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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  06 Monte-Best of a Tradition - 2006 Chevrolet Monte Carlo
  By Alan - February 1 - 8:56 pm

  The only problem with my Monte, is that I should have bought the SS. I have had my Monte for 4 years, and to date, it has been bullet proof. The only problems have been a stale odor from the AC, and some earlier remote key issues. It has 44,000 miles on it, and I have changed my oil every 3,000 miles, and recently switched to Mobil One, and installed a K&N air filter. The brakes are original, and have over 50% remaining. My Monte is a glossy black, with fabric seats (should have been leather), that are too light in color, and show dirt. It is sporty, and can get out of its own way, even with the 3.5 L engine. I have 44,000 miles, and plan to keep my car indefinitely.

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  Believe or not, the best - 2008 Chevrolet Impala
  By GM Lover - February 1 - 1:26 pm

  Ive heard from so many people that American made automobile is not good as Japaness made. That might be true. It may sound strange. My teenage daughter wanted to buy this Impala SS, not Japaness or other imports. She said "I love Chevy". Driven about 7000 miles so far, and there was no problem at all. Excellent performance(like my Trailblazer SS). Great gas mileage for V8 engine(over 21 mpg with mixed driving). Very comfy and smooth ride. This Impalas interior may lack refinement than some foreign cars. But can they bring a car with roaring V8 under $30,000?

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  Over 30,000 miles, Nox still runs Great! - 2005 Chevrolet Equinox
  By Tombo - February 1 - 12:29 pm

  I have a loaded 2005 FWD LT, with leather, we bought in January 05. Currently has 33,000 miles. We bought this as a family cruiser and as a universal work horse. Has 3500lb towing capablity. Not many SUVs in this class and price can claim that! Still have the original brakes & tires, which stops smooth. Had no problems, very reliable, handles nice, good performance, nice shifting trans, & great brakes. I also have two boys 7 & 13yrs, that ride in it all the time with my wife. Leather cleans up nice. She loves the Equinox. We had no problems, get advertised fuel economy, looks great, runs great, & still drives nice!

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  Best all around car for the money - 2009 Chevrolet Malibu
  By REN - February 1 - 10:30 am

  Whats not to like about the car. It has great looks, great interior, and great on gas. This is the first car we have owned in years (Its been all SUVs for 10 years) and we love it. Nice features on the LT2. Love the dash and blue accent lights. The only down side is that after only 2 days, we had all 4 rims stolen of the vehicle! So we had wheel locks and a "tilt" sensor added to the factory alarm.

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  avalanche - 2002 Chevrolet Avalanche
  By craig malone - February 1 - 10:00 am

  excellent ride. good pickup. great styling. built in tool boxes/ ice chest is great.expect many good years of service

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  Silverado 2500 H.D. Diesel 5sp auto-4x4 - 2002 Chevrolet Silverado 2500HD
  By elletmailman - February 1 - 10:00 am

  My Wife & I really like our new Silverado. The 6.6 liter Duramax Diesel with the Allison 5 speed automatic transmission is the perfect combination towing our 28 ft. trailer. Our trailer is concidered a liteweight at around 5,500 lbs. Our truck is capable of towing almost 12,000 . We have already towed our trailer a couple times and experienced no sway from Semi-trucks passing us up! That was a major problem we had with our smaller Astro minivan.As far as gas mileage goes- we got around 16 mpg towing (mostly highway driving). I tend to average about 55 mph on the highway. Driving solo- we get around 20 mpg combination highway & city driving.

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  One of the best... - 2002 Chevrolet TrailBlazer
  By TenderHeart - February 1 - 10:00 am

  After test driving the 2002 Chevy Trailblazer I stopped looking. The Trailblazer by comparison (price/quality/comfort/ruggedness), by far beats the competition. Its reliable and Chevy has outdone itself on the level of comfort and ride. Not only does it ride like a luxury car, but it also LACKS the boat-ish ride that most SUVs have been cursed with! Its quick off the draw and it has more then enough low end torque(275 ft lbs). The engine virtually wipes most others off the map, being an in-line 6 cylinder, with 270 horsepower that beats fords V-6 AND Jeeps in-line 6 not to mention ALL of Jeeps V-8 models!

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  Great car - 2006 Chevrolet Impala
  By rj - February 1 - 6:43 am

  Great car love the fact that it runs on gas or E85. The DIC is a very nice feature. Very quite and smooth at all speeds.

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  The best car I have owned in a long time - 2007 Chevrolet Cobalt
  By cobaltken - January 31 - 10:03 am

  This car is a whole lot of fun all around. I think it is best on roads that have a lot of curves. The ride is a lot better then I expected.

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  Great overall Large size SUV - 2005 Chevrolet Tahoe
  By Michelle - January 31 - 9:10 am

  I love this SUV, the Z71 package gives this vehicle nice curb appeal and I love the Blue Metallic paint, looks blue or teal green depending on how the light hits it. It has the Z71 details that set it apart from the base model Tahoe.