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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  1st SUV - 2005 Chevrolet Equinox
  By MrBigB - April 25 - 10:00 am

  I have never had an SUV before. I am tall 64 and wondered if I could find one I could sit in comfortably. I must say the Equinox is that SUV. I have a sunroof, leather heated seats, and XM radio, all for a price that was affordable. My 1st venture into the SUV world has been great. I havent driven a GM product in a while I am impressed. You should look at this SUV you will be impressed

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  What a Great Vehicle - 2008 Chevrolet Tahoe Hybrid
  By cecil - April 24 - 6:26 am

  I am truly enjoying my Tahoe. It rides nicely, and brakes very well. The technology is great, and the OnStar directions service is amazing. I just got a cable for my iphone, and it connects perfectly with the stereo system, and allows great connectivity to my phone. I also love the interior. The year end deal was fabulous with lots of incentives.

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  A good choice! - 2008 Chevrolet Impala
  By Shree K - April 22 - 10:06 pm

  I decided to opt for the Impala over the Ford Fusion and the Nissan Altima. The car has close to 10,000 miles on it and the experience thus far has been pleasant. The biggest surprise to me was the fuel economy numbers. I was averaging around 25mpg with my 2006 Nissan Altima 2.5S. The Impala averages that at similar driving speeds. However, recently, I decided to slow down to 65mph and my fuel economy jumped up to 28mpg! The interior is very comfortable and the seats are supportive. The CD player hiccuped and had to be replaced - now it works great! The ride is smooth and quiet. The engine can be a bit buzzy when the RPM crosses 2500. Overall, good choice!

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  z chev - 2003 Chevrolet Silverado 1500
  By tom - April 22 - 6:13 am

  This truck has 4 wheel drive and gets 18 mpg running around town. Much better than my 2000 Ford f150 two wheel drive which got 17 mpg. Have had no trouble and love the off road capabilitys. The Firestone tires are about to be replaced at 50000 miles, again much better then the Ford.

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  Corvette is #1 - 2003 Chevrolet Corvette
  By CamaroMan - April 22 - 2:00 am

  This 50th Anniversary model is the most comfortable and most fun Corvette to drive. It has the capabilities of a car more than twice its value.

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  Best sport car for the money - 2003 Chevrolet Corvette
  By lazaro31241 - April 22 - 2:00 am

  Very happy to own one !!!!

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  Buyer beware - 2003 Chevrolet TrailBlazer
  By wheelerspm - April 22 - 2:00 am

  This truck died with 800 miles on the odometer in the middle of my vacation. GM support and road service was pathetic and insulting. took them 4 days to fix the blown engine coil. On the drive home,the power seat switch stuck and forced my body into the steering wheel at 70mph. Last week during a trip to northern New York in a snow storm the 4wd switching system developed a mind of its own switching in and out of AWD,2WD,and 4WD, 3 times my rear end kicked out and almost put me in the ditch. There also was a burning wire smell filling the truck.( I AM GETTING 12 MPG IN MIXED CITY/COUNTRY DRIVING IN 2WD AND 16 MPG AT A STEADY STATE 65MPH (EPA IS 15/20)

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  Yuk - 2002 Chevrolet Silverado 1500
  By ScottLeavell - April 22 - 2:00 am

  All I can say is that anyone thinking about this "truck" should honestly reconsiter. The thing is unusually bumpy, doesnt handle good at all, is horrible on gas mileage--even on the highway, Speakers rattle at the instant of bass and the walls rattle also...its amazing that I kept this thing as long as I did.

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  Great new truck!! - 2003 Chevrolet Silverado 1500
  By TWAGNER - April 22 - 2:00 am

  Seams to be a Great truck,Has lots of power,the 5.3 V8 285hp engine puts the Fords to shame.I love the leather seat and center console.Bose system rocks!!

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  At first I loved it, until the problems started - 2014 Chevrolet Cruze
  By PamR - April 22 - 1:27 am

  I got this car brand new in January 2014 and I still have it now but am getting rid of it. It only has 24,000 miles on it and its January of 2018. I loved this car in the beginning it was zippy and fun to drive. First my car warned me about having a cracked axle. Took it to dealer and they fixed the recall. The batter was very weak and car had no power so I checked the battery and it was way too small for car. One day on a rainy day my window wouldnt roll up, but they fixed it. Then my car was burning gas at about 4 times the normal rate. I mean really fast then while driving my car completely stopped cars were coming at me and I was scared not knowing what was going on. It was weird it had gas, it didnt start, the battery was fine, seemed like nothing, had it towed home, then to Chevy the next day and they said "contaminated gas" well according to my fuel burning and I park in the garage it was not contaminated it was a faulty fuel pump. They replaced it but was going to charge me over 1000.00 since I was 2 weeks past my 3 year warranty. Made some calls and luckily they did it for free. One day I noticed I had a huge bubble on the side wall of my tire so I took the car in to get a new tire and he told me the 2 front tires look super old and had been sitting in the sun for a very long time. He showed me the whole side wall was cracked all the way around the outside of the tire and said he was surprised they lasted this long. So I replaced them the back two were good. Then I got a letter saying the steering might lock up while driving and I will lose control, thank God it didnt happen. All in all I loved this car but all these breakdowns make me feel very unsafe in it. Its too much hassle a new car should come new and working. I wont buy this again