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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  Good car - 2010 Chevrolet HHR
  By tdyson - October 10 - 2:00 am

  500+miles on the road on a tank of gas $17,000.00 out the door with Power Windows, locks, remote start, navigation system, am, FM, XM, cd, and onstar. Drives nice and a lot of car for the price I have a 2008 max pick up that refuse to pass a gas station. For the price and the cost to operate this the the best that it have been for me.

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  Should not have purchased - 2009 Chevrolet Malibu
  By Tayotis Caldwell - October 10 - 2:00 am

  I have always driven foreign cars and I decided to buy this car because of my presidents speech about helping America. I love my president, but do not like this car. The value has dropped more then half in less then 3 years. I have taken this car in because of the door, center console and windows. I do not like this car and will soon trade it in for a foreign car. This car is terrible stay away!

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  Good little truck - 2002 Chevrolet S-10
  By tom - October 9 - 2:00 am

  Bought the truck from the original owner, Found out the little motor is suppose to get 22 mpg, Im getting 14 right now with 63k on it. other then the annoying secondary air Injector tripping the check engine light constantly, the lack of power, lack of fuel economy, and being on the third. 3rd door handle (now an aluminum one from ebay) im very pleased with the truck. As soon as i find out whats up with the gas mileage

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  Good choice for the price - 2009 Chevrolet Equinox
  By Robot - October 9 - 2:00 am

  Have owned since new for 18 months mileage is good on highway general comfort is as good as any in price/vehicle type category. @ complaints: 1. Road noise on highway is higher than expected. 2. The lack of a dash mounted rear hatch release control is annoying. Its a very roomy and functional SUV in its class.

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  Done with chevy - 2007 Chevrolet Malibu
  By zuesman - October 9 - 2:00 am

  Ive always been a Chevy guy, but i think its time to switch. At only 60,000 miles the dreaded power steering clunk that all malibus are having showed up, the exhaust is leaking very bad , the rattle noise in the dash is driving me nuts, you cannot open the rear windows over 30 mph because the rear panel under the rear window starts to rattle, need i say more . GM says there are no recalls on these issues . Ok who decides to issues a recall? They need to take care of these problems . I dumping this joke , heading to the ford dealership soon. good luck chevy . give me a call next time you need a bailout . NOT

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  A Great First Car, Easy Manual - 2009 Chevrolet Cobalt
  By redschecter - October 9 - 2:00 am

  I got this car back in May as my first car. I had to learn how to drive stick, but this car was easy to learn on. This car is fun and comfortable to drive and, in my opinion, looks much nicer than any other vehicle in this price range. Im only 511" and I hit my head on the ceiling while sitting in the back but who cares, I wont ever have to sit back there, shes mine. The biggest issue Ive had so far was with the dashboard, after six weeks it started rattling loudly. My local dealer said the problem was with the original design of the dashboard, which causes it to warp, and they improvised a solution. Of course, the repair was free. A dash-mat will make the interior look much nicer.

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  Truck that keeps truckin - 1993 Chevrolet S-10
  By PrimeTap - October 8 - 2:00 am

  I bought this used and it had around 55,000 miles on it at the time. Now it has over 117,000 on it, is over 17 years old and is still serving me well. This Tahoe hard to find long bed (never seen another in person) 4x4 is a good bit larger than the standard S-10 and the powerful 4.3L V6 makes it a perfect balance for me of function, power and size. The power this has in 4 wheel drive is simply amazing. I have worked this vehicle hard and it has even pulled a large, very heavy tree from my driveway with ease. It has done everything ask of it without fail. It has been solid, rugged and dependable not to mention fun. It needed a heater core as most GMs at 75k but no problems otherwise.

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  The fixes - 2002 Chevrolet Prizm
  By Dr. Futility - October 8 - 2:00 am

  The car is best suited for a couple or parents with small kids. The front seats must be at their back position which leaves no leg room behind.

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  Please read! Do not buy - 2005 Chevrolet Equinox
  By Tony - October 8 - 2:00 am

  Chevy needs to pull all 2005 Equinoxes and fix them! The problem is the throttle actuator control module. When it goes out you vehicle wont go. All you can do is coast to a stop. My wife and daughter were almost killed because of this. If you own a 2005 Chevy equinox and this has gone wrong PLEASE call Chevy and file a complaint. If it hasnt gone out yet be careful! I researched this and there is over 500 people who have had it go out. I called Chevy and they said if they have enough complaints filed they will review and recall it. I told them about the other 500 people I read about and they said it was here say. So PLEASE PLEASE call and complain before someone dies.

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  Not like they used to be - 2009 Chevrolet Tahoe
  By lou - October 8 - 2:00 am

  This is my 2nd Tahoe. The 2009 has been taken back to the dealership 4 times in one year. 4 wheel drive failed 3 times and airbag system needed to be fixed. Cheaper materials than older models.