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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  Works well, few problems - 1995 Chevrolet Astro
  By Carl Bradshaw - June 7 - 2:00 am

  Reliable, roomy, comfortable for kids.Drivers seat a bit small especially left leg room. The main driver, my wife loves it mostly for the great view of the road and the carrying capacity. Dutch doors in the rear nice, however the weatherstripping has to be replaced once every three years. Handling fine for a truck chassis vehicle.

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  2000 Corvette-3 yrs. later - 2000 Chevrolet Corvette
  By mross4734 - June 7 - 2:00 am

  Ive owned the car for 3 yrs. Bought it new. Great way to travel. Fun to drive. Not without problems however. For example, electonic steering column lock failure stranded me in Palm Springs. Not a bad place to break down. Oil pump failure in the 2nd year required 5 trips to 2 different dealers before factory technician diagnosed. No engine damage due to momentary initial start-up failure only. Pain in the butt however.

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  Hatchbacks are great!! - 2006 Chevrolet Malibu Maxx
  By Kit Gerhart - June 6 - 8:20 pm

  I bought my car new in 2006, and it has been great. The seats are very comfortable for me on long trips, and, while not a sports car, it has plenty of power and handles well. I got the LTZ because I wanted a few gadgets like HomeLink that werent available on cheaper trim levels. The gas mileage, while not great, is at least as good as could be expected for a car this size and power. I get in the low- mid 20s in mixed driving, and 29-30 on the interstate going as fast as I can get by with. The reliability has been great; Ive had no problems in 3 1/2 years of ownership.

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  cheverolet - 1995 Chevrolet Tahoe
  By susan bartholomaus - June 6 - 2:00 am

  This vehicle is very dependable. Gets around extrememly well in adverse weather. Comfortable to ride in.

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  1998 LT 4 Door - 2003 Chevrolet Blazer
  By TJT1963 - June 6 - 2:00 am

  I have a 1998 Blazer LT 4WD that I bought used with 59,000 miles. The drivetrain is terriffic! It pulls my 4300 lb. boat/trailer plus equipment with not nearly the strain one would think. It uses absolutely no oil whatsoever even after 5000 miles. The drivetrain really is A1! I have the metallic silver paint job and it is flawless. The stereo is awesome. Cons? Ive had to replace the ball joints, u- joints, water pump, front right bearing assembly, drivers power window motor. The interior plastic trim pieces could be of higher finish quality and are rather brittle. The front end styling could be more attractive.

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  Poor reliability - 2001 Chevrolet Impala
  By Ltolch - June 6 - 2:00 am

  This car has had coolant problems, two transmission rebuilds and warped rotors all within two years and 38,000 miles of easy city and highway driving.

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  2002 Suburban Z-71 - 2002 Chevrolet Suburban
  By showmy - June 6 - 2:00 am

  This vehicle is like driving your family room down the interstate. Comfortable and great engine with plenty of power. Z-71 looks great and stiffer suspension prevents back-end from "wallowing" at hi-speeds as some of the other larger SUVs do. Plenty of room for adults in all rows. We use the On-Star system a lot...great feature. Tows excellent. Consider the rear buckets as an option is you have small children and dont mind loosing the extra seat. This makes it easy to get into the back while traveling.

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  Great Car - 2016 Chevrolet Malibu
  By Brian Swafford - June 5 - 11:01 pm

  it is a great car runs nice looks great and cant beat the price for all the features i bought mine from Michael Malagutti at Blasius Chevrolet and they are a wonderful group to work with when it comes to buying this car Mike did a great job!!

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  2003 S-10 Crew Cab - 2003 Chevrolet S-10
  By jspt46 - June 5 - 2:00 am

  Great truck so far. Not much leg room in the back seat for my 11year old. Please get the 3.73 gear ratio option. The 3.42 has no low end torque. It has no take off power. Nice vehicle and you cant beat the $4000 rebate!

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  Shes still a ticking... - 1995 Chevrolet Blazer
  By PrincesManda - June 5 - 2:00 am

  An excellent car going on 138K miles. Outside, as well as inside is still looking great-- exterior & interior looks like it just came off the lot. We did have to replace the transmission, fuel pump, water pump, ABS went out (still has power brakes though) and a few other things. ...Shes still running good, but I think at 138K miles, shes almost ready for a new engine and a rest home. Overall though, good car and still wouldnt hesitate to take her across the country.