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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  My new car - 1999 Chevrolet Cavalier
  By DTorrez - January 30 - 2:00 am

  I love this car! I have had it for about 2 weeks now and I really cant say about the reliability or the performance of the car. Just on what I have experienced its great.

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  Cool vehicle - 2003 Chevrolet Tracker
  By William McDermot - January 30 - 2:00 am

  Excellent truck. I call it the "Trucker" instead of Tracker.

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  1999 Chevy Malibu w 43K, 3.1 V6 - 1999 Chevrolet Malibu
  By Tim Rogers - January 30 - 2:00 am

  So far so good.

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  I Really Expected More!! - 2000 Chevrolet Corvette
  By FloridaVette - January 30 - 2:00 am

  This is one of the greatest looking, best performing automobiles on the road today, but for the price,I really expected more. I have had to make too many trips to the dealership for my liking. Four trips in the last year for faulty headlight motor, erratic door locks, gas tank sending unit (this one almost left me stranded on the side of the highway),alternator, and traction control/ABS system. The latest thing is serious oil consumption/burning. I thought maybe it was just my car, but after talking to several other C-5 owners, these problems appear to be fairly common. The interior looks fairly similar to that of a Chevy that costs half the price.

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  Love that Z - 2002 Chevrolet Camaro
  By 6speedz28 - January 30 - 2:00 am

  I love driving this car. It handles well, brakes well, and definitely knows how to get out of the way when necessary. In fact, all the cars that I leave at the line look surprised when they catch up and find a female driving. The 6-speed manual transmission is a nice "upgrade" from the 5. My only issue with it is the annoying skip- shift "feature" that dumps you into 4th from 1st if your RPMs arent high enough. Yuck. Also, GM should have put larger rotors on this car because the ones that come stock warp in no time. But thats okay, the dealership gets to pay for mine for 100K miles. :) I love my Z. Shes a lot of fun.

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  Tail gate - 2002 Chevrolet Avalanche
  By Rick Taetsch - January 30 - 2:00 am

  Tail gate on the box, is very hard to keep closed when driving down rode, slamming, works sometime, most of time falls open, 1st few times scares the heck out of you.

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  Ignore the "Experts"...... - 2006 Chevrolet HHR
  By ron forneris - January 29 - 9:26 pm

  Purchased my HHR last month in spite of the "expert" reviews. One consumer review I read said to ignore the reviews and buy the car.......I agree. No "vague steering", weak braking or any of the other complaints voiced by the pros. Great fuel economy and acceptable power......Im sure a turbo will be forthcoming. Ive owned a PT Cruiser and this is far superior.......the stereo is amazing for any price vehicle. Didnt expect that/pleasant surprise. Im a retired cop.......Ive taken and taught pursuit driving courses and defensive driving classes......this car is a winner and is well worth a look if youre shopping in this price range.

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  Wish I had anouther Truck - 2000 Chevrolet Silverado 1500
  By Brian95 - January 29 - 10:00 am

  I own a 2000 Z71 and have had to many problems for such an expensive truck. When I start it up in the morning it knocks for the first minute or so. This started at 15000 miles. The dealer told me it was carbon build up and that there was no recomended repair at this time. What does that mean. Then the Emergency break went out after 32000 miles. The 4WD switch went out at 35000 miles and my A/c freezes up and wont blow any more. The lower lumbar broke and the dash rattles when Im on the Highway.

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  Flawless design - 2003 Chevrolet TrailBlazer
  By Erick Alexander - January 29 - 10:00 am

  Its a flawless desing, very powerful yet smooth engine, reasonable fuel consumption, smooth suspension (too smooth sometimes) and excellent build quality... I reccomend it over any other MID size SUV.

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  Great Ride - 2005 Chevrolet Equinox
  By Donna Sensale - January 29 - 9:03 am

  The Equinox is great on gas. Coming out of a Blazer I feel like I ride forever before filling up again. With automatic 4-wheel drive I no longer worry about when is the right time to engage 4-wheel drive, although it takes some getting used to the first few times it kicks in. My only complaint - the headrests on the back seat are too high, making it difficult to see out of the rear window.