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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  Expectations fall very short - 2008 Chevrolet Malibu
  By pkfloyd66 - May 21 - 12:00 pm

  When I bought this car in 2008 I was very impressed with its styling and interior. However over time it really got frustrating. Poorly built and poor design. Power locks driver side and rear dont work. The fact you have to take the entire front end off to change out the headlights is another way for the dealer to make money. The passenger side make up mirror cover fell of within a year of having the car. Sensors continue to go off for tire pressure in the heat. Very disappointed overall. Both remotes stopped working by end of year one, which according to the dealer is a known issue.

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  Antifreeze smell and taste - 2011 Chevrolet Cruze
  By shadowhawk1 - May 16 - 1:02 pm

  I loved the test drive! After 14k miles I still love the way it handles. Shifting is so, so. but passable. MAIN Problem - Car reaches full operating temp, if you I use defrost setting Antifreeze smell gets pumped in through the vents. I have to drive with the windows down. I get sick to my stomach and Dizzy & after 1 hour commute I can taste antifreeze in my mouth.. The dealer has seen the car 4 times and had it out of service for 35 days. GM is aware of the issue...says there is no fix. fyi- ingesting antifreeze causes Kidney failure, birthdefects, blindness and centreal nerveous system damage. car is not safe to drive right now.

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  blinding reflections - 2010 Chevrolet Equinox
  By suvgirll - May 11 - 3:26 pm

  I dont know if Im just sensitive to light, but when the sunlight hits the interior silvery trim on everthing I cant see. I literally have to hold my right hand up to cover parts of the car to keep the reflection from blinding me. While Im driving it is becoming quite annoying. Ive had the car for 3 months now and dont know what to do about it. Any suggestions out there?

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  Known transmission issues! - 2012 Chevrolet Cruze
  By skavfive - May 8 - 8:45 pm

  Car rides well and looks nice, but the transmission has known issues--slow and delayed shifts, and in manual mode downshifts into first are very harsh at times. These issues were confirmed and documented by the dealership: “transmission downshifts hard in manual mode….confirmed that three like vehicle do the same harsh downshifting. Call GM TAN, case #…., GM is aware for the condition and trying to correct…called GM TAN …GM is working on a change to correct this condition.” Chevy was aware of the problem redid the software package on the LT model for 2012, but no change was implemented in time for the 2012 LS Cruze. No other automatic I have ever driven has performed as poorly.

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  Bad gas Mileage-Transmission Jumps! - 2012 Chevrolet Equinox
  By ongarvey - May 3 - 12:10 pm

  I am leasing this vehichle and it states gas mileage that isnt correct for all states. Apparently in an E-85 gas the fuel ecomonmy is terrible so thinking It was a smart buy because my car was only getting 16mpg ...Now this only gets about 17mpg combined city and highway not even close to 26 combined. On top of that something is going on with it, it jumps into gear sometimes and when using cruise its not a smooth transition when using the button to accel

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  Dont buy for the gas mileage - 2012 Chevrolet Cruze
  By chick_poo - May 1 - 4:08 pm

  The car is easy to drive and that is where it stops. The gas mileage is not what the advertised sticker states regardless. I drive all highway, posted speed limit, dont use the cruise, and I get an average of 28 mpg. I have tracked the miles - both trip and odometer, date of fill up, cost, and location and I have never gotten near where GM posted the gas mileage to achieve. I have contacted the dealer and GM and was told that the sticker numbers are only an estimate. Combined I was told I should get 30 and I am getting close with 28. I am barely getting city (26) and I never drive in the city - I dont even live near a city. I am 300 miles a week all highway driving. Dont buy!!

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  08 LTZ - 2008 Chevrolet Avalanche
  By horstman83 - May 1 - 12:29 pm

  So I bought a used 2008 Avalanche LTZ January 12th 2012 thought it was my dream truck. Suddenly its now a nightmare. Just over 80,000 miles and here is a list of problems. (1)Service Suspension light came on, (2)service parking assist light came on, (3)rear spoiler fell off, (4)back up camera quit working, (5) door handle broke, (6)brakes locked up in the middle of the busiest interstate in MI, noted my wife and kids were coming back from Iowa without me which left them stranded 45 mins from my house. Oh and it has brand new brakes and rotors on it. (7) Dash Rattles All in all I wish I didnt owe so much on it. Id deffinately go back to a Dodge.

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  Radiator Smell and dealership wont fix it - 2012 Chevrolet Cruze
  By smwavon - April 29 - 8:14 pm

  We have had our brand new 2012 Chevy Cruze LT RS back to the dealership at least 3 times and we only have 33,000 miles. 3 times were for the Transmission, first time "It needed an update", second time "valve body in the transmission needed to be replaced", third time was "another update needed for the "NEW" car. Also the third time we had it in there: We had an overpowering antifreeze smell that made driving the car very unbearable. After driving the car for a while it also seems sluggish and seems to lose power. This is our only form of transportation. We are a family of 4 and rely on this car on an everyday basis.

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  A year of Driving the Cavalier... - 2004 Chevrolet Cavalier
  By ch0c0latel0vin - April 27 - 2:48 am

  This practically being my first car, I cant really compare it to much. So for a first car, this is a solid pick. The only problems I honestly have with it, are the lack of power windows and locks, though that isnt a major problem, and the way it is made. The interior is so cheap, and the vent cable mechanism is rather faulty and pops out(mine just broke) unfortunately, the dash needs to be completely taken off to get to anything, and dealerships will charge you a lot for this(even though it really doesnt take all that long to get off) Other then that, this car has been reliable and the gas mileage is top notch. Putting a new set of tires on this thing definitely makes it so much better.

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  Not impressed - 2010 Chevrolet Equinox
  By rdavis090607 - April 26 - 6:01 pm

  I purchased my 2010 Equinox in October of 2009, and I loved it at first. Around 20,000 miles the vehicle started to sound like it had a diesel motor. It was so loud that everywhere I went people would ask me what was wrong with my vehicle. I had it in several times for servicing, and they just blamed it on something to do with fuel efficiency. Well I am sitting now on one month without my vehicle, and they dont know how much longer it will be. The problem is the timing chain came off and knocked a hole in the cover. The timing chain is on emergency back order, so that tells me that this is a major issue with the Equinox. Mine is a 4 cylinder, so I dont know about the V6. Be aware!