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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  04 Colorado, A Fire waiting to happen. - 2004 Chevrolet Colorado
  By 04colorado - June 18 - 3:14 pm

  I own a 2004 Chevy Colorado they are poorly engineered and use substandard parts quality. The Electrical system is a joke and Ive replaced the electrical fan speed control relay and corresponding plug 3 times. Twice under factory warranty. Each time it’s close to starting a fire. 2 Year Second time @ 34,063 Miles Third time last weekend. $27 for the Resister, & $79 For the Power connection rip-off. The blower motor only lasted 2 Years, 30,897 miles. The engine thermostat never worked right form the factory. The CD player only lasted 20,000 miles. And won’t eject or play. If you plug in a trailer, with known good wiring, and blow fuses. the list goes on................

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  Dependable Betsy - 1991 Chevrolet Suburban
  By bestytheburb - June 11 - 1:11 am

  My 91 Suburban was purchased used with 85,000 miles on it. 17 years later 344,000 miles, mostly city miles with many California and Arizona vacations trips, Runs better than any new car. Engine is still great and smooth. Needed paint, Interior is like new when I replaced the dash and headliner. All repairs are just maintenance. Betsy will take me anywhere and safely. Someone did hit me 2015 and totaled the car by insurance standards. Lost all the water and oil, but I had to turn the engine off, it was still running fine. I had told everyone to bury me in it. I had plan to keep it until one of us passed away. Now looking for a new old suburban.

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  Please keep this Chevy secret & tell no one else!!! - 2015 Chevrolet SS
  By jonjgoldberg - June 10 - 9:49 pm

  ...& the only other reviewers car is white too - drives like a smaller sports car in the twistys & a larger luxury car over bumps - wont buy another car w/out magnetic ride & heads up display - this modern sleeper is a wonderful long trip highway car that devours fuel - the 392 Hemi cars are a tick quicker & a bit faster, yet the SS is way more nimble & refined - roomy well finished leather/suede interior w/fake buckle holes in the comfortable front seats & slow to respond touchscreen - fit & finish are good & the paint resists chips - I like that I havent seen another on the road - low production no bad boy understated sheet metal w/a bit much chrome - love the car, wonder about resale -

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  Almost super car! - 2005 Chevrolet Corvette
  By 12gabear - June 10 - 3:14 pm

  I bought a 2005 Z51 model last year with low miles and love it. Upgraded interior from the C5. Some people complain about the seats, but fits my fat love handles good!! LOL Ok these cars are made to rip around a track, with different traction controls to learn. Youll really never push the limits of the LS2 on the street. Its insane fast!!It frightens me sometimes still, and Ive owned lots of fast cars. The Handling is very smooth as a BMW but bumps are a little stiffer. What can you expect when Z51 has stiffer suspension for track. But its not bad at all. The Z51s lower 1rst to 3rd gears is very noticeable. When the car puts your head to the seat without even trying! Awesome car Period!

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  DEL JOHNKE CHEVY EQUINOX REVIEW - 2015 Chevrolet Equinox
  By deljohnke - June 5 - 9:42 am

  The performance is definitely adequate. It won’t sit you back in the seat like a 460 horse Corvette, but it will pass comfortably on the highway and is real spunky in town. Lets talk mileage. You wouldn’t believe me if I told you. I do have pictures of my message center of the average mileage

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  Best family vehicle - 2011 Chevrolet Suburban
  By surewood4u - June 4 - 4:05 pm

  Bought it used in may 2012 with 30,000 miles for $34,000 otd. Now has 98,000 from tons of road trips, running around town and heavy [8000#] towing. All that is needed is basic maintenance to make it last, which i do all myself with walmart brand synthetics. I did add a 30k transmission cooler and a engine oil cooler to help with the towing loads right after purchasing. Parts replaced: ac blower motor @95k rotor & pads @90k battery @60k I plan on keeping this suburban for a very long time.

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  Love Electric Powered, BUT BEWARE! - 2012 Chevrolet Volt
  By ns2935 - June 4 - 12:59 pm

  The Volt I purchased was a left over 2012 model I purchased Aug 2013 with 600 miles on it. The cars exterior and motor was a mess. It took the dealership some six days to clean the vehicle to new looking. I drove the car for additional 18 months prior to trading it in for a Cadillac SRX. I had taken the car to various dealers of GM, Mitsubishi, Subaru. The dealers all expressed concern on taking the Volt in on trade and that concerned me even more and finalized my reasoning for getting rid of the Volt. Just too much unknown on this vehicle for us consumers. Cadillac dealer who took the Volt in trade doubts they will resale on their lot and will send to auto auction to get rid of it.

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  15,000 mile review - 2014 Chevrolet Cruze
  By jaycro - June 2 - 6:59 am

  The Cruze diesel is amazing! Highway fuel mileage is over 50mpg if you drive at 70mph. Good acceleration,decent handling and ride qualities combined with nice leather interior are hard to beat in its class After 15.000 completely trouble free miles it has only been back to my dealer for free oil service and tire rotation

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  I really like it despite repairs. - 2007 Chevrolet Suburban
  By davecowdenjr - June 1 - 10:34 pm

  Bought my LTZ for a great price 4 years ago. Since then Ive had to replace two rear end assemblies (one under Mechanical Breakdown Plan) and other was about 1500.00 all in. I did do a lot of towing but under 2000lbs. Had the battery problem early on dealer fixed somehow. Also had a minor engine rebuild at 165K and have had an intermittent oil usage problem. Used to be 1 to 2 quarts every 7500 miles or so seems more frequent now so Im keeping track starting at 177K. Despite this I love the thing. Put a cold-air intake on at 53k boosted mileage to 15.5/20.5 at reasonable highway speeds. Super comfortable and rides like a 747. Friends always want to take it anywhere we go.

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  A decent mid-size sedan - 2014 Chevrolet Malibu
  By ark15 - May 27 - 7:27 pm

  I had leased this back in 2013, and I have the LT1 trim level. So far it is a solid ride, as I commute to the next city on a weekly basis. It rides smoothly and the transmission is very smooth. I wanted a sun roof, but it was going to cost extra so went with remote start instead and it was a good trade off for the Ohio winters and gets through the snow easily.It has a very sharp exterior design but I noted that the rear door trim is coming apart, and the paint scratches very easily.Interior wise, things are laid out nicely and I love OnStar and MyLink but the chrome interior is annoying.