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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  Great buy - 2009 Chevrolet Traverse
  By jerryg - August 22 - 4:06 pm

  Quiet and handles wonderfully. AWD performs great in deep snow and snow packed surfaces.Would not own a vehicle without AWD in the Chicago area. Engine powerful, but quiet. Yes, American car makers can make a geat car.

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  good truck - 1996 Chevrolet Suburban
  By wltd - August 22 - 2:00 am

  155000 miles, running strong, holding up very well to heavy use, carries large loads, lot of room for family, good looking truck

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  Id get another... - 1995 Chevrolet Blazer
  By Chevy Man - August 22 - 2:00 am

  Great truck...sure some new model recalls came with it but people asked me constantly about my truck for the first 2 years I owned it! After 145,000 she still runs and looks great. No issues with the Transmission or engine (I only ran Mobil 1 5W-30 synthetic in her) . The Blazer was and is a GREAT Truck...Id do it again.

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  Broke faster than it could be fixed - 1995 Chevrolet Blazer
  By Leroy R - August 22 - 2:00 am

  I loved my blazer but it never seemed to be defect free. I had to replace the entire braking system three times, the transmission, the entire cooling system, even the windsheild wiper system. The truck had problems that would stump mechanics. About once every 2 months I had to put another $1000 into the truck. I did all of the preventive maintance I could and I had the car checked out every 3000 miles, but it just kept falling apart. I calculated that if I had leased a car last year instead of owning my blazer, I could have leased a Porsche instead and had an extra $2500 left over for the insurance.

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  SS Review - 2000 Chevrolet Camaro
  By SS Driver - August 22 - 2:00 am

  My SS is the funnest car Ive ever owned.

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  Our New Malibu! - 2005 Chevrolet Malibu
  By larry tobias - August 21 - 11:50 am

  We leased our Malibu on June 5th, 2005 (Its our fourth Malibu lease in a row, dating back to 1997). We like this years design best of all. My only regret is that we did not get it with the sport package. It runs and handles very well, with plenty of room for rear passengers, and room in the trunk. We are getting about 21mpg. around town, and about 30 mpg. on the highway.

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  One of the best cars I have owned - 1993 Chevrolet Cavalier
  By Gurney - August 21 - 2:00 am

  Had this car for ten years. Changed oil every 3000 miles and treated engine and transmission with Slick 50. My daughter drove it to college for 4 years. I drive it almost everyday. Have replaced many things as they wore out and she continues to run beautifully. After 184000 miles the engine burns no oil and the oil is clen everytime I change it.

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  Do I Keep it? - 2000 Chevrolet Impala
  By adad42 - August 21 - 2:00 am

  Less than 10 days to lease end, and Im still thinking about buying my base Impala Sedan. No abs, but sporty 16 inch wheels in dark green make the car a looker. I can feel the ride loosening, and the tranny slipping, so I may be unloading at the right time. I did not know the engine cradle was a problem. Anyway, after 37k miles of NY metro driving, I have not replaced the tires, or brakes, just oil & the driver power window switch.

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  Good Car - 1999 Chevrolet Astro
  By Edward B Chastain - August 21 - 2:00 am

  I baught the van because of 9 grand kids. It was and is great. But the kids have grown up and have thier own cars, so it is now too big for one.

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  GREAT SUV - 1996 Chevrolet Blazer
  By TONY75 - August 21 - 2:00 am

  I BOUGHT THIS VEHICAL USES AND IT HAS NEVER GIVEN ME A PROBLEM