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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  Bang for your buck - 2003 Chevrolet Malibu
  By sailordave - November 10 - 10:19 pm

  If buying used, youll get your moneys worth. Bought it one year old with about 30,000 miles. Smooth steady acceleration, smooth shifting transmission with no neck snapping jerk of the shift, good interior layout of controls, and a nice highway cruiser.

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  Miss my baby - 1994 Chevrolet Cavalier
  By sailordave - November 10 - 10:12 pm

  Fit me like a glove the first day I bought it. Was impressed with the acceleration. Was getting near 100,000 miles when a truck ran a yield sign and hit me. Front truck tire was on my hood. Amazingly enough, the engine and transmission still worked. Too bad it was declared totalled. Was paid off for less than a year when it was totalled.

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  93 Chevy Lumina Euro 2dr Coupe - 1993 Chevrolet Lumina
  By chris-wayne - November 8 - 8:32 pm

  I bought the car used of course in 2001. When I first got it the car made weird noises going over small bumps, and the dealership said they didnt know what it was. Turned out to be the rear shock strut. I repaired it myself, it was pretty easy. After owning the car about 3 years the ignition coils went bad. You can buy a upgraded coil pack now at your local auto parts store. Ive done all the work to my car, its pretty easy to work on, but the spark plugs are always a pain in the but to change. Other than that its been a great car, never any oil leaks or anything major wrong with it..

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  Good little truck - 2006 Chevrolet Colorado
  By Jack - November 8 - 8:17 am

  I bought a 2 wheel drive work truck, couldnt afford the 4 wheel or the fancy models, but i have been pleased with the performance. It handles the logging roads in Maine without a care. It has crossed small streams and handled rutted muddy roads without issue. I live on a mountain and with studded snow tires I have made it home in the worst nor easters like it was a july day. The gas mileage is good. I average 23 day to day here in the foot hills of the Berkshires and get 25 plus on trips. The regular cab is wide enough and the seats are comfortable on long trips with plenty of leg room. Its not a rocket ship but it moves out well when you step on it.

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  Worth the money - 2001 Chevrolet Malibu
  By gm guy - November 7 - 11:25 am

  GM program car bought 1/2003 at 24,000 miles, now has 85,000. Original Firestone tires wore out at 33,000, replacement BFG tires still have 5/32 tread. Intake gasket coolant leak repaired at 51,000 on extended warranty. Brake pads replaced and rotors turned at 78,000. MPG records show 25+ mixed driving, up to 31 MPG hiway. Starts good, runs good, drives good, rides good, with lots of power when needed. Recent electrical problems were battery cable corrosion hidden by rubber cover at positive battery terminal. Normal maintenance includes synthetic oil at 5,000 miles. Great car.

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  Monte Carlo SS - 2002 Chevrolet Monte Carlo
  By troobie - November 7 - 10:00 am

  none

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  My Chevy Maxx: - 2005 Chevrolet Malibu Maxx
  By Lane N. benda - November 6 - 12:53 am

  What a neat car. Purchased as 2nd car but has become our main car. Rides as good as my 2001 Buck LaSabre. Very quiet, smooth ride. Had to have rear right wheel replaced due to RPM chip being bad. Love the red color, sun roof and rear roof skylights. Took this car to Outerbanks of NC, great gas mileage. On board computer showed 33 MPG on this trip from PA to NC. Real math showed 30 MPG, still good for a hi speed heavy load trip. Sun roof has a rattle when opened. All in all a great car for the price. Steering a bit hard at times. My wife loves it. Lot of rear leg room.

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  Great car - 2000 Chevrolet Camaro
  By jrmbubba - November 5 - 10:30 pm

  I have a white Z28 with t-tops and it is a very fun car. Mine is used for daily driving mostly. 300+ hp is very hard to resist as far as playin with it while driving in it. With my exhaust and headers I tend to be bothered by the police for noise pollution but no tickets though

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  Safety Problem - rear head restraints in crew cab - 2014 Chevrolet Silverado 1500
  By jef14silverado - November 5 - 9:18 pm

  This is a very nice truck with a significant safety issue if you need adults to ride in the back seat. The head restraints do not move up high enough to protect someone over about 53" during a rear end impact. My 2005 Sierra crew cab had restraints that moved up considerably higher. I registered a complaint with safercar.gov and emailed a complaint to Chevy Customer Service. I have also written a letter to Chevy explaining my complaint. I did receive a response to my email saying thanks for the feedback and it will be taken into consideration in future designs. This is unacceptable. I and others have the unsafe current model. If I would have realized this, I would have bought the Ram.

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  The ultimate Cruising Machine - 2007 Chevrolet Suburban
  By aklug - November 4 - 9:15 pm

  I tried to convince her to get a minivan but she insisted on this tank instead. I am glad she did. This vehicle is the ultimate for hauling a big family with lots of gear. It is more comfortable to drive and be a passenger in than any vehicle I could think of. To ride in one of the rear buckets is a pleasure, I only wish I could experience more often. It also gets reasonable fuel mileage on the highway for such a monster. (better than 20 mpg).