Understanding the Brand: Are Chevys Really Good Cars?

Whenever you start thinking about visiting the dealership to buy a new car, the first question on your mind should be, “is this a good car?” You are ultimately spending a lot of money on something that needs to be reliable, durable and start every time you turn the key. No one has time for mechanical failure, which means investing in a car, truck, or SUV that only requires regular maintenance and attention. That is reasonable. Right? So as you wander over to check out the specials at your local Chevy dealer, you might find yourself wondering, “are Chevrolets good cars?” In short: yes, Chevrolet’s are good cars. But there is so much more to this question that we at Dan Cummins Chevy Buick Paris are going to explain to you today. Let’s get into it!

Chevrolets: The Experts Weigh In

The term “good” is subjective, and when it is applied to a vehicle manufacturer that makes so many different vehicles, it gets a little murky. Is the Corvette a good option for towing heavy loads? No. Is the Tahoe a good choice for the track? No. Chevrolet has created a devoted following by creating the vehicles drivers need for various specific tasks. If you have a need for speed, you choose the Corvette, but if you need to haul heavy loads for work every day, you want the Silverado. There is no universal definition of “good.”

However, there is an abundance of other terms that can relate to cars, trucks, and SUVs to help drivers narrow down whether a particular vehicle is a “good fit” for their needs. For example, someone who has a long commute wants to know if this vehicle is “good” on gas mileage. A family who takes frequent road trips will need to know if an SUV has “good” safety and entertainment features. An accomplished equestrian will need to know if a truck is “good” at trailering. Chevy has built their success on knowing what type of “good” their different customers require with a full line-up from subcompacts to nine-passenger SUVs and full-size heavy-duty pickups.

As a result, many of their vehicles have earned high accolades from the experts. The Corvette has earned the 2020 North American Car of the Year Award, 2020 Motortrend Car of the Year Award, 2020 Motorweek Drivers’ Choice Best of the Year, and Top Rated Sports Car rankings from Edmunds and Kelley Blue Book. The Silverado has been regularly ranked by Kelley Blue Book as a top resale pick, as well as earning the 2020 5-Year Cost to Own award from kbb.com, which rates overall value and depreciation over a five year period. Chevy’s midsize pickup, the Colorado, has earned awards in its segment for both on-road performance (2020 KBB Best Buy Award) and off-road excellence (Editors’ Choice Best Off-Roader, for the ZR2 Package). The Tahoe has been regularly rated as one of the best choices amongst full-size SUVs and Family Vehicles by KBB and ranked on Edmunds “Buyer’s Most Wanted” list in 2018 and 2019.

In recent JD Powers rankings, four Chevrolet models were included in the tops of their segments for Initial Quality ratings, including the Equinox for Compact SUV, Malibu for Midsize Car, Silverado HD for Large Heavy Duty Pickup, and Tahoe for Large SUV. These ratings are based on the number of problems reported during the first 90 days of ownership, per 100 vehicles. The industry average is 93 reported problems per 100, while Chevy ranked overall at 85, meaning drivers of Chevy vehicles reported far fewer problems than the average American driver.

The 2020 Malibu: A Case Study

Ratings, rankings, and awards are all great, but how do they translate into whether or not a vehicle is actually “good?”

To demonstrate where these figures come from, let’s take a closer look at the 2020 Chevy Malibu, one of the few “cars” still produced by the manufacturer. The Malibu has historically received recognition from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration and the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety for its overall safety scores.

Most recently, the Malibu has received a 79 out of 100 for JD Power’s annual consumer ratings. According to the website, this score is “based on hundreds of thousands of independent and unbiased opinions of verified car owners.” These unbiased opinions also state that the Malibu deserves “Great” rankings in the categories of “Quality and Reliability,” “Driving Experience,” “Resale,” and “Dealership Experience”- all of the areas in which a driver’s overall opinion of a vehicle may be dimmed or tainted by a negative experience. Overall, the Malibu is #7 on the list of 2020 Consumer Rated Sedans with JD Powers and #5 amongst the Best Midsize Cars of 2020 at KBB.com.

It seems that the expert opinions and those of the actual day-to-day drivers align to rank Chevrolets as not just “good” cars, but a great long term investment.

The Secret to Success

But what is it about Chevy vehicles that makes them so wildly popular and highly ranked? What’s the secret ingredient in the sauce that helps keep a manufacturer at the top of their game for over 100 years? Let’s continue to explore the Malibu as a prime example of Chevy’s not-so-secret formula. On the outside, it is essentially a car. It is not sleek and sporty like a Camaro or Corvette. It is not butch and aggressive like the Silverado HD. However, it is both an attractive and capable five-passenger sedan.

But under this shiny patina is a very capable, very economical, entirely reliable vehicle with hardly any complaints. Under the hood, drivers have a standard 1.5L turbocharged inline-4 engine, which does exactly what it needs to do- power a small vehicle great distances with reasonable fuel economy and pep. It offers an admirable 160 hp and 184 lb-ft of torque, which will neither get drivers around a racecourse in record time, nor haul a 12,000-pound trailer, but that’s not the Malibu’s purpose. It consumes a very rational 29 MPG in the city and 36 MPG on the highway of fuel, making it a fantastic commuter, which is its purpose Plus, the Premier trim features an even peppier engine – a 2.0L turbocharged inline-4 – that offers 250 hp and 258 lb-ft of torque, for those who want a bit more power. Therefore, Malibu drivers can get whatever level of power and efficiency they want. This is a perfect example of how versatile Chevys are, which makes them good vehicles.

With all of that in mind, it is essential to remember that this is one of many Chevrolet vehicles. This is the perfect commuter sedan. But there are Chevy vehicles to suit every driver’s need. The thing that makes Chevys good cars is that there are many options; there is something for everyone.

Are Chevrolets Good Cars?

In all, when you ask drivers if Chevys are “good” cars, you might want to step back and refine what you are asking. Nearly every Chevy driver will be able to confidently say that their car, truck, or SUV is absolutely perfect for what they needed. But if you are asking about quality, dependability, or resale value? Based on the volume of annual awards won across the line-up, the experts seem to feel Chevy is doing better than just fine.

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