13 Of The Most Reliable Small Chevrolet Cars (New And Used)

Very few all-American automakers have the same legacy as Chevrolet when it comes to producing budget-friendly, dependable cars. Of course, some model years for specific nameplates that don't exactly contribute to that, but there's no shortage of reliable Chevrolets to choose from, particularly in recent years. While larger models such as the Tahoe, Suburban, and Silverado are great vehicles in their own right, the brand's smaller vehicles have positioned Chevrolet to compete with the very best international competition. 

As the market demands have evolved drastically throughout the 2010s, moving into the 2020s, Chevrolet's lineup of these smaller cars has dwindled. The SUV segment is now responsible for keeping the automaker competitive in compact segments, many of which offer standout reliability themselves. However, the cars that recently met their fate due to the said SUVs, there's also plenty of choice on the used market if you still want the bow-tie badge in a more condensed package. Here's a look at 13 of the most reliable small Chevrolets you can buy new and used, ranging from hybrid hatchbacks to all-practical compact SUVs. 

For the 2025 model year, the Malibu is the only sedan that Chevrolet sells new. When it comes to the cars on sale overall, the Corvette sits next to the Malibu among the ever-growing fleet of trucks and SUVs, but the latter is the only of its kind from the American manufacturer. However, Chevrolet has discontinued the Malibu, becoming another affordable car to make way for the electric vehicles of the future. While it's certainly a shame to lose one of the last-remaining all-American sedans, the latest 2025 model remains a solid choice within the segment, holding its own against some of the most popular cars on the road.

Starting at $25,800 with a $1,195 destination charge on top for the base LS trim, the 2025 Malibu isn't quite the cheapest model on sale from Chevrolet, but it still comes in at a price point below key rivals such as the Honda Accord. Under the hood of the new Malibu is a turbocharged 1.5-liter four-cylinder engine producing 163 hp and 183 lb-ft of torque, which is also good for 31 mpg combined. Alongside keeping fuel costs down, J.D. Power also reports a reliability score of 84/100. Combined with a yearly maintenance cost of $532, the outgoing Malibu is certainly worthy of consideration if you're in the market for an all-around budget-friendly mid-sized sedan.

The Malibu may be the most recent car to leave the lineup, but Chevrolet has axed quite a few of its cars in recent years to meet the market's demand for crossovers and SUVs. In 2011, Chevrolet introduced the compact Cruze to the U.S. market, which, while initially successful with this segment being a favorite at the time, didn't fall in line with the brand's vision that's currently coming to life. Production for the Cruze ceased in 2019, putting Chevrolet's venture into the compact sedan segment to an end.

The most recent Cruze may not feel quite as modern as some of the latest models from Chevrolet, particularly inside the cabin with its fairly small 7-inch center touchscreen and simple styling. KBB reports an average used price of a mere $8,256 for the base trim, only having to spend an average of $13,552 for the loaded, higher-spec Premier trim.

Under the hood, the 2019 models standard turbocharged 1.4-liter four-cylinder engine produces a decent 153 hp, alongside a 33 mpg combined rating if you go for the nine-speed automatic transmission. A 1.6-liter diesel engine was also available, which boosted the rating to 37 mpg. Reliability also shouldn't be a problem, with a great score of 87/100 from J.D. Power, topped off by a below-average repair cost of $545 per year, as per RepairPal.

While the Cruze didn't make it into the 2020s, Chevrolet continued production of an even smaller nameplate, the subcompact Spark for a few more years. The Spark ticked almost every box for an urban daily driver, being small enough to maneuver in tight spaces, but that did come at the cost of interior space. Unsurprisingly, the Spark was subsequently discontinued in favor of crossover SUVs after sales started to decline. The Chevrolet Spark was produced up until 2022, but going back just one year gives us solid data for reliability at a lower price, for essentially the same car.

Another area where the Spark falls short on paper is outright performance, but as it's such a small car, the 1.4-liter four-cylinder engine producing just 98 hp and 94 lb-ft of torque is enough to shift it through the streets. Chevrolet made up for the lower output through efficiency, with the 2021 Spark receiving a 33 mpg combined rating from the EPA.

You can pick up one of these tiny cars for an average price of $10,116 on average for the best trim according to KBB, and $11,026 for the ACTIV trim that gets a uniquely styled front fascia. Reliability data for the most recent model is limited from outlets such as J.D. Power, but the 2021 model gets an outstanding score of 88/100, coupled with a $434 annual repair cost per RepairPal.

General Motors is no stranger to undercutting its competition with Chevrolet's low price points, and the Trax SUV comes in as the most affordable model currently on offer from the Detroit-based automaker. Introduced as a 2015 model for the first time, the Trax entered its second generation in 2024 and remains largely unchanged for 2025, becoming a larger, more practical compact SUV that aims to keep the costs down on all fronts.

