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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  Truck Shakes over 70 mph - 2014 Chevrolet Silverado 1500
  By bruno32975 - December 3 - 4:15 am

  I bought a new 2014 Silverado Lt 2 wheel drive crew cab. It is a nice truck but on the highway it shakes terribly between 70-78 mph. I have had the tires rotated and road force balanced twice and it has not helped. The truck has been in the shop twice for this problem. I received a loaner truck which is also a 2014 Silverado and it does the same. I would reconsider buying this truck again.

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  Cavalier - 2004 Chevrolet Cavalier
  By User555 - December 3 - 2:00 am

  Concur with the editor review in so far as the interiors. The inside fabric is very cheap! I have seen better fabric being sold as seat covers. However, we get what we pay for. With the average price of a car $26K, the Cavalier delivers a punch for its price.

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  Driving one now, so-so - 2004 Chevrolet Colorado
  By docgoku - December 3 - 2:00 am

  It feels like a base rental car on the interior, with very hard plastics that tap instead of thud when you give them a thump. The drving position is impossible to get right. Im 60" and if I have my upper body comfortable at the wheel then my legs are all bunched up, and if my legs are at a good stretch my arms cant reach the wheel. Its very loud, but I expected that from a truck. The auto tranny is prone to downshift even on the most mild interstate inclines. However the suspension is very good the best Ive been in for a truck.

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  retired - 2004 Chevrolet Impala
  By mike12 - December 3 - 2:00 am

  Hi guys after owning chevs since 1970 i naturally chose one to start into my retirement with .Can say i am happy with the overall performance, but not to happy with the ride the tires give i find they are hard riding and noisy the dealer agreed and is trying to work something out with G.M. other than that the only thing i find wrong is the back seats are a little hard for long drives. sure would be nice if they came back with the 5.7 eng . I will look closer next time i buy a new car .Hope everyone has a great yr.

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  Road Sense - 2004 Chevrolet Impala
  By tom c. mc loughn - December 3 - 2:00 am

  The best thing about this car is its ability to allow me to relate to road conditions. On a rain soaked highway this car feels very stable and drives that way . In snow and ice the traction control takes over and once again the stability feel is there . I call it road sense. My experience with higher priced cars that lack that road sense (Acura) give me an uncomfortable insecure feeling.

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  VERY GOOD CHEVY - 2004 Chevrolet Impala
  By V J MAIETA - December 3 - 2:00 am

  THE BACK END VISABILITY IS MUCH TO HIGH.

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  Still purring - 1996 Chevrolet Impala
  By 2KPurr - December 3 - 12:03 am

  Have enjoyed owning & driving it for nearly 13 years, transmission & engine have been flawless, water system/radiator/cooling required replacement, been thru 3 sets of tires, still turns heads. I am very proud to own such fine machinery that gets rarer yearly, get offers to sell all the time, have driven across country north-south & east-west, makes for great made-in-America advertising, insured as 4-door Caprice but is actually a Super Sport (no complaints), passes state emissions/safety tests without fail, plan on keeping all the way

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  Fun little red milk wagon. - 2008 Chevrolet HHR
  By NYer in Calgary - December 2 - 11:45 pm

  When my wife & I were looking for a commuter car, we started at Honda (you want how much!?), went to Toyota, Hyundai, Mazda, & Nissan (almost went with the Rogue) our last stop was at the good old Chevy dealer as an almost patriotic afterthought but we were pleasantly surprised by the value of this car, gets acceptable mileage, lots of stock doodads, power is adequate (but surprising for a 4 banger). With the rear seats folded it holds lots. It can even be used as the family of 4 car (or short time replacement when the sport ute or mini van is being serviced). Yep, we think it was a great buy and would recommend. (Just wish we went with the LT for the better seats & dont get the sunroof).

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  Chevy - 2006 Chevrolet Colorado
  By cparker - December 2 - 9:31 pm

  Many problems and issues with quality. I bought my truck 6/08 for the 4th of July sale at 0% interest. What a bad decision. I had the truck for about 5 months the valves in the engine bent so I had to drive a rental for 2 weeks. Payload is average but leaf springs are extremely weak. Anything more than 200 lbs and it will be sagging. The sheet metal is very thin and vibrates a lot. Especially the brake dust shield. Every time I brake, the floor boards vibrate and thereÂ’s a rattle from the front of the truck. My truck is a 5 speed so when I push in the clutch to come to a stop the rpm drops to 500 and the whole truck vibrates. Need more room to list problems. Just buy a Tacoma!

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  OK car - 2008 Chevrolet Impala
  By Kevin - December 2 - 3:16 pm

  Overall I like the car but could have loved it with just a few changes. No bluetooth with OnStar. Give me a break, its on the 2009 model. Also dont like OnStar. Give me my Garmin any day. But for the money good car