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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  The Worst Monte Carlo Poorly Built - 2006 Chevrolet Monte Carlo
  By lbuckland - November 17 - 8:13 am

  This was the 2nd monte carlo I purchase and believe me the worst. Problems first started 100 miles over warranty. Car would not shift into gear. Took to Chev was charged for a new ignition. Few months later same problem took to another shop told it was shifter cable. Pd again. About a yr later same problem. Next was the dash it started coming apart. Next, ac went out which happened with both monte carlos at 6 yrs. Well, now it is the transmission. As for the car not shifting if was the shifter when you would try and push button down to put in gear it would not go but would do it randomly. Finally, I figured out after so many times of paying it was mainly in the winter. Well, needless to say.

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  Last Chevy - 2014 Chevrolet Silverado 1500
  By former_chevy - November 17 - 4:34 am

  I traded a 12 for a 14. The 12 was a good truck overall except the interior looked horrible after only 33,000 miles. No kids, and often me traveling by myself. It had rattles in the dash, and the seats looked terrible. I thought the 2014 would be an awesome truck. Well, its marginal.... With 450 miles Im already scared I made a bad move. It has a bad shake at 75 mph..feels like the back end is going to fall out. Now about the radio. It sucks!!! The FM reception is horrible at best. The XM sounds like listening to music over a slow internet connection. Besides that its fine..so far.

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  I love it! - 2005 Chevrolet Silverado 1500
  By Bruce - November 17 - 3:43 am

  Traded in my 2004 ZO6 for the SS. WOW, it is the best of both worlds. I can load the Harley and hook up the boat and off I go. I recommend this truck to everyone. I have all the comforts of a high end Caddilac and the performance of a sports car. It does drink gas but thats the price you pay for performance. Make sure to upgrade to the Bose and XM, you just cant beat it.

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  So far so good... - 2005 Chevrolet Cobalt
  By Mollie - November 16 - 10:03 pm

  Im quite impressed with the performance of my little Chevy Cobalt. My husband & myself are both over 6 feet tall & we have comfortable leg room. I have the LS sport, but my display gauges arent white, not sure how it happened

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  Nothing Special - 2008 Chevrolet Colorado
  By Curry - November 16 - 8:50 am

  We bought this with $5000 in incentives from GM. The 2.9L engine is too small and even though this truck is a 4cyl the truck has to work too hard and gas mileage is terrible for a truck this size. It isnt much better in mileage than my 2005 double cab V8 Tundra. Acceleration is also terrible. There is plenty of leg room which is nice. A negative to this truck is there no storage console, just a cup holder. Also, the back windows in the extra cab dont open at all. Overall, this was a disappointing truck. Well be sticking with Toyota vehicles from here on out.

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  Great car - 2014 Chevrolet Impala
  By Ray Bernas - November 15 - 10:28 pm

  Great styling. Good performance and fuel economy. Very comfortable. Very satisfied with it.

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  Nice Car - 2006 Chevrolet Malibu
  By John - November 15 - 7:28 pm

  I test drove a lot of cars and wanted best bang for my buck. This car runs great and gets great gas mileage (around 26 average/30 highway). Bought it with 70k and only put brakes and rotors. Did it myself for 80 bucks. I have 86k on it now and have had no problems. I have two kids and they fit in car seats in the back with no problem and have plenty of trunk space to boot. I tinted the windows and the car looks great and runs fantastic. People who ride in it cant believe it is a Malibu. Great car.

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  My Miracle Camaro - 2011 Chevrolet Camaro
  By Scott Fant - November 15 - 3:41 pm

  I bought by 2011 Camaro 5 years ago - V6, Automatic, Leather, RS Package - its been an amazing car. The original tires lasted 70,000 miles! Im at 136,000 and still on the original brake pads. Minimal maintenance and FUN to drive!!!

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  Great Impala - 2006 Chevrolet Impala
  By joey s impala - November 15 - 11:00 am

  I bought this Impala LT1 in July 06. It now has 8600 miles and still never went to the dealer for even a minor ajustment or anything. I get 25-26mpg with AC but 33 with AC off. Great gas mileage with like a full size car and great value with the rebates and 5%rebates on the GM card. it was cheap. Mine is white with grey cloth buckets with a rare Bose option and XM radio, flip fold rear seats. Just perfect. Try it, you will like it.

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  250000 miles and going strong - 2000 Chevrolet Malibu
  By Sue - November 15 - 9:26 am

  Bought this as a demo with 13,000 miles. There has not been a day when this car has not started. Not garage kept and tolerates midwestern winters great. Brakes have been done 3 or 4 times, blower resister just replaced last week, was only blowing on 5. $20 part. Oil changed every 5000-10,000 miles...97% highway driven. Avg 25- 29mpg. Power window switch replaced this past summer (about $100). Husband complained when I purchased 60000 mile tires when car had 160000 mies on it. Bought another set at 222000 miles. Only rust is around gas cap. Serpentine belt has been replaced once, unfortunately, not a do it yourself job. Just hoping I can find another car this dependable.