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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  Wifes Truck - 2003 Chevrolet Silverado 2500HD
  By Jimf - September 2 - 10:00 am

  I thought this was for me. I get to drive the car and she takes the truck. The 8.1 L engine combined with the allison automatic is perfect. Get 12+ mpg on the road and 9 to 10 pulling the 30 trailer. This is much better than my 93 ford ever did. The allison does make noise at low speeds but that is to be expected with heaver gears. We have made several trips and it performed perfectly.

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  Best car I have ever owned! - 2006 Chevrolet Malibu Maxx
  By jinx948 - September 1 - 9:12 pm

  I bought my Maxx new in July of 2006. Best purchase ever. It now has 113,000 miles and I have had two small issues. When it was under 36k miles it had a oil pan gasket leaked fixed under warranty and the worst issue is the remote start remote does not last. I have had 2 and need another and they are around $150 each.

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  Rocket ship! - 2008 Chevrolet Corvette
  By Scott - September 1 - 11:04 am

  I love this new Vette! It is a rocket ship and has way more power than anything in the same price class and even as fast as much more expensive cars like the Porsche 911 S. It does not handle as well as the German sports cars like Porsche or BMW, but it has gobs of power. I was doing 90 in 3rd gear! Amazing design and much better than the 2006 model. Now if Chevy can improve the poor handling it would be the ultimate sports car!

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  2016 Chevy Equinox LT - 2016 Chevrolet Equinox
  By Dave - September 1 - 6:26 am

  It is the best in class! I test drove so many others ,but, nothing beats this one Build quality is exceptional. very comfortable ride, and, minimal road noise inside. Only down side is that a touch screen responds little slow.

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  American Muscle Car - 1996 Chevrolet Corvette
  By Jerry Miranda - August 31 - 1:20 pm

  Ive only had the Vette for half a year and it was a one owner, garage- kept sports car. I love it beyond words. The paint job alone is better than any vehicle I have ever owned and all but two of my almost 20 car purchases were new cars. This is the last and best of the C4 style and could become a classic. No Chevy recall on this year or the 1995, only ones so far (to my knowledge).

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  My New Equinox - 2005 Chevrolet Equinox
  By chris wilson - August 30 - 6:30 pm

  I drive alot of miles and practically live in my car, so comfort is the first thing I considered when making my purchase. The heated leather seats provide superior comfort to any of the other American made SUVs that I tested. The V6 engine also supplies pleasantly suprising horsepower and sufficient fuel economy. Overall, the performance to date has been outstanding!

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  Pleases all your senses - 2007 Chevrolet Corvette
  By StephanP - August 30 - 1:28 pm

  Picked up the 3LT with Z51 performance. This car is a pride and joy to own. Great curves, aggressive appeal and is a real head turner. Putting the pedal to the floor provides a thrill of excitement and gets the heart racing. Traded in an 06 350Z Roadster with a few after market performance parts and, without a doubt, the Vette blows it away in avery aspect of power, ride, handling, looks and technology. Not even sure why I bought the Z in the first place. Took a beating on the trade but well worth it.

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  Just needs bigger tires - 2007 Chevrolet Aveo
  By wifesfirstnewcar - August 30 - 1:22 pm

  Its my wifes first new car and turns out I use it more than her. I just love it. We just came back from a 1500 mile trip and it performed perfectly.

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  Black shows more dirt.. I like dirt! - 2005 Chevrolet Cobalt
  By Lori K - August 30 - 3:43 am

  I wanted a black car this time around, even though they show more dirt. The paint seems softer than most already soft black paint and has already spider webbed, and nicked. Despite it being the first year for the Cobalt, it seems to only have minor interior problems. The material from under the door pull wasnt stretched very well. And I have had to get a whole new inner panel because of it. It has an upgraded radio face, and sounds much better then other Chevy cars. It handles very well. I live in Ohio, where it snows more than its sunny. I bought the car April first which was a few days before our last big snow storm. I found out its handling capabilities very soon!

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  The Perfect Truck - 1993 Chevrolet S-10
  By TMAN - August 29 - 9:23 pm

  I bought this little truck as a work truck, and it has been the best truck ive ever had. Im a mechanic by trade and have been very impressed all around with it. Never had to do anything major to it yet, at 143000 miles!!! The 4.3 engine is super strong and super tough, very,very quick truck. I have left a many a full size truck and car in the dust!!! I have no plans of parting company with this little gem. I drive it every day and its never let me down yet. Its also a pleasure to drive....cant beat that combo