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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  Awesome - 2005 Chevrolet Monte Carlo
  By LAURA - March 30 - 12:53 pm

  I have owned my Monte for 2 weeks. I love it, love it, love it. Where are the handling problems I have read about? It handles like a dream. No abs is fine with me, I want the control. As far as hydroplaning, not once have I experienced that. This car is peppy, and I finally found a car that agrees with me and my pickiness.

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  All the ladies in my life have one - 2006 Chevrolet Equinox
  By Mr. G - March 30 - 11:20 am

  I bought the the first Equinox in 2005 for my youngest daughter attending college back east. My wife and 2 daughters liked its handling and interior room. I bought my wife hers in June 2006; and followed by another one in the second half of the month for our oldest attending college on the west coast. Now all the ladies in my life have a new Equinoxs.

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  Malibu LS - 2005 Chevrolet Malibu
  By Hegs - March 30 - 9:31 am

  I just hit 48,000 on my Malibu and I have been very happy. For a V6 200hp I get very good mileage. I have been averaging about 30 in the summer and 25 in the winter. Some of the people that are claiming better gas mileage than this are going off of the inboard computer and the numbers are skewed a bit. I actually use a calculator and check my mileage based on my travel. I have noticed the computer is off about 2-3 mpg most of the time. The ride in the car is very good and a lot better than I thought it would be. I would replace the factory tires if you can. They arent that great. I have had no problems with the car other than replacing the rear brake pads.

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  Awesome SUV - 2001 Chevrolet Tahoe
  By rv9flyer - March 30 - 8:29 am

  We drive approx 30,000 miles a year and this has been one great SUV. After 130,000 miles, the only thing I have had to replace is the water pump at 60,000 miles. Very low maintenance. I put in a K&N air filter. We get about 17-18 mpg on highway and average about 16.5 all around. Can feel a bit more power on takeoff from the new airfilter. Brakes have been awesome. I replaced the front brakes at 110,000 miles and they still had over 1/2 their pad left!

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  Great buy - 2005 Chevrolet Equinox
  By Bob R - March 29 - 7:00 pm

  We bought an all white AT fully loaded. As soon as we saw it and drove it we knew it was perfect for us. The legroom in the back is great. Good pick-up, comfort, its quiet. Stereo with XM (which I was skeptical about) is better than we could have imagined. We get tons of compliments from friends and strangers at gas stations. Its not unusual to pull into the grocery store and have other folks come check it out.

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  2005 C6 Corvette - 2005 Chevrolet Corvette
  By mark fisher - March 29 - 1:23 pm

  Exceptional value, phenomenal performance thats easily used, vast improvements in interior and exterior quality, much more refined, a true world class car. Best car built in America.

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  Comales - 2003 Chevrolet Avalanche
  By COMALES - March 29 - 12:11 pm

  I never wanted an Avalanche but when I saw it in the lot, I just had to have it. Ever since, I never regret buying an Avalanche, its never let me down, on the road and on the beach. Family owns Ford trucks but Im representing Chevy.

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  Pizza crap! We were wrong!!! - 2008 Chevrolet Cobalt
  By Kathy Chapel - March 29 - 10:08 am

  When the cobalt was new we had FOB and computer lock up problems, now that we worked through that early on, its been great! Best attribute ? The deep , big, trunk!!! Its great!!!

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  2004 chevy trail blazer ext lt - 2004 Chevrolet TrailBlazer EXT
  By Shakinfree - March 29 - 10:00 am

  We needed to seat at least 7 passengers but wanted to get out of our minivan. we researched and drove several suv type vehicles from mini to full sized fairly priced to over priced and found the trailblazer to give us more bang for our buck. Our kids love the look and space that they have (we love that too ;-) ). We have 3 children aged 3 to 11 and they have all the elbow room they need. The ride is smooth for a mid sized truck honestly it may even be nicer than the vans ride was. For the money this is a great vehicle.

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  Having some recent problems - 2004 Chevrolet TrailBlazer EXT
  By Alex Collins - March 29 - 10:00 am

  My trailblazer ext is nice but I am having recent problems with the computer system. I have had it in the shop 2 times in one month. I am starting to become untrusting and not sure when the next breakdown will occur. With a family this is a concern.