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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  3rd Malibu, Dissapointed - 2009 Chevrolet Malibu
  By randy394 - September 11 - 11:22 am

  IÂ’ve been such a fan of Malibus that this was my 3rd one (also owned Â’04 and Â’06 Malibu LTs), but sadly, IÂ’m not very satisfied this time around. At first, I was in love with this car. However, after 9 months, that satisfaction has turned to disappointment.

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  GM Hit a Home Run Here - 2004 Chevrolet Avalanche
  By browrck - September 10 - 3:47 pm

  I kove this combination of the midgate, was looking at the Ford X150. After, my Account told me to look at the Avalanche, I know why he my Account he does his homework and look at the number. Dont thing the Ford X150 is a nice pickup. The midgate on the Alavanche is the deal maker. It my daily driver how. Had a Big Range Rover, great ride but was a big family wagon, not a useful 3th vehicle for my family. Also, have a Mecerdes sl for nice sunny day and weekend drives. Range Rover was a nice vehicle with a great ride. However, the Alvanche is so many types of vehicle in one package. Brought may 2 year old 73,000 miles on it. Getting ready to buy another one a 2007 or 2008 like the new body

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  A Very Good Purchase - 2009 Chevrolet Equinox
  By bboyes - September 10 - 2:52 pm

  Bought this vehicle after considerable research. My decision came down to the Audi Q5 3.2 or Eq Sport. I like/ own Audis, although now overpriced. Very similar power, comparable handling, interior room, and amenities. Obviously, big difference in cachet, resale value and sticker price. Athough there are many choices in this vehicle class, these two stood out for handling and performance, without going to a Porsche or BWM (way overpriced/valued). After driving for 27 months/36000 miles, this was a great choice. Other than minor issues with bluetooth, this has been a solid vehicle, with NO problems, interior holding up well, despite heavy use/athletic gear hauling. Fuel use more than expecte

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  supersport2 - 2012 Chevrolet Cruze
  By supersport2 - September 9 - 12:17 am

  Bought this on 8-28-11 Took a day trip for a wedding 254 miles round trip. Got 43 mpg. have been averaging 36 plus and it is getting better. Last week I got 40.1 mpg. Did more in town driving this week, looking forward to see what it ends up. Car is fun to drive handles great. Only thing it is an ECO with an automatic. My car computer did say that I had used 11.8 gallons and that my mpg. was 43.5. It took 13.8 gallons to fill up and my gas guage was a little above empty, and when I figured my mileage it figured only 36.6 mpg. Computer is way off. Have not been back to the dealer yet. I hope they can re-calibrate it.

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  Great Car - 2006 Chevrolet Impala
  By oildawg - September 8 - 12:12 pm

  Im suprised at all the negative reviews, then again as a former service manager, no Im not. I bought my Impala brand new & have put over 140k on it with little or no trouble. 1 water pump @ 42k...with dealer assistance, 1 window regulator, and a battery. Ride, drive, and performance is still great. I am a maintenance freak and take great car of my cars, my plan is to give to my son for college and it will have about 180k then. I see no resson why this car wont go 2-300k.

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  infrequent stalling - 2005 Chevrolet TrailBlazer
  By mungie - September 7 - 5:21 pm

  i have a 05 trailblazer with 98,000 miles on it. havent owned it that long but has been stalling when im reversing and moving slowly in traffic. it starts back up fine then it is ok. it can go a while before it does it again. but it is concerning none the less. brought it to the shop a couple of times with no solution. if anyone has had this problem please let me know if you have an answer.

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  ECO M/T STAY AWAY! ---- Bad GM cust. service! - 2011 Chevrolet Cruze
  By cruzect11 - September 6 - 9:47 pm

  I got my 2011 cruze eco just over 2 months ago after having a cruze lt auto as a rental which was great! But now with my eco since day one if you have the ac on and you put it in first gear and give it some gas the car shuts off yes totally dies! Been almost hit tons of times pulling out places and sitting in traffic. The car sat at the dealer for over a month after they so called cant find anything wrong with it i get it back and it dies that day. Long story short this isnt the only cruze eco with the problem and chevy will not stand behind their product! The car is nice and rides good but thats when it runs. Stay far away from the eco! Anyone looking at any GM product cust service is BAD!

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  Burning Oil - 2008 Chevrolet Avalanche
  By bigwavedave1 - September 6 - 10:45 am

  I gave a good review on this vehicle after 5,000 miles we only had a few minor issues. No we have 44,000 miles on this vehicle and here are the issues we have had. First and most important at 40,000 we were driving 50 miles away from home when I started to hear a knock. The vehicle was out of oil GM neglected to tell owners that they have had a proble since 07 with some 5.3L burning oil. The worst is it burns it so clean you can not see it. (Bulletin No. 10-06-01-008B) The dealer charges me for an oil change and tells me to drive it and watch the oil level. Now we have to drive it and pray it does not blow up. Also all the door handles and locks have broke. Trading for a F150 Ecoboost

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  2012 Chevy Cruze LTZ - 2012 Chevrolet Cruze
  By pjluke1 - September 5 - 12:45 pm

  What a difference two years can make --great ride , fuel mileage and an unusually great interior quality and ride for a car this size,,,,its about time!!!.this vehicle in its ride and comfort surpasses the Toyotas of my past....do not hesitate!!!! and it is mostly made in North America, how about that!!! PETE IN FLORIDA

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  MPG Not That Great and Transmission Failure - 2011 Chevrolet Equinox
  By carproblems7 - September 4 - 10:23 pm

  Purchased my 2011 Equinox in July. Less than 1100 miles and it broke down, long story short, they replaced the transmission. GM and especially my local dealer were good to deal with. I love/hate this car. The very early mechanical problems, make me nervous about the reliability. The car is really comfortable, handles nice, and works for my purposes. Gas mileage has been disappointing. Ive not done a full tank road trip, but Ive consistently gotten 25mpg. Im hoping for better. Im really aware of my driving, and try to be as conservative as possible. I dont drive over 70 MPG on the highway. If Id driven my Vibe as conservatively, Id have gotten 35 mpg. Wish Id kept my Vibe!