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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  Reliable, fun, basic transportation - 2003 Chevrolet Cavalier
  By 70novaman - December 29 - 2:00 am

  I test drove 4 cars before deciding on the Cavalier. A Honda Civic, a Mazda Protege, a Ford Focus ZX3 and the Cavalier. The Cavalier beat them all hands down for value vs. dollars. The Honda felt "tinny" as did the Mazda. The Focus I tested had a terrible front end vibration to which the dealer attributed to "rust on the rotors from sitting on the lot" - What? None of the other cars had that problem. The Cavalier is basic, good transporation. Love it.

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  Chevy Excellence - 2001 Chevrolet Monte Carlo
  By WOLFMAN - December 28 - 10:36 pm

  Gotta love it! Great looks, great ride. Black w/dark tint looks like an intimidator on the road. Get looks from everyone who likes cars and from many who normally wouldnt notice. Have been a mechanic for 20 yrs. and from a repair standpoint this car is exceptionaly built, keeping it simple and yet having all the amenities of a far more costly car. When it does have to be worked on it is roomy and straightforward for the repair tech, which will make him/her smile while performing the repairs needed. Will be purchasing another SS to hotrod and park beside our 81 Monte Carlo. Nothing else has enough class to wear a bowtie other than a Chevy!

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  Solid, Stylish Malibu - 2008 Chevrolet Malibu
  By Nick - December 28 - 4:10 pm

  This is a great car. I love the 2- tone cocoa/cashmire interior and the ambient lighting. The car handles the curvey New England roads extremely well and I averaged 36 MPG on my first long road trip! XM radio is great, although I probably wont renew the subscription after the free trial. I love the clean lines on the exterior and the dual-cockpit design on the interior. The interior is extremely quiet and the build quality is on par with anything else in its class. The trunk is large enough to hold my golf clubs and ice hockey bag and still have some room to squeeze stuff in. If you are looking for a great car in this segment you should definitely check out the Malibu.

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  A Jet - 2016 Chevrolet Corvette
  By Ed Schmidt - December 28 - 2:43 am

  This is like a jet cockpit compared to my 2006. At 71 it will take me awhile to learn all of its tech. options. I have had young, old, male, and female give me the thumbs up. She is white with red and black interior with black wheels. It is not a soft cushion ride. It is a sports car in the true sense. I only have 553 miles on her. A funny- stopped for gas and could not find the gas cap release. THERE are none, not even a gas cap. Sitting down and reading the books are important. This is a keeper.

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  Its Okay.... could be worse - 1998 Chevrolet Blazer
  By lnorris - December 28 - 2:00 am

  I find the steering wheel very stiff when we traded the Astro van off for it I actually had sore arms for several days from driving it I could whip that van around with one finger- not this Blazer. Havent had many problems but the one big one is the ABS, which I find scary. Brakes lock up with no warning. Have replaced nearly every part of the brake system except the brain stuff. Wiper motor is sporadic. Gas mileage could be better. 4WD is fun, no probs. I actually drive it in 4H in the rain in speeds below 35-40 it disengages the ABS so I dont rear- end someone. Oh, and the passenger side plastic adjustment handle broke off.

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  2000 CHEVY MALIBU LS - 2000 Chevrolet Malibu
  By RonG12 - December 28 - 2:00 am

  THIS CAR IS A DOG. DONT BUY IT. ITS BEEN NOTHING BUT HEADACHES SINCE DAY 1. BRAKES AND ROTARS REPLACED ON FIVE SEPARATE OCCASSIONS (IT NOW HAS 67,000 MILES ON IT). WATER PUMP REPLACED, BLOWER FAN REPLACED, AND TURN SIGNAL SWITCH REPLACED. SPENT OVER $1500 OUT OF POCKET ON ALL OF THESE "NOT NORMAL WEAR AND TEAR" MALFUNCTIONS. GM DOES NOT HELP IN THE LEAST. THEIR CUSTOMER SERVICE IS LOUSY. I WILL NEVER BUY ANOTHER GM CAR........NEVER.

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  Wouldnt change much - 2003 Chevrolet Venture
  By Wenchdawg - December 28 - 2:00 am

  We rented the Venture back in April to take a trip to Hershey, PA for vacation. I fell in love with it! I looked around at other minivans and found Chevy to be the best for what I was looking for.

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  Great Car....poor service at dealership - 2001 Chevrolet Corvette
  By kbrantley - December 28 - 2:00 am

  Great Car. Only a few minor problems during the last three years. Oil changes and new tires have been the only out of pocket costs to date. Dealer Service very poor....I will never buy a Chevrolet again because of the lack of quality control whenever I took the car in to the dealer. It never improved even after multiple complaints. Everytime I took it to the dealer for an oil change I asked to have the emergency brake adjusted and not once did they accomplish that task. Too bad because it is a great car, now that the warrenty has expired, I will try to find a real mechanic or do it myself.

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  Cant wait to drive it again! - 1997 Chevrolet S-10
  By BillMe - December 27 - 2:00 am

  Fantasitc truck. Very fun to drive. Looks great! I hate to get where Im going. Fuel economy has been excellent. Holds just enough in the bed and we can squeeze 3 in the cab. Wish I had another one!

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  a looker not a truck - 2004 Chevrolet SSR
  By bill hatcher - December 27 - 2:00 am

  its a great truck/retro theam what ever it is its fun!