CD Article: 2009 Chevrolet Aveo5 LS

[CD_Editor]

Test Drive:


New variable valve timing improves the 2009 Chevrolet Aveo5's fuel economy, and its cash-only price of $10,470 is attractive - but you should assess what you're getting when you compare it to the competition, advises Assistant Editor Jil McIntosh.
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[Honda Owner]

Well, $400 more for a Fit, which has more equipment and will most likely have a much better resale. I drove a rental of the last generation Aveo and it was ok, but not as nice a ride as a Yaris or a Fit. The space behind the rear seats was a major issue for me.

As for list prices, what you see on the door of a Yaris or Fit is what you pay. I would wager that a cash customer could do much better than the MSRP on an Aveo.

The engine is in fact all new for the Aveo, not just the head and is sourced from the Opel Corsa. The old engine had its roots in an ancient Holden design. It was a rough, high friction thing which was also notorious for premature breakage of the timing belt. There were also issues of mismatched pistons (leading to engine failure) and PCM failures. Both were due to poor quality control at the Daewoo Pyup'yong factory in In'cheon, Korea.

Many publications have voted the Aveo one of America's then worst cars.

Here is the Forbes list:

1: Chrysler Sebring
2: Dodge Nitro
3: Jeep Liberty
4: Dodge Caliber R/T AWD
5: Dodge Magnum
6: Ford Crown Victoria
7: Chevrolet Aveo
8: Nissan Quest
9: Hyundai Entourage
10: Pontiac Grand Prix

The Aveo has the honour to be on Forbes' list for two years running. Same for the Truth About Cars, too.

[Rupert]

I like the Fit but this seems to be a bit improved from the original. Being a long term (3 years) driver of this class of vehicle and using it for highway driving as well as around town, I would say that cab quietness at highway speed is an important rating here. Maybe the one that will give a quiet highway ride will score well with customers. There are sound deadening kits that can be bought and installed maybe a comparrison test would be interesting and valuable to prospective purchasers.

[Bullet Blue]

I can usually find something good in most cars. This one leaves me struggling 

[toolatecrew]

Note to GM if you are going to try to compete with FORIGEN cars then if you are going to sell a forigen built car (the Aveo/Wave is built in Korea by GM's subsidiary GMDAT (General Motors Daewoo Automobile Technology).  at least make it a good one.

[Honda Owner]

Rupert, none of the 1.5 litre class cars are what I would call a highway car. These cars are light and built to a price. Sound deadening is pretty much the first thing left out. In fact, when I want to take a long trip, I rent a larger car for the purpose. My Fit is for charging around town with the grin of a 17 year old on your face. It is for blasts through Manning Park. It is NOT for a two day drive to to Disneyland.

Regarding the Aveo, what really stymies me is why GM didn't either import the Corsa for Europe or build it here. I can sort of understand not importing in due to the previously high Euro but there really is no excuse for not building it here. The Corsa is a hugely better car than the Aveo is and is right up there with the Yaris and Fit. The 1.3 CRDI is a masterpiece, I have never experienced a better power plant. But we get the Aveo!

[marineboy]

Yahoo!!GM is saved...

[Rupert]

You don't have to drive to Disney Land and yes lots of people use these and others like on the highway for a two or more hour trip...all the time. I find my car is plenty comfortable for that. The savings in gas usage is significant and the handling and ride good these days. (dont understand the safety issue)
This is more than a city car class which is quite a different proposition.

[Thinking Out Loud]

Note to GM if you are going to try to compete with FORIGEN cars then if you are going to sell a forigen built car (the Aveo/Wave is built in Korea by GM's subsidiary GMDAT (General Motors Daewoo Automobile Technology).  at least make it a good one.

The story as I recall was that as Daewoo went bankrupt, GM went in and paid $500,000,000 or so for the plants and tooling for the then-recently redesigned and all-new Lanos/Nubria/Leganza.  Rebadged here as Aveo-Wave/Optra/Epica plus some Suzuki badge engineered versions.

Quite the BB-BARGOON in cost over having to clean-sheet design three cars to get into this marketplace.

