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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  Elegant and reliable - 2010 Chevrolet Malibu
  By Azury Florio - April 29 - 3:07 pm

  The best design among Malibus

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  9 great years and 127k miles - 1995 Chevrolet Cavalier
  By EddieG - April 29 - 2:00 am

  Original Owner, this car has taken me all over the country and back. Has only needed routine brake and tire maintenance - ZERO mechanical problems. Fuel economy isnt what it was 9 years ago, but still better than most cars on the road. And one of the sportiest cars for its price range!

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  Ultimate family hauler - 4wd diesel Sub - 1997 Chevrolet Suburban
  By 4smiths - April 29 - 2:00 am

  After 20 months and 24,000 miles, my wife loves this truck for its overall capability and family friendliness. Gets 18mpg @ 75 mph cruising, and 15mpg in strictly around-town driving. The 6.5L turbodiesel is a remarkable powerplant for a full-size SUV, and the 4L-80E transmission is simply outstanding in every way. Surprisingly good handler for such a huge rig, although it will never fool a driver into thinking that its a sports car!

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  Chev Blazer Rules - 2004 Chevrolet Blazer
  By speed140 - April 29 - 2:00 am

  This is my second Blazer. I also had a 2001 which I traded in for a Honda Element. Six months later I traded back into a Blazer. Yes I can prove it. The Element is better for the street as far as handlability and speed but I like the offroad ability of the Blazer a bit better.

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  I love it - 2002 Chevrolet Camaro
  By offset98 - April 29 - 2:00 am

  My family hated it, my friends made fun of it...guess what. Zero problems with this car! My buddys A4 is in the shop monthly! Anyway, I have nothing but good things to say about the car. Ad a few bolt-ons to the car and you have what I have: 338.3 rwhp & 356.5 ft/lbs all @ 2100ft altitude. I took this car on trips between Chicago and So. Cal and it didnt skip a beat. Not even 12k feet up in altitude over the rockies.

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  My Chevy - 1999 Chevrolet Tahoe
  By Markizel - April 29 - 2:00 am

  This is a great vehicle. Gets great gas mileage for a big vehicle and is comfortable to ride in. It has an extremely smooth ride. Rides like a car, even though it has the heart and soul of a truck.

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  Dont underestimate the AUTO V6 - 2016 Chevrolet Camaro
  By Diego J - April 29 - 1:56 am

  I was very hesitant in purchasing the new 2016 V6 Camaro and opted to go with essentially the base model because this is my fiancés and Is secondary car so we didnt need all the bells and whistles. I had been looking at the R/T Challenger which was about $10k more, and while it definitely sounded meaner, it was not worth it to me personally. The Camaro has been such a great purchase so far, I have gotten so many compliments on the new styling and the sound of the engine while driving. Its 0-60 in 5.9 seconds which to me is more than enough speed(335 HP). I will update in a year after I see if the quality of the car holds up. The visibility is definitely something I had to get used to (coming from our other car which is a 16 ford fusion that has pretty decent visibility) but I added blind spot mirrors and use the rearview camera often and I have gotten the hang of the visibility of the car. I am looking forward to taking this to California for family visits to see how it handles through the mountains. Also the car may seem small inside but I had a friend get in who was about 63 and he told me he was more than comfortable in the car so dont let the interior size put you off.

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  Nice car - 2004 Chevrolet Monte Carlo
  By Ltdc - April 28 - 10:20 pm

  I now have 13,000 miles on the Monte Carlo. So far the car could not have given me any less trouble. When I first bought the car I had a number of people comment on how much they liked the color. It is the metalic blue. I have had people ride in the rear seat and theyve told me they found it quite comfortable. Its nice to have the rear seat back fold down, but Ive noticed that anything with much bulk will have a tough time fitting in the trunk. Ive read other reviews commenting on the lack of a light in the glove compartment and must agree that Chevy shouldnt have cheaped out on that. Its a pain to look in there in the dark. Overall Im very satisfied with the car and dont regret buying it.

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  First Car last car - 2016 Chevrolet Impala
  By Michael Mitchell - April 28 - 8:09 pm

  My first car 51 years ago was a Chevy, Havent bought one since until I test drove the new Impala LTZ. Very nice, I came out of a CTS which I liked a lot , I like this at lest as much for $20,000 less.

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  I like it for now - 2005 Chevrolet Equinox
  By CP - April 28 - 2:43 pm

  I had nothing but used vehicles prior to this, and for the reliability and affordability, you cant beat it. The V6 purrs on the open road, but can be choppy in stop and go traffic. I really wanted something bigger, but until I can afford it, this is a great transition vehicle.