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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  My First Large Truck - 2004 Chevrolet Silverado 1500
  By BigChief39 - August 19 - 10:00 am

  Wow...what a truck. You cant always trust what you read in reviews. Consumer Reports speaks of the bouncy ride until you put 500lbs in the bed. Not true. The ride is smooth and quiet. The truck absorbs bumps like theyre not even there. Steering is deliberate and the power/exceleration is wonderful. Most reviews speak of cheap interior materials. I have owned Japanese and German automobiles. The materials and build quality are as good as anything Ive ever owned. You cant go wrong with the Silverado.

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  Buy a Chevy - 1999 Chevrolet Silverado 1500
  By CHEVY MAN - August 16 - 5:36 am

  My Chevy Z71 has over 170,000 miles on it, and runs as strong as anything Ive seen. I have the 5.3 Vortec v8, and this is such a strong and reliable motor. Not only does it have enough horses under the hood to pull my trailer and camper, but it gets the best gas mileage of any of the full- size trucks! The offroad capability is remarkable. I am an avid Offroader, and have Chevys, Dodges, and Toyotas, and Jeeps, and this Chevy is hands down, the best fullsize offroad vehicle around! Trust me, if you need a very tough, and reliable truck, buy a Chevy or GMC. They cannot be beat!

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  Bowtie fantasy - 2002 Chevrolet Silverado 2500HD
  By Kevin - August 16 - 2:00 am

  This truck has the power and the payload to do anything that I want to do. I have the 8.1L gas engine with the 5 speed Allison and as long as you keep your foot off the pedal, you can get about 15 mpg in the city. It also looks very good.

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  Bowtie fantasy - 2002 Chevrolet Silverado 2500HD
  By kevin - August 16 - 2:00 am

  This truck has the power and the payload to do anything that I want to do. I have the 8.1L gas engine with the 5 speed Allison and as long as you keep your foot off the pedal, you can get about 15 mpg in the city. It also looks very good.

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  My First Truck - 2002 Chevrolet Silverado 1500
  By Robert Aaron - August 16 - 2:00 am

  Great looking and a nice interior for athe base Silverado. Does the job of getting me back and forth to work at the dealership. Have added a few "custom options" to dress it up

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  Great Car - 2005 Chevrolet Malibu Maxx
  By 1tenor - August 16 - 1:23 am

  This is one of the best cars Ive ever owned. I get excellent fuel economy, and the flexibility of the folding seats is extremely convenient. I had one problem with the trim on one of the seats which the dealership promptly fixed and thats it. Other than regular oil and filter changes, its been virtually maintenance free. It rides comfortably both scooting around town or on the highway.

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  noisy and bad ride - 2004 Chevrolet Silverado 1500
  By mr. bill - August 15 - 9:43 pm

  has alot of wind noise, vibrations and there is a glunking in drive train when shifting up and down. dealer told me its normal for Z71 package terrible rides

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  Bust or superb - 2005 Chevrolet Colorado
  By juju - August 15 - 11:43 am

  I have the 4 cylinder with 4.10 rear and 4x4, with automatic transmission. It lacks power like no tomorrow. Seats dont recline, and I cant unlock the door from passenger side. Its a nice looking truck on outside, but a reclining seat ought to be standard. A mite more power from this big 2.8 4 cylinder engine would be nice.

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  A terrific car -- you become cyborg merged - 2016 Chevrolet Corvette
  By drjwr - August 14 - 7:59 pm

  Overall, a tremendous value and top-shelf sports car, a view from someone who has raced cars on the amateur level. Its not so much that acceleration, handling, braking, and feel are superb; its that you feel attached to the car. A cyborg thing. The styling may be a bit over the top, compared, say, to a Porsche Cayman, but it remains a beautiful car. The interior is comfortable. Apple CarPlay works well. You can pack quite a lot under the hatch -- at least four suitcases. I dont find the electronics all that intuitive, but what auto maker has figured that out? My only real complaint, and it is a real one, is a balky shifter, made a bit worse (on my view) by the Active Rev Matching -- leave it off and heal-and-toe instead: The shifts dont flow naturally. You need to consciously go to neutral and over; although downshifting slides more easily into the next lower gear than upshifting. Professional reviewers have complained about going 4 to 7, when they meant to go 4 to 5; I have not had that problem. More of a nuisance has been downshift 7 to 6 and going 7 to 4, because you have to feel "going right" after leaving 7 in order to hit 5.

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  A great car for the bucks! - 2006 Chevrolet HHR
  By cpt63 - August 14 - 8:00 am

  My wife and I just love this car. We are in sales and move a lot of product and it does the job. We love the quality of the car and the looks as well. Ironically, we both never liked the PT Crusier. The gas mileage is on target. It steers great, it turns great, and brakes great as well.