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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  Chevrolet Aveo 2013 model - 2013 Chevrolet Aveo
  By Rahmad - June 30 - 6:46 am

  I bought this car 2 years ago, it was driven 80,000km already when i bought it, some sales person drove it very badly, i bought it and took it to a mechanic and asked him to fix all the things which are bad. specially engine mounts, lower arm rubbers, ball joints, plugs, plug wires and it was almost like a major service. i am driving it since 2 years, there was a time when i got a trouble with coil and need to replace it, which cause it a check engine light from the catalyst, since then i have no problem driving it. Ac is very nice, sound system is fair. economy is not a problem, breaks are little fussy but its still manageable. it is not very strong car but a nice small family car. over all my experience with Aveo is not bad.

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  My first car - 2007 Chevrolet Aveo
  By Penelope - January 25 - 9:25 am

  So this car..what can i say about it. I bought it with 190,000kms on it in 2015 (in Canada we go by KMS). The lady who owned it before me took very good care of it, the interior was in mint condition. This vehicle is a piece of crap. Luckily I dont use the highway to commute to work.... because everytime I take this thing on the highway I do not feel safe. The car overheats and loses power after about 25-30 minutes of driving. I had to call a tow truck to come get me one time because it just felt like it would die on me at any moment. The interior design is also crap, the cupholder are right above the gearshift, so if you have a full coffee it will most likely spill all over your gearshift and your car. Beyond all the problems ive just stated, i have to admit i still rely on this car to take me to work everyday and thats really all its good for. I like that it is good on gas, probably take about 35-40$ to fill it up entirely. I would buy chevy again, just not the aveo.

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  Gives Cheap a whole new meaning. - 2009 Chevrolet Aveo
  By David Albee - July 24 - 8:50 pm

  I have had my Aveo for going on 5 years now. I should have walked past it the moment that I ran my fingers over the grill and the black paint powder that came off on my finger was present. Now the entire reason for my purchase was that I needed a vehicle that I could drive into the dirt. I commute to work everyday and any vehicle was going to be getting aged prematurely. However, this does not excuse the wiper blades disintegrating in the second month of ownership. I understand that Korea may not have the winters that we Canadians do but wow! Anyhow, new blades on moving forward. Wait, what is that awe-full racket? It cant be the engine already... For crying out loud it sounds like the engine is trying to leap out from under the hood.... Notice in the mail, "Dear Aveo owner please proceed to your nearest Chev dealer to get your wiring replaced as the engineers have discovered an issue with the gaps of your spark plug and wiring harness." As my car is lurching and crying "No kidding there is an issue." . Okay so contact my dealer that I purchased my car from, "Sorry, we cant help you with that." "We dont have the parts to fix it right now.". Click... Wait, what? Yo Rick, I need you to put new plugs in and wiring. "Isnt that a recall? Shouldnt your dealer do that?", to which I replied. "Yes", "Yes they should." "So can you do this?" Driving my now behaving Aveo out of Ricks shop and noting the it will be a cold day in hell before I go back to the dealer. Not long later. "Hmmm, are my headlights dirty?" After looking I realized they were not dirty just one of the bulbs had burned out. No big deal, I have now replaced 3 bulbs. The creme de la creme had to be driving to work one morning and there was a little bit of snow on the road. I am Canadian and have been driving this road since 1989. No problem........ So why am I now staring at a terrified lady facing me and we are traveling in the same direction. I mean her eyes were like dinner plates. After I hit the drifted snow on the side of the road I have come to realize yet another issue with the Aveo. The rear brake has a tendency to lock. Terrifying right... I mean the freaking pad came off the shoe inside the drum...... Think about that for a second.. They are supposed to be molecular bonded to the shoe to prevent that sort of thing from happening. "Yo, Rick!!" "I need you to take a look at this rear brake, something is definitely [non-permissible content removed]!" "Umm, Dave the drum is really stuck on there." - "I know, I scared the H*** out of some lady in a SUV that was behind me, I was looking at her while i was going backward." A couple hours later... "Dave, I have never even heard of this happening." "Once i manage to get the drum off the pad was off the shoe.." Do not under any circumstance buy this vehicle, it redefines cheap and I would swear substandard parts. I honestly can not express how confused I am about how this actually made it to market. Oh and now the screws to the air filter have corroded and I will have to likely cut them and tap them to change the air filter.

