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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  SSR Not for the shy person - 2003 Chevrolet SSR
  By rhobbel - January 8 - 2:00 am

  This truck is by far way ahead of its time. Like the PT Cruiser by Chrysler it has a nostalgic look about it. Reminds me of what a concept vehicle of the 50s would look like. Only they would have never been able to dream up that convertable hard top that stacks up and lays neatly between the seat and the bed of the truck. Turns heads everywhere it goes. If your shy dont buy this truck as every time you stop people want to talk to you about it

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  xtrem blazer - 2001 Chevrolet Blazer
  By xtremblazer - January 8 - 2:00 am

  it has a good system for it to be stock and it has very good styling it is a very good car and is actually preaty fast and it is not hard to find performence part for it

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  try again chevrolet!!! - 2002 Chevrolet Avalanche
  By winston - January 8 - 2:00 am

  All though the 2002 Avalanche is an innovative design it is poorly designed from stem to stern. Specifically, head lamps that hold water/condensation,engine air vents that collect all sorts of debris,plastic side panels that will probably cause corrosion problems in thefuture, combo leather and cloth seats that are absolutely uncmfortable after 30to 45min of driving, a fold down bed extension system that leaks and a covered bed design that the chevy dealer says is water resistant, ie it leaks, yup you guessed it by luggage and golf clubs have gotten wet more than once. To sum it up Dont buy the avalanche, built like a rock and worth about as much!

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  The Big Truck Keeps Rolling - 2004 Chevrolet Suburban
  By DT - January 8 - 2:00 am

  If your looking for a people over and a cargo hauler this is the truck for you. Performace is great and I cant get over the Gas Milage for such a big truck. 12 City / 16.0 HWY Totaly Awesome!

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  Awesome car - 2005 Chevrolet Equinox
  By Ethan - January 8 - 12:23 am

  This is the best midsized SUV Ive ever had. It is way better than the Escape, Vue, Trailblazer, and Envoy. It is sporty. It almost looks like a Lexus/Mercedes Ive been told. It has a lot of power and room. It drives great. Its very quiet and comfortable. Its very sharp looking. I love my new Equinox LT.

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  TNT SS - 2004 Chevrolet Silverado 1500
  By Mark - January 8 - 12:23 am

  This is a nice truck. Driving, handling, and towing ability is great. The AWD is a nice feature. If you tow a boat, getting out of the water with those steep ramps is easy. The truck has a great look. The gas mileage could be a little better, but compared to the 5.3 gas mileage, thats not bad for 50 more HP. There are not many SS out there, so if you want something that is real and draws attention, this is a great truck in all categories. Just for a few more grand, you will be satisfied. Test drive says it all. I own two SS, 1990 454SS and 2004 SS. Both trucks are excellent.

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  VERY HAPPY OWNER - 2010 Chevrolet Silverado 1500
  By mccdon - January 7 - 9:43 pm

  I bought this truck mainly to haul people in comfort, and occasionally loads of gravel, bark, or building material. The comfort is outstanding. The front seats are luxurious. Rear seat room is adequate for large adults. The build feels solid. Fuel economy appears to be near EPA estimates based on the Driver Information Center (DIC) I got 20 MPG coming home from the dealer-about 60 miles. I cant tell when the truck shifts between 4 and 8 cylinders unless I am watching on the DIC. There are many personalized settings to be made on the DIC. The dual zone climate control works great. Very happy!

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  First impressions! - 2008 Chevrolet Equinox
  By r - January 7 - 6:46 am

  Gets attention from the public. Good performance. Wheels compliment car. Only driven a few days. easy to get in and out of.

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  There is no other car Id rather have - 1995 Chevrolet Impala
  By p6134476@yahoo.com - January 7 - 2:00 am

  Ive put about 100,000 miles on it in the last 3.5 years and have had very little trouble. Its fun to drive, very roomy, tremendously easy to work on (I can swap the water pump in well under an hour). It is also quite the attention-getter. Economy is not the word with this car though - tires are $150-$200 each, milage you can expect 17-20 mpg (although some get more) and all the toys youll want to buy for it aint cheap.

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  Steaming grey pile of garbage - 1996 Chevrolet Astro
  By gohm - January 7 - 2:00 am

  From day one, the van has ben nickle and diming us to death. We could not claim lemon because they were all different problems. We have only 54K on it, and we have replaced alternator, wiper motor and need a new A/C compressor, drivers door window motor, transmission and everything on the motor that has oil in it has a leak. I would not tell my worst enemy to buy one of these peices of junk.