May 22 - 2:00 am

  Since this is the first new car Ive purchased in a while, I spent a lot of time researching certain makes/models. I chose the Impala because of its sleek style, its comfort, and its size. Its like driving a large car, but it isnt too large. It is like driving a dream - easy to handle, hugs the road, feels substantial with a very "fluid" feeling (not tight), and gets absolutely great gas mileage. I typically get 30-32mpg on the highway and 26-29 in town. When the salesman told me it would do 32mpg, I really didnt believe him at the time. Well, believe me, it will get 32mpg on the highway. And....the price was right.