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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  Great to be back in a Chevy - 2003 Chevrolet Venture
  By Kathy I - July 19 - 2:00 am

  This is my second mini van. My first one was a Ford.Before that it was a neon, a stratus and before all of them was a chevy camaro. Nothing but problems with all but the chevy. Moved on to Chevy Venture. The ride is much smoother. Next time around it will be a chevy again. Its great to be back with chevy and only have to take it in for scheduled maintenance only. No repairs. One thing I wish is that I had power sliding doors. Next time!

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  great car except for the leaks... - 2002 Chevrolet Avalanche
  By chesapeake - July 19 - 2:00 am

  I love most things about the AV but the water leaks in the bed and the air leaks on the front passenger side (brutal during a cold winter) really detract. Unfortunately, local dealership here is dishonest so getting things fixed is an issue.

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  Avalanche !!!!! - 2004 Chevrolet Avalanche
  By Phlip - July 19 - 2:00 am

  The Chevy Avalanche is a great vehicle. I traded my Silverado Ext Cab and I havent looked back on that decision. The ride is solid ...firm ...and comfortable. I have a deck boat and a pontoon boat towing is now effortless. I wish I had a nickle for each compliment about the looks of my Avalanche....I would be well on my way to my first payment. :-) This is the best vehicle I have owned....!!!!!

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  LOVE MY SUBURBAN! - 2004 Chevrolet Suburban
  By nayz - July 19 - 2:00 am

  Even though I had a tough time adjusting to the higher gas bill, I LOVE my new suburban!!!!

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  Great Car - 2005 Chevrolet Impala
  By Larry Edwards - July 18 - 7:26 pm

  Its not my Z28 Camaro with the LT1 engine, but then again Im not stopping at every gas station on the way home. Great performance for a V-6, alot more than I had expected.

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  Nice for an Equinox - 2010 Chevrolet Equinox
  By steve - July 18 - 12:46 pm

  My wife wanted a sport utility so she could set up and see better. We owned a 2007 equinox, and I hated it. The 2010 is a 100% improvement. I wish it had more power, but the 4 cy does quite well. We have made 31.5 mpg one time, but at 65mph it normally gets 28- 30 mpg. Interstate driving at 78 mph gets 25 mpg. It is a nice vehicle for the price. It does not get around to good for a FWD in snow and ice.

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  10 Years and still going. - 2007 Chevrolet Tahoe
  By LmH - July 18 - 7:14 am

  Purchased new and if I exclude dealings with the dealership service, very satisfied. Dealership service (2 dealerships) are incapable of diagnosing problems, cant do anythig right the first time and never give a straight answer. If Chevy could sell Tahoes with service packages NOT performed by the dealership service departments they wouldnt be able to keep up with demand! Whats gone wrong with the Tahoe since my new purchase: 1) minor cosmetics fixed under warranty (middle window trim & front door interiror handles - chrome peeled). They never could diagnose a slip joint noise/problem until I researched online and told them, by then it was 1 month out of warranty & I paid $1,275 to repair. 13 months later the same problem and was told "whoever installed it didnt lube!", it was the dealership & it was 1 month out of repair warranty!!! Prices went up in 13 months and an additional $1,350 got it fixed; I made sure it was lubed (crawled under and checked before I drove it away, service rep wasnt happy with me but at that point I wasnt too concerned with edicate). One other warranty claim that didnt get covered was the clock spring (part in the steering wheel that connects all the conmtrol buttons). Started intermitent failing around 1 year and everytime I go to the dealership they could reproduce - I asked them to drive it, set cruise control and operate the radio. The service reps response was "you cant expect us to drive your car for a radio problem!" Needless to say after warranty expired I researched and found GM had 3 different suppliers of clock springs and 1 was susceptable to failing (the one I had). I went to the dealer, told them to replace it and they wouldnt without diagnosing first. 5 trips later and another $1,400 they replaced the battery, some electronic part and finally the clock spring. The only reason they replaced theclock spring was that I (for the first time) got really mad at them and Im not sure if it was my physical size or that fact that my voice carried all the way into the showroom floor (loaded with potential customers) but they finally agreed to change it. Once changed Ive had no problems with my steering wheel buttons. There have been a few other service competency issues and I am actually releived that the car is out of warranty and I get it service/repaired at local shops when needed. After 10 years I checked out new car prices and decided just to keep this and plan any repairs as needed. Just had the plastic badges on the rear (spoiler, pillar covers, licensce plate frames) all repainted due to clear coat chipping, no issues with any metal body panels, only the plastic ones. Paid for the headlight lenses to be polished and UV coated (look better than new) and looking now for a drivers seatcover & foam, interior front door handles (chrome peeling again) and dash (cracked plastic). Once I get these cosmetic issues fixed it will look new again. On a side note, a year ago I started toweing a 5,500 lbs travel trailer. It doesnt like hills but handles it very well.

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  Unbelievably good for the price!! - 2000 Chevrolet Metro
  By victor555 - July 18 - 2:00 am

  Im truly impressed!! I bought it about 11/2 years back with 36K miles for $3500. I now have 52K miles, and the car has been ABSOLUTELY trouble free!! I get about 35 to 36 mpg in PURE city driving (and Los Angeles traffic is as bad as it gets) and it has given as high as 47mpg on pure highway stretches at 65mph with the A/C on!! I was incredibly surprised at how comfortable it was inside (at 510" Im not very tall), but nevertheless it truly exceeded my expectations!! The clutch is among the best in the business, and the gear shifting is butter smooth. This is an UNBELIEVABLE VALUE FOR THE MONEY!!

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  Lots of FUN! - 1993 Chevrolet Corvette
  By RRRAM2 - July 18 - 2:00 am

  This car so far has been the most fun car I have ever had. It sports excellent looks, excellent fuel economy, seat slaming acceleration and go cart handleing. It is very hard to get in and out of. Driving this car is pure joy unless you have to get in and out alot. Under hard accleration it literally jumps from 39 mph to 45, and it doesnt hit 3rd gear until it hits 90mph. I found all the computerized ride and drive controls to be disappoining. I dont need a car correcting me for driving like Im on the race track. It quickly limits your wheels spin and a true posi rear end would have been better than the limited slip they gave it. Its a true racecar

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  Dont Buy It!!!! - 1997 Chevrolet Blazer
  By KickerSolo - July 18 - 2:00 am

  This vehicle was the fist chevy I have every owned and it will be the last. I had it for 1 year and got rid of it as soon as I could. I have never had so many problems.