10 Chevrolet Models With The Cheapest Ownership Costs

Despite an ever-changing field of competitors both abroad and within the U.S., buyers keep flocking to Chevrolet. The brand posted a 1.5% overall growth in sales in 2024, shifting its highest number of vehicles since 2019. Brand loyalty undoubtedly plays a part in that success, but buyers wouldn't keep returning in such large numbers if Chevy's models didn't make financial sense to own. Accordingly, the Bow Tie brand offers a wide range of models with attractive ownership costs, not just in terms of upfront cost but in maintenance, insurance, and fuel costs as well.

These 10 models are the cheapest Chevrolet models to own according to data from KBB. The platform models total ownership costs in its data, including everything from gas bills to state taxes as well as the depreciation that virtually every new car will suffer. We've chosen to only include the 10 lowest cost models here, and so popular models like the Suburban, Tahoe, and Corvette are notably absent from the list.

While the Chevrolet Blazer EV sports notably higher costs and thus misses out on a spot on this list, the gas-powered Blazer just makes the cut. With a KBB estimate of $64,649 total cost over five years, it's the 10th cheapest Chevrolet to own according to current data.

That cost might seem like a lot, but KBB takes into account the total running costs of the car, including depreciation, finance, insurance and state fees, gas bills, and maintenance. So, the amount listed is the amount that owners can expect to spend keeping their car on the road overall over a five year period.

The Blazer offers buyers a zippier alternative to the leading midsize SUVs, with an optional V6 available. It borrows styling cues from the Camaro, but make no mistake, this is no sports car. That said, it's a step up from the average grocery getter in terms of driving dynamics. A choice of four trims are available, with all-wheel drive optionally offered across all four.

The Chevrolet Traverse Limited is a stopgap model that's different from the standard Traverse. It was only introduced for the 2024 model year and not for 2025, but since KBB's most recent data includes the 2024 model year, it makes an appearance here. According to the platform's estimates, the Traverse Limited costs less to own than the new Traverse, with total costs over five years coming to $64,186.

In essence, the Traverse Limited is a 2023 Traverse with a slightly different name. It was brought into existence out of necessity, as Chevrolet was having difficulties in ramping up the production of its all-new 2024 Traverse. Not wanting to leave buyers waiting, Chevy bosses opted to bring back the previous generation Traverse for another model year as a "Limited" model. Aside from the most obvious changes between the newer and older Traverse — those made to the exterior and interior styling — the Traverse Limited is also different under the hood. The new generation Traverse features a turbo-four engine, while the Traverse Limited features a 3.6-liter V6.

The first of two Silverado variants to appear on the list, the Chevrolet Silverado 1500 Double Cab will cost $63,335 to own over a five year period according to KBB. That's less than some of the brand's family-oriented SUVs. Fuel takes up a significant proportion of that overall five year cost, with KBB estimating that the average driver completing 15,000 miles of mixed driving per year will spend just over $14,000 at the gas pump.

Crew cab Silverados like the ZR2 that SlashGear tested in 2024, are a little more costly, with an average estimated cost of $65,848 over the same period. This is primarily down to the higher cost of purchase, which leads to higher depreciation. Still, the Silverado remains a cost-effective way for buyers to do truck stuff, and its sales figures reflect that. According to data from CarFigures, Chevrolet sold over 560,000 examples of the Silverado in 2024 across all of its variants.

The regular cab Silverado is slightly cheaper than the double cab Silverado, with KBB estimating total costs over five years to be $62,603. Depreciation levels between the regular cab and double cab remain roughly equal over that period, but lower finance costs and state fees give the regular cab a slight edge overall. Of course, that doesn't count for much for anyone needing to haul family members or co-workers on a regular basis, and the cost difference between the two is only marginal anyway.

Buyers of the regular cab Silverado also get a significantly reduced trim range available to them. It's only available in work-ready WT trim, whereas double cab buyers can pick from a range of four trims: WT, Custom, LT, and RST. The sole WT trim on the regular cab is available in both two-wheel drive and four-wheel drive form, with the latter adding a roughly $4,000 premium to the truck's starting price.

The only electric Chevrolet to appear on this list is the Equinox EV, which competes against industry heavyweights like Tesla for a slice of the burgeoning electric crossover market. With KBB estimating a five-year ownership cost of $61,608, the Equinox EV ranks as the sixth cheapest Chevrolet model to own. Its cost distribution looks notably different to Chevy's gas-powered models, with fuel costs estimated to be just over $7,200 over five years but insurance the biggest cost at over $10,600.