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  I wish I had a reckingball - 2011 Chevrolet Aveo
  By Pat Spinello - March 12 - 11:28 am

  Chevy really blew it on this model. No wonder they discontinued it. I have had numerous issues with this car since the warranty expired(typical). I have had the struts replaced numerous times, wheel bearings replaced, suspension issues, break-line replaced. Ive gone through enough tires that the goodyear guys see me and dance because they know its going to be a big ticket sale. Currently, I cant get my key out of the ignition unless I hold my stick shift to the left and Im also have problems with the shift sticking in park. I really hate this car but I am stuck with it because I cant afford a car payment. It really has given me a bad taste in my mouth for Chevy.

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  Basic and uncomfortable death trap - 2011 Chevrolet Aveo
  By marissahill - June 26 - 1:25 pm

  I bought used from rental company with 38k miles. My alternator was out immediately, which is not supposed to happen until 150k miles according to dealership. Beware of where you take the car to get it fixed, because Midas quoted me $600 for part alone (which is not accurate, but part is rare). Gas mileage is way lower than advertised - I am very disappointed. I drive all highway and my 2007 Kia Sportage got better gas mileage than this car. Worst part of vehicle is acceleration. It will not accelerate quickly, which is scary when turning onto busy streets or merging onto freeways. This car has to try so hard just to do basic things. Constantly makes noises and RPM jumps around.

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  Dont Waste Your Money - 2009 Chevrolet Aveo
  By porterfield_a - October 7 - 10:06 pm

  Overall the 09 Chevy Aveo5 LT is an "okay" economy vehicle. Plus side is safety, Eco-Friendly, gas mileage and some what dependable. This car would be a great car for a high school/ college student. Not a family vehicle!!! If you decided to purchase this vehicle, please get all warranties and extended warranties. Please take the car to your nearest Chevy Dealer and have all recalls changed immediately. This will save your life (trust me). There isnt much room in the vehicle and there are several problems with the A/C of the vehicle. If you live in Alaska or a cold climate, then youre good. Sucks in FL.

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  This Car Sucks - 2008 Chevrolet Aveo
  By cjk67 - September 14 - 6:59 am

  We bought this thing used in 2011. It had 24k miles on it at the time. Immediately, the battery had to be replaced. Since then, hoses, water pump, and tires have had to be replaced. The gas cap door has fallen off and the drivers side door lock fell in. A piece of plastic near the rear passenger door fell off. Its the worst freakin car Ive ever owned and that includes the Jaguar that was always in the shop. I will never own another Chevy.

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  Do Not Recommend - 2004 Chevrolet Aveo
  By rachelwww - November 6 - 6:47 pm

  I bought this car at 57000 miles. The timing belt broke at 79000, apparently timing belts in this car like to murder themselves and the cars engine in the process. with a price tag of $1500-2200 to fix. This problem came along with other repairs that should not have had to be done in accordance with annual maintenance on the car, such as the air intake replacement and replacing and fixing various other cheaply made parts, the repair costs for this car have nearly outweighed the cost of it in the first place. Also it took me a week to find the cupholder. NOT a user friendly vehicle.

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  Well Maintened but still had major problems - 2006 Chevrolet Aveo
  By mindintomatter - July 30 - 12:05 pm

  I purchased this car for an amazing price. And I know most people probably purchase the Aveo because of that. At $80,000 miles my car has had a string of major problems. The mechanic remarked that hes been fixing Aveos lately with the same problems. The front struts give out, the Temp Sensor, and the Solenoid. My check engine light just came on again. From speaking to people who have Aveos they say this car is badly built and usually doesnt make it to 100,000 miles. The back seat has almost no leg room either.

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  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.