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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  Bought for hr, want for me! - 2007 Chevrolet Aveo
  By Sam - June 11 - 12:31 pm

  I must say that even though I purchased this car for my wife, I really want it for myself. I drive it any chance I get. It is actually quite sporty in both the design and handling. Very little came with the car, in terms of features but it is worth it! I have pretty decent credit and although I may not have gotten the best rate out there, I still feel like my payment is nothing. Most importantly, it is a safe, car with side airbags standard, and has a great crash rating (hope we never have proof of that!)

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  Needs better mileage - 2001 Chevrolet Tracker
  By lou - June 11 - 7:51 am

  Live in Michigan and commute 30 miles one way to work everyday. I cannot complain about my little SUV. I have had to replace an engine at about 80,000 miles, but even with a hole in the engine, my little SUV did not leave me stranded. It kept plugging along. Im not real pleased with the gas mileage. I have to keep it above half a tank or it drinks the gas down something terrible, but then it does have 96,000 miles on it.

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  good truck - 2004 Chevrolet Silverado 1500
  By joseph oliphant - June 11 - 12:23 am

  love my truck even with a 32 in. tire Im getting almost 18 miles to the gal. bought it with 108 thousand miles on it and its still strong. there are a few things that do kinda bug me though i have no tach it just doesnt work and the speedometer works when it feels like it and the lights work sometimes off and on mainly running lights and the rear windows roll up and down by themselves.

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  A Couple of Problems - 2004 Chevrolet Cavalier
  By LP - June 10 - 11:15 pm

  I have had my car for about 2 1/2 years, its been pretty dependable for the price, but I have had some issues with the gauges. My RPM gauge stopped working first, followed by my fuel gauge, and now my speedometer is starting to work on-and-off like the others did before they stopped working. I havent bothered to get them fixed because Im about to trade it in, but I wasnt too happy about that. However, its a great starter car.

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  Confidence in GM again - 2007 Chevrolet Suburban
  By Smoking Hot - June 10 - 7:30 pm

  Traded in a 2000 GMC Yukon XL which was mediocre as to reliability. This vehicle is outstanding. I may have to borrow it from my wife and stop driving a luxury sedan. We bought the LTZ - hey, its her 50th BDay. The whole family loves it, including the dog.

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  Excellent Vehicle - 2007 Chevrolet Suburban
  By Pbaker - June 10 - 6:06 pm

  This is the 2nd Suburban we have owned. The 2500 2wd with 4.10 rear end provides for 9700 pounds of towing capacity, and 2600 pounds of cargo capacity. This is truly a great vehicle. Awesome upgrade from the 2005 1/2ton. I used to be a Ford guy, not after looking at the material quality on the Expedition EL.

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  A very solid car, great gas mileage - 2005 Chevrolet Malibu
  By Wisconsin Driver - June 10 - 1:07 pm

  This car replaced my Infinity I-30, and while I have lost some of the luxury, I have gained in dependability, gas mileage, and I do like that remote start. I drive ~150 miles per day, 90% highway, and I average 35 MPG (the on-board computer shows 36.8, which is too high). Power (200HP+) is more than adequate, and hadling is exceptional for this kind of car. Currently over 70,000 miles, and no problems with the car at all. Very, very solid car - much better than any of the late GM cars I have driven. Will buy the 08, I think, when it comes out.

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  Hugely underrated - 2007 Chevrolet Monte Carlo
  By j.j. - June 10 - 9:10 am

  Front wheel drive is a tradeoff. You can drive in any weather, but under hard acceleration, theres that torques steer. Aside from the whole front wheel drive arguement, this car is fun. Its fast. Priced way below what youd have to pay for a foreign car this fast. I sold my 99 m-3 because it was undriveable in snow, and totally dangerous in wet weather. This SS Monte does it all, no matter what the weather.

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  Nervous about my engine - 2010 Chevrolet Equinox
  By jamie - June 10 - 8:13 am

  I bought this vehicle for my wife. It fits the bill for decent fuel mileage, comfort, style, and cargo capacity. Im disappointed in the fact that the engine has already been in the shop for a "top end cleaning". It began to spark knock at about 3,000 miles with the A/C on and at 4,000 miles, GM instructed dealer to clean the top end and tell me to use only top tier fuels. The cleaning of the top end seems to have fixed the knock, but I find it hard to believe average gasoline would leave enough deposits behind in so few miles to warrant a top end cleaning. I feel this saga is just beginning. Will followup on this issue as time goes on.

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  More fun now than when new. - 2006 Chevrolet Corvette
  By Steve Lathrop - June 9 - 5:13 pm

  This car drives like a dream. It is fast, it corners like its on rails and has a surprisingly comfortable ride. I have had the car 18 months and planned on using it on weekends only. However, I have recently started driving it every day and I will be selling my Lexus and driving just the Vette. It actually has more storage space for my sons hockey gear than my Lexus, and it gets better mileage.