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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  After one year - 2005 Chevrolet Avalanche
  By John Rogers - June 11 - 12:30 pm

  My Avalanche is the first full size truck Ive ever owned after 25 years of driving. I bought it for its versatility, towing capacity and styling. The truck has not disappointed after 16,000 miles. Gas mileage in congested Dallas, with a lot of stop and go traffic everywhere, has averaged a little over 15 MPG. I like the ride and handling of the vehicle and its really very comfortable as a daily driver. The only build quality problems Ive had are with the body side molding which developed adhesive bubbles that required replacement of all door moldings after one year. I would never buy a just a pick-up. The versatility of a luxury vehicle with the ability to tow and haul is great!

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  Poor handling on the highway - 2005 Chevrolet Aveo
  By TedK - June 11 - 2:34 am

  We found it was hard to pass vehicles on the highway. The tachometer swings wildly and the car gets stuck in low gear, with drivers behind us giving us an annoyed look. The ABS of this car also gives problems when trying to slow down during an exit from the highway. It actually veered offroad into a collision. The car is too small to handle well in windy conditions. Overall, while some may like the head room and drivers seat, my old Toyota Corolla is way ahead of this car in terms of reliability and and highway handling.

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  Big, but great gas mileage - 2004 Chevrolet Express
  By Brian - June 10 - 9:53 pm

  Actually have 3500 ext. conversion w/stand up roof modification. Great gas mileage even towing (when using NON reformulated gasoline) 14/14.6 towing 16/16.8 non towing. The dash is ugly but the conversion shop added some trim. They should have kept the same dash as the 1998/1999. A/C volume is good but the air could be colder. Conversion A/C might be affecting it on my van though.

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  New model blues - 2005 Chevrolet Corvette
  By Hank - June 9 - 2:52 am

  Though I enjoy driving this car, it has its problems. There is the dead battery gremlin, almost every owner I have spoken to, or read in a Corvette forum site has complained about this. There is the turn signal/running lite burn out with less the 5000 miles on the car. There are messages from the DIC (driver Information Center) that make the car spend the night at the dealers so the proper reset codes can be gotten from GM. There are mechanical problems with that are more severe that other owners have complained about. GM has repaired my cars problems at no cost to me. In retrospect, I should have waited a year for these bugs to be worked out.

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  Tahoe Z71 - 2003 Chevrolet Tahoe
  By Larry - June 8 - 1:05 pm

  I own a loaded Z71 Tahoe. Im a very tall male who wanted not to feel cramped in my vehicle. This truck is exceptionally comfortable. Its a little hard on gas, but lacking nowhere else. I wanted an American truck, and Im very satisfied.

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  Joes Review - 1991 Chevrolet Beretta
  By Joe - June 8 - 2:06 am

  This is the 2nd Beretta GT I have owned. The car is quick and nimble, and sounds like a baby muscle car. It is very low to the ground, and a bit harder to get out of than a regular car. It is/was an affordable sports car. Handling is awesome. The dashboard on most Berettas warps over time. I dont know why. My 1st Beretta was OK, but this one I bought with the dash already warped. Only the passenger side. You cant put anything on it, but it remains fully functional. Once the dash warps, the metal strip over the air vent next to the windshield becomes loose. I had to stick a folded up business card in so it wouldnt make noise. The car has 122,000 miles on it and no major problem

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  So So - 2001 Chevrolet Impala
  By Impala7 - June 7 - 9:51 pm

  My thoughts on this car after having it for 4 years is its so so. The brake/rotor system is cheesy. Maybe it was built for the Cavalier. The car is noisy on accelerating. Not inpressed with the flooring under the carpet. Theres not much pickup when entering a highway or passing. The radio antenna in the window makes for lousy reception on stations 50 miles away. The opening of the trunk for putting things in is too small.

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  Practical and inexpensive - 2003 Chevrolet Cavalier
  By Hibiscus - June 7 - 5:35 pm

  I purchased this car with 9 miles on it and have put almost 17,000 miles on it since May 2003. It has great mileage, its very reliable and seats our family of five in comfort. Ive had squeaky brakes, but my mechanic says these Cavaliers come with brakes that have a high metallic content. They work fine, but make a funny sound sometimes. This model has had three recalls for small items: a computer chip was reprogrammed, rear lights were replaced and an emissions sticker was added later. This is an inexpensive car thats great to drive and has a terrific sound system. This is the third Cavalier Ive had and theyve all been very reliable since I got my first in 1986. Im very happy with it!

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  Its All Good - 2000 Chevrolet Corvette
  By Bill Matthews - June 6 - 7:44 pm

  This is my 3rd Vette in the last 10 years. The C5 is truly the best sports car value in the world. The 2000 is late enough in the model to have most of the problems worked out. It is also old eough to be picked up at a very good price if you look for it. The car will do anything I ask it to do on a city street or highway, and is more of a joy than the law allows on a country road. . More power, sure, thats what everyone wants. But, this car will smoke the tires in several gears and will top 140mph. How much do you need? The C5 is the best Vette to take on a long drive ever. I get better than 30 mpg on the highway if I try.

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  Good Van - 2002 Chevrolet Venture
  By Z - June 6 - 4:01 pm

  I bought this van new and think overpaid for it at 27K. My other choice was a Honda Odyssey, but dealer did not want to reduce price. Overall the van has performed well. Drove from NC to Colorado, and then to San Diego and back without problems. Has a good soft ride, OK gas mileage, and good interior features. Wish it had better cup holders in front and better storage in center console. Front seat rear pockets have come apart at the upper corners from kids pulling on them. Storage space is great. It seats 8, but second row is too low to the floor. Overall I am happy with the van. I dislike the fast depreciation when compared with its Japanese counterparts. You should get a good deal on this van when buying used