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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  Unbelievably good for the price!! - 2000 Chevrolet Metro
  By victor555 - July 18 - 2:00 am

  Im truly impressed!! I bought it about 11/2 years back with 36K miles for $3500. I now have 52K miles, and the car has been ABSOLUTELY trouble free!! I get about 35 to 36 mpg in PURE city driving (and Los Angeles traffic is as bad as it gets) and it has given as high as 47mpg on pure highway stretches at 65mph with the A/C on!! I was incredibly surprised at how comfortable it was inside (at 510" Im not very tall), but nevertheless it truly exceeded my expectations!! The clutch is among the best in the business, and the gear shifting is butter smooth. This is an UNBELIEVABLE VALUE FOR THE MONEY!!

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  Excellent value for the money - 2008 Chevrolet HHR
  By john g - July 17 - 6:46 pm

  I also own an 05 HHR, and they are similar. Opt for the ABS and side airbags. OnStar is super, worth the money. This car doesnt do anything super, but it doesnt do anything really bad either, and I paid $15,200 for my 08 with the automatic transmission and one year of on-star. Pinebelt "etched" my windows for $299 and said it was "standard procedure" although I didnt really want it. It was a pure money maker for them, but the deal was still sweet. If you want a reliable, good looking economy car, this is an excellent choice, and I would buy another one when in the market.

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  Great car for the price - 2005 Chevrolet Cavalier
  By Anthony - July 17 - 5:34 am

  I bought this car in 2007 with about 17k miles on it for $7000. I have had very little problems with it since then. Check engine light came on maybe at about 40k miles and it was a small $100 fix. Instrument cluster did screw up which is pretty common for those cars. Got that fixed online for $50. My air door actuator went bad around 60k miles but that was a cheap $25 part. Biggest fix was replacing the rear brakes because some spring broke about a year ago at roughly 100k miles. That repair was about $700 but I think I was screwed over by the repair shop. Shouldnt have cost that much. Other than that I havent really had any other problems with the car. I only do oil changes about every 6000k miles or so and the car always runs great. I still have it today and its still running great at 145k miles. I plan on keeping this car until it finally craps out. Overall had this car 9 years, paid 7k for it, and have had far less problems than any person I know with their car. Great Buy!!!

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  2015 Chevy Camaro SS Auto transmission - 2015 Chevrolet Camaro
  By George Milner - July 17 - 2:01 am

  L 99 6.2 L engines with A F M (active fuel management) have noisy valvetrain components. I love the car but hate the ticking valve(s). I didnt notice it during the test drive out in the open, but noticed it after a few days of owning it especially pulling into the garage or while idling next to a wall (drive thru window etc. ). I probably would not have bought it if I noticed it before purchase. I took it to my local Chevy dealer service dept.(I purchased it out of town at another Chevy dealer) to have it checked out and was told "the vehicle makes similar valvetrain noise" as other vehicles with the same engine. It only has 900 miles on it as of this review, so I havent really driven it hard to give an assessment of acceleration and all out performance yet. The owners manual says no full throttle launches and do not exceed 4000 rpms until 1500 mile break-in . It handles and corners well and gets decent gas mileage. Update after 1 year of ownership and just over 5000 miles on it...Absolutely lovin it. The valvetrain components are much quieter and smoother now that its broken-in and seems to have a bit more power too, its a pleasure to drive. Ive gotten many compliments on the looks and sound of car. Overall Im pleased with the purchase now. After 7 months of ownership and 3200 miles on the car the engine is less noisy but I can still hear some ticking, but overall I am satisfied with the car and its a lot of fun to drive.

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  Great value for a used truck - 1998 Chevrolet S-10
  By Thekid - July 17 - 2:00 am

  I bought this S-10 with the 2.2L/5 Speed - yet otherwise its loaded even to having the premium CD player audio. The 4 Cyl is okay power-wise once you realize it comes alive up in the rev band when you need to accelerate. The A/C all but kills the poor engine however - but it does blow ice cubes. There is enough room for my 61" self - the bonus of the lower seating. For me, of course the seat is jammed fully back without the luxury of reclining - so I dont use those break-prone parts... of course my lumbar support is long gone. The seats are too hard. The wiper control issue is a major safety problem! Positives are great economy and solid body at 100K+

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  great car!!! - 2004 Chevrolet Malibu
  By mhstwirler1 - July 17 - 2:00 am

  I love my chevy malibu. i did have to have the power steering replaced, they re-designed it, all malibus built before january 15, 2004 are suppose to be replaced and my brakes got re-done too.there where also 3 re-calls but i still love my car the dealer has fixed everything.

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  My sweet Monte - 2004 Chevrolet Monte Carlo
  By Kat - July 16 - 8:30 pm

  I love this car! I wish they werent getting rid of it. I get 30 mpg around town! unheard of in such a large car. I love the Monte emblem in the front. Im trying to get my husband to buy me the fin, fog lights and dual exhaust to make it look like an SS. I love this car!

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  Z71 w/3.42 Axle Ratio - 2006 Chevrolet Silverado 1500
  By Owner - July 16 - 5:33 pm

  I have 5,100 miles on my Victory RED 06 now and not excited or disappointed. This is a nice average American truck that has had 7 or 8 years to work out the proplems since its introduction in Fall of 1998. This truck still does not compete with the likes of the Nissan Titan, as of yet....I hope the 2007 Silverado redo will put the Silverado back on the top. I dont tow anything and choose the low gears (3.42) for fuel economy, and quite surprised with 17.1 average with 15 city/19 highway, just as the window sticker indicated. Plenty of power, but not as much as the Nissan Titan which in turn gives 14 mpg average. Brakes work great since GM dropped rear discs for old-school drums in 06

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  ASTRO Love - 1990 Chevrolet Astro
  By David Rosa - July 16 - 2:00 am

  Our Astro proved highly function for our family. Camping, Towing, travel across the country, cargo mover. The 4.3L engine was just right. The size is excellent, most mini vans are really to small. My duaghter is about to inherit the Astro van as her first car. I do wish general motors would take the details a more seriously. This was the 1st year they built the passenger EXT version and the rear heater had to be disconnected about the 5th yr of ownership.

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  Not BAd - 2004 Chevrolet Malibu
  By Pete1576 - July 16 - 2:00 am

  I have only had this car for a very short time. Already been to the dealer for a defect in the headliner. Nice ride, Could use a little more power engine wise.