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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  SS - 2002 Chevrolet Camaro
  By Maverick822 - March 19 - 2:00 am

  Incredible car for the money. Most people dont know that it gets the same fuel economy as a Camry, and matches the Porsche 911 0-60. Plus it has 33.0 cubic feet of cargo area. I think Chevrolet missed their market by not advertising the positives of this car, and by letting the gen 3 f-cars image discourage would-be buyers. Also, contrary to popular belief, this car isnt bad in the snow. If you think so, just change the tires to all-season.

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  old reliable - 2001 Chevrolet Blazer
  By Kim James - March 19 - 2:00 am

  Always ready to go. Never had a problem with vehicle. Not 4 wheel drive but does a great job pulling an 18ft boat out of the water up a hills.

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  Innovative Truck - 2002 Chevrolet Avalanche
  By Brandon Brown - March 19 - 2:00 am

  I have the luxury of driving nearly every model of truck by the three major American truck makers where I work. Based on my experience with work trucks I decided to buy a Chevrolet or Dodge. Then I decided to buy an Avalanche after test driving some. Chevrolet cant be beat for on road driving and overall family features. Innovative engineering makes this a remarkable truck - my family can use it for anything.

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  My Ride - 2005 Chevrolet Equinox
  By cw4915e - March 18 - 8:56 am

  My 05 Equinox was a good idea from GM. I still get EPA ratings for fuel and its been a very dependable ride. I had some oil leaks between 26K and 30K but were quick repairs at the dealer. The AWD feature is a blessing in the Colorado winters. Glad we got it!

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  350 F-Body Review - 1990 Chevrolet Camaro
  By mindy shorr - March 18 - 2:00 am

  this unit is super quick, fast and stong. remember, a poor or moderate comfort rating is desirable in a performence car. it has 245 hp and 345 lb/ft of torque in standard form. the 1990-92 f-body may be the best performer of all four generations. motor trend magaine tested this in the march 1990 issue with a 0-60 time of 5.8 seconds. and this test was without factory option slp. this was a short model year, so all 90 models were made during the last three months of 1989. why so short? g.m. did not renew its contract with the i.r.o.c. and was not licensed to use iroc starting january 1990.

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  totally satisfied with this van! - 1997 Chevrolet Astro
  By Carolyn - March 18 - 2:00 am

  I put the miles on per year and this van keeps up with them have had no major problems .....power window on drivers side.yes but have found that to be a weakness with chevys.....mine has 142,000 miles and runs like a clock..if I didnt need more room for my business , would definately get another..will be sad to retire this one.

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  A lot of go for a 4 banger - 1997 Chevrolet Cavalier
  By greennirvana101 - March 18 - 2:00 am

  i just bought this car used with a bunch of mods on it... it runs 0-60 in 6.7! its got a lot of go and potential for such a great price

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  TAHOE MAN - 1996 Chevrolet Tahoe
  By BEAGLEHOE - March 18 - 2:00 am

  I bought a 2 door Tahoe LT used and have had it for 6 months now. I spent a total of around 2K in repairs & maintenance in the first two months of owening it. It needed these repairs and since then I havent had any real problems (knock on wood). I love this car b/c i believe in Chevy & its gona be a classic Monster truck one day.

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  Poor Engineering and Build Quality!!! - 1998 Chevrolet Blazer
  By NOMORECHEVYS - March 18 - 2:00 am

  Horrific ride but the worst thing is its POOR OVERALL QUALITY! Things that shouldnt leak @ 50K do oil lines, front differential etc... And worse yet, stuff that shouldnt "ever" break (even if its sitting in a junkyard), does door handles, seat adjustment knobs & levers. Not to mention, all the ball joints needing replacement before 50K. In fact, Im surprised the engineers that designed this piece of CRAP can sleep at night. No wait, its the Japanese who intentionally build in quality, right? I should have expected this from GM--needless to say, I sold mine and will be reading and believing these reviews "before" buying my next vehicle.

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  problems wth my corvette - 2001 Chevrolet Corvette
  By laguana - March 18 - 2:00 am

  The first two years I had the car it was nothing but problems.Check engine light coming on constantly.I tried to resolve my issue with GM but all they could offer me was oil changes,finally I contacted Better Business Bureau and within a week I was getting somewhere with the problems.This was a leased and I wanted a car that was dependable,being in the State of Nevada there is a lemon law three strikes and its history or compromise.Finally GM settled with a five year or 60000 miles powertrain warranty.Thanks to Better Business Bureau.Will move on to European models it was fun but the aggravation it put me through wasnt worth buying another GM product.