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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  Must have stood in the lemon line - 2004 Chevrolet Malibu Maxx
  By Mike of Va. - June 22 - 10:03 pm

  I love the style, handling, and fuel mileage[30.9] but Ive had nothing but trouble with it. Pedals wouldnt move up or down. Fuel cap light on. Transmission chain adjusted? Rear hatch release didnt have safety pull on it and latch wouldnt release. Some type of poping noise when making slow turns. And now with 111,816 miles on it, the transmission has failed. If you are wondering I take care of my stuff so no jackrabbit starts or pulling/pushing with this car.

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  E-nox - 2005 Chevrolet Equinox
  By zoltar - June 22 - 7:08 pm

  I purchased this vehicle as a work vehicle and have been surprise by the performance and mileage. Miles from town and in the dead of Kansas winter, I have busted through 2 snowdrifts. Then in the spring with the snow melting, I have slip-slided a full mile on a minimum maintenance road at 3 to 5 MPH. I dont recommend this as several times I thought I was going to end my adventure in the ditch. I only wish Chevy had spent more money on the paint used on the dashboard and where did they get the material they used on the seat covers? Spill water on them and they stain! All in all for a used vehicle with 36k on it and $16k Im really satisfied. It now has (8 months later) 57k on it.

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  Perfect Dream SUV - 2005 Chevrolet Equinox
  By Shell - June 22 - 2:33 pm

  Simply love the design and build as well as the overall quality of this Chevy. Great performance car, I have no major complaints.

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  2008 Chevorlet Uplander LT - 2008 Chevrolet Uplander
  By Chris W. - June 22 - 1:41 pm

  1st drove this model as a rental car. We liked it so much we bought a new one when we got back from vacation. We had a newer Sedona Minivan and the difference is amazing. While the Kia had good power, the Uplander has that and much more. The powertrain is good for the size of vechile. The seats are really comfortable. The interior is laid out well and there are no blind spots. The doors and all seams line up well and the quality of the paint is good.

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  Great car for a small family - 1994 Chevrolet Corsica
  By Robin - June 22 - 12:02 pm

  This is a good car but too small for us now. It drives real nice and smooth and was great in the snow too.

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  Unbelievable - 2008 Chevrolet Corvette
  By JohnR - June 22 - 10:11 am

  I have been a Ford man for many years and never liked Corvettes.This is an unbelievable car in performance, handling, braking and fuel economy. In highway driving I can easily get 26 or 27 MPG, this is incredible for a 500 HP car. The seats are very comfortable as is the driving position. The car is hard to get in and out because it is very low to the ground. The suspension is very stiff which does not bother me but could be to much for some owners. This car is scary fast !

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  nice car - 2004 Chevrolet Cavalier
  By jd mac - June 22 - 10:00 am

  The car would be more fun to drive if it could speed up faster. Itwould be better all arount if it could top out at a higher top speed, around 130 like my other car (Ford Contour).

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  My Love - 2004 Chevrolet Cavalier
  By jacquealedo - June 22 - 10:00 am

  this is the second one I have owned it has much better pick-up and the gas milage is great. it is also alot more comfortable. I love my stereo also. Great car for the price

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  2003 Chevy Impala - 2003 Chevrolet Impala
  By L George - June 22 - 10:00 am

  The vehicle is excellent on trips have been averaging 35 mi plus per gal. Its spacious inside and has more then ample space in trunk. Its smooth riding and I think it does handle well on turns. The 3.4L engine doesnt have the umph of the 3.8 but the miles/per gal make up for that besides Im not interested in speed off the line 0-60. Its powerfull enough to handle hills and mountians on trips. Im more than satisifie with the vehicle and it looks good.

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  Chucks 03 LTZ Trailblazer - 2003 Chevrolet TrailBlazer
  By Chuck Novak - June 22 - 10:00 am

  I purchased this vehicle on 7/26/2003 & it really surprised me at the quality of ride & handling. The 4 valve per cylinder, 10:1 compression ratio gives this 4.2 litre a whopping 275 horsepower, not bad at all for a straight 6, & performs quite well considering the 4,616 lbs. that it is pulling. You can run 87 octane fuel, but I use 93 octane due to the compression & there is more performance & better gas mileage too. The only one thing I wished was that GM made the 5.3 litre V-8 available in the non extended models. I do love performance!