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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  Excellent Value - 2005 Chevrolet Silverado 1500
  By m9431 - August 29 - 12:13 pm

  This replaces my Toyota Truck. Looked at Ford, Dodge, and Toyota. The Ford did handle and ride better, but the Silverado provides more backseat space for passengers (ext cab) and does better with gas mileage. Seemed quicker, too. I surved others on reliability and found the newer Silverados to be very good. Interior is fine--I bought a truck, not a luxury car, afterall. Very good blend of performance, comfort, MPG, toughness, pracicality and price.

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  Menace Maxx - 2005 Chevrolet Malibu Maxx
  By Eclipse - August 29 - 7:16 am

  We find the car very versatile and usefull for hauling a 150lb Rotty. We have a 8 year old Blazer which we love but enjoy having a smaller car. I am disabled and find most cars uncomfortable to sit in for any extended amount of time, but I can sit and drive the Maxx very comfortably due to the leg room and adjustable pedals.

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  2000 Silverado 1500 LT - 2000 Chevrolet Silverado 1500
  By tjc43 - August 29 - 6:03 am

  I have owned two silverados in the pass few years. My first silverado was a 2002 Chevy Silverado 1500 LS. I enjoyed driving that truck while I owned it. I sold it due to gas mileage and being a college student. I ended up buying a civic for the excellent gas mileage. The gas mileage was nice and all but I soon realized I needed to be back in a full size truck regardless of gas mileage. I then purchased a 2000 Chevy Silverado Lt edition. I quickly fell in love with the truck. It was basically identical to my LS except having a few more features.

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  Never had any Chevy before - 2004 Chevrolet Silverado 1500
  By Scott M - August 29 - 5:50 am

  The best truck I have owned. A very comfortable ride even on long drives. My wife likes the ride better then her 2002 Altima, now its always "Mind if I use the truck today?" Great power-5.3L V8. Gas Mileage is adequate for the motor size. I put a tonneau cover on, gas mileage improved about 4 mpg. Interior is a little noisy, road noise, sounds like a door or window is open a little, when they are not. Doors have a tendency to not close fully unless slammed. I put covers on the seats right away though, the cloth in a truck is going to take a beating. The color: Silver-Birch with the factory chrome wheels is awesome. Literaly bought this one off the showroom floor.

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  Great Steal!!! - 2000 Chevrolet Prizm
  By Jenay628 - August 29 - 2:00 am

  Ive had this car for about a month and its great! It had 56000mi on it when bought it now has 59000 (I drive it alot!) Car does GREAT on gas milage-310mi/tank! Not too impressed with the interior. Floor space in the back could be bigger. Drive is okay but, it doesnt have a very fast pickup. I have to floor the gas to be able to get up to speed and even then it isnt great. The shocks, also, could be better. Other than that, Ive had no issues with this car. AC is great, sound system is superb and my two year old loves that he can see out the window! This car reminds me of a small version of a Malibu.

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  High Quality in Low Design - 2003 Chevrolet Astro
  By beezer - August 29 - 2:00 am

  My Astro was very fun to drive. In winter is very easy to grip on the slush with AWD system. I use my Astro everyday. Last week i charge my Astro over 3000 pounds of training equipement and i never had problem for pull it!!

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  Lots of giddy-up but few amenities - 1999 Chevrolet Cavalier
  By bfk - August 29 - 2:00 am

  Very fun to drive. The engine is very responsive. Handles and corners very well. No problems mechanically so far. Mileage around 27 mpg.

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  93TOENV - 1993 Chevrolet Corvette
  By RML - August 29 - 2:00 am

  ALL THINGS BEING EQUAL, THIS VETTE IS WHAT IT IS, A ROUGH RIDING, SPITFIRE OF POWER AND THE HARDEST CAR TO DRIVE IVE EVER OWNED. RAW POWER THAT TAKES COURAGE TO PUT YOUR FOOT INTO AND HANG ON FOR THE WILD RIDE.

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  A true American - 2002 Chevrolet Corvette
  By Bear & Carol - August 29 - 2:00 am

  I sought the ZO6 for what it is. Sprots car. Since it has no insulation (weight) and even a thinner window that the other models (weight), I know that I would give some comfort over the coupe. I got what I exepted. A highy engineered sports car that competes easily with cars costing 400% more. The engine is truly a mavel. Has a single cam and two valves per cylinder for effency, reliability and lower rotating mass. Over 400 foot pounds of torque and 28 miles per gallon tell the story there. The quality and thought that went into this car shows its fifty years of engineering. The more I find out about this car, the better it gets.

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  Suburban~everything you want! - 2003 Chevrolet Suburban
  By Robertdixon - August 29 - 2:00 am

  The car handles amazingly!