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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  Chevrolet Builds A Winner - 2005 Chevrolet Cobalt
  By mn13237 - October 18 - 11:20 am

  2005 Chevrolet Cobalt LT sedan was driven RT from Dallas/FtWorth to New York City when it had less than 200 miles at the beginning of the trip. The car performed beautifully. The handling and steering feed back are excellent. I am over 6 feet and I found the car with proper seat adjustment to be very comfortable and supportive during my long distance drive. Driving between 60 and 65, the driver information system reported I got as much as 35.4MPG on the highway because I used moderation in starting and stoping the car.

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  my avalanche - 2002 Chevrolet Avalanche
  By Mark emark12222 - October 18 - 2:00 am

  Love it. Its very quiet, the steering is awesome, I have no idea how the editors review was so low on that. You get a 6 passenger vehicle(comfortably) without an overextended truck. And still have the 8 bed

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  I love my Eqinox - 2006 Chevrolet Equinox
  By Gail Stickner - October 18 - 1:03 am

  I bought my Equinox to have a higher, more comfortable interior than a car. The interior seems much larger than other vehicles I checked out. I has a very nice ride. I especially like the adjustable back seat to give more leg room to passengers. Mine also has a outdoor temperature feature that I like especially on winter roads to tell me when icy conditions may exist. My only concern is -- with 2000 miles on it, is getting 19.5 mpg around town.I hope this will improve. But it is a great vehicle and I could not be happier with it. I think GM should advertise the Equinox more.

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  Chevy is back on top - 2005 Chevrolet Colorado
  By The Oz - October 17 - 6:24 pm

  I live in Hawaii and it does outstanding on the hills. It is the perfect size. It fits all the needs of a full size truck, yet it is not too big to fit in smaller areas. It has a tight suspension. I take 4 buddies to lunch occasionally and they all fit fine. As a matter of fact, one of them is thinking of trading in his new vehicle for the same type truck. It has plenty of interior luxuries, yet it is still made for some roughness. The perfect vehicle!

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  Best car ever - 2006 Chevrolet Corvette
  By new vett owner - October 17 - 9:01 am

  This car goes above and beyond its reputation. It is fun to drive and has surprisingly good gas mileage when cruising on the highway. Contrary to critics, the interior is very nice in my opinion. The 06 handles much better than the 05.

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  Good buy. - 2005 Chevrolet Malibu
  By cwayne - October 16 - 10:00 am

  After driving this car for a couple weeks I feel the car is considerably under rated by the editors. Drives great, overall quiet smooth operation, brakes have excellent feel and action. The car makes driving fun again. The entire car has the quality and feel of a higher priced vehicle. A joy to drive.

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  SATISFIED CUSTOMER - 2005 Chevrolet Equinox
  By ADRIAN CLARK - October 16 - 10:00 am

  Picked my Equinox up end of July and drove to upstate New York after hurricane Charlie. After driving 3000 miles at high speeds on the highway and much town driving I have averaged 22 mpg which is the same as my Pontiac Montana van that I had prior to the Equinox. I very much like the vehicle, both style and performance, my only cticism is that the seats could be plusher. I believe Chevy have done a great job with this vehicle but could add a couple of low cost features like the performance information that was available in the van eg average mpg, range etc.

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  Awesome BLack Chevy - 2004 Chevrolet Silverado 1500
  By Dwayne Strang - October 16 - 10:00 am

  Awesome looking truck and very powerful. Looks awesome black with the chrome package.

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  Purchased a new 2005 model - 2006 Chevrolet Malibu
  By Jon - October 16 - 12:51 am

  The car runs great and the ride is smooth. The exterior is beautiful with a solid look and feel to it. When you open and close the doors it feels solid. The fuel economy is good for a six cylinder. The pickup is great and Im glad I bought a six cylinder over a four cylinder. The only negative I see so far is that the interior is very plain. So if you can live with a boring interior I highly recommend this car.

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  Chevy Lumina 1998 --> Chevy Equinox 2006 - 2006 Chevrolet Equinox
  By Todd of Doylestown - October 15 - 6:33 pm

  There was much room for improvement from going from a beat down 1998 Chevy Lumina into my new Chevy Equinox 2006. My first impression of driving the Equinox was that it was rather quiet for a car its size. I was instantly attracted to the fact that the car handles smoothly and I didnt need to put too much gas into it to get it up a hill. The features my Equinox came with were very nice additions to the car itself. I originally went from a sedan style car to SUV and was interested in knowing how well it would work out for me. Well it’s be about 2 months since I have owned my Equinox and I can say in confidence that I am pleased with my purchase. I would recommend this SUV to friends/family