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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  Luv it but - 2007 Chevrolet HHR
  By happy - January 29 - 10:37 pm

  Im very happy with the HHR however, I am from the northeast and this winter has been very cold.The reason I bring the weather up is in the morning when I get on the hughway the engine is quite loud. Getting to the highway I have a little dip or two to go over. When I do go over them it sounds like I lost my under carriage. After like five miles this to calms down. The car has a low front end so stay on well plowed roads.

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  Best SUV Ive Ever Driven - 2009 Chevrolet Tahoe
  By Hugh - January 29 - 7:32 pm

  I traded in my 04 Yukon Denali for this Tahoe, and it was a great choice. For its size, the Fahoe drives so easily around the city, and its so comfortable inside. The dash looks very elegant, the seats are super comfortable, and the nav screen is easy to use, and the design of the whole truck is great. In mostly city driving, I get about 14.9 mpg, which is great because my old Denali only got about 11 mpg

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  Woodworking Vehicle Needed - 2005 Chevrolet Silverado 1500
  By Bob - January 29 - 6:26 pm

  So far the truck has been very enjoyable and has done what was asked of it, hauling, towing, trips, carrying passengers. I do hope that a true hybrid is in the works as Ill keep this one until a higher mileage big truck is available.

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  Nice reliable car - 2008 Chevrolet Cobalt
  By Steph - January 29 - 12:46 pm

  I bought my 08 LT sedan last May. Ive put 10k miles on it so far and it has been a pretty good car to drive. Its handled very well in the ice and snow recently. The remote start option has been good this winter with having an infant. Driving a mix of city and highway, I tend to get about 28 mpg. That was nice while gas prices were up. Even now that gas is back down its still wonderful not to have to spend as much on gas.

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  Proud American Vehicle - 2009 Chevrolet Tahoe
  By Hugh - January 29 - 6:46 am

  Ive owned many cars and trucks, all American. I have been disappointed before with GM, but this new Tahoe has changed all of that. The interior has to be the best ever in an American car. The build quality is rock solid while still being elegant. This truck makes me proud to be American

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  Best car ever - 2004 Chevrolet Impala
  By impala 04 - January 29 - 2:07 am

  There is nothing more beautiful than an Impala 04! The interior space is perfect and very comfortable. I drove this car for almost three years and never had problems with the engine. I used it for traveling and it was the most comfortable road trip experience driving and as passenger. Even after hitting the 100,000 mile marker, the engine ran smoothly and silently. The Impala is the best car I have ever owned!

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  2008 Malibu Transmision problem - 2008 Chevrolet Malibu
  By Tayle - January 28 - 7:32 pm

  When car reached around ten thousand miles it developed a problem with the transmission.When you try to maintain speed from forty miles per hour or higher the torque converter feels like it is engaging and disengaging from drive to overdrive continuously.The tach jumps about three or four hundred rpm up and down.You take your foot off the gas pedal for a second and then resume maintaning your speed and the problem goes away for a few miles if your lucky.The service manager at the dealership we bought the car from says this is normal.I dont know how anybody can say that is normal.Dont get me wrong my wife and I like the car except for the transmission issue.

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  Rusting so soon! - 2007 Chevrolet HHR
  By john - January 28 - 4:36 pm

  I actually love the car , the ride, the, the mileage all fine. But, after a year and 9 months I had to take it into the dealer to have rust repaired on all 5 doors. The rust is in the doors where the seams are. If you look at the seam in the bottom of the doors you can see the rust bubbling under the paint. I took the car in and they sandblasted the door seams and repainted. I know a good deal about cars and I know for certain this car had to be assembled rusty! I dont mean to pile on when GM is down but maybe this is why. I spoke to my neighbor who owns an HHR who was not surprised because his doors had also been repaired for rust! Is GM building Vegas again? Just a word to the wise.

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  Value for Money - 2007 Chevrolet Impala
  By Joe - January 28 - 2:33 pm

  Bought the car new after traveling 2,000 miles in a rental car in 5 days. Gas mileage on my car varies between 23 in town to over 30 at 70mph. Best was 34. Very reliable. Had a two small issues that the dealer addressed. I love the 3.5s high torque at low rpm. Very good value for the money.

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  Best Chevy Ive ever driven! - 2008 Chevrolet Malibu
  By mike b - January 28 - 12:00 pm

  This is a fantastic vehicle. Very quiet on the highway. Beautiful interior. And all the options make this vehicle fun to drive. This is hands down the best Chevrolet Ive ever been in. Its not even compairable to the old Malibu.