Overview & Reviews

The Chevy Aveo was one of the first representatives of a new generation of inexpensive small cars that dawned in the 2000s as car shoppers began changing their buying habits to reflect rising gas prices and tough financial times. Unlike the penalty boxes of old, these small cars would sacrifice little in terms of reliability, features or comfort.

Having said that, the Aveo paled in comparison to later competitors. Built in Korea by GM-owned Daewoo, the Aveo was uninspiring to drive and saddled with subpar interior quality. A penalty box it was not, but it wasn't an object of desire, either. Eventually, Chevrolet discontinued the Aveo and replaced it with the vastly superior Sonic.

Most Recent Chevrolet Aveo
The Chevy Aveo was available as a subcompact sedan or four-door hatchback called the Aveo5. Both debuted in 2004 and, apart from the subsequent minor face-lifts that occurred for the sedan in '07 and the hatchback in '09, didn't significantly change throughout its run.

From 2004-'08, every Aveo was powered by a 1.6-liter inline-4 that made 103 horsepower and 107 pound-feet of torque. For '09, it was bumped up to 107 hp and 106 lb-ft, while for 2010 those figures were revised to 108 hp and 104 lb-ft. Transmission choices were always a standard five-speed manual or optional four-speed automatic. Manual transmission gear ratios were altered for 2010 for improved fuel economy.

The Aveo's tall profile wasn't the most aesthetically pleasing when viewed from the outside, but it certainly paid dividends in terms of providing useful amounts of headroom and legroom. The Aveo's interior also provided a commanding view for all passengers, and a fully reclining front passenger seat and a 60/40-split-folding rear seat expanded cargo capacity. The sedan's trunk offered 12.4 cubic feet of storage space. The Aveo5 also had a fold-down rear seat, and it could carry up to 42 cubic feet of cargo.

In Chevrolet Aveo reviews, our editors found it to be the least appealing of contemporary subcompacts, particularly toward the end of its life. But as a used car purchase, the Aveo represents a pretty affordable way to get acceptable transportation. Strengths included a low price, ample headroom and logical control layout. Downsides included mediocre acceleration, an unrefined driving experience, subpar cabin quality and a sloppy gearshifter (this was the rare instance in the subcompact class where we would recommend the automatic). Shoppers will want to consider 2006 and later Aveos, as they have additional features such as side airbags, alloy wheels and cruise control.

User Reviews:

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  cheap ugly car - 2004 Chevrolet Aveo
  By alastor421 - July 17 - 10:52 pm

  This car is an eyesore i bought it thinking it would be great on gas its not the ride is boring its cheaply made you can get something better in the same price range.The performance is lacking in all aspects of this car.

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  The Chevrolet Aveo - 2004 Chevrolet Aveo
  By Susan Zimmer - July 17 - 10:38 pm

  I purchased the Chevrolet Aveo not knowing anything about the car. It turns out that I love the Aveo. You can actually enter and leave the car without falling on the ground. The Aveo drives on snow with ease to handle. Parking is easier, and pulling out of a parking space and backing out is much easier than a smaller car.

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  great car for the money - 2005 Chevrolet Aveo
  By walkan666 - July 15 - 11:50 pm

  didnt have lots of cash and needed a car real quick the gas milage is not what they say it is but it never is. other wise its fun it handles great and with my bad back its easy to get in and out of I am 5 ft 11 in and weight 250lbs and its still very comfortable with pleanty of head room more than the impala I was really surprised if you dont have lots of cash and need a reliabe car to zip around in this is it

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  Great Little Car! - 2005 Chevrolet Aveo
  By JOHN RAMP - July 11 - 9:06 pm

  Remember what youre buying this car for. Shes a great little economy car- nothing fancy, but she still gets a lot of "thumbs up" on the highway from teenagers and old folks. The 1600 4- cyl scoots pretty well considering I have an automatic. I travel a lot of highway miles and keep it around 70mph constantly. Consistently get around 34 mpg. Not even close to my old Festivas 44 mpg, but this is a much better built car. It has tons of storage when the rear seat is folded down. Best $11,000 car you can buy.

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  Best buy for the price. - 2005 Chevrolet Aveo
  By Acid Burn - July 10 - 1:23 am

  Im not going to lie and say this car is perfect, its not. For the money that you will be paying you do get a well built, logically laid out veh that will perform resonably well. Dont expect to be passing Corvettes in this thing, or Chevettes for that matter, but if you opt for a manual transmission you can compensate by downshifting which does sacrifice some of the gas mileage but makes passing less of a joke. In the hatchback model you do have a surprising amount of storage when the rear seats are folded down, but with the seats in the upright position, dont plan on fitting anything more that a few grocery bags back there before its full. A++ for first time buyers or for a cheap fix.

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  Wonderful little car !! I just love it ! - 2005 Chevrolet Aveo
  By Thiago - July 8 - 2:58 am

  This car is amazing! I love to drive it, all of my friends changed their thoughts about this car after riding in it. Im not so exited about the gas mileage, but I think its ok, it still breaking-in... A little over 3000 miles so far. 4 months of use.Its a 5 speed manual, with AC, rear defrost and wiper. Nothing else. Why? The more "things you have in a car, the more youll spend to fix it if something brakes down. Nice and simple. I live in Olathe-KS, I realy need a decent AC, and this one is nice and cool even if its over 90F outside. Fellas, you cant go wrong with this car! If you are buying a new one try this out. Youll love it!

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  I love this car - 2005 Chevrolet Aveo
  By BrianOHu2005 - July 1 - 7:22 pm

  I bought my car a little over a year ago. This has been the best car Ive ever had. It gets great gas mileage, is fun to drive, fairly comfortable, and it has an amazing amount of room inside for being no bigger then it is. So far, it has also been the most reliable car Ive ever had. Althought I would never shop at this dealer again, I would buy this car again.

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  A Good First New Car - 2005 Chevrolet Aveo
  By Iowa Aveo - June 29 - 2:27 pm

  I purchased this car last month and it is my first new car. So far it has had no problems at all. The interior is huge for a little car (bigger than the Echo) . I would almost say that it feels like driving a small minivan. Pick-up is pretty good for a small car. The interior design reminds me very much of the interior of the new VW Beetle - and to a lesser extent, the Jetta. This definitely does not look or feel like an American-built car (which it isnt).

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  2005 aveo - 2005 Chevrolet Aveo
  By m wade - June 29 - 2:00 pm

  I love my Aveo. I picked bright yellow with the spoiler on the back and it looks super sporty. It is great when I go shopping. Ijust open the hatchback and voila. It is easy to wash since it is not a huge SUV, 30 minutes tops. I get a lot of looks going down the road and lots of compliments and questions. My kids love it too. I love the gas mileage it gets. I can drive to JFK on a full tank and back. Its an awesome little car.

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  Aveo great so far - 2004 Chevrolet Aveo
  By smokedummy - June 20 - 2:00 am

  I bought this car because of its economy and relatively large interior. The ride is quiet and smooth, and has adequate power to carry four adults around. With all the bells and whistles of this LS, there was no reason for me to look at a more expensive car - I think the Aveo is a really great deal.