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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  Race car with a license plate. - 2004 Chevrolet Corvette
  By Mark Strathmann - August 18 - 10:00 am

  Compared with the 1982 Corvette I also own, the 2004 is like driving a car from another planet. The comfort, economy of operation and sheer joy of driving this car is beyond words. I would recommend this car to anyone. This car is like having a personal race car, except with a license plate.

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  What a Blast - 2005 Chevrolet Equinox
  By Gberry - August 18 - 10:00 am

  I order my Equinox in March, I just got it today . What a BLAST it is to drive. I orderd every thing that can be put on it, I have people stopping me asking questions about it. Ths interior is beautful, All I can say is CHEVY did it right. This is a great Car

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  Best New Truck out there - 2004 Chevrolet Silverado 1500
  By ruffneck2500 - August 18 - 10:00 am

  I test drove every new crewcab half-ton pickup and I thought the new Silverado was the best. It has great power and a very nice interior.

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  New LTZ Z71 - 2007 Chevrolet Silverado 1500
  By tj - August 17 - 11:56 pm

  Just purchased a few days ago and already am amazed by what GM has done with this vehicle. The fit and finish is excellent, the integration of vehicle systems is well done. For example, I was low on gas. Not only did the low gas light come on, and "Low Fuel" displayed on dash, the car Nav system offered to show me all the nearby gas stations on the map display. The auto-switching between v4 and v8 is not noticable and does help mileage. The leather interior is beautiful. Reliability remains to be seen, but my 2001 had 135000m on it when I traded it in and nothing major ever went wrong with it, so I hope this one is even better

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  236K and still going - 1994 Chevrolet Impala
  By coleyhe - August 17 - 10:06 pm

  After two water pumps and a distributor thats all the major maint. Ive done of course I do the high way patrol sch, changing all fluids at every 3/36 and using AMSOIL sense 96. spent $22,000 sense then on maint. tires,oil, rotation, etc.

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  I know why people DO love this car - 2009 Chevrolet Malibu
  By JeffH - August 17 - 4:38 pm

  Everything with this car has been a pleasant experience up to now. We love the interior of this car. The 2 tone look is very elegant looking. The ride is exceptionally quite. The car handles with ease. So far we are getting over 25mpg with mixed city and highway. We have not had any problems with the car up to now.

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  Cute and eyecatching, easy to drive... - 2008 Chevrolet HHR
  By HHRFan - August 17 - 9:01 am

  My 2008 HHR LS is an eye catcher in "orange". Black interior is neat, stays clean looking longer than lighter colors. All controls super easy to use, air, radio, windows, etc.. Fuel economy not as good as advertised but okay. The 2.2 engine is fine around the city but you have to stomp the gas pedal when pulling on to the highway, that is a disappointment, would have liked the larger engine, we learn from our mistakes. Large, easy open tailgate, storage area a big plus, so easy to load and unload. Cabin is pretty quiet, as is the engine..so far...we live in hope. All in all, I do like the vehicle, would recommend for the price, but go to GOOD dealer, dont get ripped off as I did!

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  Not your Mini van any more - 2009 Chevrolet Traverse
  By Jeff - August 17 - 8:18 am

  My family and I (3 kids) needed something that could fit our needs but we do not like Mini-vans. This traverse is IT! It looks like a crossover, handles like a SUV but has the features of a minivan. The room and captains chairs are great for the younder kids, the oldest loves having the rear seat to herself. My wife and I have room in front and it is a safe handling vehicle as well. Very good work went into this vehicle to meet the needs of the family of today.

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  Best Chevy truck yet! - 2011 Chevrolet Silverado 1500
  By mikmurphy - August 16 - 9:42 pm

  I typically buy a new truck every 10 years; this 2011 replaced a 2000 Silverado. The new one sits taller, and is a bit bigger overall. It has more power, and feels more capable. First fill-up yielded 15.3 MPG, in a mix of city, highway, and ranch use. The LT truck has a long bed, Z71 package, 5.3 V8, 18" wheels, built-in trailering; in short just about everything I need to haul ranch stuff around. I did add the Ranch Hand replacement front end, lighted headache rack, and new tool box. Its ready to work, and ready to play.

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  Greatest EVER!!!! sad to sell it.... - 2004 Chevrolet Tahoe
  By Greatest EVER!!!! - August 16 - 11:20 am

  I Bought brand new,I just love how it seems to have a button for your every comfort need. The only thing in over five years was it stated making clicking sounds when in park or drive,drove it for about 4000 miles before I got it checked out,it was the starter going out. But it never fail me! I would buy again this SUV Wonderful vehicle. I am only selling do to the fact my kids are gone in collage,and I dont need this large SUV anymore. :(