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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  Better car than I thought. - 2005 Chevrolet Impala
  By Ferm08 - May 11 - 3:33 pm

  I have only had this car for a very short time. I bought this car for my wife. I driven it a few times. This car drives very well handles good in the snow. Gas mileage is pretty good I hade to take it back to the dealer because the CD player stop working. It was replaced right away with no problems. So for this car seems to be ok. Knock on wood.

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  3rd Tahoe - 2009 Chevrolet Tahoe
  By Ed - May 11 - 11:08 am

  This 3rd Tahoe for us and is the nicest family car we have ever owned. Comfortable, quiet, and 19 to 20 miles per gallon using cruise control and driving in a sane manner. The fuel management system really helps with the gas. Runs on Regular. Easy to use controls. Memory seats. Dual zone heating and cooling. Both I and my wife are comfortable.

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  New Malibu Surprises - 2008 Chevrolet Malibu
  By JSaggio - May 11 - 9:50 am

  Love cars but not an "autophile". Was surprised by materials and fit/finish of the interior/exterior on Malibu; quality materials well executed. Drove 200 miles first day; city, freeway, ortega highway at night; satisfied with ride, handling and power. Ride is quieter than expected, more power than expected and more oversteer/pitch/roll than expected. Its no BMW but neither is the msrp. To me the int/ext looks better than Accord but not Mercedes. The ride/handling compare to Accord but not Merc. Quality seems as good or better than both. Im amazed with Malibu for the price..10k less cash but not car compared to Merc.

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  More than I bargained for - 2010 Chevrolet Camaro
  By lgreise - May 11 - 6:30 am

  I have the 2LT, RS, 6 speed, in AQUA BLUE Metallic. Everybody wants to see the blue one. The first night I had it, I came out of a restaurant to find two gals getting their pic taken next to it, lol. What a sweet ride - so smooth and sleek. Definitely an eye- catcher.

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  C6 Z51 - 2005 Chevrolet Corvette
  By G Cunningham - May 11 - 4:43 am

  The Vette does more than what I expected. The speed, handling and looks are out of this world. I was very happy with the acceleration and steering response. I have all my friends trying to buy one now.

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  2004 Trailblazer rear seats - 2004 Chevrolet TrailBlazer
  By Bill - May 10 - 7:14 pm

  Really like the Trailblazer. Fun to drive. Never had an issue - mechanically... Can pull/trailer but uses some gas. Had an S-10 Blazer and wanted to "upgrade." Liked the S-10 Blazers gas mileage better even when towing... Back seats on the Trailblazer only lay down if you pull fronts seats all the way up... S-10 didnt have to adjust the front seats... Should have kept the s-10 blazer... if you find one, get it... Trailblazer? Dime a dozen. Find one with low miles - youll be happy. Plenty of storage room in the back - its an suv.

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  Great So Far - 2007 Chevrolet Tahoe
  By Doug - May 10 - 3:40 pm

  I had been hesistant to go back to GM after having some problems with their vehicles in the past. However, the new Tahoe looks and drives great. Quality seems top notch and fit and finish are finally what they should be. I love all the features including the input jack to plug an iPod into. I have got a lot of positive comments and looks. If GM can do what they did to this car to the rest of their line-up, they will survive nicely.

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  By Comparison - 2001 Chevrolet Tahoe
  By carruthers - May 10 - 12:11 pm

  My wife drives a Pathfinder of the same year and mine has 87,000 more miles and my tahoe has less wrong with it, better overall cosmetic look inside and outside. The Tahoe is timeless. For this generation its hard to tell who has an old one and who has a new one. By the way, the fuel economy isnt much different between the tahoe and pathfinder and the Tahoe is much heavier.

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  Not impressed with American trucks - 2008 Chevrolet Silverado 1500
  By alex - May 10 - 2:13 am

  I drive this because its a company truck. Let me first say I am biased because I hate automatic transmissions- they stink for mountain driving, and I live and work in the mountains. The auto gearing is terrible for steep descents on this truck and other automatics. The truck has got 6000 miles on it and the gas gauge just broke and the check engine light came on. It is constantly beeping with alerts and warnings. It does not go smoothly in and out of 4wd and 4 lo is super hard to get into. I am comparing this to my 1989 (almost 20 years older) Toyota which shifts in and out of 4wd and 4lo way smoother- (and the gas gauge still works.) Otherwise this is a very comfy and smooth truck.

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  Functional, stylish, fun - 1999 Chevrolet Monte Carlo
  By C Keene - May 10 - 2:00 am

  I actually like the looks of the 99 better than the 00, except for the Lumina overtones. The car is one of the most comfortable highway cars for the money. Pity that GM bean counters always choose the lowest bidder when it comes to interior plastics. If Honda and VW can find suppliers of quality pastic materials, why cant GM? I tore off the Z-34 emblems as I thought it was silly when they replaced the 3.4 engine with the 3.8. I simply upgraded the car by retrofitting SS emblems from the Camaro (RIP).