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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  2012 1LT Cruze Auto Gold Mist - 2012 Chevrolet Cruze
  By jamtracy - January 13 - 6:56 pm

  I love my Cruze. I was looking at the Mazda 3 sky active but the 1LT had more options at the same price point. When I was just thinking about getting a new car here comes a $2000 GM card holder rebate in the mail. Plus $750 USAA rebate made for a very nice deal. Its getting as advertised gas mileage. I looked at the Malibu as well because rebates are high on that model but the interior of the Cruze is much nicer in my opinion. Love the switch blade key. I own 2 GM vehicles now and couldnt be happier. Ive sat in the back seat and there seems to be a fair amount of room but I will never ride back there so I dont really care! lol

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  Lots of features, disappointing MPG - 2011 Chevrolet Equinox
  By angieb25 - January 10 - 11:13 am

  Ive had my Equinox for about a year now and have had no problems. It drives smooth. Its roomy. I like how the back seat slides back and forth, so you can add room where you need it. I like how the sunroof slides AND tilts. I really like having a USB port. It makes it so easy to listen to my music. The rearview camera is very helpful, and almost neccesary. The stereo sounds good too, but you may have to adjust it to your liking. I like the fact that I was able to go 8,000 miles before I needed an oil change. And even though I dont have AWD, it handles the snow and ice well.

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  Comparable to a "Cadi" - 2010 Chevrolet Malibu
  By ogcrew1 - January 8 - 12:21 pm

  I have to say out of all the cars I have had (Jeeps, GM SUVs, Saabs, Volvos, Taurus SHO)... This car surprised me! I have owned this car for about six months now and have put 14,000 miles on it... I do mixed driving and in the spring/summer/ fall months I was getting 29MPG(mixed) and 32MPG(full highway). The comfort level is awesome, the 4-Cyl could use a little more pep but still when I need to go it moves. Overall I would and do recommend this car to friends.

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  So Close! - 2003 Chevrolet TrailBlazer
  By ogcrew1 - January 8 - 12:04 pm

  Loved my LTZ! But I think the check engine light came on at least 3 times a month... Between the dealership and my local repair shop I had many rental cars.

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  Everything I expected and more - 2012 Chevrolet Volt
  By nyvolt - January 6 - 11:58 pm

  Not using gas makes me happy. Not being limited by the battery makes the car practical. The car does exactly what GM says it will do.

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  Great small car - 2011 Chevrolet Cruze
  By jrichmond526 - January 6 - 3:28 pm

  We bought our 2011 Chevy Cruze to downsize for good fuel mileage. Out LT1 Sedan w/ 1.4L Turbo 4cyl gets about 28-30mpg city/ 32-34mpg highway. We have two small children and this model had more rear seat room than the Ford Focus, Toyota Corolla and Nissan Altima 2.5S we drove. The interior of the car really sold us on it, and it was fun to drive. My biggest complaint is the seatbelt clip restraints are hard to buckle the seatbelt to. My kids have a very hard time with them. They are kind of hidden down in the rear seat and are hard to use on the front bucket seats as well. Overall though, we really like the car. The trunk is very spacious as well.

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  6 Years Later - 2003 Chevrolet Impala
  By v_nick - January 3 - 9:55 pm

  I originally wrote a review in 9/2006 shortly after purchasing the car pre-owned. As we approach the sixth anniversary of purchase, we are delighted to report that this has been the best sedan we have owned! In our entire ownership, we have replaced a relay fuse ($50), a manifold gasket ($300) and a wheel bearing ($225). We finally replaced the original tires and breaks a little more than a year ago. Speaking of tires, my earlier review spoke of front end road noise. This disappeared with new tires. The car was originally equipped with cheap Uniroyals. The car still looks great, and runs and runs and runs! It replaced a Nissan which we purchased new & was totally unreliable.

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  Some flaws, but still a great first car! - 2001 Chevrolet Cavalier
  By lexxibaby - January 1 - 1:30 pm

  I bought this car almost 2 years ago, it had about 82K on it. Now Im at about 112K. The head gasket was broken when I bought it but I got that fixed at the dealer. 3 months later, my alternator broke, but that didnt take much! And I have had a few brake problems, but I love the drive and I got in a car accident a few days ago and nothing was severely ruined! Only my radiator and headlight, and small bend on the hood. Although I have metal bumpers, definitely dont get the plastic ones because thats what saved my car! There was a fuel pump problem, but that I only happened when I ran out of gas completely. Sounds like a lot, but I did go to the junk yard to get to parts so it was cheap!

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  Battery Memory - 2011 Chevrolet Volt
  By drydoc - December 31 - 9:11 pm

  In love, at first, several trips to the dealer during the first six weeks for "unexplained" engine error messages", almost made me invoke the "Lemon Law". Life settled down after a computer upgrade...until early in the 5th month that I owned the car. At that point, a full charge became less and less miles. I began at 38 - 40 miles ev per charge and now I am at best, 23 -24 miles ev. The Chevy Volt team and my local dealer state that it is the weather and the way that I drive it. First of all...the way I drive it should not change the battery capacity. Secondly, it is not even cold yet...average temp approx. 42 degrees. Thirdly, I charge it in a heated garage.

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  Cold Weather Issues - 2012 Chevrolet Volt
  By voltguy - December 28 - 11:39 pm

  This car has great potential and I really like it, but reconsider getting one if you live in an area with cold weather. When I first got the car in the first week in November I was getting the 35 miles GM claims. As it got colder I now only get 25 miles on a full charge. GM is telling me this is normal. At 25 miles, Im actually only getting about 17-20 since I have to run heat. I have been doing the math and with amount of electric it takes to charge for just 17-20 actual miles, it costs more than burring gas. The dealer has told me there is nothing they can do about the issue. I hope GM gets this issues fixed.