Problem was that Daewoo - when it existed in N/A - didnt excel at anything well - it just simply existed (unlike Hyundai's course of content + value).  So it's NEWEST offspring were designed to be average, not class leading.  Like the 'top of the line Leganza' with a 155hp 6 cyl when its competitiors put out that with their base 4's.

GM bought an average car at a still-cheap-for-the-investment price over their own.  Only now is it being tweaked to today's standards but with some architecture dating back to 2002/3.....against an all-new Fit for 2008 and Versa new from last year.

[Schmengie]

Note to GM if you are going to try to compete with FORIGEN cars then if you are going to sell a forigen built car (the Aveo/Wave is built in Korea by GM's subsidiary GMDAT (General Motors Daewoo Automobile Technology).  at least make it a good one.

GM bought an average car at a still-cheap-for-the-investment price over their own.  Only now is it being tweaked to today's standards but with some architecture dating back to 2002/3.....against an all-new Fit for 2008 and Versa new from last year.

  The Aveo is really a single-purpose city car and not really a very good one at that. In this class, the Kia Rio or the Hyundai Accent are much better choices if low price is the ultimate consideration, so much so IMO that I'm mystified why anyone would buy an Aveo.

If you need an all-around good econo car, there are lots of them to choose from these days, and most of them are very good highway cars. My Versa is quiet, smooth and easy on gas - I averaged 47 mpg on my last trip - and has plenty of power for most situations. It's really amazing how far small cars have come in the last few years, but the Aveo unfortunately isn't one of them.

[stodge]

GM try to compete with imports by selling a (rebadged!) import and people complain! What more do you want??

 

[safristi]

. .....TELL THAT TO CONGRESS....................... ...I "suspect!!!" more of the SAME......hey Nancy see my new 35MPG wonderKAR.................

[Thinking Out Loud]

Sad how far Suzuki had fallen - at one point in recent years the only true Suzuki on the showroom was a motorcycle!!    

I still remember the 1.0 3 cyl turbo Suzuki Swifts from the early 90's.  We need more of that.....

[Rupert]

Todays regularly aspirated engine cars are not much more energy efficient than they were in the 1960s for the same capacity. Type 'Wolsely 1500' into Google and check the rating of that car. Low 30s MPG. real overall average, engine 1.5 litre. (60 hp), weight 2060 lb (bit of a suprise),  4 seat, 4 door. Not a bad little package. Fore and aft drive train. No overhead cams or CVVT then, wether with 'i' or not. They even had a slightley higher tuned Riley version that had one of those tachometer thingies. Plenty of room under the hood for maintenance. I wonder if a modern GM version of this would impress.

[Schmengie]

^^^^Maybe so, but today's small-car engines produce about twice the power, and have to drive hugely more demanding electrical systems not to mention emission control systems which didn't even exist back then. I doubt the Wolesly's engine could deliver enough juice to power a modern car stereo.

[Honda Owner]

I wonder if a modern GM version of this would impress.

A "modern" version of said automobile would never pass modern safety and  emission standards.

And with an AM radio, where would you put the iPod interface?

[tpl]

Not to mention.... how many mechanics ( sorry! technicians)   can tune up SU carbs any more?

It was always an old mans car.  Driven by middle-aged men who smoked a pipe and wore cardigans and hats while driving.

I suspect that even the Aveo is a better car in all respects bar one.    Those old brit cars had leather seats that smelled of leather ( and pipe smoke)

[Rupert]

TPL, I think there might be a few other rsepects...probably quietness of highway ride and ambience. When I said a modern version...all of the latter day improvements would be included. Obviously wooden dash and trim would not be possible except by plastic. I thought carburetors were not used anymore. Yeah I suppose power stearing and air conditioning and other modern things are a drain and wonder how much. None of these things were included back then. No power brakes either. Yet all seemed to proceed well...needed a big stearing wheel though. Hey I am making a concession to rear wheel drive here. In a smaller size everyday volume car...not high priced BMWs and regardless of poorer weight distribution over the driveing wheels. Thinking along the highway noise lines maybe driven front wheels are challenging in this regard and felt seems to be expensive stuff.