2007 Chevrolet Aveo Review

PROS
Big-car ride, Above-average fuel economy, Pleasent interior

CONSNoisy engine, Sloppy steering, Flimsy cupholders

A good car at a fair price
With surging gas prices and increased environmental awareness, consumers are turning away from large SUVs and rediscovering economical small cars. Automakers have taken notice as well, introducing more than a dozen new or completely redesigned subcompact models in the last two years.

Chevrolet's small car is called the Aveo. It was first introduced in 2004 and comes in four-door sedan and four-door hatchback body styles. Aveo competes with vehicles like the Honda Fit, Hyundai Accent, Kia Rio, Nissan Versa, and Toyota Yaris. These cars are among the smallest and least expensive sold in the U.S.

Aveo sedan comes in LS and LT trim. Both are front drive and powered by a 103-horsepower 1.6-liter four-cylinder engine. A five-speed manual transmission is standard and a four-speed automatic is optional.

Standard safety equipment on all models includes daytime running lights and front and front side airbags. Antilock brakes are optional, and curtain side airbags are not offered.

LS models come standard with air conditioning, tilt steering wheel, front bucket seats, center console, split-folding rear seat, intermittent wipers, AM/FM radio with digital-media player connection, and 14-inch wheels. LT adds cruise control, power mirrors windows, and locks, keyless entry, CD/MP3 player, and 15-inch alloy wheels.

Key options include sunroof, fog lights, and a theft-deterrent system. LS lists for $12,010 and LT has a base price of $13,950. Both models have a destination charge of $565.

Get up and Go
When equipped with automatic transmission Aveo sedan has enough power to keep up with city traffic. On the highway, the engine lacks sufficient passing power, but has enough pep to easily cruise at 70 mph.

One drawback is the power-sapping automatic transmission. It's slow to downshift for more power and could use an extra gear to better keep the engine within it's powerband in hard acceleration.

On the plus side, the automatic-equipped Aveo sedan is EPA rated at 26 mpg city and 34 mpg highway. Those numbers are comparable to Aveo's competition. In routine commuting expect to average close to 30 mpg, perhaps as high as 32 mpg if your commute includes lots of highway driving. Chevrolet says that Aveo will run fine on less-expensive regular-grade gasoline.

On the Road
The Aveo sedan has a ride that is much smoother than most of its subcompact competition. The suspension does an excellent job absorbing bumps, allowing only the largest to pound through.

Though the Aveo is quite small, it doesn't drive like a small car. Yes, it is maneuverable and compact, but the steering is heavy and numb and the suspension allows too much body lean in fast turns. In addition, the skinny tires don't have much grip and the brakes are simply adequate.

Behind the WheelChevrolet engineers clearly spent a good deal of time redesigning Aveo's interior. It went from so-so, to a class benchmark. Materials are a cut above the competition and the design is pleasant to the eye and very functional.

Gauges are easy to read and placed directly in front of the driver. Radio controls are situated high in the center console and climate controls are simple to operate. Even things like the power window and mirror switches are thoughtfully placed. Visibility is excellent to all directions thanks to thin roof pillars and tall side glass.

Front bucket seats are typical subcompact fare. This means they are short on support and overly firm. Leg room is adequate and head room is good. One nice addition for '07 is a fold down armrest for the driver. This simple feature makes long distance cruising much more comfortable.

Rear seats aren't the penalty box you might expect. In fact, the seats themselves are more comfortable than the front buckets. Head room is good and leg room decent if you don't have the front seats all the way back. Even with the front seats pushed far back, there's enough leg room for kids.

The sedan's truck is reasonably roomy for the class. It will easily fit a week's worth of groceries or a couple of large suitcases. Rear seats fold flat, but the pass through isn't as wide as you'd expect and that makes loading long items difficult. Interior storage is sparse. There are a few open bins and small map pockets. One disappointment are front cupholders that are too small to hold much more than a can of soda.

Bottom LineWith a starting price just north of $12,000 Chevy didn't have much wiggle room when redesigning Aveo. Still, the new interior is a breath of fresh air and the ride is surprisingly supple.

It's a shame that Chevrolet doesn't offer the added safety of side curtain airbags on Aveo. The vehicle is very fairly priced, more than competitive, and offers a pleasant interior that isn't gimmicky. If you are looking for a low-price economy car, be sure to test drive Aveo before you buy.