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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  2002 AVALANCHE - 2002 Chevrolet Avalanche
  By JOHNRONN - November 9 - 12:00 am

  We switched from toyota 4-runners and bought an Avalanche as opposed to a toyota sequoia. We have had the vehicle for 6 months and it has been flawless so far. My only complaints about the design are that the storage compartments in the fenders are not dustproof and the space over the wheel wells on the fenders are not protected from other people opening the car doors and smashing them into the side of the Avalanches fender.

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  2007 HHR Sunburst Orange(2LT) - 2007 Chevrolet HHR
  By Tim - November 8 - 2:33 pm

  The more we drive this car the more we love it. We have a friend who bought one and once we got in it we liked it.Purchased the 2LT model with all the bells and whistles except OnStar. If you like the Sunburst Orange but not sure of the color from the info it is a perfect color for this style of car and the pictures do not do it justice. It is more coppery when you actually get to see it. The black leather sure looks sharp in this color. It is nice to see a car with chrome on it again. The 17" polished aluminum wheels are a very nice touch.

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  Great Car - 2006 Chevrolet Cobalt
  By jtc3usa - November 8 - 6:26 am

  Good acceleration,smooth ride and great fuel mileage. A sporty compact that turns heads. I really like the standard features of info center,cd player and air condtioning. Im really impressed with everything for the price.

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  MY SILVERADO HAS NEVER FAILED ME - 2010 Chevrolet Silverado 1500
  By kenzootak - November 7 - 8:37 pm

  MY 2010 SILVERADO HAS 47,500 MILES now. No problems at this time. WAY below freezing jacks up tire pressure monitor. AND THE ORIGINAL TIRES WILL NEED REPLACED SOON. Auto transfer case works well for 4x4 use. Drag to get in neutral. BUT THE AUTO SELECT DIAL FOR 4X4 IS EASY TO USE. THE MANUAL BUTTONS ON SIX SPEED TRANSMISSION WORK WELL TOO. HOWEVER THE MANUAL BUTTON HOLDS A LOW GEAR IF SELECTED WHEN YOU ENTER BACK ON HIGHWAY AT HIGH SPEED IN LOW GEAR ASSUMING AUTOMATIC STILL. THOUGH ON HILLS ,THE MANUAL BUTTON WORKS TERRIFIC WITH THE GEARS USE. FANTASTIC STEREO AND SPEAKERS. WIDE TURN, BUT OKAY. MINE IS REASONABLE ON GAS. IT IS OK FOR LOAD TOO.

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  A stealthy low-key sleeper - 2007 Chevrolet Impala
  By lonewolf_75 - November 6 - 2:50 am

  Ive had this car for a couple weeks now and absolutely love it. I went with the black on black color scheme, and recently had the windows tinted for a more stealthy look. The instrument panel and exhaust note remind me of my old 91 Camaro (305 V8), and with a proper launch this car is even faster. I would prefer RWD, but I am still very impressed with how well my new Impala accelerates, rides, and handles. The exterior styling is pretty low-key, with the exception of the rear spoiler which is in my view a bit much.

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  Awesome - 2005 Chevrolet Corvette
  By fronkie - November 5 - 8:30 am

  the corvette is americas best sports car and quite possibly the worlds best sports car.

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  100K and Beyond - 2005 Chevrolet Malibu Maxx
  By bobd10 - November 5 - 3:45 am

  I bought my "05 Maxx with 52k on the meter. I now have 105k. Got hit twice, both side swipes at the front end (1 on each side). Hasnt given me any major problems. Just chenged the plugs, was easy. Put in irridiums, seems like it has better response at high speed acceleration now. Only 2 gripes...the front turn signals melting and the CD player not accepting discs on the first try. Otherwise, great car.

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  Best of all - 2003 Chevrolet Avalanche
  By Nemecek - November 4 - 10:00 am

  very nice ride on road and off road, quiet inside, all instruments and controls easy to read and driver fiendly, sweet stereo system (bose)

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  DuraMax/Allison towing machine - 2003 Chevrolet Silverado 2500HD
  By BlackSilver - November 4 - 10:00 am

  I pull a medium sized (10,000# dry weight) 5th-wheel RV, often in mountain and hilly terrain. This truck is absolutely perfect for this application. The Duramax diesel with the Allison transmission is the best matched "power pulling" combination Ive seen outside of the big rigs. Quiet and strong, the truck is ALWAYS in the right gear for the situation. The downhill performance is almost spooky, since the Allison automagically downshifts to save your brakes on long downhill runs. The LT interior(leather seating, dual zone independent climate control, etc.) is every bit as plush as any luxury car, and makes long trips downright pleasant.

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  Great Car!!! - 2003 Chevrolet Monte Carlo
  By 02monteSS - November 4 - 2:00 am

  I love this car! Its a dark blue SS and I have 13000 miles on it. Gas mileage is great (average over 26 mpg), the interior is just perfect, both fit and finish and design, the 3800 is an increadible engine (great torque curve and reliablity).