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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  2005 Equinox - 2006 Chevrolet Equinox
  By Steve - March 6 - 5:20 am

  I love the vehicle. It has tons of room in the front, and back seats. It is a very nice looking vehicle on the outside, but needs a little work on the inside. The interior of the doors are less than luxurious, and the sound system needs imporvement as well. Overall, for the price, its a very good vehicle.

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  Good under the 100 thousand mark - 1995 Chevrolet Cavalier
  By Eileen - March 6 - 2:00 am

  My Cavilier was good for a couple of years, around the 3 year mark everything went down hill. the major problems right now is the head gasket leaks badly and it is very expensive to fix, 100 thousand mile is the end to the cavilier....LS

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  Good under the 100 thousand mark - 1995 Chevrolet Cavalier
  By eileen - March 6 - 2:00 am

  My Cavilier was good for a couple of years, around the 3 year mark everything went down hill. the major problems right now is the head gasket leaks badly and it is very expensive to fix, 100 thousand mile is the end to the cavilier....LS

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  Classic Land Yacht - 1991 Chevrolet Caprice
  By elomboy - March 6 - 2:00 am

  This car is great. Never had a problem with it, handles well, plenty of power.

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  Avoid like the plague - 1996 Chevrolet Cavalier
  By taken4aride - March 6 - 2:00 am

  Fuel pump-August, 2002 $800. TRANSMISSION-January, 2003 $2300. Head Gasket-Febraury, 2003 $500. Total mileage of this car is only 68,000. This is, without a doubt, the absolute worst car that I have ever owned. The above list is only a small sample of the problems with this car. Many problems similar to other reviews (motor mounts, shoddy interior, etc).

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  Horrible-DO NOT BUY!!!! - 1999 Chevrolet Malibu
  By Blizz - March 6 - 2:00 am

  Ive been the owner of a 1999 Malibu for less then one year. Ive had problems with it since day 1. Ive spent over $1,500 in repairs so far. I will never by a Malibu or a Chevy as long as I live. Besides being unreliable it is not a comfortable car to drive. Its makeshift features help give the appearence of a luxury car however that presumption is quickly corrected.

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  Going Strong And Loveing It - 1998 Chevrolet Corvette
  By Mx - March 6 - 2:00 am

  The Corvette, When I Was 13 Yrs Old I fell In Love. 1973. The Price at those times, Seemed To be, Completely Out of My Ball League..They were Pricing out between 5 an 8 k....NEW! I Later fell Into Some Restoring, Still Keeping My Eye On Everything, All The way Down, Till They Put a Convertible Top, With a Trunk,Came to My Eye.

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  Lumina, 1991 - 1991 Chevrolet Lumina
  By william clements - March 5 - 2:00 am

  I have a 1991 Chev. Lumina. It has 171,000 miles on it and it runs great. We have never had any problems with it. It is one of the best cars that I have ever owned. I would put it up against anything.

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  Great vehicle - 1992 Chevrolet Beretta
  By A_Fitz - March 5 - 2:00 am

  I bought the car at 141,000 miles and it still looked and ran great. I drove it for a year and a half and put about 22,000 more miles on it in that time, having only to replace an alternator and the exhaust. I drove that car hard too, and it kept on taking the pounding. The fuel pump finally went on the car just recently, and due to the vehicles milage, I decided against fixing it. Now Im looking to buy either a 96 monte carlo or another Beretta, this time a 94.

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  Great Van! - 1995 Chevrolet Astro
  By youngandsons - March 5 - 2:00 am

  We bought this van because it has 8 seatbelts instead of the 7 in most mini- vans. We have used it *hard*. We have 6 children and travel a *lot*, yet it has been reliable and serviceable for the entire 7 years weve owned it. We bought it used and made a great purchase.