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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  These are great cars - 2008 Chevrolet Aveo
  By jason - October 29 - 2:00 am

  I have a long commute to work and the aveo goes everyday 120 miles round trip. It has turned out the be the main car with gas so high. We have taken it on several long trips and get great gas mileage its an automatic and have gotten as high as 39 mpg with it several times but usually get about 35 most of the time with or with out a/c on. The aveo has never been back to the shop for repairs nothing has gone wrong with it. Just normal maintenance. Change timing belt at 60,000 miles.

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  Good first car - 2004 Chevrolet Aveo
  By Paully - October 20 - 2:00 am

  Not many problems my extended warranty didnt cover, but almost no point in the extended, most repairs under $300. interior quality could be better, i dont like the cheap plastic siding. cheap parts brake (they are usually cheap on any car though-windshield wipers) caps on the wheels keep getting stolen, a/c went a few times, just a wiring issue. rear brakes locked after i went through a car wash (dust and dirt got in, got wet, cemented) drive car after washing to dry out the drums, clean drums to prevent. payed too much is my only real complaint bought 2 years ago it was 9,995 for the 2004. had one issue with clutch, safety button failed couldnt start car, easy fix $80.

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  This car is crap! - 2006 Chevrolet Aveo
  By Jessica - October 15 - 2:00 am

  Dont waste your money. My Aveo was brand new off the lot and I got it all the way to PA from NC. The car would shut off and I took it by a dealer who told me they were closed, to go home, and to bring it back. Come to find out the car had the wrong alternator in it. The CD player went out soon after I bought it. The dealer wouldnt fix it, said it wasnt covered under warranty. I bought a new stereo. The key gets locked in the mechanism and I cant get it out without disconnecting the battery. I have to always get tires and front end alignments, sometimes twice a year. Body scratches easily and air conditioner vents close constantly. I found out the cars have Daewoo parts as well.

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  Not bad for the PRICE! - 2009 Chevrolet Aveo
  By Roy - October 14 - 2:00 am

  Good car for a beginner because it is small. Easy to park and handle. Under the hood isnt hard to work on. This is NOT a high $$ vehicle so no it doesnt have some of the things a pricier model has, but for the price you pay its a pretty good car. For under $10,000, I bought this car new, I think it was worth the price.

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  43 MPG @ 55 MPH - 2010 Chevrolet Aveo
  By Tiny Car/Burly Dude - October 12 - 2:00 am

  I needed a car right now and Rio was not an option. The rebate was huge on the Aveo compared to Rio. Chevrolet dealers are everywhere, Kia dealers are not. My last car was an 06 Rio and it was a lemon from day one. The Aveo gets fantastic gas mileage if you drive like I do. Im in no hurry. It holds the road good in high wind. It has the On-Star feature which can run diagnostics while you drive and give you traffic alerts with the push of a button. The hands free cell phone service of 300 minutes for a year cost 9 bucks. Car handles good, stops good, looks great, controls are easy to operate/find. Plenty of head and leg room up front. Great audio features for external gear.

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  What a piece of junk - 2010 Chevrolet Aveo
  By buyersremorse - September 30 - 2:00 am

  Bought this car back in Jan 2010 to use as my daily commuter car. I was comparing to Fit, Versa, Yaris, and Accent. I picked the Chevy because of the low price and lots of incentives. I must say now that i am truly regretting it, I should have spent more and bought the fit. You really do get what you pay for. This car struggles to even get to 40 mph and the 4 spd auto is just lackluster. The check engine light came out 4 times in the 20,000 miles i put on it. Dealer keeps telling me the gas cap is loose and i know i clicked it at least 3 times. Gets 24 mpg overall and that is pathetic. Interior looks and feel cheap, cant hide the fact that its a cheap car. Already lost 5 grand in value, very sad

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  A BIG mistake! - 2009 Chevrolet Aveo
  By Connie - September 20 - 2:00 am

  Such a disappointment! I owned it for 6 months & traded it in. Blows all over the road on a windy day, cant imagine how bad it blows around in the winter months. Loses all power going up a hill - by the time you get to the top you could walk faster. Low tire pressure light keeps coming on even though pressure is right. Radio is poor. Cup holder is a joke. All in all just feels junky.

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  A bit too pricey - 2009 Chevrolet Aveo
  By Elwapo72 - September 20 - 2:00 am

  I have had my Chevy Aveo for about 1 year now. I havent had any major problems. The very first problem I had was that the Onstar wasnt working. Second problem I am still having is that at times it will not start. I usually have to wait about a minute or two then try again and it usually starts. The other thing is how hard it is to find oil filters for it. Sometimes the filters are a little pricey.

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  LOVE IT - 2010 Chevrolet Aveo
  By Gary - September 20 - 2:00 am

  Well just picked it up few days ago, but in that time i see a car that compared to its competitors is very capable, cant say about fuel mileage but style exterior and interior i feel is great, looked at others in this category compared to the Aveo more money warranty not as good, in short for the money cant go wrong will see soon so far extremely happy.

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  Not as good on gas as I thought - 2007 Chevrolet Aveo
  By deltatide - September 1 - 5:01 pm

  However, check engine lights have came on and the throttle body/sensors are having to be replaced. Only trouble that I have had with the car. Took a while to diagnose the problem, but perhaps this will correct the unexpectedly gas mileage.