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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  Not Bad... - 2001 Chevrolet Monte Carlo
  By RSS - September 26 - 2:36 am

  This Monte has been a decent car and I would call it average at best. I bought the car w/ high miles and started the fixing process. The previous owner did take good care of the car too. Intake manifold gaskets are weak, catalytic converter will crap out and cause weird issues, steering shaft will clunk when not lubed. The car has had issues but has always started and gotten me to where I need to go, though it might not be too pretty.

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  My Monte - 2006 Chevrolet Monte Carlo
  By Jimcom - September 25 - 1:36 am

  I have owned 3 Monte Carlos. I really like them. My mileage greatly exceeds the advertised mileage at 26.5 local and 33 long distance highway driving. I would buy another in a minute. The back seat is a little hard to get in and out of but I rarely drive with more than 1 passenger.

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  Worst Chevrolet Vehicle Ever - 2011 Chevrolet Equinox
  By MzP - September 24 - 4:27 pm

  My family has owned Chevrolet Vehicles for over 60 years and the 2011 Chevrolet Equinox is the WORST vehicle weve ever owned! It has been in for recalls and "special policy bulletins" for Cam Shaft Position Sensor, Transmission, Oil Consumption, and now the Catalytic Converter (oh and how convenient, they cover the converter, but not the sensors connected to the converter...which are another $400+) and several issues. It stalled in heavy traffic, is sluggish at times, and nothing but a constant headache. Stay away from this vehicle at all cost...Chevrolet has lost my business forever, I will never own another Chevrolet product again!

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  Just Love It - 2005 Chevrolet TrailBlazer
  By Tom Wright - September 23 - 9:13 pm

  This is a very good riding, handling and quiet vehicle. On a long trip of 2000+ miles, we found the drive very enjoyable with its comfort and all the extras like DVD player, GPS, Satelite radio, leather, etc. We got 21 MPG on the highway. City driving we are gettng aroudt 15 MPG. Plenty of room for luggage, golf clubs, cooler and misc. items.

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  Like A Rock - 2000 Chevrolet Silverado 1500
  By Jerry Maletich - September 23 - 12:36 pm

  I bought this truck brand new and drove it for ten years. I gave it to my son who now drives it to work. It has almost 200,000 miles and has never had any major repairs. I replace rack and pinion steering at 195,000 miles cost $200.00 thats all, not bad.

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  FRUSTRATED - 2004 Chevrolet Silverado 1500
  By David Szymanski - September 22 - 9:33 pm

  In one year this vehicle has been to three different dealers,a total of eight times for repair. The breaking is terrible, drastick loss of power at times, clunking and grinding in drive train,leather seat seams split. This from what is supposedly a 37,000.00 sticker price... somebody had a bad day!!

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  tow monster - 2001 Chevrolet Silverado 2500HD
  By scubajohn - September 22 - 2:00 am

  this truck is great if you want to tow large items, but really sucks up the gas to just drive around

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  2003 CHEVY AVALANCHE Z71 - 2003 Chevrolet Avalanche
  By R5075 - September 22 - 2:00 am

  Fun to drive. Very comfortable. Solid body.

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  Awesome - 2003 Chevrolet Suburban
  By Hsw1186 - September 22 - 2:00 am

  Great in almost every aspect

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  Great SUV - 2003 Chevrolet TrailBlazer
  By Alexis72 - September 22 - 2:00 am

  Our Trailblazer EXT has been great. Very useful out here in Colorado with snow, mountains, and city driving with other Sport Uts. We are planning to have kids, and having a third row seat will be nice to have. There is plenty of room for adults in the front and rear, but limited in the third row seat for very large adults. However, this SUV had no problems climbing up the mountains with passengers and gear. Fun to drive, and handles smoothly on the highway. Amazing turn radius for such a long vehicle. Buy one!