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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  Not the everyday muscle - 1996 Chevrolet Impala
  By LSU Thor - December 9 - 2:00 am

  Being 24 years old, buying this car was the best purchase decision of my life. It was the one car that had everything I was looking for. It had a torque- monster V8, rwd and it wasnt a truck or a Camaro/Mustang that you see everyone driving nowadays. Its distinctive and will always turn heads and receive thumbs up on the road or at the track.

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  Rock solid - 1998 Chevrolet S-10
  By Cabron2891 - December 9 - 2:00 am

  I have owned this truck for almost 3 years. Ive owned fords and dodges, and neither one has come close to being as reliable as my chevy. Where Im from, I see alot more S-10s than fords and dodges combined.

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  Good so far. - 1998 Chevrolet Suburban
  By sellinghomes4u - December 9 - 2:00 am

  Best overall large SUV Ive looked at. Checked out Explorers and Jeep Grand Cherokee and Durango. All WAY too small for a family. Overall it seems to be a well thought out vehicle. I wonder if some of the people whove rated it so badly perhaps hadnt gotten ones that had been abused wrecked or poorly modified. I also rated it highly on gas mileage. Mine has been averaging 15mpg in mixed driving, its overall fuel economy isnt much different than my mini-van. I havent owned it long enough to comment on reliabilty. Its comfortable, quiet, smooth and handles quite well (within the confines of what it is). Overall Im quite pleased with it.

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  Great so far - 2004 Chevrolet S-10
  By Pockets - December 9 - 2:00 am

  Only had it for about 1 month so far but really enjoy it so far. I bought a black one. Looks really sharp, I thought. Rides real nice and very comfortable. Got a good price too with the $3500 rebate. Of course the gas mileage is not the best but already knew that going in. I sold my 98 Grand Am to get this one. I already had a 98 4cyl. ex-cab s10 that I really liked and seemed solid with no troubles for the last 2 years since buying it used. It helped me in my decision to buy the 04. I still use the 98 to run around town and work truck. Will use the 04 to pull the popup camper on long trips and in the snow.

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  Malibu - 1998 Chevrolet Malibu
  By joe schmo - December 9 - 2:00 am

  Brakes, blower, alternator, water pump, etc. all usual problems with this model

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  Couldnt wait for the next Silverado - 2007 Chevrolet Avalanche
  By Steve R - December 8 - 4:53 pm

  The new style is tops for GM. Ive seen the spy photos of the new Silverados and wasnt blown away. Didnt really want an Avalanche, but found one that had every option but a heated block. Dealer made me a fair deal and I jumped on it. From my 03 Silverado SS, this vehicle glows with class and style.

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  Bad Snow Country Truck - 2001 Chevrolet Silverado 2500HD
  By Ed B - December 8 - 2:35 pm

  2001 Chevy Silverado 4WD LT 6.0L V8. Rust, rust, rust! Safety problem with brake lines rusting out and no braking effort after rupture. Exhaust manifold studs break off due to expansion and contraction, leaving you with an expensive repair bill. That is on top of the brake lines. Go to NHTSA and read the stories of people who lost their brakes in traffic. GM refuses to recall. Many items that were designed incorrectly and GM refuses to step up to the plate.

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  Chevy Silvrado 1500 WT great value! - 2009 Chevrolet Silverado 1500
  By GMK - December 8 - 8:26 am

  I bought my 2009 Chevy Silverado Crew Cab WT with 4.8 V* for under $20K. I dont think there is a similar value anywhere currently. Truck handles like a dream. WT trim is surprisingly nice. Decent stereo, satellite radio and onstar are great additions. Interior is simple and nicely designed. High quality for a work truck. I average 18.5 MPG which is amazing to me given the size and capability of this truck. I tow a race car and this truck is more than capable to tow my 4000 lb rig over mountain passes. Sale price of $19988 made this a no brainer for me.

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  1992 Chevy Blazer - 1992 Chevrolet Blazer
  By hdiegel - December 8 - 2:00 am

  Performance of the Chevy Blazer is outstanding. My truck has 247000 miles on it and I just drove it from New York to Florida with no problems. Used only 70 gallons of Gas. My Truck does have a 25000 rebuilt 350 and also 3:73 Posi rear which I had rebuilt with Eaton Racing parts. It was 1251 miles traveled that came out to about 17 HIghway and it only gets about 11 in the city.

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  good runnin car - 1990 Chevrolet Beretta
  By j96adms - December 8 - 2:00 am

  great running car but after 200,000 miles the wear is starting to show. best part is im a mechanic backyard mainly but enough to fix all the major problems that have occured on the vehicle itself. the engine and transmission have been fully rehauled so the motor does not have but 60,000 on it ive replace all the interior, seats, dash and some other misilanous parts in fact an entire page worth limiting the problems for the next buyer the reason for selling is the fact that i have a better car to drive but this is a great start for any new driver that is still learning real easy to drive and very dependable