With an MSRP of $20,500 along with a destination charge of $1,395, it's hard to ignore the Trax's value, which we discovered in our recent review of the SUV's 2025 model. Power is limited by the turbocharged 1.2-liter three-cylinder engine, which produces 137 hp and 162 lb-ft of torque. However, its efficiency rating of 30 mpg combined from the EPA makes it almost as good as much smaller cars like the Malibu or Cruze in this area. E85 fuel is also available to use with the Trax, but that drops the rating down to just 22 mpg. Reliability also shouldn't be a concern for the 2025 model, with J.D. Power giving it a dependability score of 83/100. Maintenance costs are also quite low for the Trax, with an annual cost of $488 from RepairPal.

As with many nameplates that have been on the market for some time, looking at the used market for a slightly older model can help you save money on the initial purchase, albeit potentially losing some features that have been introduced more recently. In the case of the Chevrolet Malibu, however, the mid-size sedan hasn't seen any major updates since the 2019 model year, aside from the hybrid option and the 2.0-liter four-cylinder engine being removed in 2020 and 2023, making it one of the most attractive cars from the brand to seek out second-hand. The 2019 update introduced features such as an 8-inch center touchscreen, which is still there or thereabouts with what you get in many other cars in the segment.

As per KBB, a base 2022 Chevrolet Malibu can be bought for an average of $17,786, compared to its original MSRP of $24,895. By featuring almost identical features as the most recent outgoing 2025 model, the 2022 Malibu is powered by a turbocharged 1.5-liter four-cylinder engine producing 163 hp and 183 lb-ft of torque. Efficiency ratings are also close to the 2025 model, achieving 32 mpg combined according to the EPA. Looking at how dependable the 2022 Malibu is, we can expect the same quality to also be present, with J.D. Power giving it a score of 85/100 overall.

Hearing the Trailblazer name may remind you of the older Chevrolet mid-size SUV that was removed from the lineup back in 2008, but the automaker has since brought it back in a different package. Currently it's the smallest SUV in the fleet, below the Trax. First returning for the 2021 model year, the Trailblazer has become a key model for Chevrolet's presence in the compact crossover segment, offering a solid array of standard features at a solid starting price tag. However, as it received a light refresh in 2024, going back a year to the 2022 Trailblazer can save you a notable sum up front.

As is the case in 2025, the 2022 Trailblazer didn't cost much on release, with a starting MSRP of $22,995. Today, however, you can pick up a 2022 model for approximately $17,203 for the base trim. Powered by a 1.2-liter three-cylinder engine producing 137 hp and 162 lb-ft of torque as standard (the same as the modern Trax), a more powerful 155-hp 1.3-liter engine came with the RS and ACTIV trims, which go for an average of $20,875 and $21,096, respectively. While not bulletproof, the 2022 model receives one of the highest reliability ratings featured on this list at 86/100, with RepairPal reporting a $524 annual repair cost.

The third and most expensive Chevrolet SUV to fall into the compact segment in 2025 is the Equinox, which is aimed a little more toward the higher end of the market compared to the Trax and Trailblazer. Having been on the market now for 20 years since being introduced in 2005, the Equinox has gone through its fair share of updates, with the 2025 model kickstarting the fourth generation and revising a few major aspects of the SUV, making it even more attractive for its $28,600 starting MSRP (not including the $1,395 destination charge).

Under the more aggressive, wider hood of the 2025 Equinox is a turbocharged 1.5-liter four-cylinder — the same as what came with the outgoing 2024 model. This engine produces 175 hp and 203 lb-ft of torque, which offers 27 mpg combined according to the EPA. Not quite as efficient as the smaller models featured here, but that can be expected due to its larger size and more powerful engine. Despite still being available brand new, the 2025 Equinox looks to have outstanding reliability with a score of 88/100, reinforced by a $537 average annual maintenance bill per RepairPal.

The Cruze wasn't the only Chevrolet to be discontinued in 2019. The Chevrolet Volt was a smaller car, taking on a hatchback style and featuring a unique powertrain compared to the rest of the lineup. Sold exclusively as a plug-in hybrid, the Volt seemingly adhered to the drive toward electrification that the brand was aiming for, but due to its size, low sales, and the fast-moving landscape of the EV segment meant that Chevrolet had to pull the plug.

Powered by a 1.5-liter inline-four engine combined with two electric motors, the last Chevrolet Volt can produce a combined 149 hp and 294 lb-ft of torque — the sort of numbers you'd expect for a car this small boosted by electric power. However, the standout feature of the Volt's powertrain is its electric-only range of 53 miles was better than anything in its class at the time and still tops many of the leading PHEVs on the market today. While plug-in hybrids aren't known for their stellar dependability, J.D. Power gives the 2019 Volt a score of 80/100, keeping on par with the industry's average.

