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 for the Price After 2 years - 2006 Chevrolet Malibu
  By lizzard - May 19 - 2:11 pm

  This car is a nice size and the interior looks better than my Geo. I really like the faux wood look. I like the boxy look better than the previous Malibus. The MPG (about 26/32) has served me well in the last several months. I mostly drive to and from work and church and have only gone on 3 or 4 long trips. I have the bare bones version, so no OnStar or sunroof or ABS, but the car still runs very well. There is a rattle in the dash and my friend told me she heard a rattle in the back on top after she sat back there. The sun visor on the driver side does not go up properly. I havent asked about getting anything fixed though. I miss manual trans sometimes, but overall this car makes me happy

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  Feeling mixed about the Maxx - 2007 Chevrolet Malibu Maxx
  By HeatherBrooks - May 19 - 12:10 pm

  I fell for this car when I found it in the used section of the dealership over a year ago. The XM radio, the wood trim (although its fake), the zippy way it drives, the dvd player, the two sun roofs... all so neat! But the Maxx has been plagued with problems - mainly electrical. And I have been driving for 10 years with no problems with blowing out the tires, but I have gone through 4 different tires on this car apparently due to my driving (I was driving trucks before). Im not sure that I would buy this car again. I think I would go for a Honda or Toyota (sorry Detorit).

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  Very nice surprise - 2008 Chevrolet Cobalt
  By marc - May 18 - 5:54 pm

  Ive bought the Cobalt LT for its good equipment package for the price especially the cruise control and a/c. I think the Cobalt is one of the best keept secrets from GM. The fuel efficiency is better than what GM says. I can do an average of over 650 km with 42-43 litters of fuel 70% highway 30% city (400 miles for 11 us gallons) The ride quality is excellent, very silent inside the car. The room for head is a lot better than my Honda Civic. The 2.2 motor had a lot of power for a subcompact car and a lot more torque than its competitiors. If I had to buy a new car I will re-buy the Cobalt LT for the price vs quality and the warranty 5y/160 000 km

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  Nice SUV - 2001 Chevrolet Suburban
  By Nice SUV - May 18 - 12:11 pm

  Bought the Z71 from Texas Direct Auto on eBay sight unseen in 2004 to replace a conversion van. I must say that I have been pleasantly surprised by this truck. Approaching 110,000 miles and the only problem has been a cracked connector on the gas tank (had to replace entire tank). Powerful, quick, and very comfortable on long trips. Towed a 21 boat with no problem (hard to tell the boat was even there). Gas mileage is not too bad for a full sized SUV. Only complaints are the amount of leg room for the front passenger (my Expedition has alot more)and small plastic parts in the interiors keep falling off. All in all, I would definitely buy this SUV again

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  Whats not to like - 1998 Chevrolet Metro
  By boaw - May 17 - 9:42 pm

  Never breaks down. More comfortable on long trips than my Subaru Outback. Amazing MPG. Great snow car with proper tires. Fun to drive. You can speed without fear of getting a ticket as cops dont believe their radar. Cost $8,000 new

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  Bills Imp. - 2003 Chevrolet Impala
  By Billbob - May 17 - 10:00 am

  Owning my Impala for only One month its really to soon to give a accurate rating but so far I am very pleased with all thereis to report

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  Just a really nice Chevy truck! - 2003 Chevrolet Silverado 1500
  By JohnnyAndKim - May 17 - 10:00 am

  This is a really nice truck! It has a nice style, inside and out. The interior is not cheap like some reviews that I have read. The truck is very comfortable to drive. It took me alittle while to get used to the extra length especially when parking due to the extended cab but the payoff is all the extra room. The backseat also has more room than other trucks than I have seen. There is plenty of power with the 5.3 V8 and the ride is smooth. The fuel economy is better than I expected with a big truck with a V8.

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  Excellent value - 2005 Chevrolet Malibu
  By donsaxton - May 16 - 9:23 pm

  Very quiet, competent and responsive ride on this nicely equipped sedan. Transmission struggles at times to provide modest acceleration, very responsive when you need rapid acceleration. Attractive interior.

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  Pleasantly surprised - 2008 Chevrolet Cobalt
  By Ray - May 16 - 8:02 am

  The last GM car I had was a company issued 2002 Cavalier. So I was vehemently against another GM product when shopping for a new work vehicle. Until I drove the Cobalt. Now I know that I am not going to be scaring any WRX or EVO owners on the roads, but as far as getting from A to B with good mileage and a nice style, its hard to beat this Cobalt. Plenty of power for any city driver. A very full featured head unit(Aux input!). I was surprised at roll up windows and no power locks, but in the grand scheme of things, Ill take the better radio and forego those options.

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  A Great Truck Hamstrung by an awful tranny and Fuel management system - 2014 Chevrolet Silverado 1500
  By m1tanker - May 15 - 8:36 pm

  I traded my 07 Avalanche for the 14 Silverado thinking the new motor and 6 speed tranny would be a path to better fuel economy. Not so much. The tranny constantly hunts for the proper gear and the AFM system is so cludgy that the whole truck lurches when it goes in and out of V4 mode. Its been to the dealer for the recall to remap the idle which has lowered the already low city MPG from 17 to 16 (sorry performance for a standard cab). I tried installing a Diablo tuner to fix the AFM but theyre maps werent any better. They just turned off the V4 mode, which made the fuel economy even worse. Its a shame because other than the mapping and tranny I enjoy the features of the truck