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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  Big improvement on C5 - 2006 Chevrolet Corvette
  By Baldegl - February 20 - 10:59 am

  Owned a 2000 C5 and the upgrade in almost every respect on the C6 is very apparent. It is amazing how quiet and relatively comfortable the car has become. The C5 seems almost primitive in comparison and build quality is significantly improved. Top is tight with no wind noise or moisture leakage. No rattles in a convertible or noticeable flex in bumps and curves so structural rigidity must be good.

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  Willows truck - 2004 Chevrolet Silverado 1500
  By Willow883 - February 20 - 2:00 am

  This truck rides so smooth! Hardly any road noise. Easy to handle. Accelerates nicely! (must watch speed!) Headlight highbeams--excellent! Window cranks a little hard however, hopefully after some use, it will get easier to crank. Doors a little hard to shut, must use some power to close them. We just bought the truck brand new recently, so, Im sure it just needs broke in a bit!

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  Great SS - 2000 Chevrolet Camaro
  By 2k SS VERT - February 20 - 12:31 am

  What a fun car. Plenty of power. What a blast to put the top down. I love my convert and found out its 1 of 48 artic white 6 speed SS converts built in 2000.

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  What a car! - 2005 Chevrolet Cobalt
  By bizman - February 19 - 2:13 pm

  I have an early production model 2005 LS 4 door with all the options except a sunroof. It has the sport package with an auto tranny. I have been getting 38 mpg hwy and avg 31.4 mpg city/hwy. I love this car! So far with almost 30,000 miles and 2 deer hits, Ive had no complaints and no problems. Just regular oil changes.

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  Heavenly Heavenly Ride - 2006 Chevrolet HHR
  By LINDA THEOBOLD - February 19 - 5:56 am

  I had been waiting for this car to come out, calling the dealer every week, checking on line. I prayed my 11 year old car would hold up until then. I bought my HHR on September 9th. I was blessed that they had exactly what I wanted. Sunburst orange metallic ii, 5 speed manual, CD and cruise. I drove to Talladega for the race a few weeks later. I was getting 38.5 mpg on the highway. I get 26 to 27 mpg in the city. It has great pickup going through the gears. Vroooooom! I have had more people in or around my car, wanting to know about it. Im sure IÂ’ve sold a few. After seeing mine a family member bought one. You get a lot for your money, and lots of looks too.

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  My z34 - 1996 Chevrolet Monte Carlo
  By z34monte - February 17 - 10:00 am

  i love this car

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  Too Bad Its The Last Year - 2002 Chevrolet Camaro
  By Camero Lover - February 17 - 10:00 am

  Everyone should invest in the 2002 Camero. I have been nothing but pleased. Everything runs and works beyond my expectations.

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  Best Sports for the Money - 2007 Chevrolet Corvette
  By mr2000ddd - February 17 - 7:57 am

  I rarely drive my Corvette daily, but I drive it on the weekends around the city. The driving experience is absolutely refreshing, because the engine has so much torque available at any speed. The seats are comfortable along with the close proximity of the user controls which make drving the car more pleasureble. The most impressive feat of the Corvette is its ability to give very good highway miles per gallons in parallel with an engine that put creates 400HP. I would recommend this car to anyone looking for a solid Amreican-made sports car.

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  Awesome - 2008 Chevrolet Malibu
  By PAT - February 16 - 8:43 pm

  This car is awesome! Beats the competition. So many standard features. 6 Airbags, stabilitrac, onstar, satellite radio. The turn by turn navigation system is so easy to use. No map discs to buy again. No screen to have to stare at. Smooth acceleration and super quiet inside. People are staring at my car when I stop. Nice job GM!

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  My New HHR Chevy - 2006 Chevrolet HHR
  By Jack - February 16 - 4:26 pm

  This is a great new car model from GM. It has almost every option as standard equipment. It appears to be a very high quality vehicle and should give me many years of pleasure. I am 62 years old!