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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  The Big Dog - 2004 Chevrolet Avalanche
  By blainejrjeni - October 9 - 2:00 am

  This truck has to be THEE "BEST" truck we ever owned, and we have owned ALOT of trucks and cars due to I work at a Chevy Dealership, We named her the BIG DOG, she is great all the way around , good on gas beleive it are not, we ge LOTS of looks on here people telling us what a beautiful truck, she is Bright red, and we didnt take the amour the plastic bottom didnt like that, she has Dual exhaust, chrome running boards and her personalized bug sheild............IAM THE "BIG" DOG!!!, she just is a reall looker from every direction! And we have LOTS of fun with her and its just a great Truck all the way around.

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  Love my Suburban - 2005 Chevrolet Suburban
  By Bunny H. - October 9 - 2:00 am

  As a mother of three, I absolutely love this vehicle. I have owned a Dodge Caravan and Ford Explorer before I bought the Chevy. The kids love all the breathing room and so do I. It may be an expensive purchase, but I can see myself very content with it in the years to come. It may not be considered a luxury SUV, but I would beg to differ!

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  It works for me! - 2004 Chevrolet Suburban
  By David Dunlop - October 9 - 2:00 am

  This my third Suburban and will not be my last. We do a lot of traveling, and this is the ideal car for us. It is comfortable, safe, economical for its size, and caries all the "junk" we want for our travels. I would and have recommended it to many people.

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  Our 4th Chevrolet Suburban - 2004 Chevrolet Suburban
  By Kelsey55 - October 9 - 2:00 am

  We just bought our 4th Chevy Suburban. The first time we bought a Suburban I was total against buying it. It looked huge compared to my station wagon. And I didnt want to drive it. Well that fear didnt last long ha ha. As I have been the main driver of all our suburbans. Our first two suburban was used to take our(3)kids and their sporting equipment to games, haul our travel trailer & boat. As we do a lot of family things. All our suburbans handled well on and off the road. Two of our suburbans had over two hundred and fifty thousand miles on them when we sold them. We have never had any serious problems with any of our suburbans. No kids home but still buy suburban

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  First Impression - 2004 Chevrolet Corvette
  By califstateusa - October 9 - 2:00 am

  This is the first Corvette I have owned and it wont be my last. The only problem so far is the passenger window wont go down, turned out to be a bad regulator assembly and replaced by manufacturers warranty at no charge. The car is fun to drive and has plenty of power to get you out of trouble quickly. I liked the body style better than the 2005, but the vote is still out on the C6 at least for the next year.

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  Chevy trade up - 2004 Chevrolet Tahoe
  By suburban trader - October 9 - 2:00 am

  I traded a 94 Suburban in on the 04 Z71 Tahoe and love the new vehicle. I am getting 5 mpg better milage and the comfort is much better. Turning radius is better and all the "toys" cant be beat. Have 4 leather buckets and comfort in entire vehicle is great. Visibility for driver fantastic.

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  Great SUV - 2004 Chevrolet TrailBlazer
  By N.morrison - October 9 - 2:00 am

  I bought this vehicle in 2003, commute to work 27 miles from 5400 feet down to 2000 feet through snow and heavey traffic. This vehicle handles fantastic in the snow high alitude (9600 Ft) Sonora Pass. Thank You GM :>)

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  Great SUV...Traded in 2005 Escape - 2004 Chevrolet TrailBlazer
  By Kimb - October 9 - 2:00 am

  I love this SUV...I had just bought a new 2005 Ford Escape and kept having problems with it and 1 time while it was in the shop I rented a Trailblazer.. I was sold.. After continuing to have problems with my 2005 Ecsape.. I traded it in on a 2004 TRAilblazer... I love it... Much better SUV!!!!!

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  Solid - 2005 Chevrolet Cobalt
  By Jon - October 8 - 5:43 am

  Ive driven some pretty awful cars, so I would have been happy with a well constructed cardboard box with a transmission. I would have liked an expensive V6, but the wallet didnt seem to agree with me. To my surprise though, this cars quality is way more than what I had anticipated for the price I paid. The design, overall power, drive quality, and value are exceptional. The coupe has a few blind spots in the back and my model doesnt have power windows (But is an LS...I dont have any clue how that happened...)

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  review - 2004 Chevrolet Avalanche
  By jett2502 - October 8 - 2:00 am

  Ive owned a 2003 Avalance and presently own a 2004 Avalanche. Ive been very impressed with quality of ride and reliability (I had the 03 in the shop one time for a click in the drivers door) and have yet to have the 04 in the shop. Versitility is this vehicles greatest asset. Its like having a family vehicle that can be quickly converted into a pickup truck. Fuel mileage is well above average for an engine and truck of this size (15 city and 19.3 highway). The 130 inch wheelbase makes it practical for city driving and parking.