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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  LS Venture 99 with 180000 miles - 1999 Chevrolet Venture
  By Juan Rodriguez - November 17 - 2:00 am

  I bough my Chevrolet Venture on 08/01/1999 with 79 miles. I am driving 300 miles on Florida highway every day. I had to change the engine oil and filter every 5000 miles transmission oil and filter every 60,000 miles tune-up and O2 sensor at 110,000 miles. My Venture has 180,000 miles now and the engine still is very quiet. It is making 26 MPG on Highway and 19 MPG on city. Let see if it can make 300,000 miles with original engine and transmission. This is a true history.

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  Warner Bros. Chevy Venture - 2003 Chevrolet Venture
  By Manx Cats - November 17 - 2:00 am

  This is the second Venture that we have purchased. The first was in 1996. We purchased the Venture again due to the exceptional performance that we had with our first car. Not problem over all the years that we had the van. The new van is just like the old one as far as reliability so far and the two issues that we had with the first ( lighted mirrors and horn honking when car locked) were corrected on the newer model. We are very pleased with this car.

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  Malibu - 2002 Chevrolet Malibu
  By Saguaro4321 - November 17 - 2:00 am

  So far, so good. Its easy to drive, I got a good price with no down payment, so I really cant complain.

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  Awesome Car (SS) - 2002 Chevrolet Camaro
  By sdg - November 17 - 2:00 am

  I love this car. It has the speed and handling to put others to shame.

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  Satisfied - 2005 Chevrolet Malibu Maxx
  By Kat - November 16 - 5:50 pm

  We are very satisfied with the car. The only bad mark we have is the front seats. Handles great, yet has some features of an SUV. We did not like the handling of the SUVs we test drove, so this car was a nice in between. We would (and do) recommend this car to other people.

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  GREAT VAN - 1998 Chevrolet Astro
  By scott - November 16 - 2:00 am

  GREAT VAN! The only thing this van needs is more horsepower and torque!

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  I should have bought one years ago - 2002 Chevrolet Tahoe
  By TahoeFan - November 16 - 2:00 am

  2002 2WD 5.3L LS Black with front buckets. What a great ride! Gobs of room for people and gear, lots of power, Great Brakes! I dont mind making a car payment after avoiding that for 12 years.

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  good car - 1992 Chevrolet Caprice
  By gebo - November 15 - 2:00 am

  Bought vehicle new in 1992. Currently 120000 miles. Reliable. replaced radiator, alternator only. wear and tear - 2 batteries, two sets of tires, two brake jobs. No engine or transmission repairs. original exhaust system still on car. Still gets 25 mpg highway, 18 mpg city. I will own this car for several more years.

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  1st Corvette - 2000 Chevrolet Corvette
  By Popinki - November 15 - 2:00 am

  I LOVE this car! Excellent fuel economy...30 on a long trip with cruise on 70 to 75...22 in the city. Would like a better interior design, especially around the radio and HAV controls. Im trading it in next week with great sorrow but am purchasing a 2003 Anniversary Edition Convertible 6 speed to help me get over my loss and sadness of parting with my 1st Vette!

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  True American Power - 2002 Chevrolet Camaro
  By Endless Sky - November 15 - 2:00 am

  V8 Chevy Power for those that cant quite afford a Corvette. A perfect car for a leadfoot in his 20s!