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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  2nd review since purchased in 6/07 - 2007 Chevrolet Impala
  By Jukebox Ed - January 10 - 2:03 pm

  First review was at 8800 miles; now 19250 miles. Car is excellent. No problems whatsoever. Gas mileage still a lousy 22-23 mpg no matter how driven. Just ordered a 2008 2LT for wife with same 3.9 engine. 2008 has stabilitrak which wasnt available in 07 so that is great news. Overall, the Impala provides excellent value for the money. Reliable, problem-free, great Bose stereo/XM radio. My wifes 2008 Impala will be our 8th Impala since 2000. Love it!

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  Just purchased and in love - 2007 Chevrolet Equinox
  By CruisingJR - January 10 - 9:14 am

  This is just a beautiful SUV. We just purchased and are still in honeymoon phase. It drives smoothly, compared to our full size trucks and seems to have all the bells and whistles that we hoped for. This is beautiful - everyone at work is jealous. Go ahead and do it, upgrade and get the leather interior. Its totally worth it.

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  More Power with a smoother ride - 2004 Chevrolet Suburban
  By J. Kreiner - January 10 - 8:29 am

  I recently purchased a 2004 Suburban to replace my 1999 Tahoe. I really liked my Tahoe however sometimes felt the transmission was lacking performance especially when towing a travel trailer. I expected a slight improvement in performance and comfort but was not prepared for the huge improvement that I felt. The Suburban handles almost as well as my 06 Lucerne around curves and I can really feel the extra kick in the engine and transmission whether Im towing or not. I highly recommend a test drive If you like the late 90s and early 00s Chevy large SUVs you owe it to yourself to see the improvements. It really drives like a car

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  Hate this TrailBlazer - 2005 Chevrolet TrailBlazer EXT
  By DJ - January 10 - 6:10 am

  I hate this TrailBlazer that I bought in 2005. I bought it brand new for $32000, and a year later, I hated it. It is slow, with no acceleration, or passing gear, the interior is uncomfortable, and really plain and ugly. I started having problems with it 6 months after I got it, the pully inside the engine had to be replaced, because it sounded like an rc car. Again 2 years later, it is doing the same thing. The plastic along the front and back is getting sun damaged, and it makes it look horrible. I am going to trade it in asap, for one of those new 2009 Tahoes, when they go on sale. Save your money, dont buy the TrailBlazer!

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  Excellent Daily Driver! - 2007 Chevrolet Malibu
  By Takis Tzinakos - January 9 - 10:43 pm

  Drove the Malibu 3500kms in three weeks, in town and on the highway. It`s an excellent daily driver, comfortable and roomy with adequate power, acceptable handling, and very good brakes (ABS would help). Found it sensitive to high winds and while the fuel consuption was 8.2L / 100km in town didn`t get any better on the highway. Overal quality, performance, comfort, styling etc. OK, but not on a par with the Hyundai Sonata!

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  Tahoe - 2001 Chevrolet Tahoe
  By MMoran - January 9 - 7:31 pm

  The Chevy Tahoe is an excellent SUV, great for families and has been a wonderful car for trips. I would definitely buy this vehicle again! Very reliable, it has never failed to get us to our destination and is very easy to maintain.

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  Best Truck ive ever owned! - 2001 Chevrolet Silverado 1500
  By James52 - January 9 - 5:50 pm

  Excellent power and great gas mileage!!! Rides like a car but im yet to find any load it cant handle!

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  Malibu LTZ - 2007 Chevrolet Malibu Maxx
  By KM - January 9 - 4:56 pm

  Owned this car for over a year now. I had test driven the LS but the LTZ is a class above. I agreed with Edmunds (bland interior for the LS), but found the LTZ felt totally different. The leather wrapped steering felt much more comfortable, and the rest of interior did not feel cheap. Same with the wheels etc. I never read the manual much, so I keep finding new things in the car. When cleaning I found the audio volume control on the steering on the underside of other audio buttons. Recently I found out I could do tap-shift. I could not figure how to operate the +/- buttons earlier till I put the car in L coming downhill - it was so much fun!

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  Leaky 2004 Colorado - 2004 Chevrolet Colorado
  By Kate J Triplett - January 9 - 12:28 pm

  Drivers side of cab has been filling with water ever since we got this pickup. Our dealership techs have been unable to fix this, despite repeated stays in their shop. Its been with them since before Thanksgiving this round (Jan.8,2007). For a brand new vehicle, this is unacceptable. We are looking into lemon law for resolution with GM.

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  ghanas review 07 tahoe - 2007 Chevrolet Tahoe
  By ghana clark - January 8 - 7:53 pm

  great vehicle other than high mileage