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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  Ten days of sheer joy so far - 2004 Chevrolet SSR
  By Gentlespirit - October 4 - 2:00 am

  I bought my 2004 SSR 10 days ago. It is Slingshot Yellow and has all of the trimmings except the chrome wheels. I got an incredible deal from the dealer: 8% discount AND 72 months at 0% financing. Some of the salesmen suggested I might have "stolen" it (heh heh). Well certainly not. But I can certainly say I couldnt have afforded it any other way. An MSRP of nearly $47K put it out of reach until the magic of discount + 0% came around. I have been driving it all around for the past 10 days. It has been pure unadulterated joy. I get thumbs up, "OK" hand signs, rolled down windows with big smiles and every other kind of admiration everywhere I go. A huge boost to my self esteem. I adore it!

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  Dont buy a 95 Camaro - 1995 Chevrolet Camaro
  By Former Camaro Owner - October 4 - 2:00 am

  My boyfriend had owned a 95 Camaro for 3 years,when he bought it had arround 50,000 miles on it arround the last year are so it started having problems with the water pump and all of a sudden we took it in for steam coming out of engine the guy we took it to was very knowledgeable and he said some how the mantle block cracked and to fix one of them it would cost arround 4,000 bucks and now us being not at home anymore and paying bills with hardly any money we were S.O.L and it just kept getting worse the last 2 days we had the camaro it would over heat in 2 mintues of turning it on and thank god the place we traded it in they didnt even turn the car on. The milliage at the end was at 98,000

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  Great truck, love every minute of it - 2001 Chevrolet Tahoe
  By khornet93 - October 4 - 2:00 am

  Id been shopping for a new truck with my Jimmy lease about to expire when I ran across this one. Purchased GM Certified Used with only 16,000 miles on it. It has never been in for anything other than routine maintenance and Id recommend this truck to anyone. Never tried any serious offroading in it, but it more than handles the harsh Michigan winters!

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  Good value - 2003 Chevrolet Malibu
  By Team Henge - October 4 - 2:00 am

  Overall a good value for the price. Purchase cost is substantially less than Accord and Camry, with comprable operating costs.

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  Blue Collar Workers Beware - 2004 Chevrolet Colorado
  By anttest - October 4 - 2:00 am

  Supposedly a work truck, front tires destroyed due to front end"misalignment" due to vehicle loading (tool box and ladder racks weighing less than 300 lbs.) Was advised by service department to purchase new set of "truck" tires since the ones that came with the truck were passenger tires.

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  most fun ever - 2004 Chevrolet Corvette
  By my vet - October 4 - 2:00 am

  Car is fun to drive. Just drove car from Florida to Pa and back. No problems with back because seat is very comfortable and the ride is so smooth. The 2004 Vet is the car to buy. Best decisson I ever made was to buy this car

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  Thumber - 2004 Chevrolet Tahoe
  By Jo Ann Page - October 4 - 2:00 am

  I have always stayed with Damiler/Chrylser vehicles, but needed a bigger suv for my family. We looked and looked and finally decided on the 2004 2wd Tahoe. The vehicle is huge inside and still sporty on the outside. It is the best vehicle Ihave ever owned. I would recommend it to anyone on the market for a SUV with style and power.

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  chevy tahoe - 2004 Chevrolet Tahoe
  By Adaphine - October 4 - 2:00 am

  This is the best vehicle I have ever owned. this is my second Tahoe, I will be buying again. the comfort and quality can not be matched

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  Great Truck - 2005 Chevrolet Silverado 1500
  By mmaher - October 3 - 5:06 pm

  I have owned several different makes of trucks (Ford,Dodge and Toyota) and I am very impressed with the Silverados performance, style and handling. It is a great vehicle in all areas including price. My last truck was a S10 ZR-2 but the Silverado is a much better vehicle and gets the same gas mileage as the 4.3 V6 in my S10. Can not say enough good things about this vehicle! This is THE best truck I have ever owned! PS my other truck I still own is a Toyota!

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  Loved it until the transmission failed - 2002 Chevrolet Silverado 1500
  By Sherwood - October 3 - 2:40 pm

  I bought my Silverado new in 2002 after owning a 2000 Silverado for a couple of years. I liked the fourth door (my 2000 had 3 doors) and I wanted the the 3.73 locking rear end. I also loved the color, dark carmine red. I have taken really great care of this truck, serviced regularly, synthetic oil changes every 3500 to 4000 miles. I never towed anything even though I bought it with the towing package (just in case). Rarely more than a few hundred pounds. It is my daily driver. At just under 63000 miles it burned up the transmission and put me out around $3000. I feel cheated on and not sure if I can trust it not to cheat on me again even though it really runs great. I am so disapointed.