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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  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.

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  Great Price-to-Value Ratio - 2011 Chevrolet Aveo
  By duogross - October 19 - 8:13 pm

  First, lets discuss what the 2011 Aveo is not: it is not a luxury car, nor is it a sports car. It is also not a hyper-mileage car that gets 40+ MPG. If you are expecting any of those things, you are sorely mistaken (and, for the price in the low $10,000s, you are also crazy.) What is it? It is a good value for the price. It is a car that gets you from point A to point B. And it does it in reasonable style, reasonable comfort, with reasonable mileage for a good price. Im at 3,600 miles so far and things are going great. I track my mileage carefully and get on average 30-31 MPG combine (I do about 50/50 Hwy/City). Admittedly, I drive in a conservative way. No maintenance issues so far.

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  My Little Aveo - 2004 Chevrolet Aveo
  By happy2bfree - September 15 - 8:22 am

  I just got my used 2004 Chevy Aveo this year. I love the car, just hope I never get into a wreck. You can lean on the outside and it dents in. Thats how thin or weak the metal is on the outside. Also... it has very poor pick up power on the highway. A little old lady gave me a dirty look as she passed me up on the highway. I love the space I have inside. Lots of headroom for me. Im 55" and the one thing I hate is my seatbelt still cuts me at the neck, and its in the lowest spot. Other than some miner things like that, and low pick up power up and down hills, and the fact it doesnt seem very strong in the body, I love the car. Made in S. Korea though. :(

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  Great gas sipper for the price - 2005 Chevrolet Aveo
  By carnut59 - June 6 - 9:53 pm

  I have an S Class Mercedes and Infiniti SUV...when gas hit $4 a gallon, I bought this used 2005 Aveo with 16,000 miles as a gas sipper for the 20,000 miles or so I drive a year for business reasons. I really like it for the price, and consistently get better than the EPA ratings, I get 30 city and 40 highway with the automatic. I have gotten 43.8 before. I do all my own maintenance and its all cheap and easy on this car. Its crude and flimsy in many ways as you would expect for the price, but its great in congested traffic and tight parking lots.

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  2005, automatic - 65,000 Miles - 2005 Chevrolet Aveo
  By jdubsnow - March 10 - 8:06 pm

  Ive had this car for 2.5 years, I got it because I needed a car and it was a great deal. For city and in town driving, this car is perfect...however - if you drive on the freeways a lot, it is terrible at high speeds/with wind - due to how light the car is in weight. It also is not great in snow...so if you live in the Midwest, or anywhere with a lot of snow in the winters, I would not recommend this little go-kart. It gets stressful in the snow with how light it is - and you cannot get great tires, especially over 14" - so that doesnt help. If you go too fast, you will slide, and if you go too slow, you will get stuck. It is great for nice weathered places though, and in town driving.

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  Good First Car - 2005 Chevrolet Aveo
  By kwizzle14 - December 28 - 9:25 am

  It was my first car I got in High School and owned it for two years. I live in the city so it was PERFECT. Never had any major problems either. I even got rear ended by a pickup truck and I had little to no damage and the pickups whole front bumper was destroyed. I took this car with me to my first semester in college (6 hour drive) Didnt last very long after that. On my way home for thanksgiving the Aveo broke down in the middle of nowhere about two hours away from home. It cost me around 2000 to fix. I just sold the car to my little sister though who still lives at home. So all in all, great car for commuting around the area, but not so great for long 6 hour drives.

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  Unbearable Engine Noise on Highway - 2006 Chevrolet Aveo
  By Anonymous - December 6 - 2:00 am

  My biggest complaint on this car is: it desperatly needs another gear. I believe it was built for roads in its home country of Korea because it is comfortable and quite until you hit 70MPH+ Then it is tough to control in all but ideal wind conditions and extremely noisey. It stands at about 3500 RPM when driving 72MPH. This generates unacceptable cabin engine noise. Another factor begging for another trans. gear is the only mediocre gas mileage on the highway. I usually get 35-36 on the highway. When I drive 60 on back roads I can get 40MPG, so I know the car is built for a lower operating speed. Look for an escort, fusion, or malibu they are designed better for highway driving.

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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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  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.

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  little big car - 2010 Chevrolet Aveo
  By nxcguy - August 19 - 1:47 pm

  This little car feels way bigger inside than out. Em always joking to my wife how small it is (its hers but i drive it sometimes). once inside i feel as if im in a normal size sedan, and i drive a minivan so i really thought it would feel like a go cart. anyone complaining about the peppiness or speed is of there rocker i dont know what people want a rocket.