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 sure - 2002 Chevrolet TrailBlazer
  By seanzo - August 6 - 10:00 am

  I just got one used, the 2002 LS, so its a year old. Only problem so far is that on a cold morning, if I dont let it warm up enough, the tranny sounds like its racing even at 2500 rpms, and theres no power to the car, it just crawls. If I stop and give it a minute, the problem stops. Could be an exhaust problem, a misfiring piston, transmission, or I dunno what else. Its only happened 3 times, all on a cold morning. But its not even winter yet.

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  I love my trailblazer - 2003 Chevrolet TrailBlazer
  By wehey - August 6 - 10:00 am

  Great vehicle!!! Comfortable, stable without having to climb up into it! Wife and Kids love it! Love to travel in it! Rides great! Purrs like a kitten! Better than all the other suvs I tried including the Tahoe, 4-runner, and explorer. Rides better than the Expedition without being so large!! A great vehicle for my family. Great for road trips and great inside the city!

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  Burb pleasure - 1996 Chevrolet Suburban
  By DAK - August 6 - 2:00 am

  Weve been extremely pleased with this vehicle. Especially for traveling. And for an american car, weve had little trouble with it.

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  Great for teens - 2003 Chevrolet Astro
  By Burt3429 - August 6 - 2:00 am

  Im a 16 year old guy that got an astro van for my first car, its the biggest thing Ive ever driven but it handles like a small car, just dont take turns too fast. Ive fit around 18 people in it comfortably and Ive taken it on a few roadtrips. Quite possibly the best vehicle for driving to the beach and places like that, can fit almost anything and everything you have, and doesnt have a problem moving it around.

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  one of the best every made - 2001 Chevrolet Camaro
  By luvnit - August 6 - 2:00 am

  Mine is the SS package convertible. I have hit 120+ on freeway on-ramps. Handling and cornering will put other cars in the gravel berm if they dare to follow. Reliability is excellent. Stops on a dime. Nothing beats the feeling of a 100mph wind blowing past with the top down. Excellent driving car for long trips at more regular speeds. Even gets good gas mileage on long trips. Mine is the six speed and is too intimidating for the average driver to test drive. It is worth the patience of learning!

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  Best mini van in the market - 2003 Chevrolet Venture
  By Diego - August 6 - 2:00 am

  This is by far the best family vehicle Ive ever owned.

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  Chevy Tahoe 2001 - 2001 Chevrolet Tahoe
  By mhill - August 6 - 2:00 am

  I have had my Chevy Tahoe for nearly 2 years. The power and space are great. The third row seats come in handy when transporting a large group of people. The problems that I encountered include a faulty theft deterrent system, bad starter, rear brake pads replaced twice, a faulty heating coil in the passenger side mirror and squeaks when making sharp turns.

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  Improvement & Luxury - 2001 Chevrolet Tahoe
  By Hector NOrat - August 6 - 2:00 am

  Its a good Suv for a big family. HTey should try to lower the gas milege.

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  2002 Vette review - 2002 Chevrolet Corvette
  By Mark Zambrzycki - August 6 - 2:00 am

  I have wanted a vette all of my life, and I am thrilled that it turned out to be such a great car! It was everything that I expected/hoped it would be. My only problems with the vette are as follows: 1) Worst cup holder in history. It sucks big time! The engineers that were involved with the cup holder should be fired immediately. I drive an hour a day, so I like to have a place to put my coffee. But to some, this may be no big deal. But C,mon! How hard is it to design a cup holder that can actually hold a cup??? 2) Interior design needs to be spiced up a bit. Not bad, but needs to kick it up a few notches.

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  not happy with car - 2003 Chevrolet Malibu
  By joe santagado - August 6 - 2:00 am

  little things breaking, air conditon broke, then streeing, battery replaced by dealer, problem with a valve, dealer fixed