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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  Great ride and awesome power to do anything you want, but is a giant fail by GM - 2011 Chevrolet Traverse
  By David - June 7 - 11:57 am

  So many issues with this vehicle. Had to fix the following. Power steering flushed and refilled with a different fluid. AC vents not working. Had to have the vent replaced under the dash. Intake manifold had to be replace because air sensor integrated in to it needed replaced. AC hose got a leak because it was rubbing against power steering and had to be replaced. All in all I was enjoying the vehicle until these issues keep coming up. Had to spend probably $5000 in repairs over 6 years I owned this thing. In comparison I have a Honda car and have not had any repairs on that.

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  Piece of Junk - 2016 Chevrolet Traverse
  By Cathi - February 22 - 10:56 pm

  Boyfriend bought a used 2012 LT1 Traverse with 13K miles on it in 2013. Nothing but electrical problems. So he then bought a brand new 2016 2LT Traverse 2 weeks ago. Within less than a week there is a clunking or "missing" feeling in the rear-end. Happens when going up hill or on level roads. It is going back to the dealer to see what the problem is. He should have listened to me. I wanted a Highlander.

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  Driving Machine. - 2009 Chevrolet Traverse
  By Susan Grace Rice. - January 20 - 9:03 pm

  its a great vehicle, runs very good, rides smooth, and an all around great vehicle to have. with dogs, kids and just all around family its a great car to travel and go places and it holds a good amount of people, if i had to get a new one i would get another traverse,lt1. with leather this time for inside seats, and heated ones, would like to have a navigation in it, and side view mirrors with navigation on the mirrors for helping you stay in the lanes,[non-permissible content removed] .

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  The SS impala is a great car - 2007 Chevrolet Impala
  By Craig - January 20 - 11:36 am

  Ive had my Impala SS for a alittle under a year now and I love it. Ive had to put some work into it since then though, I bought the car with 80,000 miles on it and it was in great condition. Whoever owned it before me took great care of this car. However the repairs i had to make were very costly, i had to replace the alternator, the battery and get a full brake job. Not sure if its something I did to it or if it was just long over due. This car will sometimes turn heads but not that much since I live in the DC area and everyone drives a benz, BMW, infiniti, and some of the other luxury brands. Im not a fan of the front wheel drive and the interior is lackluster but those are things that are manageable. I love the big factory brand wheels and I can never keep the sunroof closed. The leather seats are comfy and the SS decals are nicely placed throughout the car. The trunk is huge and there is plenty of space in the interior. Dual pipes look nice on the car and overall adds to the performance I think. Its a nice size car and really fun to drive.

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  i didnt buy it for grocery shopping - 2015 Chevrolet Camaro
  By Bill - January 20 - 9:33 am

  My wife wanted a Camaro since she was a kid. Its so impractical that it shocked her and made her very happy. This car captures the bad ass essence retro look of the old ones. For pure stone cold good looks and driving feel it knocks it out of the park,. Its not for grocery shopping we have a Honda for shopping, Its not for bad weather we have a Silverado 3/4 ton for snow or hauling hay or horses, Its great for their grandmother hauling two little grandkids to school and back cause they say its so "cool" .We have a Suburban for taking them and their buddies to events. This is for looks and fun and it does the job perfectly. I dont understand complaints on here about long trips, no trunk room, little back seats. It also doesnt have a grenade launcher or machine guns on the side. (wish it did) Its not for everyone or everything. It does what it is made for perfectly, make a husband a hero when he gets it for his wife.

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  Major Health and Safety Concerned Vechicle - 2014 Chevrolet Cruze
  By Margaret Williams - January 19 - 8:14 pm

  I own a 2014 Chevy Diesel Cruz, I am also the mother of a 16 month old and currently 3 months pregnant with our second child. This car was purchased as our commuter vehicle for my work and taking our child to daycare. As of December 30, 2015 there was a failed seal and gasket with the exhaust system which allowed exhaust into the cabin. There were no light indicators or faults with OnStar to show the balance of exhaust in and out of the engine was unbalanced. The car has been in the shop from June 20, 2015 until the current date of January 19, 2016 on 6 different occasions (every month from June 2015 to January 2016) for multiple sensors and full exhaust system replacement for over 90 days in the shop. GM/Chevy and the JN Chevrolet dealership have been unhelpful, disrespectful and made light of all of our concerns with the condition of the vehicle. Recently, Chevy has only offered us $500 dollars toward the purchase of another GM vehicle. This is unacceptable since I was sick possibly due to inhaling the fumes for over a month without any warnings.

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  Well Pleased - 2008 Chevrolet Corvette
  By Rob Joyner - January 19 - 1:02 pm

  I purchased my 2008 Base model, 3LT, Z51, NPP 3 years ago with 29,000mi. on the clock. I have been very pleased with it. I have done only oil changes everything has been completely reliable. The car is easy to learn, very driver friendly. My partner (girlfriend) enjoys it very much (definitely a plus). I have put 14,000mi. on it since getting it and have absolutely no complaints. Some have commented that the interior is a little drab but I am very satisfied with it. The engine is "leggy" with good torque and hp throughout a broad rpm range, I dont have to be constantly changing gears although I like the engine sound with the NPP defeated so I find myself shifting almost unnecessarily just hear the exhaust note. I have the NPP bypass remote (came with the car) and that enhances the driving a great deal as I can hear the exhaust when I want and I can return it to normal mode when I want less sound so I can listen to music (I really like this feature). The roof panel is fairly easy to remove/replace with no particular awkwardness although care must be used when doing so, and it stows in the trunk area in the retaining brackets, only it does take up a lot of the available trunk area, but if Im traveling with luggage Im not going to be doing it with the roof panel off as I would likely get tired of that after couple hours. I scored the performance high but Im sure I havent tested the limits of the car (Im a senior citizen, and I think its a good idea for me to not push the car beyond my limits with the possible consequences of breakage, collision and higher insurance premiums the car does everything I want it to. The leather on the seats is good quality and the fit/finish of the car overall is very good. I drive it year round here in the mountains of western NC, USA, and I have a set of summer tires on aftermarket wheels and change over to the all-season tires on the factory wheels when winter comes. This is an extra expense but I really dont like the idea of the car sitting in the garage thru the winter and my not being able to enjoy it, but to each his own. I chose to go this route with the tires since these cars come with summer tires and its not recommended they be used below 50 degrees F, and since the all-season tires are twice the price of summer tires I think Im saving money in the long run, and again, I get to enjoy the car year-round. A lot of people (who are true car people) do look at the car with interest/admiration and I have to admit thats a pretty cool feeling, although thats not the reason I bought it. I bought it to drive and enjoy the technology/performance/style, and its a car I could afford where I could get that. Overall, the fuel economy is good, surprising that 430hp could still result in such figures (average 23mpg). If I had $110k to spend, Id probably get a 2016 ZO6. I toured the Bowling Green Assy. plant a couple years ago and was impressed with the dedication that goes into these cars.

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  03 trailblazer good car - 2003 Chevrolet TrailBlazer
  By Jared - January 19 - 11:42 am

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  Proven reliability - 2001 Chevrolet Tahoe
  By JE - January 18 - 11:41 pm

  This is one solid vehicle. I bought my z71 Tahoe in 2001. 134,000 later still drives like new. No major issues, just normal wear and tear items such as brakes, water pump, fuel pump and a couple oil seals. Luckily no transmission problems. Well worth the 40k I paid new. If you find a clean one jump on it!

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  Burban - 2000 Chevrolet Suburban
  By Migl - January 17 - 7:44 pm

  Purchased recently drove to chicago from TN and it handled greatvon the road.