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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  My new car - 2001 Chevrolet Impala
  By Barb M - December 25 - 2:58 pm

  This is the first car Ive ever owned. Its kind of intimidating at first, but the look and the ride is absolutely georgous.

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  KING OF THE SUVS - 2005 Chevrolet Avalanche
  By WILLIAM DYER - December 25 - 12:31 pm

  THIS VEHICLE HAS A SUPERIOR RIDE AND HANDLING OF ANY SPORT UTILITY I HAVE EVER EXPERIENCED. IT IS A VERY MULTI- PURPOSE VEHICLE. GOOD FOR SPORTING OR LONG FAMILY TRIPS. IT QUITE HONESTLY IS THE BEST AUTOMOBILE I HAVE EVER OWNED.

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  Just about a year - 2004 Chevrolet Colorado
  By Pete Morano - December 24 - 9:10 pm

  Ive had my Colorado just about a year and it has been EXCELLENT! The truck went back to the dealer for a loose electrical connector to the emissions system and hasnt been back other than oil changes and a tire rotation. This truck is still very impressive. There are no squeaks or rattles, with over 20K on the clock. The I5 performs nicely. Its not a tire burner, but there is plenty of oomph when needed It pulls my horse trailer with no problems and performs predictably with a full load in the bed. Handling is excellent, as it is better than a few cars I have owned. My Orange Sunburst Chevy still turns heads and looks great. Id still pick it over a 2005 Toyota or Nissan.

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  Dennys Truck - 2005 Chevrolet Avalanche
  By Dennys Truck - December 24 - 2:34 pm

  Ive had my truck for 3 months and it has been the best purchased vehicle Ive made thus far. It does not ride like a truck. It is very confortable to drive and ride in. I consider this to be one of my better investments.

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  Great car, fun to drive - 2003 Chevrolet Corvette
  By FredF - December 24 - 10:00 am

  Incredible performance, great feel, and perfect cornering. With the new F55 Magnetic ride control this car has a smoother ride, bumps are 10x smoother than the F45 or other high performance suspensions. You get a tight ride, but the computer response with the magnetic shocks make it perfect! The heads up display is a must! This car can stop as fast as it can acelerate, FAST! Very happy with my vette!

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  Happy Customer - 2002 Chevrolet TrailBlazer
  By Terry Pogue - December 24 - 10:00 am

  Overall we love the Trail Blazer, it is a pleasure to drive. It is quite and smooth with little road noise. The gauges are plan and easy to see and read. Road visibility is very good. The stock sound system is above normal in quality and performance. The drive train is sound and powerful. 2WD likes to change on its own to AWD and/or 4WD and some times it feels like the truck could easily be rolled if turning to quickly. Not happy about the three recalls but they were taken care of in a timely manner.

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  Decent car but no Toyota or Honda - 1997 Chevrolet Lumina
  By james - December 24 - 12:35 am

  Its been 2 years and a half since we bought this car from my uncle. It had 56 k miles and now has 84k. I noticed it started to lose coolant in the overflow bottle almost from day one. It soon needed the intake manifold gasket replaced which was about a $600.00 repair. A year later it needed the alternator ($300.00} and a water pump {$200.00]. Ive heard this isnt abnormal for a car with this kind of mileage. It rides quieter than our 97 Camry and gets better gas mileage as well (about 25 mpg). Seats are fair at best. Big trunk. Not screwed together as well as Hondas and Toyotas weve had. We got the car for a cheap price so the repairs didnt bankrupt us.

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  Great Car - 1999 Chevrolet Monte Carlo
  By mrf777 - December 23 - 8:43 pm

  This has been my favorite car Ive ever owned. Its been reliable and fun to drive. Its good on gas and the body still looks great. Id buy another in a minute.

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  Stay Away from Blazer - 2000 Chevrolet Blazer
  By edhall20 - December 23 - 1:59 pm

  Bought my 4WD 2000 LS Blazer brand new, and didnt have any problems until about 25,000 miles. Now it seems like its falling apart. Just got a quote for $2400 to fix the door hindges and pins, replace a leaking oil line, and fix the ball joint on all the tires. Apparently the tires were in danger of falling off!! This seems ridiculous for a 4 year old car with only 30,000 miles on it. Oh yeah forgot to mention that it needed a whole new computer system (whatever that is), and needs a new sending unit for the gas tank. Thats right, we have no idea how much gas is left in it. Im now thinking of trading it in.

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  EXT - 2004 Chevrolet TrailBlazer EXT
  By Dakota - December 23 - 8:46 am

  I thought I would try GM again after many years of imports....what a mistake!. I have had this Trailblazer for 14 months, bought it with 39,000 miles. I have had over $1000 in repairs- window regulator, O2 sensor, other,various emissions work, interior panels loose, weather stripping loose, leather wears poorly. I am very disappointed with the quality. I do like the space, 3rd row of seats and towing capacity.