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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  Good car - 1993 Chevrolet Cavalier
  By brady - September 23 - 2:00 am

  I dont know if I just got lucky, but my cavalier ran for over 130,000 miles with little to no repairs on it. Only after 130,000 did anything need to really be fixed.

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  Dont Buy First Year Models or Chevys - 1997 Chevrolet Malibu
  By msmiley - September 23 - 2:00 am

  I bought this car in March of 1997 and had problems with it ever since. Lets see...3 lower control arms (they rattled), ABS sensor bad, #1 fuel injector bad, altenator quit, brakes wore prematurely, headlights fogged over, brake pedal pad fell off, rear window seal blew out, interior panelling came off, turn signal wouldnt cancell after making a left turn(took two dealership visits to convinve them it was actually malfucntioning), and numerous other problems. This car is junk, not even rental fleet worthy. I got a divorce and she got this hunk of junk, thank goddness. I bought an import which now has over 35,000 miles on it with NO problems.

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  One Speedy Devil - 1999 Chevrolet Cavalier
  By One Speedy Devil - September 23 - 2:00 am

  I really like how the car drives the only thing i would have liked to see that was different on the car was a better seal for water. it leaks like crazy but all and all, a very nice car

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  great truck - 2003 Chevrolet Avalanche
  By geoa - September 23 - 2:00 am

  I love this truck

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  Not Bad - 2003 Chevrolet Suburban
  By purgetank - September 23 - 2:00 am

  I didnt intend to purchase this vehicle but after a test drive I was sold. The only disappointment was the front end which killed my first set of tires within 20000 miles. After that scene Ive been able to really enjoy my Suburban.

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  Smooth 5.3L V8 - 2005 Chevrolet TrailBlazer EXT
  By John - September 22 - 4:26 pm

  The smoothest SUV I have ever driven. I love taking road trips with this vehicle. Acceleration is excellent, suspension is wonderful, and with that 3rd row theres room for everyone. I drove a Honda Pilot, Toyota 4runner, Mitsubishi Endeavor, toyota sequoia, lincoln navigator, and yet none of those cars come close to the smoothness of an EXT Trailblazer. Excellent job GM. Japanese may have the advantage when it comes to small compact cars, but its all hands down to American when it comes down to the SUV segment.

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  my new HHR - 2006 Chevrolet HHR
  By Archer19541 - September 22 - 12:40 pm

  I love the vehicle, there are only 2 things that I dont like. The first is the location of the window controls, they are out of place and you have to search for them. The other is the electronic steering is a little touchy and sensitive at low speeds.

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  Intial Thoughts - 2006 Chevrolet Impala
  By Elliot - September 22 - 7:16 am

  Picked up my ordered 2006 on Tuesday the 26th so I am not trying to give a detailed review yet, but some intial thoughts after the first week of owning it. I traded a 2004 SS with 9800 miles because I wanted the all new model. The 04 was a great car (no problems) and I sort of wondered if I would be sorry I did a trade. The new style I find more pleasing to me except I am a bit disappointed with the front end design (looks like a large smiling mouth to me). The rear end looks great, and the interior, although still looking less then impressive, is passable. I do have a slight squeak noise in the right front interior somewhere such as possible plastic trim rubbing together. My 04 had a similar noise.

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  Best Monte Carlo since the 1970 version - 2004 Chevrolet Monte Carlo
  By Scott Riggi - September 22 - 6:13 am

  My Father bought the first Monte Carlo in 1970, which had the 400 small block engine. I have owned the 1977, 1987 and the 2004. As I stated the 2004 supercharged is my favorite. Everything you could ask for in a sport car coup. The coups are a dying breed. And the same has hit the Monte Carlo again. If I am going to purchase a four door I will purchase a Cadillac or LIncoln. Which I have done in the past. The change over from the 2004-2005 to the last version is not very attractive compared to the 2004 version. Gone are the bowtie headlamps. Gone the hood design and front and rear quarter panels. The only good thing was the V8.

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  Reliable - 1996 Chevrolet Tahoe
  By Brad English - September 22 - 2:00 am

  I purchased this truck/suv based on the look, but was soon won over by the power and versatility of this truck/suv. It has done everything I have asked it to do, and more. I regularly pull a 1989 24 travel trailer with it and it has not problems doing so. I thought the Tahoe would have problem with such an old heavy trailer, but it doesnt.