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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  False EPA Statements - 2010 Chevrolet Equinox
  By rwelch - July 22 - 10:06 am

  My Equinox overall is a good auto, the EPA fuel mileage is very disappointing. I changed driving habits, & use pure gasoline with no ethanol, & still get around 21 MPG a far call from the 32 EPA & yes I have even drove it on a 1600 mile road trip. I think the 32 MPH is all HYPE or my auto may have a problem, If you own a equinox would you please let me know how your fuel mileage is doing? Thanks & sorry GM I think you overstated your EPA as a sale pitch to sale autos during the times of high fuel cost.

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  Love it! - 1996 Chevrolet Camaro
  By ScottH - July 22 - 9:22 am

  My son bought this car last year as his first "muscle car", and pretty much as a "collectors car" so to speak. When he bought it, it had 28,000+ on it, now it only has in the high 29,000. Not bad for a 22 year old. Of course, hes in the Navy and its now sitting in my garage. Everything is original including the tires! The EGR needs to be replaced, but thats it. The body paint is fantastic still, with two minor little, but deep scratches. I think he looks better driving it than his 50 year old dad, but i dont tell him that. Unfortunately, were going to have to sell it as he has a nice vehicle with him, and it doesnt make sense having this one just sit until he gets out someday

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  Just keeps running and running - 1999 Chevrolet Malibu
  By Danielle - July 21 - 5:26 pm

  This is my 9th year with my Malibu. Within the first few years of owning, I regretted every moment of purchasing this car. But 9 years later. Its the best vehicle I have ever owned. Front brakes, a gas sensor & an alternator have been the only problems that I have ever had. Yeah, I dont run the a/c during the summertime (too hard on the engine ~ sounds like the entire engine is going to fall out), and automatic car washes cause water to get in the tail lights (horrible engineering design). But, she starts without fail every day and for that, I love my Malibu. Anxious to get a 2009 though.

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  Pretty good first car - 1994 Chevrolet Corsica
  By matt94 - July 21 - 4:23 pm

  Well to be honest I only paid $700 for it. Thinking it has 117k miles on it it wont last long. Was I wrong 129,355 miles on it only one tune up and several oil changes and a year of driving it non stop to work and school and around with friends no problems. Great first car for teens.

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  Loving this can get OLD. - 2007 Chevrolet Suburban
  By Burban - July 21 - 3:53 pm

  My dad leased this suburban 3 years ago. I am a 19 year old and i can honestly say that i love this truck. It has great pep when u need it. 5.3 L is exceptionally worthy of praise. Exhaust sounds great and its quiet on the highway. Decent gas mileage 14 city 20 highway. I love the cylinder shut off feature, i like to c how long i can stay in V4 mode. Heads up display on the instrument panel is awesome. Captain seats are a little uncomfortable after an hours ride. second Row is comfortable and 3rd row could use better seats. Overall great ride, decent mileage, so-so seats, and great cargo space behind the 3rd row.

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  Gave me some good years. - 1999 Chevrolet Cavalier
  By Greg - July 21 - 3:05 pm

  But not sad to see it go. Just traded this car in for a new 2010 Mazda3. Honestly, I must have had a runt of the litter, because I have no idea how people are getting ~30 MPG out of this car. I was getting about 19 MPG (combined highway/city) pretty consistently out of it for the last 3-4 years, thats not great. The functional component themselves (engine, transmission, brakes, etc.) held up great over the long haul, but the interior comfort and cosmetics have broken down pretty bad over the life of the car. It was a good car, but it was time for it to go.

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  Comfortable, durable, safe and fun - 2003 Chevrolet Impala
  By jmr - July 21 - 1:49 pm

  Bought it new with huge discounts and rebates. after 7 years and 160,000 miles, and one major accident, it still runs and looks great. Good power, good on fuel. My wife fell asleep at the wheel at 70 mph, careened off guard rails and into ditch, woke up without a scratch and drove it 80 miles home! Had the common problems - passlock security preventing start randomly but seldom (Ive never fixed it), replaced catalytic converter (~$300), replaced front bearings myself (~$225). Very happy, still enjoy the car, will keep for 200K+ miles.

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  New Malibu - 2009 Chevrolet Malibu
  By Bowtie - July 21 - 1:31 pm

  Have had the car over a year now, rides & handles great. Other than some tiny paint chips (from driving) on the alum wheels the car looks brand new. I am over 6 ft and the headroom is tight for me. I was sorry to see Chevy stopped offering the V6 for 2010 & 2011

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  Sensor/gauge issues in general - 2006 Chevrolet TrailBlazer
  By Allie - July 21 - 8:43 am

  My TB has been great except for the fuel economy (13 mpg hwy) and sensor issues. "Service stabili-trak" warning comes on often but resets when the car is turned off so the dealer saw nothing wrong. They never fixed it and told me it was probably just a sensor issue. Around 45k miles, the gas level gauge stopped working which is a pain since it constantly beeps that Im out of gas. The "check engine" light comes on as a result and it failed emissions but the dealer wont fix it under emissions warranty. My cousin works for a parts dealer and says GM cars have TONS of sensor issues. Firestone told me the same thing. A new battery caused no electrical issues as others have had. AC is great

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  An old friend - 1999 Chevrolet Blazer
  By jgclark - July 21 - 1:26 am

  This is a testament to the fact that Chevy CAN put together a great vehicle. Ive owned my Blazer for over ten years and dropped nearly 200k on the engine, and other than a squeaky suspension from driving through flood waters more than once and replacing a couple of alternators and a water and fuel pump over a decade, my Chevy kept me safe, comfortable and free from car payments after I paid it off in 2004. It stayed good looking long after the model was replaced by the TrailBlazer, which says a lot about decent design. The engine was always strong and helped me out of traffic scrapes with its workhorse V6. I drove that truck to its limits, finally trading it in this year for a sedan.