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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  All and all pretty good.... - 2006 Chevrolet Aveo
  By soccerguy - October 8 - 4:31 pm

  My car is an auto not stick shift. I bought my Aveo used with 63,000 miles on it. I have had it 4 years and now have 97,000. I am pleased with this car. I have kept up with the normal stuff including timing belt, transmission & radiator service. I need to get front struts replaced which I know some have complained about but I think almost 100,000 miles is a decent lifespan. I am a little disappointed in the around town MPG but the highway is 35 MPG which is awesome. This is a no frills car but it does the job for me. Yes the inside is plastic everywhere and heck I have manual windows but it gets me where I need to go. Have the car properly serviced and you should do fine.

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  2004 Chevy Aveo Automatic Sedan - 2004 Chevrolet Aveo
  By mtngirl4 - August 5 - 9:46 pm

  Im shocked at all the bad reviews with this car. My hubbie and I bought this car used at a dealership with just under 29,000 km on it. The dealership changed the fuel pump before we bought it (had been sitting in a garage for a while). They only thing that was a problem was in the first year the breaks locked and we had to have it towed. We had to replace all the break pads.

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  For the price, there is NO better - 2011 Chevrolet Aveo
  By riahrachelle - July 21 - 7:15 am

  Quote honestly, I thought I was making a mistake by buying my used Chevy instead of a newer Hyundai, but surprisingly this small car is amazing. The paint holds up and has wonderful shine, e inside is big enough to hold me comfortably, breaking system out of this world. The only complaint I have is the slower acceleration and the difficulty when on the interstate with hesitant shifting. With 108 hp though, who can really expect anymore.? This is a commuter car and should be reviewed as such. For the price, Ive never felt such reliability, no issues with anything and Im about to hit 60,000 miles. Love this car and my next purchase will certainly be a Chevy!

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  Big inside! Bad MPG. - 2010 Chevrolet Aveo
  By mirde98 - February 25 - 12:41 am

  I bought my Aveo5 LT 60 days ago and now i feel i can submit a good review. The vehicle is super spacious inside for such a small car. The fit and finish overall is good. All is hard plastic but soft to the touch and are low gloss. I have the 2LT package with sunroof, rims, cruise, fog lights, and "leather" seats. No abs though. Stereo sounds decent and armrest is good. Car drives smooth and seats are comfortable. Hatchback design helps when need to carry large boxes. Headlights are strong and visibility is very good. MPG is a major issue with this cars. 22 city is simply unacceptable. Full tank gives me merely 250-280 miles.

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  A Good Little Car - 2010 Chevrolet Aveo
  By mbee19 - June 21 - 12:34 pm

  Ive had my 2010 Chevy Aveo for 3 years now (I bought it new) and I love it. Yeah, its not powerful and its not the most beautiful thing on the road but I dont think its any uglier than the rest of these new, weird looking vehicles. I like the interior, its plenty roomy enough, Ive done a couple cross country moves with me, my husband and three dogs (and all our stuff). Its super efficient, which is the most important to me. I cant afford $80 - $100 + a week to get around. I can fill up for about $40 and that gets me almost 300 miles. Its never ever given me any problems, except the drivers seat fabric has a rip from wear and tear, I guess. Make sure to change the oil, itll last.

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  good deal for the price - 2010 Chevrolet Aveo
  By garryman2 - May 24 - 8:41 am

  I bought this car used with 48 thousand on it. It has a 1.6 liter engine. No engine repair has been needed. I was surprised by how roomy this compact car is. I get the mpg that was advertised. The car handles well. The 100 thousand 5 year powertrain warranty and rust protection warranty are big pluses that attracted me to purchase. This car is very basic with no frills like power locks or windows, blue tooth, cruise control, or GPS. The stereo system is average. The exterior design to me looks sleek. I would recommend this car to my friends.

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  His and Hers - 2005 Chevrolet Aveo
  By ckmolina - August 18 - 4:31 pm

  My husband and I both own the 2005 aveo. His has 11500 miles on it and mine has 11300 miles on it. I drive the hatchback LS and he drives the sedan LT. We have driven from Missouri to California and back with no problems. Both of our daylight running lamps have quit working reliably, both the dashlight indicator and the lights themselves. We havent gotten them fixed, instead we just turn on the headlights. Just recently we have had a problem with the sedan overheating. We are still trying to fix that one. The hatchback has had no major issues.

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  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!

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  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.

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  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.