As mentioned, the Chevrolet Malibu had its last meaningful update across all trims back in 2019, excluding the 2020 and 2023 model years when the hybrid and the top-spec's more powerful engine were removed from the lineup. While the 2019 model introduced a new design that still keeps the car feeling modern from the outside, don't write off going back to the pre-facelift model. The differences are noticeable, particularly at the front fascia and a slightly larger touchscreen embedded in the dashboard that doesn't receive major changes itself. But due to its age, the 2018 model can be picked up for much less than the newer facelifted models, for differences that are hard to notice when behind the wheel.

One aspect of the 2018 model that was carried over into 2019 was the engine, with the former coming with the turbocharged 1.5-liter four-cylinder engine that still features in the 2025 model. This powertrain offers 163 hp and 184 lb-ft of torque, along with a slightly lower EPA-estimated 30 mpg combined. Reliability also holds strong with a score of 80/100 from J.D. Power, and you'll only have to spend an average of $10,957 to purchase one on the used market.

The Chevrolet Spark didn't see much change throughout the late 2010s and into the early 2020s, keeping multiple model years open to consideration on the used market. While the cars remained predominantly the same during this time (aside from things like new paint options) some model years have the edge when it comes to the available reliability data from key sources. It's hard to beat the rating that the 2021 model offers, but going back to the 2020 version is your next best bet.

One of the key aspects that makes the 2020 model another standout choice is how little you'll have to spend on it, with KBB reporting an average makes used price of just $8,377 for the base trim. Even if you go for the ACTIV trim that once again offers a unique front fascia design and interior upgrades like the leather-wrapped steering wheel, a low price of $12,662 keeps these features more than accessible. The same 1.4-liter four-cylinder producing 98 hp also features in the 2020 model, offering an efficiency rating of 33 mpg combined, and it's one of the high scorers when it comes to reliability at 84/100, as per J.D. Power.

Shifting focus back to the Trailblazer, the pre-facelift models may be more affordable on the used market, but the newest 2025 model still comes at an affordable price, compared to other competitive compact SUVs on the market. Compared to the refreshed 2024 model, the latest version of the Trailblazer doesn't see many changes aside from a couple of new paint colors and E85 fuel compatibility, but does should offer better reliability in the long run despite not having as much data available for it.

Looking at the pricing for the 2025 Trailblazer, the base LS trim starts at $23,100 in its front-wheel drive layout, with all-wheel drive upping the price to $25,100. Both models have a $1,395 destination charge. All trims come with an 11-inch center touchscreen, Chevrolet's expansive safety suite, with the major differences being cosmetic between the trims. A turbocharged 1.2-liter inline-four also powers the front-wheel drive models as standard, producing 137 hp and 162 lb-ft of torque, whereas the all-wheel drive SUVs get a 1.3-liter engine producing a higher 155 hp and 174 lb-ft of torque. According to J.D. Power, both models offer solid reliability with a score of 86/100, helping keep the costs down in the long run as well as the initial purchase price.

The Trax didn't enter its current generation as seamlessly as many others here, taking a break between the 2022 and 2024 model years to make sure Chevrolet nailed the revised model. When putting the two side-by-side, the previous-gen model can look quite dated, but still does a great job of holding up against others in the segment, for an even lower price point than the brand new model. The 2024 Trax changed just about everything for the compact SUV, making the two different generations essentially feel like different nameplates altogether.

In the 2022 Trax, you get a 1.5-liter four-cylinder engine that actually offers more performance than the latest models, producing 155 hp. Paired with a six-speed manual transmission (a rare sight in modern SUVs), you don't get as high of an efficiency rating in this older model at 27 mpg combined. However, the upfront costs are notably lower. KBB reports an average used price of $15,580, which, paired with J.D. Power's reliability rating of 83/100, keeps the 2022 Trax well in contention if you're looking for a dependable compact SUV, particularly on the used market.

An SUV under the Chevrolet banner that entered a new generation straight after the previous model year is the Equinox. We've covered why the latest 2025 SUV remains a solid choice in this ultra-competitive segment, but, like the Trax, the older model deserves a separate mention, particularly with its standout reliability ratings.

The 2024 Chevrolet Equinox was the last of the previous-gen models, following a design style that was quite common across the range until the early 2020s. Despite changing much of the compact SUV's philosophy, the engine was kept the same, with the 2024 Equinox also being powered by a turbocharged 1.5-liter engine that offers 175 hp and 203 lb-ft of torque. Efficiency ratings are ever-so-slightly better at 28 mpg, being right on the average mark when it comes to fuel saving.

As for the reliability of the 2024 model, J.D. Power gives the outgoing generation a score of 88/100, reaffirming the Equinox as one of the most dependable models in the modern range of Chevrolets. RepairPal's annual repair costs of $537 aren't as low as some other names on this list, but still under the site's industry average of $652.