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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  what a sweet ride - 2004 Chevrolet Impala
  By big willy - November 2 - 2:00 am

  This is really one fine ride. Very quick and agile for a car of this size. I picked up the Indy speedway edition on a model close out got a great price. The car is excellent! The only complaints I have are The torque steer under hard acceleration really bad, the SS badges are the same color as the car and its really to quiet for anything that says SS on it.

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  yeah S10! - 1995 Chevrolet S-10
  By jaydb28 - November 1 - 2:00 am

  I have a 1995 S10 vin Z with 159000 miles. I love this truck. It flat out hauls (great for burnouts), and can carry a lot a weight for such small truck. So far had to replace brakes once, rear shocks, alternator, starter, and the catalytic converter, but that is to be expected with such high mileage. Cat-back exhaust and a superchip really improve the power of these things!

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  OH MY GOD! - 1997 Chevrolet Cavalier
  By nocarnow - November 1 - 2:00 am

  I have put several aftermarket modifications on my car, thats about all i love about it. Driving it the other day and the tranny went on me!! Left me stuck on Route 90, a major interstate. You know Chevys little phrase, "well be there?" Ya, theyll be there when you need to buy a new car and are going to giive them $22,000! Then they will GLADLY be there. It rides like a go-cart by the way. However I never had any problems with the alternator or the water pump.

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  bad brakes - 2002 Chevrolet Impala
  By cfaller - November 1 - 2:00 am

  Very poor front brakes, they go out of round every 20,000 miles. Need better quality material in the brakes, same problem on my 2000 Malibu.

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  2000 Chev Blazer 4-DR LS - 2000 Chevrolet Blazer
  By Glensab - October 31 - 1:00 am

  Good fuel economy for a mid-sized SUV. V6 is a bit underpowered for its 5000- lb towing rating. Avoid premium or standard suspension as handling is sub- par. Recommend upgrading to touring suspension and going with a vehicle that has the OEM towing package as it handles much better. Few quality/reliability issues experienced in 85K miles.

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  Average Price, Average Quality - 2002 Chevrolet Silverado 1500
  By nmgraduate - October 30 - 4:43 pm

  Over the past few years the only problem that I have experienced was with the cd player not reading discs. The Silverado is a dependable vehicle I would recommend.

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  A Great Student Car - 2005 Chevrolet Cavalier
  By Samantha - October 30 - 2:00 am

  I love my Cavalier. It gets me where I need to be, its great on fuel (especially with the gas prices these days) and its small so its easy to maneuver into small areas.

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  FAMILY CAR - 2003 Chevrolet Impala
  By FAMILYGUYB - October 30 - 2:00 am

  This car is a nice family car. The interior is nice and I especially enjoy the high end stereo system. The car has decent pickup and passing power. The only problem being a thud when the driver window goes up in extra cold (below 40) weather. The best part was, with incentives, I was able to purchase the car for $17,000.

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  Good deal if you dont pay sticker price - 2004 Chevrolet Impala
  By Terry - October 30 - 2:00 am

  We just purchased a new 2004 Chevy Impala base model. We were orginally going to buy a new Honda Accord, however we couldnt pass up the good bargain we got on the Impala. Its sticker price was 21000 dollars, however GM took 3500 dollars off and also we received another discount of 2250 dollars off the 3500. So it ended up that we only paid 14800 for this brand new impala, which we couldnt have gotten a Honda Accord for that. The Impala is a fairly good car. It gets good gas mileage for a large car and is roomy inside. Also has a big trunk! However, I do question the quality of some of the Impalas features. I do feel GM, and all car makers, for that matter, need to improve on quality!

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  Mediocre Hybrid - 2009 Chevrolet Malibu Hybrid
  By Mike S - October 28 - 5:20 am

  We have a 2009 Malibu Hybrid as a fleet vehicle in the agency I work for. Weve had it for approx 6 months and put 5000 miles on it. I am not impressed by it. The electric motor assist, frankly, is a useless gimmick. It does not provide electric-only power when you are tooling around a parking lot or in stop-and-go traffic. The total power output of the engine is lethargic and the vehicle has issues merging onto highways without going full-throttle, which is disappointing. We also have a 2010 Ford Fusion hybrid which outclasses it in almost every way possible. I suggest driving both before making a decision one way or the other. The Fusion is a couple thousand more but well worth it.