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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  Real rough ride - 2006 Chevrolet Colorado
  By tim danaher - July 8 - 12:16 am

  This is the extreme package lowered frame. Need a kidney belt between 60 and 72 MPH. Severice dept says it is because of the extended cab and the lowered suspension. It gives me motion sickness to drive more than 30 or so miles.

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  Surprisingly pleasant to drive. - 2005 Chevrolet Cobalt
  By First Chevrolet - July 7 - 5:20 pm

  This is a really solid offering from Chevrolet. With the 1SB package the handling is awesome and tight. There is no dead spot in the steering and with the adaptive steering low speed maneuvers are extremely easy. The ride quality is amazing. Better than the Corolla. The Pioneer sound system will rock your world! I can not say enough good things about this car. My wife is utterly impressed with it. This is the best offering in its class!

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  My Impala - 2000 Chevrolet Impala
  By amber0ne - July 7 - 1:26 pm

  When I bought the car it had a lot of highway miles on it and needed a little work, but its a great car and Im not worried about getting stranded somewhere.

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  Great Car - 2006 Chevrolet Corvette
  By Ellen - July 7 - 1:08 pm

  This is my third generation Corvette. The styling is absolutely gorgeous. (I also liked the sytling on my 1999 Vette.) Thought about buying the Mercedes 500 SL convertible. My car was parked next to it and I thought the Corvette was so much better looking. The manual top on my last car (the 99) was much easier to use. The guys at the dealership talked me into the manual top, and I find it hard to latch. I also think the heads up display is a waste of money. I feel that feature should be eliminated the make the power top standard. As even inexpensive convertibles all have power tops. Other than that, the Corvette gives you the most bang for the buck.

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  Pimped My Ride! - 2007 Chevrolet Tahoe
  By Steve-n-BigD - July 7 - 11:46 am

  I fell in love with the new Tahoe on my test drive and had to have it. Paid a little extra for the LTZ model and its absolutely worth it. Traded in my 03 Suburban (similar to the 03 Tahoe) and instantly felt the difference in the handling and styling of this awesome head turner!

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  Nothing but a Suburban for me - 2004 Chevrolet Suburban
  By Norma J. Francis - July 6 - 11:11 pm

  I love my Suburban because of its size & height. It was a gift from my husband after driving a luxury car for many years. He had a 2002 Suburban that we used commercially. We never had a single problem with it & it served us well. With 44,000+ miles & 2 years of constant traveling, I knew I wanted a bigger car. Namely a Suburban. He got me a 2004 as a family car and there is nothing like it. My only complaint is, it loves gasoline making short trips around town, but the highway driving is great. I never want a smaller car again. A good feeling of security.

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  2002 Astro Conversion - 2002 Chevrolet Astro
  By hope46 - July 6 - 9:57 pm

  The only things I dont really like about this van are the turning radius, which isnt as tight as the Voyager we used to have, and how difficult it is to back up at night, because we have dark tinted windows, and the seats are quite high, making it difficult to see. Its a great traveling van, the back seat folds down to a bed, and it has nice blinds on the windows. It gets better mileage that we thought it would, averaging 20 mpg. Ive gotten 24 mpg with it on the interstate. Well keep this until it falls apart on us were quite happy with it.

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  Z28 - 1998 Chevrolet Camaro
  By ep - July 6 - 7:52 pm

  Have 133,000 miles on it. I have owned this car since it had 55,000 miles on it. So far I have had to replace the fuel pump - twice, power steering pump, catalytic converters, oxygen sensors, and clutch. Right now the car is at the shop because it turned off on me suddenly on the freeway. The mechanic shop does not know what it wrong with it yet and has already racked a $1200 bill with the problem yet to be determined. If you want a reliable car stay away from this one. The acceleration might be OK, but in the long run, its not worth the price.

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  Fantastic Vehicle - Prior Euro Car Owner - 2008 Chevrolet Malibu
  By Doug and Sarah - July 6 - 2:36 pm

  Previously owned a VW Passat and still own a 5 series, BMW, this car has been a joy. Stop and go mileage has been around 21-22, which is OK. We have the 2LT. Have not had much opportunity for long distance hwy to see how hwy mileage is. No problems at all with the car. Very quiet and comfortable. Wife loves the OnStar, we use it for directions all the time. Car handles very well, braking is great. Have received many compliments on the vehicle, even from friends who own Lexus, etc. Test drove other Japanese makes and the Malibu blew us away.

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  1999 Corvette - 1999 Chevrolet Corvette
  By lawrence kilfoy - July 6 - 11:40 am

  This has been a exceptional Corvette. No warranty work required. The manufacturers original Goodyear run flat tires were very noisy and I changed to Michelins for a better ride.