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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  Impala LS for 57" and over - 2002 Chevrolet Impala
  By sportrjt - October 16 - 10:00 am

  I have owned this car for four days. Drove 220 miles and my right knee and leg hurted all night. This car is not designed for people 57" and over. The driver seat does not go back far enough. You have to turn totally around to open the console. The console is too far back. Although the car is a sports car of like, it rides kind of rough and wobbly. The driver will continuously bump their knee and scoff the bottom of the drivers door when getting out the car. Y

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  Love the Duramax with Allison tranny - 2002 Chevrolet Silverado 2500HD
  By TimofCharlotte - October 16 - 10:00 am

  This truck is extremely well mannered for its size and ratings. I look for opportunities to take it out on the road and just drive, to feel the power and smoothness which it delivers. It is a premium vehicle that isnt cheap, and its sales lag because of the price premium. If you can afford it, its a wonderful vehicle, especially the diesel/Allison combo. It looks like GM has a winner here. Cons: If you want to jack it up, lift kits more expensive for the IFS than straight axle set-ups, but the ride is ultimately sacrificed on straight axle setups. Bose stereo option would have been nice.

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  From full size truck to HHR - 2007 Chevrolet HHR
  By pgrillone - October 15 - 9:26 am

  I just drove the HHR home last night, nearly 150 miles, in the dark. The displays were easy to read and use, I was driving through a lot of hills with a lot of curves and it handled great. I kept feeling like I was in my truck but lower. Fuel mileage came out to 28mpg. Thats twice what my truck got.

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  ABSOLUTELY LOVE IT!!! - 2010 Chevrolet Equinox
  By CHEVY GIRL - October 13 - 9:43 pm

  After months of shopping, I was completely unhappy with the options of the smaller SUVs that were available. My salesman told me that they were coming out with a "transformed" 2010 Equinox soon and I thought I would wait and see. I went to Chevys website and saw the info on them and loved it immediately. I anxiously awaited the arrival to the dealerships. I went out right away to take a look at one and searched for days to find it in blue at a nearby dealership. Drove both 4cyl and 6cyl. The 4 is nice, good pick up, but had to get the 6 after driving them both. I love this vehicle. It was well worth waiting for! Great vehicle for the price.

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  Like A Rock - 2005 Chevrolet Silverado 1500
  By Terry C - October 13 - 1:33 am

  This is my 2nd new chevy truck and by my best vehicle ive driven to date.The ride is solid and suspension is smooth interior niose is minimal the aluminum block 5300 vortec really moves this vehicle quite nicely, the acceleration is that of a sports car almost Vette like and makes it very fun to drive. interior room in the extra cab is enough for 6 adults with front bench seat and makes it perfect for a family vehicle with plenty of room to haul the grocerys or plywood for that home improvement project the fit and finish seem to be good also no rattles or squeeks Ive had no problems what so ever in the 6 mo. ive had this truck Overall Im very satisfied with my Silverado Ext Cab

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  2008 Chevrolet Silverado Reg Cab Work Truck 4.8L - 2008 Chevrolet Silverado 1500
  By 11johnathan11 - October 12 - 5:07 pm

  I have over 5 years and have 45000 miles on it. It has had excellent reliability. Im still on the original tires. I will replace them around 50000 as they will need it. The only thing I have needed to do was change the front brakes on the truck around 18000 miles and I had to take the truck to the dealer around the 2.8 year mark when the pass door lock stopped working. Apparently this is common because there was another (2007-2012 Chevy Silverado 1500) owner in front of me getting the same pass door lock replaced. Also I had to add some coolant around the 1.5 year mark because in traffic it would start getting warmer as in not in the middle of the gauge where the temp is supposed to be.

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  A Walk Off GRAND SLAM - 2010 Chevrolet Equinox
  By Loving it - October 12 - 3:40 pm

  I was shopping for a new small SUV and the dealer i went to is a Toyota/ Chevy Dealer I went in search of a Rav 4 and had not even considered the Equinox or any chevy for that matter. The salesman told to look at this Equinox and keep an opened mind. And Am sure glad he showed me this. It far exceeds my expectations and spanks both the CR-V and Rav-4.

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  CAVALIER is one of the BEST COMPACTS!! - 2004 Chevrolet Cavalier
  By carlvr1 - October 12 - 2:00 am

  I have had 45 different cars in the past. I drive my personal car for a living and can tell you that I have actually OWNED (not just test-driven) almost every car in this class! Just look at the Cavaliers POWER, PRICE and GAS MILEAGE and compare it to any car in this class. Is the platform dated (aka-RELIABLE)-YES. Also, I read that the 5-Speed is not very good. WHAT?? The 5-Speed Transmission is a GETRAG "Made in Italy" 5-Speed and is easily as good as the Honda 5-Speed Transmission I had in my Insight.

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  Best car Ive purchased in 28 years - 2004 Chevrolet Malibu
  By qwerty123 - October 12 - 2:00 am

  Smooth, powerfull, quiet, roomy, easy on gas and loaded with usable features like side curtain air bags. This car has the is the best value I found while shopping around.

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  Die hard chevy fan - 1999 Chevrolet Silverado 1500
  By BOBBY1 - October 12 - 2:00 am

  I purchased vehicle used with 64k miles on it, the power window assembly fell apart, the fuel pump went out and had problems with carbon build up, the truck was in a head on collision and held up fairly well. all together truck was ok, i have replaced it with a 2000 model just like it.