Depreciation is also a significant expense, with the Equinox EV estimated to retain only 30% of its original sticker price after five years on the road. That's enough to put it among the worst performers on the market in percentage terms. In fact, it retains an even smaller percentage of its original value than notoriously fast-depreciating luxury stalwarts like the Range Rover and Mercedes-Benz S-Class. However, the similarly priced Tesla Model 3 doesn't fare much better than the Equinox EV, retaining just 33% of its value over the same period.

Chevy may be discontinuing the Malibu, but as of this writing it remains a part of the brand's lineup. Buyers simply aren't interested in sedans in the same way as they used to be, and while a small handful of rival models have proved successful enough to remain in production, Chevy's decision to call time on the Malibu isn't exactly an unexpected one. Then again, the Malibu is far from a sales flop even today — according to data from CarFigures, Chevy sold around 117,000 examples of the Malibu in 2024.

Part of its appeal was — and still is — its attractive ownership costs, with KBB estimating that a Malibu will cost $55,539 to own over a five year period. It would have been even cheaper too, were it not for the sedan's high average insurance cost of $16,260. The similarly priced, gas-powered Equinox, in contrast, costs an estimated $10,020 over the same period.

The smaller and more affordable alternative to the full-size Silverado is, unsurprisingly, cheaper to own than its big brother. Perhaps what is surprising, though, is just how cheap it is to own — it costs less to keep on the road than all but a handful of Chevy's sedan and SUV models. Opting for the Trail Boss trim also makes the Colorado more capable off-road than all of Chevy's cheaper models, although it's still not quite a match for a well-specced Silverado. Per KBB, the Colorado should cost a total of $54,663 for the average driver.

A significant chunk of that total cost is spent on gas, but that higher cost is offset by the Colorado's lower insurance costs. At an estimated $9,840 over five years, it's more than a third cheaper to insure than the next-cheapest Chevy model, the Malibu. Maintenance and repair bills are also on par with Chevy's reasonably priced sedans and crossovers.

The Chevrolet Trailblazer costs an estimated $53,119 to keep on the road over five years according to KBB, making it the third cheapest Chevrolet model in the current lineup. It was given a thorough update for the 2024 model year and saw only very minor changes made for 2025. It's the second cheapest SUV in the Bow Tie brand's lineup, sandwiched between the entry-level Trax and the pricier Equinox. However, both of those models cost slightly less to own overall.

A range of four trims is available, with most powered as standard by a 155 horsepower 1.3-liter engine. A smaller 137 hp 1.2-liter engine is also available on the front-wheel drive LS and LT trims. Neither is capable of making the Trailblazer into anything approaching rapid, particularly since both are mated to a standard CVT in front-wheel drive Trailblazers. A nine-speed automatic transmission is available for all-wheel drive models.

Having been given a makeover for the 2025 model year, the Chevrolet Equinox might look different from before, but under the hood not much has changed. The 1.5-liter engine remains the same as previous model years, and much of the core appeal of the Equinox is the same as it's always been. This is an affordably priced, reasonably spacious SUV for people who don't want or need their car to be particularly interesting.

Despite being pricier to buy than the Trailblazer, KBB estimates that the Equinox should be slightly cheaper to own overall over a five year period. A $52,843 cost of ownership makes it the second cheapest Chevrolet model overall. The main difference between the Equinox and Trailblazer is the former's cheaper insurance, with KBB predicting a $3,700 saving. In most other metrics, the two remain within a few hundred dollars of each other, although the Equinox is forecast to depreciate more in dollar terms than the Trailblazer.

As well as being the cheapest new car in Chevrolet's lineup, the Trax crossover is also the cheapest to own. KBB estimates that Trax buyers will spend a total of $51,601 over five years of ownership, including depreciation, maintenance, insurance, fuel, and other fees. Buying the base trim is the very cheapest option, although our reviewing editor wasn't convinced that it was necessarily the best option. Instead, a mid-range trim option like the LT gives buyers upgraded tech and convenience features but with only minimal additional upfront cost.

Look further toward the top end of the range and the Trax becomes harder to justify again. In its fully-loaded form, its price enters the same territory as base-spec variants of larger, more powerful crossovers, with the latter being particularly pertinent in the case of the Trax. Its 1.2-liter engine might be fine for driving around town, but it will start to show its limitations when you're trying to overtake on the highway. That said, those limitations seem like a fair deal considering how little buyers pay to own a Trax in the first place.