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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  Great Car - 2010 Chevrolet Aveo
  By ecotec16 - September 23 - 9:21 am

  I cannot be happier with this car! I have the 1LT with Black Metallic paint, XM Radio, rear spoiler, driver convenience package, driver information center, anti-lock brakes, air conditioning, and automatic transmission. The car is extremely quiet both inside and out. All the doors shut with a luxury sound (unlike the tin can sound on other economy cars). Fuel mileage is great - - I average 36-40 MPG @ 68 MPH on the highway depending on wind direction/terrain. In the city the average is more like 29 MPG. Visability out of all windows is great. For me their is no blind spots. With OnStar and a supurb warranty (100K powertrain) you cannot go wrong!

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  Love the car, but have had better - 2001 Chevrolet Malibu
  By johntesh71 - September 22 - 10:58 am

  Bought this car in early 2011 for 1000 bucks with 148,000 miles on it.....once I dropped a couple hundred into it was like a gift from the heavens. Car drives very well, excellent gas mileage about 23 combined, very dependable, torquey V6 engine. Has a very boring interior design and the exterior started losing paint and rusting very badly after only 2 months of driving. The engine then melted through both intake manifold gaskets and sprang a very bad leak, The alternator blew and the fuel line began leaking. Luckily a few days in my garage and alot of tears and sweat she ran like a dream again. Recommend as a great first car or just as a daily driver.

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  Very Basic Vehicle - 2011 Chevrolet Aveo
  By robert145 - September 22 - 10:14 am

  It will get you from here to there. The feature I hate the most is if you use the key fob to lock the car, you have to hear the horn so I lock it with the key only. I really hate hearing all these car horns honking from a parking lot full of people who have to press the button 3, 4 or 5 times out of obsession. Talk about noise pollution. Why did all these car manufacturers have to add the car horn to the lock. Cant you come up with something quieter?

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  Great Large SUV. Comfort, Smooth, ROOM ROOM ROOM! - 2008 Chevrolet Suburban
  By the_q - September 22 - 9:02 am

  Have had an interesting last 4 years or so with SUVs. Had a Mercedes ML, hated it, not functional. Trade-in for a Jeep GC, but then with the baby, dogs and hauling guests and cargo to the boat, it became way too small. Was hesitant about Chevy but needed a big SUV that could seat 6 adults + cargo. Navigator was garbage. Sequoia too small, ford looked terrible in the rear. Was looking at Yukons but found a great deal on this Suburban. Love it. Wife Loves it. It drives really smooth. Thought the 5.3L would be too small (had the HEMI in the GC) but it is enough, plus the HP can be improved with simple mods.

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  09 Impala LT - 2009 Chevrolet Impala
  By lukin4mikey - September 22 - 4:33 am

  I purchased my 2009 Impala LT 3.5L V6 Flex Fuel when i had to give up my 2007 Tahoe LTZ, I have no regrets! At first I didnt want to like the impala but after owning it for a little over 2 years, I absolutely love it! its been reliable, I dont maintain it just change the oil every 5,000-7,000 miles, currently has 88,XXX miles, It has been a great car, Only ha 1 problem with it, Just a faulty tire pressure sensor that they replaced for about $100. I would defiantly recommend this vehicle. 5 stars in my book!

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  NOT A GOOD PURCHASE =( - 2011 Chevrolet Equinox
  By alesy - September 21 - 1:03 am

  We purchased this car on Dec 2010 V6 engine, first 2 months the car spent over a week in the dealer after many times of trying due to an oil leak that they could NOT find. It was squeaky on bumps etc. A total desapoinment. Tried to work a deal with GMC with out luck. Tried to sell it privetly, no luck. We traded it in for a Japanise car. I wonder if there will be something that we can get from GMC like an insentive for all the trouble? If someone is interested in doing something about it as a group count me in.

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  An absolute Juggernaut - 1997 Chevrolet Suburban
  By james_nicklin - September 20 - 3:33 pm

  Purchased used for $5k @ 150,000 miles. 20,000 miles later I still think it is the Best truck I have ever owned. I have carried two families of 8 (4 car seats and 4 adults). I have hauled 1,500 lbs of equipment with space to spare. I pulled a friends crew cab truck out of 3 1/2 feet of running water (interior and bed flooded) uphill on gravel at idle. It has protected my family through two car accidents in which the other vehicles were totaled and the Suburban withstood cosmetic/no damage. Fantastic comfort for long drives, 3 leather rows. Moving from Tacoma Wa to Phoenix AZ took two tank-fulls for a 1,600 mile drive. Over my 20k miles I have averaged 16.3 mpg and maxed at 19.3

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  Good value - 2010 Chevrolet Impala
  By joew80 - September 20 - 1:31 pm

  I bought this car August of 2010. It was between the Malibu and Impala. I was able to get the Impala cheaper than the Malibu. So I got more for my money. As of today I have 21,000 miles on it. This car has been great except of the steering was squeeking and the rear struts where squeeking after owning it for three months. But I took it in and the greased the steering nuckle and replaced the rear struts. No other problems since. That could have been the problem. I recently noticed that my front rotors needs to be turned, but the way we drive in detroit, it happens to all the cars I own lol. I get 29mpg, and thats great for the way I drive.

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  2003 Chevy Venture Review - 2003 Chevrolet Venture
  By md2011 - September 20 - 11:41 am

  We bought this car used in Dec 05. Had 30K on it. it has been a very dependable vehicle for the past 6 years. Impressed with the mpg even when the van is loaded and have the ext version (gotten 28mpg traveling from NYC to North Carolina). Maintenance has been: oil changes every 4 months, cabin air filter, air intake filter replaced at 45K, transmission fluid and filter changed at 45K. Things that have broke are, glovebox handle, headlights are fogged, rear seatbelt stuck. The only issues I have with the vehicle are, poor headlight illumination, mushy brakes (no matter what weve done to improve them), and taillight keeps burning out. Overall a great vehicle!!

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  Cruze Eco is a Great Buy for College Grad - 2012 Chevrolet Cruze
  By lucky_emma - September 19 - 8:22 am

  I bought my Chevy Cruze Ego after graduating college. I did my research and when between the Hyundai Elantra and the Cruze, I think I made the right choice. The size of the car is perfect, I got the MPG I wanted (averaging 36.8 right now), all without sacrificing my jackrabbit starts off the line. I have always driven a manual transmission and didnt want to sacrifice that - so I didnt. Its not flawless, but not bad and works great with turbo. For the price I paid, I couldnt ask for more. Also, it should be said that the status updates (tire pressure, remaining oil life) make managing the vehicle a breeze. No excuse for not meeting your cars needs.