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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  Almost a year and 17000 miles - 2007 Chevrolet HHR
  By Happy HHR owner - August 20 - 2:50 pm

  Car has proven to be very reliable. I have total confidence in the ecotec motor and GM transmission. Car is well built and everything fits, no rattles. You cannot hear or feel the motor inside the car. Car is quiet at speed and at idle. Handling is pretty good. I love the cargo utility & the fold down seats, I use it quite often. Very little maintenance is required. I had a few small problems with brake drums and vibration when I first got vehicle. Dealer fixed it all promptly and professionally. This is the first ever GM product I purchased new! I have no regrets, satisfied with my choice and recommend the HHR highly if you are looking for a small, efficient, family utility vehicle

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  Great starter car - 1995 Chevrolet Lumina
  By ktcraig - August 20 - 2:22 pm

  I am 22 yrs old, bought this car in 2005 with 125,000k on it. The only problems I had was that the rear struts needed to be replaced, and it has quite a bad oil leak. Other than that, I only paid $1,200 for it and its a great car. Keep it washed and waxed for it will definitely rust. It now has 170,000k and still going strong. Will keep it until it dies.

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  Too Many Problems, Too Soon - 2002 Chevrolet Impala
  By BigEl - August 20 - 9:00 am

  Lets see. I bought this car at 35K, 2 years later I have 66K. I have had to change the cat converter, the entire rear brake system and now at only 66K, I am being told that I have to have my transmission rebuilt. Its making this big noise as if Im driving a truck. And to top it off, the amp or the radio went so I have no music. also, my power window switch needs replacing. Shouldnt have these problems with a car that is 6 years old with me being the 3rd driver of this vehicle since manufactured and the 2nd guy only had it for a year. No more American cars for me. Too busy skimping on quality parts to make us spend more money instead of making a long-lasting, reliable vehicle.

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  03 Trailblazer - 2003 Chevrolet TrailBlazer
  By R. Spreter - August 20 - 2:00 am

  This SUV is very quiet and smooth, feels more like a luxury vehicle. I chose it over a Ford Explorer because the smooth ride was superior to the hard ride of the Explorer. The engine is very smooth and powerful. It is performing flawlessly so far.

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  Chevy Equinox - 2006 Chevrolet Equinox
  By Joe - August 19 - 5:33 pm

  Stylish mid size with plenty of rear leg room. it has a smooth ride and handles well in the snow. No complaints yet. i have had it since March 05

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  Chevrolet Steered Me Wrong - 2007 Chevrolet Malibu
  By Just Some Dude - August 19 - 10:08 am

  Id rented a 2007 Malibu when my last car was being repaired, and I was so surprised that a GM product was so nice! So when it came time to buy a new car, this was my first choice. First the pluses: Mileage is well over 30 on hilly terrain. Downers: Ive had to have the steering column replaced once and serviced a second time, and disturbing noises (under-the-hood rattle, dashboard rattle) developed rather soon after my purchase. The thing that really makes the car seem cheap is that writing keeps rubbing off seldom-used controls, particularly on the stereo. This will make the second radio replaced for that reason. Great ride, except that I worry about durability.

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  Just a little unhappy - 2006 Chevrolet HHR
  By K.Campbell - August 18 - 1:10 pm

  I agree with other buyers that the car looks great but it does need better fabric seats! My car has expeienced cant getting the key out the ignition! I not to happy about that because I havnt had the car that long. Overall, I would still stay with Chevy. Going to get a 2009 HHR! I think that one will be much better.

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  The Maytag of cars - 2002 Chevrolet Prizm
  By morin2 - August 16 - 2:55 pm

  Bought this car slightly less than 3 years old with 25K miles on odom, a local car traded at a new car dealer. Now have 83K miles on it. The car is my commuter & driven 107 miles/day. Utterly reliable appliance but somewhat bland and boring. Have only done routine maintenance - replaced the awful original Firestones with Bridgestone Insigna and done the easy oil changes, coolant flushes & trans flush. Use Toyota filters & red coolant. This car will be soon passed down to my daughter & will be her first car - good for a new driver, slow, safe, and all controls very easy. I get about 31-36 mpg.

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  Peppy and fun to drive - 2000 Chevrolet Tracker
  By piasa - August 15 - 12:13 pm

  Ive owned my Tracker since Dec of 99. I bought it while I was in the Navy for a fuel friendly and peppy car for the San Diego area. The engine is a little under powered, but with k&n filters, cherry bomb muffler, and megaphone style exhaust tip, mine seems to have picked up a little bounce in its step if you know what I mean. I owned it less than six months before I put it on a trail in San Diego. The Uniroyal tires that were stock on it did a good job holding onto the rocks, and its footing only wavered when a large rose quartz stone under the left front shattered and I slid about ten feet. But Id say these are vastly underestimated litte 4x4s.

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  06 Equinox (certified/used) - 2006 Chevrolet Equinox
  By Jake - August 15 - 9:34 am

  Bought this car for my new job as a sales rep. I travel a lot and have to load the car to capacity with heavy/bulky job supplies. This car has been great for me, handles fine in all weather conditions, looks good, and has just enough pep. I had a Honda Prelude before this and I thought gas mileage and pep would be a concern but its been satisfactory considering that I load a lot of cargo in it. I think its a great buy and would prefer it over the Vue. I disagree with many of the other negative posts on this SUV, maybe they expected more but I expected less. I do find it uncomfortable after long trips, but I drive a lot and any car would be the same, IMO.