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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  2003 Corvette 50 th Anniv. - 2003 Chevrolet Corvette
  By jameskeppel - September 23 - 2:00 am

  I had read a lot about poor fit and finish on Corvettes. My 50th Anniv.is flawless the paint is so perfect that I cant imagine how it could be done. The heads up and mag. sel. are fantastic.Mileage is shocking at 20 mpg since I am driving fast.

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  Itsnot the same as a Honda CR-V! - 2011 Chevrolet Equinox
  By Jim Paule - September 22 - 4:29 pm

  i have never achieved the 29 mpg highway that I should get with the AWD version. About 27 mpg is tops with about 19 mpg in town. I have been subjected to 3 recalls from the factory, the first involving a timing chain replacement at 31,000 miles. The car drives and rides very good, even on long trips and gets through bad weather in our hard NW Ohio winters. There is a momentary engine rattle when starting on cold mornings, but the dealership states that this is OK and would be covered under the factory extended 120,000 powertrain warranty as a result of a recall. All said and done, I would buy a Honda CR-V or Toyota Rav 4 the next time as I will be vary leery of this car after the 120,000 mile warranty expires.

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  Love It - 2005 Chevrolet Malibu Maxx
  By curt - September 22 - 3:33 pm

  I bought this car used with 15,000 miles on it. I like the room in this car both front and back. I like the info center. Oh what the heck, I like everything about this car. Only one thing about this car that I cant find is how to shut the heater A/C off. With all buttons in off, it still has air coming through the vents. In my view this is Chevrolets best keep secret. I have been averaging 33 mpg and it has plenty of power with the 200 horse V6. Anyone thinking about a new car, if they drove a Maxx I think they would be very pleased. To me, it feels like driving a much bigger car. This car just fits

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  Please drive American Chevy last - 2010 Chevrolet Equinox
  By hasanmithu - September 22 - 1:33 pm

  This is a great family SUV. Very attractive outside, elegant, very quiet (Active noise canceling) & spacious inside(biggest rear leg room), more than adequate power. Fuel economy is better than Toyota Camry !! Bluetooth, hands free steering mounted controls, voice recognition, iPod connectivity, auto-on lights, rearview camera are just a few to mention the conveniences. Standard maximum air bags, Traction control, OnStar service are outstanding for the price the car sells for.

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  mine - 1999 Chevrolet Tracker
  By rick0829 - September 22 - 2:00 am

  like really well fun car to drive wish it had more power but i really enjoy the fuel milage and back trunk room would buy another with the v6

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  I enjoy it! - 1999 Chevrolet Suburban
  By Daiquiri27 - September 22 - 2:00 am

  I bought my 1999 used (70K) and dont have anything negative to say about it. I really enjoy driving it. I also drive a 2002 Mazda Miata and frankly its a refreshing change of pace to drive the Suburban. Its very comfortable and I feel extremely safe.

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  Great Little Truck - 2003 Chevrolet S-10
  By AWC - September 22 - 2:00 am

  My 2003 s-10 is a great truck , if you know how to drive a five speed you can really get this truck moving failry quick. The five speed is the way to go if you are going to buy the s-10 , you have a more powerful take off and accelerate alot faster.The trucks suspension is overall tight, and it gets 30 miles a gallon.I purchased this truck for work because it gets great gas mileage.The interior is nice , and the additional passengers side airbag is a great addition, with an optional on -off button.The truck rides very smooth. Overall this is a nice little truck and at 10,700 dollars Im not going to complain for a brand new truck.

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  No confindence - 1999 Chevrolet Venture
  By Burned by a Chevy - September 22 - 2:00 am

  This van has been nothing but trouble ever since it went out of warranty. Both power window regualtors have failed ($850 a pop), the front wipers failed ($300), and true to form the head and manifold gaskets let go. Of course Chevy will not do anything to help with the gasket repair, even thought the problem is caused by the Dex-Cool. GM used "normal" gaskets in the Venture, check out how much heftier the replacments are before they install them on your Venture.

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  2000 Astro van - 2000 Chevrolet Astro
  By jmns41 - September 22 - 2:00 am

  Love to drive it, but internal mechanisms are breaking down...made cheaply.

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  Perfect vehicle - 2003 Chevrolet Avalanche
  By RK2 - September 22 - 2:00 am

  Chevy did EVERTHING right on this baby. Positioning of the controls, comfort, lotsa interior room & it rides and handles so smooth its like driving a car, has full sized truck bed space and the design lets it stand out from any truck on the road.