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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  Ive Been Happy! - 1996 Chevrolet Cavalier
  By Michael B - February 27 - 6:12 pm

  Purchased this car w/ 24K.Bought it to enjoy w/top down. Comparble convertible of this size & quality would have cost much more. Been extremely pleased w/reliability of this car. Normal wear & tear things replaced.Power top works great. Still get great comments on car & can keep up with rest of traffic when I am not leading it. Get in the 30s for mpg. Drove this car w/ top down into new millenium. Give it a chance! So far I have put 58K on mine for a total of 82K.

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  Cavy - 1996 Chevrolet Cavalier
  By deuce - February 27 - 3:51 pm

  My Cav had a number of computer problems that caused the "check engine" light to come on frequently even if nothing was wrong--at least thats what the dealer said. They could never find anything wrong when I took it to them. The interior is plastic and looks very cheap. Yet, the controls are close to your fingertips and easy to use. This isnt a good car for an inexperienced driver, although I see them driving them all-to-frequently. The cars performance in the crash test left me wanting.

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  Z-MANS Corvette Review - 2001 Chevrolet Corvette
  By Z-MAN - February 27 - 1:36 pm

  THIS HAS QUITE POSSIBLY GOT TO BE THE MOST AWESOME VEHICLE IN THE WORLD, NEXT TO THE DODGE SHADOW.

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  yay - 2002 Chevrolet Corvette
  By Chrisy_221 - February 27 - 2:13 am

  This car has made me soo happy.

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  Wagon Review - 1992 Chevrolet Caprice
  By Y - February 27 - 2:05 am

  Kids love stationwagons! Its so unlike the traditional van. They get a kick out of the back door opening sideways or down and facing the opposite way.

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  I do not recommend this car - 2005 Chevrolet Cobalt
  By Lisa - February 27 - 12:10 am

  At first I liked this car but now it is my worst nightmare. I have had numerous problems with the ignition. The key does not turn back. First I was told it was the ignition switch, then it was the solenoid both were replaced. The ignition switch was replaced twice. The solenoid was replaced once. I was also told that the gear shifter cabled needed adjusted. That still didnt fix the problem. The last time I took it in they replace the shifter assembly. Hopefully this will work but Im not holding my breath. If you ask me you shouldnt put a car on the market if youre not sure that it works. This car is poorly built and I think all of them should be pulled off and not sold anymore.

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  happy - 1990 Chevrolet Suburban
  By george - February 26 - 11:54 pm

  the vehjicle runs and handles great.

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  A fine American compact - 2001 Chevrolet Cavalier
  By Denny - February 26 - 11:14 pm

  The imports have been good to the US automakers. They taught them they need to strive for better cars. The cavalier on a cost to value ration is a big winner in this group. This is my second Cavalier in 5 years and it is a fine daily driver / commuter. We rack up about 25k per year and rotate our cars every four years or so. The Cavaliers we have owned never had a cost outside of routine maintainence.

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  great car - 2002 Chevrolet TrailBlazer
  By darren nesmith - February 26 - 10:53 pm

  great

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  Kens Review - 2002 Chevrolet Blazer
  By Kennytheken - February 26 - 4:25 pm

  Extreme happy and pleased with the Trail Blazer. Quite, confortable, responsive. Fun to drive. Great feature ( LTZ). Have driven a lot of auto and SUV and it is as good or better then the best. Exception is the SL Mercedes on corners