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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  Outstanding!!! - 2005 Chevrolet Equinox
  By Lisa - Maine - December 2 - 4:30 am

  I have had many vehicles over the years and I feel I know what I like in a vehicle. Being on the Fire Department and working for the Sheriffs office, I need to be able to get to work or get to a fire call regardless if its snowing or sunny weather. I also have plenty of room for all my fire gear plus my passengers and any groceries, shopping bags that we happen to pick up along the way. Its a wonderful SUV. I had a brand new Mustang, had it for a year then fell in love with the Equinox! The only thing I recently found out about is the cooling system needs to be changed due to the antifreeze and the materials used in the hoses not compatible....but thats minor and covered.

• 

  nice starter car - 2001 Chevrolet Cavalier
  By 1stnewcar - December 2 - 2:00 am

  good value for the money

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  The best of both worlds - 2000 Chevrolet Prizm
  By Quickshift - December 2 - 2:00 am

  I just bought my Prizm this weekend. The car is a blast to drive. I bought it used w/ 20k mi. Even though it is equipped with an automatic transmission, it quickly picks up to the speed limit. I have to keep my eye on the speedometer from speeding. It has the new 16 valve DOHC vvti engine from Toyota. The gas mileage is very similar to my former car, the Accent. The ride is smooth til you hit some rough roads.

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  Z28 - 2000 Chevrolet Camaro
  By Z28 - December 2 - 2:00 am

  Good car, fun to drive, especially when others want to race, considering the Z28 is a sleeper car.

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  Its a Trooper! - 2000 Chevrolet Cavalier
  By DCGirl - December 2 - 2:00 am

  All I can say is this car has been good to us! We have driven across the country from Washington, DC to California TWICE with not a peep from our Cavalier (except for locking the keys out in South Dakota). My only complaint is how easily it gets dinged and dented, even with very minor impact.

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  Muscle - 2002 Chevrolet Camaro
  By CAMZ28 - December 2 - 2:00 am

  This car is the most sweetest car ever. I went and raced my friends ford cobra and smoked th crap out of that chicks car. My parents vette has to work just to stay with it. This car is a bargin for its price.

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  Love my Suburban - 2001 Chevrolet Suburban
  By JosephJ - December 2 - 2:00 am

  I sold a 1996 Jeep Grand Cherokee to purchase a Suburban. Not only do I get better gas mileage than the Jeep (a complete surprise), I never ever have to worry about lack of space. I am amazed at how well this SUV handles. It rides as nice as any car I have owned.

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  the 5.3 tahoe is the mac daddy - 2002 Chevrolet Tahoe
  By franchiselife - December 2 - 2:00 am

  have owned various suvs including honda crv, ford explorer eddie bouer, 2002 gmc envoy, 2001 isuzu rodeo. my tahoe has the 5.3 and the 3.73 limited slip rear end with leather. that tow/haul switch, the engine power and the gearing all make towing our 6500 lb boat a breeze. i am very pleased. great value.

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  1992 Z-24 - 1992 Chevrolet Cavalier
  By sonnyphysh - December 1 - 2:00 am

  I bought this car with 32,000 miles, still under fact warranty, and the car drove very nice. I just traded my car in on a Pontiac Grand Prix with the same size motor 3.1L..I had over 160,000 miles on my Z-24 and never had any engine work done other than a water pump, altinator, and a battery, but thats normal.The transmission was replaced 2 different times while under the warranty, and when I traded my car in the transmission was going to need worked on, because the syncronizer in third gear was going out.I wouldnt hesitate to buy another one, but it was time for me to buy a 4 door car.

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  Very poor vehicle - 1997 Chevrolet Suburban
  By kval87 - December 1 - 2:00 am

  We are very displeased with this vehicle. in just five short years we have had to fork out over $8000 to fix this "lemon." I wouldnt recommend buying another one EVER.