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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  Decent car - 2008 Chevrolet Malibu
  By Chris - June 4 - 10:12 am

  My malibu LS has been a decent car. Not a horsepower machine or a handling dream, but it gets good mpg and has been reliable. The quietness of the ride is exceptional virtually no wind noise. Still trying to get used to the four cylinder engine...first one I have ever owned.

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  REAR END FALL OUT - 2007 Chevrolet Tahoe
  By Sandy - June 3 - 7:47 pm

  Bought our first Chevy new LTZ Tahoe. Love the looks and ride of the vehicle. Have had problems with the rear end. It actually FELL OUT. Thank goodness it was still under warranty. still have problems with the rear jerking when stopping at a light or stop sign and when taking off. The rear end smells like it is burning after driving it for about 45 minutes. Resale value is about what we still owe on the Chevy. Gonna sell or trade it I think. Keep taking it to shop and they cant find anything else wrong with it since completely rebuilding the rear end. Oh, well. NO MORE CHEVYS FOR US.

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  very low mpg - 2008 Chevrolet Impala
  By jorge - June 3 - 6:37 am

  i have a ltz chevy impala, very nice car, I think the trunk is too large making this car extra large. The MPG is very low I just can reach 17 mpg, even in highway, making the company statement a big fat lie. I had try it everything to increase the mpg but still making the same, other than that i thing it is a nice car to have it. Thanks

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  As the tru that cant make a 100,000 mile - 2000 Chevrolet Astro
  By Disconious - June 2 - 8:09 pm

  Actually this is my second one, I think they are attractive and the kids loved em. My first was under powered but ran with scheduled maintenance which I had to abandoned due to the expense. Both vehicles ran good until about 70, 000 miles when windows stopped working, slight idle roughness, sliding door had parts fall off and started to rattle, front ac vents stopped working, back door starting clicking and vacum problems with locks and ac vents, ac fan motor, trying to fix all this at the dealer is vehicle suicide.

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  Cheap reliable transportation - 2003 Chevrolet Cavalier
  By AP_From PA - June 2 - 11:20 am

  I bought this in 2004 with about 9600 miles on it, no problems, except for a fuel pump that I had to replace. I got it for about 7K and I drove it over 70K miles. I cant ask for a better deal. Even today it has a decent re-sale value (about 3.5K easily). I do most regular maintenance myself and this car has been running like a champ. Fuel economy has been good too, in 2004 I got about 31 mpg combined, I still get about 28-29 mpg combined... even after increase in ethanol in fuel. If style is not your primary concern, and transportation is the only thing you care about then this is a good value.

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  Honeymoon is over.... - 2007 Chevrolet Tahoe
  By ghorne - June 2 - 10:51 am

  The first 36,000 miles of my first big american suv ownership were great. Now that Im out of the warranty period, I can understand why people who havent been down this path before get easily burned by some american auto products. However, Ive now had the rotors turned at 38,000 miles and the other day I had to replace the entire power steering assembly ($900). I tried reasoning with the service manager that this was way too early to do for such a new car. I cant blame him for the problem, he didnt tell me to buy the car, hes just telling me how to fix it. Very frustrating.

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  Its orange - 2005 Chevrolet Cavalier
  By John - June 2 - 1:08 am

  The only problem Ive had so far is the the wheel speed sensor went bad, around $100 to fix. The car is quick for a 4 cyl, it has some cool features such as XM radio, and is fun to drive. The only thing I dont like is the color, which is orange, my own fault.

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  Up against Honda - 2008 Chevrolet Cobalt
  By Rolin - June 1 - 7:27 pm

  A tall order to stack up against my 75 Civic, but Detroit has finally come abreast of Honda--not to win, of course, but at least place or show. At $9999 this basic model had just what I wanted, including a tight 5-speed manual trannie, almost as buttery smooth as Honda. (Power windows are over-rated anyway.) The caster is a bit too strong, the steering ratio is a bit too sharp, and the steering wheel is a bit too small, so it wont drive itself like a Civic. If youre making a sharp right, be advised to keep a firm grip on the wheel, cause it will snap back in the direction its pointing in a hot lick. But Hey, its from Detroit! I started with a 49 Chevy, and Im back home.

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  Whats not to like - 1997 Chevrolet Astro
  By rjerryc - June 1 - 2:17 pm

  Of course, there are those who think every vehicle should be custom built to do everything they personally want. They want 50 mpg and capacity to haul the biggest load imaginable. Very good van - built on a truck chassis and the engine has plenty of power to tow a good sized trailer (5,500 lbs). Lots of driver and passenger comforts-armrests, etc. Easy to drive even when towing a big load. Its not a Ford F-350 so dont expect that! Great van, bigger than a mini-van and a lot better.

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  Excellent Vehicle!! - 1998 Chevrolet Venture
  By Lori - June 1 - 7:05 am

  Absolutely Excellent vehicle! Bought it with about 50,000 miles on and it now has 198,000 and drives just well as it did when I first bought it. I have beat the crud out of this van with three kids in hockey and multiple other activities. My job requires heavy loads to be transported here and there. Kids, now teenagers, have given it a beating, and it just keeps on going and going! Basic maintenance, other than the window motors going out on a couple of occasions. It runs out so smooth, cant even hear or feel when its on. Were pushing for another 100k??!!!