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:

• 

  143K and counting - 2004 Chevrolet Aveo
  By brennick - June 28 - 7:12 pm

  I dont know what all the bad press is on this car. I bought mine new in June of 2004 and have been totally pleased with it. It handles well, is quite peppy when Im by myself, and has incredible room both inside (amazing head room) and in the trunk. I get 27-28 mpg in town and have gone over 40 on the highway 40 when Im solo. With the 5 speed tranny it is a blast to drive in the mountains of Oregon and Idaho. I put a hitch on mine and can comfortably pull a small boat and still get in the low 30s for gas mileage. The only thing Ive done is replace the timing belt as routine maintenance and the water pump as my mechanic noticed it was starting to leak just a bit. I love this little car!

• 

  Not bad for the money - 2009 Chevrolet Aveo
  By docsbw - April 11 - 1:31 pm

  This car hauls me up over a 9000 ft summit at 70 mph, granted it is singing for all its worth but it gets the job done. 32 mpg highway. Handles well. Has some cheap stuff like drink holder and hood release, gas cap and interior plastic parts. It was thousands cheaper than the stripped toyota and we have cruise, tilt power everything and on star. Overall its ok 3 out of 5. Has had some issues with front end and ate a set of tires in 20k miles. It is a inexpensive economy car, not a caddy. If I had the extra 4k I would buy the toyota but then you start getting into a lot more money higher payments etc for ECONOMY.

• 

  A bit Spongey - 2006 Chevrolet Aveo
  By heitro - March 23 - 4:00 am

  I recently bought a used 2006 Aveo LT hatchback at 103025 miles. The carfax stated it had regular service done according to the timetable laid out in the manual. So mostly the car runs excellent. My chief complaint at first were the brakes. Ive driven a assortment of cars of various qualities in my years. And I suspected that since it had scheduled maintenance done it would be in good quality, but the brakes are very weak. It feels as though the car is too heavy for the brakes it came with. I tried replacing the brake pads and rotors with OEM quality replacements, and while it made the braking slightly better, it still feels far too heavy.

• 

  can I take this one back - 2010 Chevrolet Aveo
  By pgana - March 5 - 3:50 pm

  I bought this one based off of my understanding of its gas mileage and reliability. The first one I am good with as I get 26 MPG at my job and 38 Highway, especially coming off of owning an SUV, but my happiness stops there. The reliability on this is horrible, I have had it in the shop 3 times since I bought it in June. The interior design is very lousy too, can not find much of anything positive about that neither, especially the idea of the so called dome light, perhaps in the worst location I can think of for a dome light. the doors are very poorly built and very flimsy. and horribly noisy too. Lousy factory stereo system.

• 

  Not bad. - 2006 Chevrolet Aveo
  By synfulangel - February 4 - 9:18 pm

  I bought this car used with 92k miles on it. Ran great. We had an over heat issue and had to replace top end. After that we have not had a single issue with the motor or the anything else. These cars can not be handled rough dont stomp on the gas at stop light it cant handle that. If you want one to do that get the manual shift and upgrade the entire motor to do so. Love the Gas mileage The car gets 39 miles to the gallon better than any car i have had. It runs perfect now and has over 115k miles on the lower end of the motor.

• 

  "You get what you pay for" - 2005 Chevrolet Aveo
  By denisenjeff1 - February 2 - 3:01 pm

  I bought my 2005 Aveo LS new...very good value, its always been reliable, have had no repairs to speak of that I have made, just routine maintenance such as oil change, or other wearable items such as tires/brakes. The car was cheap, at the time I believe it was the least expensive car in the market. Well the car is also cheap, no frills bells or whistles came with it other then AC, shortly after owning it, the horn and the clock stopped working, those were the only "extras" that were on it, hey I still have radio, but dont try to turn up the volume, our speaker blew, so two work now. Yep cheap car, cheap price. You get what you pay for. But it has still gotten me from a-b!

• 

  wish i could trade - 2010 Chevrolet Aveo
  By kat427 - January 10 - 7:15 pm

  My aveo i had now for a year and a half . had sparks changed, all four tires are now bad and pr oblems with going up a hill. Sounds awful in morning ..wish i would have done a better job of looking around

• 

  Aveo Manual shift - 2009 Chevrolet Aveo
  By powen1 - January 3 - 2:05 pm

  You must have a dealer change the oil & filter as the clutch assembly is wedged against the filter housing. It is absurd. After a year finally got a dealer tech. to admit is was a poor design from chevy & they stopped making such. However, chevy never told us about this problem or did a recall. Also the dealers now tell us that they only can change the oil as the whole clutch assembly must be dropped and the filter itself cost extra. Also there is always residual oil drops from the change and the burning smell in the engine. Our idea was to have an inexpensive & easily maintained car, which it is not, it is just cheap! We have received NO satisfaction from the dealers.

• 

  Reliable, comfortable, safe - 2007 Chevrolet Aveo
  By alisotoga11 - December 20 - 4:52 pm

  Bought this used with 40k 2 years ago for 8500. No problems, put on nice Michelin tires and it handles good. The very cheap tires on it had it squeal around corners. Drive it to San Francisco, park it anywhere, same size as a Mini, and get a solid 30+mpg. Only thing I do not like is no cruise control, for the money I would buy another. It stills runs good, and think it will a while longer.

• 

  buy a bike. it will save you gas, money, and your life... - 2009 Chevrolet Aveo
  By xoamandapanda - December 16 - 6:57 pm

  I had been driving a 1997 Ford Taurus which randomly broke down on the road and I needed something safer than that, so we bought this car. Last night, I was in a horrendous car accident. The entire front of my car was taken off even at 7 mph (an Acura MDX slammed into me- not my fault). I was not hurt and neither was my passenger. My airbags did not deploy and Onstar never called. I called to complain to Chevy and all they could do was say I wasnt hit in the right spot for the air bags to deploy. The pick up is garbage and I am often beeped at for not being able to accelerate. I also get about 16-18 mpg city. I use a gallon of gas each day going 20 miles. I will NEVER buy another Chevy.