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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  My best truck ever - 2004 Chevrolet Silverado 2500HD
  By mam643 - December 12 - 1:46 am

  Ive had this truck since new in 04. A truly fantastic truck to drive and tow with. The Durmax engine with the Allison tranny is a superb setup. The best GM has ever put out. I think the ride is a bit rough when empty though. I may try upgrading to new shocks and tires here soon.

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  Problem, but the no problems - 2009 Chevrolet Malibu
  By Patrick - December 11 - 7:10 am

  The problem was that at 15hrs. after taking delivery of the car? It had to take a week off in the shop waiting for a transmission part to come from Detroit before I got it back. Since then though, its been a great car. I average about 28 real-world mpg. The 4 banger is more than adequate to get me down the road. The 6 speed was a really ..REALLY needed addition to the 09’ line-up. And it does work well, though a little meandering at times with gear selection. The car is quiet and comfortable. All in all? I’m happy with the purchase.

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  Fuel economy versus fuel cost - 2018 Chevrolet Equinox
  By MWK - December 9 - 9:06 pm

  In general, we like the car. I hope we like the front seats on a long trip as they seem a little hard and the bottom seat cushions are short. My biggest issue is the recommendation to use 93 octane fuel in our 2.0 Turbo, which came as a surprise to me after the purchase. In our area, we cant get 93 octane fuel, which is a common issue in much of the U.S. We can get 91 octane, but is costs $.50 more a gallon than regular 87 octane fuel. Thus, the fuel savings of the 4 cylinder engine are offset by the higher cost of the fuel. UPDATE: Drove 500+ miles today, and seats were very comfortable. Mileage by computer was 29.7, but manual calculation was a little less. Today in Wisconsin, we saw 91 octane fuel priced $.90 higher than 87 octane fuel.

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  Great vehicle except - 2002 Chevrolet TrailBlazer
  By smokieber - December 9 - 10:00 am

  Ive only put on about 5k miles so far. Coming out of a Blazer, its a big improvement. Roomier and more comfortable with a fairly impressive turning radius. The gas mileage is less than desirable but somewhat expected with the SUV. The stereo speaker quality is "uhhh" okay.... Nice design too ! So far, no problems to speak of..

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  Trailblazer! - 2005 Chevrolet TrailBlazer
  By HoganRadial - December 4 - 2:43 pm

  Only have a 1000 miles on it, but boy its a nice ride so far. Really like the traction control/AWD/limited-4wd feature on the 4wd, perfect for those days the roads have scattered slippery spots, but not bad enough to use the full 4wd part. Very nice riding for a large SUV. The Vortec 4200 has plenty of power to get up & go.

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  Spark EV 2LT - 2014 Chevrolet Spark EV
  By lotsofpaper - December 4 - 1:08 pm

  I leased the Spark EV in Feb 2014 and its a secondary car and I travel about 30 miles roundtrip to and from work and this is on freeways mostly and I travel at about 70mph. No issues getting up to speed in fact I often catch up to the cars in front. Ive come to really enjoy the quiet ride. Once home I usually have about 58 miles of range left, I charge with a level 1 charger at 12amps which is fine for me. I did get a Level 2 charger for free from Bosch but havent used it yet. I would recommend driving this vehicle in mixed driving and see how you like it. Range will be impacted if you live or commute over a lot of hills.

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  great truck - 2003 Chevrolet Silverado 2500HD
  By bigorangefan - December 4 - 10:00 am

  I love towing with this truck as I have the 8.1 with the Allison Transmission. I did have a problem with wind noise that was taken care of at the dealership by re-sealing around the windsheild. Fuel economy is poor, 11 empty and 7 to 8 towing 8500lb trailer in hilly conditions. I think I will go with the Duramax the next time around.

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  4X4 Chevy Ext Cab - 2002 Chevrolet Silverado 1500
  By tommyburk - December 4 - 10:00 am

  Plenty of power, not great milage but as food as the rest

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  My 5th Equinox - 2018 Chevrolet Equinox
  By Dwight - December 2 - 10:55 pm

  A lot of changes in the 2018 model. I dont like the Keyless entry and starting; would prefer a regular key which always works and does not need a battery. I just drove 13 hours two days in a row and the left side of my neck and upper chest were very painful from a bad seat belt design. Too tight and strap hits neck. I am 510" and medium build (160 pounds). I have put a safety pin in seat belt to it does not close all the way but when I get out of the car the seat belt now hangs without going all the way in. Miles per gallon are better than my other equinoxes. There is a malfunction in what is called the cabin pressure release valve in all models. GM knows about this and is trying to find a way to fix it. This valve allows cabin pressure to release when you close the door or window. These valves in the 2018 models keeps opening and closing as we are driving causing a thump thump kind of noise. There is a new seat cooling feature which cools the driver seat and the passenger seat, a nice feature.

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  So Far Impressed - 2007 Chevrolet Impala
  By Jeff McMinn - December 2 - 7:33 am

  Great power--surprised me when I had to use it. 21mpg w/ a/c, 26-30 w/o. A little too much noise for me interior at 60+mph, but then depends on roadway-- why whine, huh?, but great traction, room for 3 in backseat, but a little cramped for 6 ft tall people--trunk not squared at backseat junction. Never used OnStar so far, so dunno if I need it yet. Controls well positioned, easy to operate. Have about 8K miles on it so far with only oil change and tire rotation--no other problems. When I go to dealership, always look in repair lot to 07 Impalas, very little there and customers I talk to are pleased w. their Impalas. When I reach 15K miles will write another review.