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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  Best car I have ever owned! - 2006 Chevrolet Malibu Maxx
  By jinx948 - September 1 - 9:12 pm

  I bought my Maxx new in July of 2006. Best purchase ever. It now has 113,000 miles and I have had two small issues. When it was under 36k miles it had a oil pan gasket leaked fixed under warranty and the worst issue is the remote start remote does not last. I have had 2 and need another and they are around $150 each.

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  Tahoe - 1999 Chevrolet Tahoe
  By dina - September 1 - 7:44 pm

  This is the perfect vehicle for a soccer mom and her 3 soccer stars. We had a bad snow storm last winter close to 5 ft. all the other fancy suvs (a volvo, land cruser and mercedes) were stuck in the banks in the side of the rode as I plowed through 1+ ft. drifts coming back from a birthday party.

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  Rocket ship! - 2008 Chevrolet Corvette
  By Scott - September 1 - 11:04 am

  I love this new Vette! It is a rocket ship and has way more power than anything in the same price class and even as fast as much more expensive cars like the Porsche 911 S. It does not handle as well as the German sports cars like Porsche or BMW, but it has gobs of power. I was doing 90 in 3rd gear! Amazing design and much better than the 2006 model. Now if Chevy can improve the poor handling it would be the ultimate sports car!

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  2016 Chevy Equinox LT - 2016 Chevrolet Equinox
  By Dave - September 1 - 6:26 am

  It is the best in class! I test drove so many others ,but, nothing beats this one Build quality is exceptional. very comfortable ride, and, minimal road noise inside. Only down side is that a touch screen responds little slow.

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  Great For The Price You Pay - 2006 Chevrolet Cobalt
  By Biggie B - September 1 - 1:50 am

  This vehicle is by no means one for someone who loves to race on the street, but is an excellent choice for the money that you spend on. I got mine for invoice, and $10,000 dollars for a 6 year waranty is well worth the money. Say goodbye to car repair with this sweet deal. I love this car

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  Trailblazer SS Love - 2006 Chevrolet TrailBlazer
  By Elliott Goodman - August 31 - 5:41 pm

  Love the way it drives and handles, very sporty yet classy at the same time. Turns a lot of heads. No one expects it to turn and burn. Total sleeper, you just cant beat the LS2 Motor in a mid size SUV.

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  American Muscle Car - 1996 Chevrolet Corvette
  By Jerry Miranda - August 31 - 1:20 pm

  Ive only had the Vette for half a year and it was a one owner, garage- kept sports car. I love it beyond words. The paint job alone is better than any vehicle I have ever owned and all but two of my almost 20 car purchases were new cars. This is the last and best of the C4 style and could become a classic. No Chevy recall on this year or the 1995, only ones so far (to my knowledge).

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  Ok despite a few flaws - 1997 Chevrolet Venture
  By the captain - August 31 - 4:21 am

  The 97 Venture is OK except for a few flaws. The major one is the transmission. Ive had to replace mine shortly after the purchase. Now it seems to be functioning great. I dislike the location of the cupholders next to the seat...easy to spill stuff. I also dislike the fact that the wiper system breaks. I do wish the driver side door was standard but that doesnt come until 2000. However, I do love the look of the minivan interior and exterior. I just wish it didnt rust and chip easy. It has great acceleration and has great gas mileage (better than my friends Caravan Sport). It handles pretty great. Need to haul stuff...take out the seats and you have yourself a cargo van.

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  Tows our 6,200 Lb Trailer Like a Champ - 2007 Chevrolet Avalanche
  By Camper Man - August 30 - 10:54 pm

  We ordered our 2007 Avalanche specifically to tow our Outback travel trailer. We equipped it with the optional 6.0L engine, 4.10 rear end, transmission oil cooler, heavy-duty 4L70E transmision and rear-view camera -- in other words, set up to tow. The Avalanche takes to the hills with confidence! 95% of the time, we use it as a comfortable family hauler. The redesigned interior matches our previous Sequoia in comfort and thoughtfulness of design. The drivetrain is not as smooth or refined as the Toyotas, but GM is getting closer. I can feel the 6.0L "burble" at idle, while the Toyota 4.7L was virtually silent. This is my first-ever GM vehicle -- and so far I have been pleased.

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  My New Equinox - 2005 Chevrolet Equinox
  By chris wilson - August 30 - 6:30 pm

  I drive alot of miles and practically live in my car, so comfort is the first thing I considered when making my purchase. The heated leather seats provide superior comfort to any of the other American made SUVs that I tested. The V6 engine also supplies pleasantly suprising horsepower and sufficient fuel economy. Overall, the performance to date has been outstanding!