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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  2003 Cavalier - 2003 Chevrolet Cavalier
  By tracy - January 5 - 11:38 am

  This car as been fun to own and drive. It is comfortable for long trips and really good on gas. It runs great and the only issue Ive had is the rear turn signal lights which I believe was fixed with new circuit boards.

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  A Chevy disappointment - 2005 Chevrolet Tahoe
  By Johnny B - January 5 - 9:56 am

  Ecstatic was my state for the first 4 months of ownership. No accidents. But In the 2 yrs of ownership, Tahoe was shop ridden 3 times for steering column lubrication and twice for electronics defects. Chevy and GMC know about the poorly designed steering column. however, they refuse to replace it instead only temporarily fix with lubrication package and it is underwarranty. So now I am stuck with a $40K quazi-lemon worth only $22k bc of the poorly held value of Chevy. I have grown up a Chevy guy, and still love the power and drive of the 05 Tahoe, but the mechanical problems of this brand new vehicle are a huge dissapointment. Sorry Chevy, but I am going to look at Toyotas.

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  A Keeper! - 2005 Chevrolet Colorado
  By Chris - January 5 - 8:45 am

  As a first time truck owner, I was a little unsure of what to truly expect after driving it off of the lot. After driving the truck for about 2 months now, I can say that I made a good decision! The truck responds quickly to driver input, with very little delay at highway speed. The only negative I have is the response off of the line. Low end torque needs to be adjusted. Other than that, the Colorado is a versatile little horse. Its a keeper!

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  TrailBlazer Rocks! - 2006 Chevrolet TrailBlazer
  By Jason - January 4 - 6:27 pm

  I absolutely love my TrialBlazer. The mean design and look is great! The ride is super and the power is wonderful.

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  Big Bang for your Buck! - 2008 Chevrolet Malibu
  By Nelson - January 4 - 4:56 am

  Just bought my Chevy Malibu LTZ. Had a Cadillac CTS-V, but due to the cost of gas, had to sacrifice it. This car is awesome. It is extremely quiet, those acoustic windows actually do help a lot. A better value and performer than all the expensive competitors. Chevrolet made another quality product, which is I keep coming back.

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  Perfect - 2007 Chevrolet Avalanche
  By Smitty - January 3 - 10:51 pm

  This vehicle is awesome. Drove it to Colorado in the 06 blizzard. It handled like a Caddilac. I am from Florida, and drove it through ice and snow with no slipping or sliding. Passed other 4x4s stuck or in the ditch. Great job Chevy! Love the part time 4cyl to 8 cyl option. My teen daughter loves the sound system. I owned a Dodge 4x4, but will never drive anything else but an Avalanche. I recommend this vehicle to someone who enjoys a comfortable quiet solid ride.

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  Keep them coming - 2002 Chevrolet Corvette
  By Andy - January 3 - 8:26 pm

  I bought this Z-06 against my better judgement, especially after owning 2 wonderful 911 Carreras. Well, now Im hooked and aint returning to Ferdinands best, for a long while. Its incredible how much more I would have to pay to get this amount of performance (and joy) out of another option. It does everything effortlessly. Scary at first when pushing it (read: torque master). I strongly recommend spending some time at a local track learning the in/outs of the performace envelope and borderline. This could prove very rewarding and definitely satisfying to those willing to experiment the threshold limits.

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  Very decent minivan - 1999 Chevrolet Venture
  By hlima - January 3 - 7:49 pm

  We bought it mainly for its design, but we found a very good interior space and overall performance.

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  Good truck, but noTacoma - 2004 Chevrolet Colorado
  By DT Colorado - January 3 - 6:36 pm

  I bought my 04 Colorado Crewcab Z71 4WD used with 20,000 miles. I think its the best US build compact crewcab truck. Overall I like the truck. GM did a good job with the design and its a good driving truck. So for Ive had to replace a headlight assembly, front axle seal and CV shaft, and the auto dimming/compass rear view mirror. All were warranty repairs but it seems odd given the low mileage. I really wanted a Tacoma. I guess should expect a few problems since I saved approx. $6000-$7000.

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  A- - 2005 Chevrolet Cobalt
  By Ron - January 3 - 5:20 pm

  Have only owned the car for a little while. You get a lot of car for the price. Good gas mileage. Perfect for a young person wanting a sporty car at a cheap price. Ride quality is much better than I expected out of a small car. I have always had good service out of GMs four cylinder engines. Much better than the v-6s.