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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  It all started so well... - 2004 Chevrolet Aveo
  By tbonme - February 5 - 9:29 pm

  When I bought the car I loved the gas mileage and the way it moved. Then about a year after owning it things started going down hill. First the serpentine belt lost a huge chunk and had to be replaced. Then the AC/heater started to (and still to this day)only come on when it wanted to. Last week the driver door lock fell into the door, and before that the driver window decided to not go down and finally though it has a new battery and all fuses checked out the clock changes time every time you turn the car off.

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  emissions or valves - 2007 Chevrolet Aveo
  By Debbie - February 4 - 8:48 pm

  Starting at 20,000 miles the car would die, would not start or started rough. At a stop light it would idle ok but when I gave it gas it would continue to idle, didnt move. I was told this was loss of compression. Gm is sort of working with me on this, I believe what they were saying is the emissions would not totally leave the valves and when it fired again, you get carbonization on the valves. They have cleaned the valves with a cleaner ($400.00 thank you). Whats next a valve job. Is gm kidding? this is a flaw in the engine design, or is it the emissions? will is pass emissions? it is great on gas, oh yah supreme only is recommended, it Burns hotter. Last Chevy for me!

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  You get what you pay for... - 2009 Chevrolet Aveo
  By darren - January 30 - 6:51 pm

  I have had this car for about a year and I do highway commuting. I have already put 50000km on the car, 90% of which are highway. I am not a hard driver. I get up to speed set the curse and go. All the maintenance has been done by certified GM techs. In 50000km... I have have a knocking sound in my steering when I turn right. My transmission is slipping in and out of fourth. The HOLD mode turns on randomly The car randomly down shifts The seals around the door leak I have had time where the car will not start The radio always reset itself The rear wiper was not receive fluid The check engine light came on because it detected a issue with an O2 sensor..

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  Good car, depending on your expectations - 2009 Chevrolet Aveo
  By Thymeclock - January 26 - 2:27 pm

  The Aveo seemed far more comfortable and easier to drive than competitors. My wife LOVES the car! Its cute and its fun to drive. There appears to be more negative bias toward this car than deserved. Test drive one and compare it to the Yaris, Fit, Rio, etc. for yourself. You may not need or want certain features others may offer. This was the right car for us, considering what we expect from it.

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  Not good in the real world - 2007 Chevrolet Aveo
  By Ramblenon - January 17 - 10:34 am

  We have the automatic transmission, and believe me the gas mileage is no where thry say it should be. were lucky if we get 27 -28 on the highway and maybe 19 -21 in the city. Winter driving is even worse and when it gets below 20" the car never really warms up. While it is a fun car to drive the inside is layed out poorly, Of the worst the cup holders are right in front of the controls which makes the controls hard to use. Over all I would never buy another Aveo unles they made major improvements. Ive been A GM owner all My life and this has been one of my worst experiences.

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  3 deer later... - 2005 Chevrolet Aveo
  By Mean Salmon - January 15 - 6:44 pm

  This was my 4th car, and I had a SUV before hand. I wanted something better on gas and found my Aveo. Its been a great car, although my friends give me a hard time about it, I can always remind them that I pay a fraction in gas and car payments that they do. Ive had it almost 3 years and have hit 3 deer (ahh life in the country). Glad to report most damage ever done was a dented hood and a cracked head light. By far the best car I have ever owned, its good on mileage and handles great.

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  Still Fine after 2 Years - 2008 Chevrolet Aveo
  By satisfiedowner - January 15 - 6:21 am

  Its been just over 2 years, 23k miles and the "newness" has worn off. Other than that nothing has changed (See my previous review "ok after 1 year"). Still very satisfied with this car. No problems. Peppy, tight and dependable. Looking forward to the next generation. Hope GM builds sensibly on this foundation.

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  2004 Aveo are Junk - 2004 Chevrolet Aveo
  By LS - January 13 - 8:36 am

  The 2004 Aevo are Junk the timing belt goes bad and you have to buy a new Engine or spend as much as you have in the car to replace it . The belt comes off while driving and there goe you valves and head.only 3500.00 to get it fixed oh what a deal GM has going with this one . I will tell everybody who reads this not to buy this car or any one like it with a timing belt made of rubber.

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  Great for under 12500! - 2009 Chevrolet Aveo
  By My favorite! - January 9 - 10:25 pm

  Well Ive had it for 5 months now and it has been a little champ! Of course its a little slow (I have the auto) but I get 26 city and about 33 highway. Its a nicely built car, Ive had no rattles or problems like others have said. I have every feature except the leatherette seats. The only fault I really have with it is that I feel it could be either sportier with some engine tuning (maybe even raise mpgs?) but everything is good. I wish they would give the car a little more something with the styling outside ( I dont like the headlights on the aveo5). I would recommend this car to anyone on a budget!

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  Nice car, depending on your expectations - 2009 Chevrolet Aveo
  By BarkyDog - January 7 - 5:04 pm

  The Aveo seemed far more comfortable and easier to drive than competitors. I bought the Aveo for my wife for her local commuting to work without her having seen it or driven it beforehand. She absolutely LOVES the car! Its cute and its fun to drive. Dont judge the Aveo by what the (usually negative) "experts" reviews alone say. There appears to be more negative bias toward this car than deserved. Test drive one and compare it to the Yaris, Fit, Rio, etc. for yourself. You may not need or want certain features others may offer. This was the right car for us, considering what we expect from it. We got it for less than the dealer invoice price, plus an additional $2000 off.