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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  This truck is no good - 2003 Chevrolet Silverado 2500HD
  By marc - January 2 - 1:23 pm

  I have owned 9 new vehicles in my life with 4 of them purchased to use for a business. This truck is by far the worst vehicle I have ever owned. I have never had so many different things wrong with one vehicle. Today was the last straw. 40,000 miles and the water pump is out. This vehicle has had electrical problems and still does, radio issues 5 different factory radios,it is on its 3rd exhaust system, tailgate latch issues, seat covers defective, seat belts wearing out and fraying, suspension issues in the front that a frame shop had to repair steering shaft had to be replaced the threshold on the rocker panel was broken and had to replaced. I am running out of room to name everthing

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  fun and value - 2005 Chevrolet Cavalier
  By gary - January 2 - 12:16 pm

  I ahd a cavalier back in 1999 and came back to it in 2005. the car is really quite well made, fun ti drive and has all the feel of a more expensive sports car with the ls coupe edition. Im afairly big guy, 510 240 and the only thing i could ask for is a little more head room. othe than that im thrilled, love driving it and would like to hold on to this one for a while.!

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  2004 5 Speed Coupe - 2004 Chevrolet Cavalier
  By Rickey - January 2 - 11:26 am

  Awesome engine and trans. The base Civic 5 speed I tested had anemic acceleration compared to the base Cavalier. The Cavalier sticks to the road very well with an acceptable ride quality. The BASE stereo with CD rocks! I also own a 93 Cavalier 4 door with 223,000 miles which is still very dependable(only unscheduled maint.was a set of fuel injectors), and another 04 Cavalier this is my wifes car which is an automatic with 24,000 trouble free miles. My "other car" is a 96 Caprice with 178,000 miles. I am very impressed by the amount of car Chevrolet offers for $10k. Based on the price, mileage, and reliability I have received I can personally say the imports dont impress me at all.

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  Sporty looks, fun to drive - 2005 Chevrolet Cavalier
  By Wiccan1 - January 2 - 7:55 am

  I have only driven the car about 2500 miles so far. It is great looking, great on gas, comfortable, and pretty peppy for a 4 cyl. I took the car on a 1500 mile cross country trip, the only problem I had was from the Highway Patrol.lol

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  Chevy LIES about quality improvements! - 2009 Chevrolet Silverado 1500
  By Chevy JUNK!!!!!!!!!! - January 2 - 2:43 am

  It was fresh off the dealer floor on 7/3/09. Has been my secondary vehicle for a year now. I just hit 5,100 miles and all the lifters now need to be replaced. The service tech states that the oiling system oils too much so it blows by the lifters blows out tons of white smoke out of the exhaust constantly. To make matters even more disappointing is the lack of a quality and robust 6 speed transmission, it has no clue how to pick a gear to stay in it. While driving if you make it downshift it will downshift and bring the engine to "Redline" or 6,000 rpm and stay there even if you take your foot off the gas pedal for at least 5 seconds.

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  Little Red Cav - 2002 Chevrolet Cavalier
  By Kyle Carpenter - January 2 - 12:28 am

  I LOVE THIS CAR!!! its simple, and worth every dime I payed. I bought it with 3 miles on it now I have 32,000 miles. And Ive enjoyed every mile. I drove it from Florida to Northern Indiana to Maryland, Now i have it in Hawaii. I love the sporty look.

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  Little Red Cav - 2002 Chevrolet Cavalier
  By Kyle Carpenter - January 2 - 12:12 am

  I love my little red cavelier too bad I need to sell it. I have a 2yr old... We did have the car for the whole infant stage and it was still great.

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  Love Thus Car - 2004 Chevrolet Impala
  By FloridaMan - January 1 - 10:28 pm

  VERY smooth ride. INCREDIBLE price. Spacious rear seating. One of the best values for the money. I looked at many different vehicles, but dollar for dollar this one was the best.

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  Great Truck - 2003 Chevrolet Suburban
  By JR - January 1 - 9:30 pm

  This Z71 is our first Suburban and everything has been fantastic. 23K miles so far and not a single problem! We tow a large boat and its up to the task. Gas mileage is same as my 1995 Grand Cherokee 6cyl (combined 13.5 mpg), but highway is around 18- 19. No complaints at all - its a first class ride.

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  Nice car, lots of goodies for the money - 2007 Chevrolet HHR
  By AlpacaSteve - January 1 - 9:23 pm

  We have the LT, but even the LS has lots of goodies for the price. Features not even mentioned include speed sensitive windshield wipers, traction control included if you get the ABS brakes (option), nicely tinted windows, and a drivers information display on the speedo.