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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  OK SUV - 1996 Chevrolet Blazer
  By chaz7311 - March 11 - 2:00 am

  No problems so far, replaced thermostat and rear window release. Transmission shifts extremely had when driven on the highway for an hour or more. Not easy to drive in the wind, reclining seat handle broke.

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  Made it to 137,000. Time to move on. - 1998 Chevrolet Venture
  By Major Brock - March 10 - 2:00 am

  120,000 Headlight Lens fell off. 137,000 Replace in take and rear wiper does not operate. Wish it would have gone longer. All good things must come to an end.

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  Not So Xtreme S-10 - 2001 Chevrolet S-10
  By Not So Xtreme - March 9 - 2:00 am

  I owned this 2001 S-10 Xtreme for a little over two and a half years. First off, this car got horrible gas mileage, about 15 city and 17 hwy. The build quality was not so great. The handle on the third door broke after about a year and a half (not covered by the standard warranty). The driver’s side seat belt clasp stopped working. There were multiple squeaks and rattles coming from the dash and side paneling. Finally, the chip resistant paint the car salesmen told me the truck had turned out to be not so chip resistant. It seemed like any little speck of dust that went over my car while driving on the freeway took out little bits of the paint.

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  Z71 Suburban - 2004 Chevrolet Suburban
  By Carek - March 9 - 2:00 am

  Numerous mechanical problems that should not be present in a vehicle of this price or age. Not the first Chevrolet but maybe the last I own. Dealer support for these problems not very good at all.

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  3.1 and Intake Fun - 1995 Chevrolet Lumina
  By poolboy - March 8 - 2:00 am

  70,000 miles and the Intake Manifold fails. I work in the automotive aftermarket. Now that I have had this issue, I cant hear enough about what a piece of junk this 3.1 is. Mechanics said they see this problem all the time with the 3.1. Most leaks leak out. Mine leaked in. A gallon of antifreeze in a crank case is never a good thing. Loved the car, hate the engine. You would have thought GM would have said something about the chronic problem. A new manifold isnt that much to replace....a new engine is.

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  Alright, but dont run and buy one - 2001 Chevrolet Blazer
  By HipHop - March 8 - 2:00 am

  3 people I know bought blazers within 3 monthes of getting this one, all three have had the exact same problems at the exact same mileage meaning the overall quality is terrible, the ride is too stiff for as bad as the truck handles - all the interior pieces rattle when you drive anywhere - can get beat (speed wise) by most any car on the road

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  good all around car - 1996 Chevrolet Lumina
  By maytagman - March 7 - 2:00 am

  ok for a person thats not six feet tall

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  2nd time, shame on me - 2006 Chevrolet Silverado 2500HD
  By Troy - March 4 - 2:16 pm

  Cannot say enough about the power of the 6.6 Duramax, handles grades up and down quite well. The seats are very comfortable, both front and rear; with three kids, it had to be. Not nearly as impressed with the finish as this is the second new GM/Chevy product I have owned in the past 12 years and both were of far less quality finish than the competition. Fortunately for GM/Chevy, it was the heart, not the looks, Shame on GM/Chevy for their lack of quality control on the exterior finish.

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  Workhorse - no glamour - 2006 Chevrolet TrailBlazer EXT
  By nicholas slater - March 2 - 9:23 am

  Guzzles gas (not good right now), no frills, reliable workhorse. I would not buy another one though, as I do not feel it is value for the price.

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  No more S-10 - 1996 Chevrolet S-10
  By acmtx - March 2 - 2:00 am

  This is my third S-10 and for the most part Ive gotten where I needed to go. The 1996 has been one problem after another. In order Brakes, Wiper Motor, Speedometer, A/C, Heater,Intake Leak, Radiator,Transmission and now the Water Pump! Throw in 5 Batteries, 5 Thermostats, Two Radios and a back window. Thats my 1996 Chevy S-10. All at 74,554 miles! BuyAYORisk!