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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  Love this truck - 2002 Chevrolet S-10
  By miamiredhawk00 - June 5 - 3:56 pm

  My truck has the 4.3 V-6 and the ZQ-8 suspension package, without the ugly x- treme package. I love the look and performance of this truck, its my weekend rig so it stays in excellent condition. If your looking for a truck that looks and drives like a performance car this is it. I dont know how much weight you could put in the bed, but I really only use it for my bicycles. I purchased used and the only problems Ive had were the battery went bad at 30,000 and the 3rd door needed to be adjusted to open properly, it still squeaks a bit while driving but works fine.

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  05 Vette - 2005 Chevrolet Corvette
  By shaltom - June 5 - 12:14 pm

  My first Vette. Glad to have waited for the C-6. More fun to drive than to look at! This car is rock solid. If you have need for speed you will appreciate the performance of this vehicle.

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  No more blazers - 1999 Chevrolet Blazer
  By Learned my lesson - June 5 - 1:52 am

  Bought this 1999 blazer after owning a 1987 blazer, which probably was the best vehicle I have ever owned. Problems started at 32,000 miles when the front suspension had to be replaced."GM Dealership would not fix under warranty" I have replaced the leaking oil lines, alternator,intake gasket,and around 50,000 miles the engine blew up. Have always changed my oil at 3000 miles and used a good grade of oil and filter. The (extended warranty) rep said probably just a faulty part. After reading other reviews looks like Im not the only one with these problems. "Be careful of extended warranties"

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  Original owner - 1998 Chevrolet Camaro
  By mike - June 5 - 12:22 am

  Im the original owner of a 1998 Z28 Camaro and its been a really great car. Ive had it now for 7 years and have been driving it every day and in all types of weather. Its an absolute hoot of fun to drive. The LS1 V8 is a lion of an engine and it has incredible acceleration and handling - even to this day. Its also been very reliable considering how these cars always seem to have a bad rating in this area The only drawback is the difficulty of getting in and out of the car

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  Fun to drive - 2005 Chevrolet Uplander
  By ronald peluso - June 4 - 9:39 pm

  Vehicle is fun to drive. Font end is very "sharp" looking. Lots of compartments and holders.

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  Big, comfortable, reliable, nice driver - 2003 Chevrolet Suburban
  By BigDave - June 4 - 5:53 pm

  We have had four Suburbans since 1995. All of them have been better than the last. The 2003 is by far the nicest and best riding of the four. Ours has everything but DVD and middle captains seats. We have had no major problems in 44K miles. Several small things were dealt with under warranty, but no big deal. We get fair mielage, about 15, and we are suprised at how fast and powerful this is with a 5.3 motor. With our kids grown and out of the house, we went without a Suburban for 3 months, then decided to get this 2003. Are we happy we got one more.

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  Civilized performance - 2005 Chevrolet Corvette
  By Dave - June 4 - 4:50 pm

  This car is deceptively fast. You have to compare it to another performance car driving next to you to realize how quick she is. I was surprised how smooth the car is even with the Z51 performance package. This car goes, turns and stops like nothing else can. A heads up display that ties in to your navagation system... way cool. I love it.

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  I like it - 2005 Chevrolet Cobalt
  By J Dancik - June 4 - 6:10 am

  I like the styling and performance. The only flaw I have found are both front doors swing open too far. You have to be very careful where to park it or there will be some damage if you allow the doors to open all the way

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  Hard to Beat! - 2002 Chevrolet Corvette
  By Lee Whitney - June 4 - 3:32 am

  For the money, the 02 Z06 is hard to beat! Performance is right up there with exotics that cost way more. My only real complaint is the slight amount of "orange peel" in the paint and they could have used better quality leather in the seats. On a trip, I got 30 miles per gal with the Z06 in 6th gear and the cruise control set at about73 mph.Not bad for a 405 HP hot rod.I recent put a Vortech (smog legal) supercharger on my Z06 and its now putting out over 560 (reliable)HP at the crank and it still gets over 27 miles per gal. Its a real animal and should be able to stay right with the new 2006 (500 hp) Z06. Even with the blower, I am extremely happy with the durablity and reliablity of my Z06.

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  ZR2, all the options - 2000 Chevrolet Blazer
  By laner - June 3 - 12:07 pm

  Ive had the Blazer for 3 months now, and its everything I expected and more. Its fun to drive, and the highway mileage is above 20mpg. I love being able to have the rear seats down for easy storage. Of course theres wear and tear, and parts to buy, but its an SUV. Its kind of expected.