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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  Daily Driver - 2001 Chevrolet Silverado 1500
  By OHChevy - August 12 - 10:50 am

  Purchased new and still own. I LOVE this truck, best ever! I dont plan on getting another GM product till they change to another body style that i like.

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  Well pleased - 1997 Chevrolet Blazer
  By Paul Kemper - August 12 - 9:57 am

  Had transmission problem at 70K -a known problem. Covered by extendend warranty. No major problems for next 70000+ miles, just normal maintenance - belts, hoses, oil changes, etc. I haul a lot of electronic equipment, sometimes pull a boat. Vortec 6 cyl is a workhorse. Get 22 mpg on the road. I would buy another if they still made them.

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  Colo"RAD"o - 2005 Chevrolet Colorado
  By Alex123 - August 12 - 3:02 am

  This truck looks great and is great to drive. It has all the power I need and responds well.

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  To 100k and beyond! - 1999 Chevrolet Silverado 1500
  By bill j - August 11 - 8:03 pm

  Bought this truck used in the last year. Never owned a Chevy before, but used them at work. I used this truck for work and play and it is equally suited for both from hauling concrete to the daily drive to the office. It handles and drives well. Tow/Haul is great and I cant wait to pull my boat with it next summer. No problems with rattles, clunks or vibrations that others have mentioned. Throttle does stick when cold, but this has been a pretty standard nuicence on other GM products Ive been familar with. Transmission has rough shift on easy accel. no problems on heavy accel or tow/haul. 4WD has been good in snow/ice. Overall a very good, reliable truck.

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  No regrets so far - 2002 Chevrolet Tracker
  By munk - August 11 - 7:04 pm

  The Tracker has been a very good car so far. Its fun to drive, and Ive had no problems with it. With normal maintenance and expected parts replacement (battery, brake pads, etc), its been virtually problem free. The only complaints are the lack of leg room for the driver, even with the seat all the way back, and the carpet is not very durable. This car is just what it looks like, cute, fun, and good on gas.

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  Surprising! - 2005 Chevrolet Equinox
  By Steeveebee - August 11 - 12:03 pm

  This is like no other Chevy SUV that Ive seen. I guess theyve realized that people do care about their cars being stylish. Ive had groups of 5 on several occastions for short journeys and everyone compliments the comfort, room and ride. The engine is quite responsive considering its horsepower rating. The versatility of the interior features is impressive. Focusing more on the center console for window buttons and gear information will take some getting used too.

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  Happy Equinox owner - 2006 Chevrolet Equinox
  By Michael West - August 10 - 10:30 pm

  For price , quality and for its class, I feel the Chevy Equinox is the best vehicle on the market money can buy. I am very happy with my purchase and would recommend the Equinox to anyone looking to buy a mid-sized SUV. The only issue with the vehicle is that with the price of gas today, mpg could be better but it is plenty of car for a car pool or average sized family.

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  Improving GM Designs - 2007 Chevrolet Impala
  By Todd - August 10 - 7:36 am

  Overall, the 2007 3.9L Impala LTZ compared well with the our previous GM car, 1998 3.8L Lumina LTZ. The engine performs well with nice pickup, but sometimes lugs down in 3-cyl mode before switching. With 4000 miles on car, the average fuel economy for 87 octane fuel is 20 mpg for combined city/highway driving, which is alright but not a good as expected. Engine access for maintenance work is much improved. The car does sound to be less sound proof than older car with noticeable wind and road noise, not sure if this is due to rear-door driver-side alignment.

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  Great all around vehicle car/truck - 2003 Chevrolet Astro
  By Red - August 9 - 8:10 pm

  My Astro van fuctions as both a mini and cargo van. It is very spacious for hauling passengers, equipment, and furniture. The conversion into a cargo van is awesome, by taking out the extra passenger seats, or folding them down.

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  Malibu: practically trouble free car - 1997 Chevrolet Malibu
  By asucincyoh - August 9 - 6:57 pm

  I bought my 1997 Mailibu in April of 2001. It had 73,000 miles on her. I had no vehicle trouble on any of these trips. My only complaint about the car is the fuel economy. For a 4 cylinder the gas mileage isnt that great. The most I ever got out of a tank of gas was 367mi on 15 gal tank. But dependibility wise this is the best car I have ever owned. The only part to ever break on the car was the altenator. That broke at about 90k mi. And it cost about $100 to replace by myself. But in 135k that was the only part to break. I would recomend a Mailibu to anyone who wants a dependable car. Also, the power is decent and it is fun to drive for a four door sedan.