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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  Cheverolet Impala 3.8L Police Package - 2002 Chevrolet Impala
  By mckessa - March 28 - 9:03 pm

  I bought my Impala new at a Toronto dealership. I found the car to have good exceleration and handling. The 3.8L is bullet proof with over 360,000 klm on the original engine. The transmission has been flawless. The only issues I have had was with the computer which crashed right after the warranty expired. This was a $1000 repair. The wipers would not go into the park position, repaired several times. Most recently the gas gage went screwy and the turn signal shorts out on damp days. All in all an above average car that really doesnt owe me anything.

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  First car - 2005 Chevrolet Classic
  By marin19 - March 27 - 12:41 pm

  I bought a chevy malibu classic 2005 with 70000Miles for $5000 and i still havent had any problems im the 5Th owner according to the carfax and now ive put 12000miles not alot because i just drive to school everyday

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  Sonic review - 2012 Chevrolet Sonic
  By gresh - March 25 - 7:50 pm

  I bought my sonic as a cheap commuter car. I got a pretty good deal on it. I have 800 miles on it as of this post, 90% of which is highway miles. The car is getting about 41 miles to the gallon on the hwy and about 38 in the city. I am truly impressed with the mileage. I really didnt need the car to look good as I just wanted a reliable commuter, but it looks nice as well. The ride is very good for the class of car. I own a BMW, and its not in that class, but holds its own in the lightweight class. The inside of it sucks compared to my BMW, but it works for what I need it for. It has Bluetooth and thats all I need. The other features such as Sirius radio and iPod controls are a plus.

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  LOVE IT - 2010 Chevrolet Impala
  By jered90 - March 24 - 5:44 pm

  I traded my 2006 monte carlo for a 2010 impala lt I am truley imprested with the vechile the ride is great because i a big guy 61 330 and i have plenty of room when i step on the gas the tires are peeling and I am gone I love the car for the one conserding gettin one you will love the vechile it have great gas mileage but for me i keep my foot all the way on the floor so i dont get the great gas milage I should but other than that this is a wondful car and by the way mine in what they call raven black with black interior and I just got 5% tint on the windows people have to look closley at me when I drive by HA HA HA HA

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  Volt v. Prius: Volt Wins in California - 2012 Chevrolet Volt
  By johndhenry - March 23 - 12:41 pm

  I have a 2nd Gen Prius and a Volt (first American car I’ve owned) so I have some basis to compare them. To sum it up: TOTAL COST: Volt wins over Prius – The new Prius costs nearly $43K ($36K for car and options + 8.5% CA tax + $4K in 5 year loan interest), while the Volt costs $40K ($44 for car & options + 8.5% CA tax + $0K for GM 5 year loan @ 0% interest - $9K in Fed/State tax incentives). MPG: Volt wins over Prius – After several thousands of Bay Area commute miles I am getting 80mpg. Calif HOV Lane Acess: Priceless. It is no wonder that the Volt has won so many ‘Car of the Year’ awards and Consumer Reports super high marks

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  Never let me down - 1997 Chevrolet Cavalier
  By cocoaloboco - March 21 - 7:58 pm

  This was my first car and it treated me well, I cant say I returned the favor. I had it from 16-18 and really did no maintenance on it, my dad would top the oil off and that was all the car seen in TLC. it performed well the entire time and I didnt replace any parts. (other than a tire that blew out after a long road trip) I then let the car sit for a year & then sold it to a family friend. it started just fine & hes been driving it for 3 years no with no problems. the car was very reliable and great on gas. My only real complaint is its made of cheap metal and dents very easily...i leaned against the car and my butt left an indent...

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  Transmission problem - 2008 Chevrolet Equinox
  By wrdallas - March 21 - 3:59 pm

  I bought my 08 Equinox Sport new from a Dealer. I loved it from the start. However, the small narrow space between the console and the seats is impossible to retrieve anything dropped down there. I keep a 2 ft. "grabbit" just for that reason behind my seat. Too narrow for a hand and the seat track is too close to the console wall to get in there. Now, my tranny blew and is being called an "Internal proble" something to do with the valve body. The trans has to be replaced at a cost of $3900! Ouch! Anybody else have the transmission problem?

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  Overall a Good Buy - 2003 Chevrolet Impala
  By jon_l - March 21 - 1:43 pm

  Bought my 2003 Impala LS second hand with 93,000 miles for my first car. Ran great for a good while but just had to get the catalytic converter replaced at 102,000 miles, Brake Controller Module Replaced, and my Idle Control Valve replaced, costing me all together $1,200. Despite those issues Ive had no other issues I love my car. It rides real smooth and has some nice power. Has great gas mileage on the highway. This is really the last stylish model before the new Impalas went out. The interior is very nice and there is plenty of room for 5 people to fit comfortably inside. Currently at 104,500 miles and the car is still running great!

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  So far so good - just purchased with 200K on it - 2000 Chevrolet Malibu
  By jimntempe - March 20 - 11:14 pm

  I read most of the reviews here and it almost made me back out of my decision to by a 2000 Malibu LS. But the car was like new, even with 200K miles, and it was very inexpensive compared to the other junk Id looked at for the same price or more. The prior owner had quite of few of his repair papers and like many of these cars it had the intake manifold redone, a new fuel pump, new water pump, plugs, wires, and one injector, all at around 100K. Also had brakes done several times but no more often them most other cars.

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  2011 malibu---shakey ,wobling steering wheel on take off till 20 mpr then good ride - 2011 Chevrolet Malibu
  By larry183 - March 19 - 9:08 pm

  I bought a 2011 lt malibu,last september,from the min.I drove it home on take off ,steering wheel you could feel a shaking ,wobble.,GM said they know about the problem but donnt know how to fix it yet....nice you buy a car and feel this every day ,so after 6 months i take a big lose and buy a used impala...chey wins i loose...gm said they will not help me,,i also get at best 23----to -28,5 mpg...my sons impala gets 30 most of the time...junk...car and company...trunk is so tight a food cooler cannt fit