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 old car - 1996 Chevrolet Monte Carlo
  By Shay - November 14 - 10:00 am

  I just purchased my Z34 in Feb and have nothing but problems since then. Oil leaks, window motor, thermostat, vaccum hoses, edmissions problems, timing belt. You name it. Now Ive got tranny problems. Im at my wits ends with this car. It only has 71,000 miles on it. I dont want to see it 100,000.

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  Power Steering Issues - 2004 Chevrolet Malibu
  By SteeringProblem - November 14 - 10:00 am

  Excellent car except for one thing. The power steering system has some major problems. It intermittently fails at any time and the vehicle becomes very hard to steer leading to an unsafe condition. If you check the NHTSAs site you will find numerous descriptions of this exact problem. Buyer beware.

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  likeable - 2004 Chevrolet Blazer
  By asdfasdresdasdf - November 11 - 12:09 pm

  The only complaints I have are that the passenger in the front has a huge hump just in front of the seat where there feet go, and it is very distracting. The other complaint would be the gas mileage...ouchy

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  Still goin strong - 1999 Chevrolet Blazer
  By T.C. Hertweck - November 9 - 4:26 am

  Im currently driving my daughters red 1999 2 door LS Blazer. She bought a new X-Terra stick shift and the Blazer has been so reliable we didnt want to trade it. It has 186,000 miles on it, runs and drives great ( a little weak going upgrade, but then so am I... old age ). Anyway, I like this Blazer and well keep it in the shop for a runabout as it still looks nearly new.

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  2nd row doors tough to open... - 2002 Chevrolet TrailBlazer
  By Tracy Schaller - November 5 - 9:41 pm

  The wiper module has failed 2x. The 2nd seat doors have failed 9x. The 2nd row blower has failed once.The rear tailight has had two repairs. There have been 2 front end repairs in excess of $1K. More repairs that result in lost work time too many to remember. Not what you expect from a new car. Numerous recalls..Chevy extended the old Trailblazer & did a poor job. The undercarriage has a center cross beam that drags on the beach & offroad. YUCK! The only good news is the 3rd road seat comfort. Corporate has yet to accept the design failure on the doors. Avoid this 1st year model like the plague & check the reports on subsequent years.

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  First american car Chevy Malibu - 2007 Chevrolet Malibu Maxx
  By ryanbowman77 - November 2 - 11:22 am

  I like the for getting me to school and it has been reliable since ibought it 4.5 months ago. My Mazda 6 would take anyday over the Malibu The outside is plane no nice lines and the interior look like a 3 year old drew it out

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  Great for its size - 1999 Chevrolet Suburban
  By skudrunner - October 28 - 2:00 am

  I bought my 99 LS new in 1998 for business reasons. Now has 138000 miles and still runs strong. Have replaced normal wear items and starter 3 times, blower control, manifold gasket. Service trans every 50k and use synthetic oil change every 5k. It rattles over bumps but not to bad, mileage between 15-17 and requires a mortgage to fill up when empty but will go 600 miles on a tank. Great on the hwy and not bad around town. Would buy another one if I needed the size, which I dont, and will go with a Honda Pilot when this one wears out.

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  never again - 2005 Chevrolet Cavalier
  By THEBRAT - October 28 - 2:00 am

  hard to handel on the highway when alot of wind or behind 18 wheelers.

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  Okay - 2005 Chevrolet Tahoe
  By Willam Anderson - October 27 - 2:00 am

  This car takes the bumbs very well. If you work 5 minutes away from your house or just dont drive alot, this is a perfect car to drive. I should have bought the Honda Pilot instead of this. This car handles like a big wide cruise.

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  You get what you paid for - 2000 Chevrolet Venture
  By wildkard58 - October 26 - 2:00 am

  At time of purchase, was best bang for buck. Has ABS, front and side airbags. We put about 18K kms per year. 2 road trips every year. Comfy ride highway & good gas mileage too. Under warranty, brought back 5 times to repair interior flaws, once for exterior paint. 3 GM dealers (under warranty period) said lo coolant light shows problem with sensor or head gasket problem. 3 months after warranty ended, coolant leak found: both intake manifold gaskets. This is a known issue with GM 3.4 litre V6s. After 2 months of "talking" with dealership and GM Canada, they fixed it under "goodwill" but still had to pay $130. Poor quality and bad dealer service.