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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  I LOVE my Volt - 2012 Chevrolet Volt
  By bdc1963 - August 4 - 10:35 am

  This car is so much fun to drive. I have 100% renewable electricity so "fueling" the car is truly environmentally friendly and what little I spend to do so stays in America. This car is very smooth and quiet with good handling and braking.

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  Feel smart for buying this car - 2013 Chevrolet Malibu
  By dgl7 - August 4 - 7:42 am

  The ride of this car is very smooth and very quiet.Its not going to win any contests in the 0-60MPH area, but it will get 30-32 MPG in mixed highway and city driving.Strictly highway driving will yield at least the 37mpg that its rated for and possibly more depending how heavy your foot gets.Previously had an Acura TL,and I can say that the Malibu outshines the TL in nearly every category.Interior materials including leather are high quality. MyLink system fully integrates with my iPhone including putting album art on the screen. This car is a joy to drive and when I look around at other sedans like the TL or the Lexus IS I feel pretty smart with my decision to buy the Malibu for much less

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  2 months/1600 miles- 10 gallons of gas- lots of fun - 2012 Chevrolet Volt
  By markgrogers - August 3 - 5:05 pm

  I have had this car for two months now and driven nearly 1600 miles in it. Not a single squeak, rattle or defect. I love the hatchback- plenty of room when rear seats are folded. Onstar works greatand its FREE for 3 years. Satellite radio is a blast. Great handling, very comfortable ride. I have spent only about $40 in gas for two months (and still have 5 gallons in the tank). Averaging more than 110 MPG when combining battery & gas usage (see voltstats.net for real world stats of more than 1500 Volts posted by owners-not by GM- many are doing better than me on mileage). Routinely averaging 45-50 miles on battery when driving carefully. Not a home run- a Grand Slam!

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  My 12 Year Old Tahoe - 2001 Chevrolet Tahoe
  By mjgirard - July 30 - 8:16 pm

  I am replying on review (22389239) (220,000 miles and almost no repairs). I do not have over 200,000 miles on mine but we are closing in on 100,000 and had a busy weekend hauling students stuff back home with my 2001 Tahoe which has done a great job! Today with a loaded U-Haul large double wheeled trailer, I drove from Winston-Salem, NC to Rockingham, NC following the posted highway speeds and I am proud to say that with a 1 ton trailer and an apartment of living supplies and the Tahoe packed too I received a 14.2 miles per gallon average while pulling this trailer in Tow/Haul mode. This is 6th time I have moved children and their supplies to and from college and My Tahoe has never failed.

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  Water Problems - 2006 Chevrolet HHR
  By shutto01 - July 30 - 5:41 am

  I too was having problems with standing water in the floorboards. Easy fix.....the sunroof has 2 drain tubes that run down thru the door post, we blew these hoses out (full of nasty black debris). Once they were cleared out I have not had 1 problem with water again. I am so happy with my car. This car gets great gas mileage and performs great. So happy we figured out the problem.

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  UNSTOPABLE!!!! - 2000 Chevrolet Impala
  By joey47 - July 29 - 10:13 pm

  bought my 2000 impala ls 3.8 with 75,000, car now has 243,000 i did not expect to still be driving it daily today with virtually no problems. rear strut plates at 210,000 one front wheel baring 175,000, most cars are in the junkyard by now!! HAHA!!!unlike some people i drive the car with the respect of knowing the more its beat on the more its worked on!!! so for oil changes cheep ass oil changed every 3k or so. never touched the trans fluid, last tires got 101,000 out of BUT rotated every 3k or so, goodyear viva 2. i have towed a 3500 lb boat (not very far) class 2 hitch, but very steep hill for short time. and not leaving 1st or 2nd gear, and not hitting the gas like an idiot!!!!

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  Best car ever owned - 2012 Chevrolet Volt
  By cody1943 - July 29 - 9:08 pm

  7 weeks, 1458 miles, 2/10s of a gallon of gas and $26.41 elect cost. If you drive less than 50 miles a day, wow what a great car. Winter may prove to be a challenge. Fun, fast and cheap to drive. Never in my life time did I think I would see a car that got over 100 + miles per gallon. Chevy hit a home run with this car. Did I mention FUN. Its expensive, but what other car can you get some of your money back buy not stopping at the gas station 4-6 times a month at 50 to 60 bucks a time.

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  Great Vehicle - 2012 Chevrolet Traverse
  By gusgt - July 28 - 12:19 pm

  13 weeks 5650 miles and counting. 21.2 mpg. Very Happy with vehicle. Only bad thing is 2nd row seats need a redesign for seatbelts. maybe a little wider seats. 7 passenger model.

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  Great Suv poor fuel economy - 2012 Chevrolet Equinox
  By wildman52003 - July 28 - 8:45 am

  We purchased this vehicle on july 1st of 2012 and even though it rides great and has plenty of room we are disappointed in the fuel economy of the 4 cylinder motor. So far we have average 28.4 mph and have a average of 17.4 mpg. We took the vehicle to the dealer where we made the purchase and the service department told us that the vehicle has break-in oil in the motor and that once we have the oil changed to the synthetic oil the mileage will get better. Do I believe that? Well we will have to wait and see. Just so everyone knows we are not a young couple. We are in our low 50s and we drive in such that matter, no rabbit starts or excessive speeding.

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  happy volt owner - 2012 Chevrolet Volt
  By solarvolt - July 27 - 10:47 pm

  Writing this review after 5 months of volt ownership. I was waiting to buy a plug in hybrid/EV and researched all available models like the Leaf, Focus electric, C-max, prius etc. After evaluating the pure EVs like Leaf, Focus etc., I decided that the Volt range of 40 miles per full charge satisfied my daily commuter needs. I had not owned an American car for about 20 years now and was skeptical of the quality. But the rave reviews from Volt owners convinced me to test drive one. It was love at first drive. I was impressed with the way an electric car drives and how solid this car felt. The transition to gas when electric runs out is seamless and have to look at the gauges to realize.