2010 Chevy Aveo

Aveo is the Rodney Dangerfield of the Chevrolet lineup. It just “don’t get no respect”. Here is an entry level car that can be ordered as a sedan or a five-door hatchback in LS or LT trim with either a five-speed manual gearbox or a four-speed automatic. Yet, until recently, you hardly saw any ads for the car on TV or in the paper from GM. Local dealers have them, but seem to be able to get better deals on larger cars.

As it turns out, the Aveo may be one of Chevrolet’s better kept secrets and with rebates and other hype, the price of one may start out a bit on the high side of cheap, but not by much.

The car tested is a five-door hatchback that Chevy refers to as the Aveo5. They went all out and put in the four-speed automatic and the LT trim which if you were to order gives you access to some options and makes heated, power adjustable mirrors standard. There are a few other items such as an OnStar subscription for a year being included in the price that add good value to the extra cost of the package.

The bright yellow Aveo stands out. The best part is that the design of this car can handle bright colors. Its eclectic combination of curves and straight lines comes out as an eye catching design among hatchbacks.

All the doors open wide enough to make getting in and out easy. Even the hatch opens up high enough so you can get under it without hitting your head. As long as you can reach the handle to pull the hatch down, you can close it. The hatch is very well balanced and literally closes with a light pull.

Cargo space, as you should expect with a small car and the back seat up may seem a bit small, but you can fit a week’s worth of groceries in the back.

With that much glassware in the car and the chief of design riding shotgun, I had to be on my best driving behavior. Even when easing away from the lights you'll find that the Aveo is smooth and reasonably good at getting underway quickly. The suspension soaks up the minor thumps and controls the major ones very well.

For a drag racer it is a tad slow, but then it has 108 horsepower coming out of a 1.6 liter engine. It fared much better diving into corners and doing a bit of late braking. The front disc/rear drum combination worked well under repeated heavy braking.

Chevrolet puts in five sets of seat belts, but unless those in the back are smaller than average, count on this to be four seat auto. Not only that, the middle of the rear seat is uncomfortable enough that only people you don’t like should have to sit there.

Space for adults in the rear is a bit tight with leg room being the biggest issue. If the front seat occupants pull their seats up a notch or two, the back seat is quite comfortable. Ironically, those in the front remain quite comfortable even with their seats forward that little bit.

AT A GLANCE

Configuration: Four-hatchback or four-door sedan.

Engine: 1.6 liter, DOHC, four that produces 108 horsepower and 105 lb.ft. of torque.

Transmission: Four-speed electronically controlled automatic.

Fuel: EnerGuide Canada Fuel Economy Rating for the City; 8.2 l/100 km. (34 mpg.). Hwy; 5.8 l/100 km. (49 mpg.).

Suspension: Front; MacPherson struts with offset coils and an anti-sway bar. Rear; Semi-independent torsion beam axle with coil springs.

Brakes: Power assisted front disc brakes and rear drums.

Safety: Dual front air bags are standard. Seat mounted side impact air bags are optional. LATCH system of anchoring child seats in the rear is standard. Rear doors have child proof locks. Keyless remote entry is available.

Special Features/Options: Sunroof is part of the LT package. Security package includes ABS brakes and seat mounted side impact air bags. Satellite radio is available. 15 inch wheels are standard on the LT

Posted by: carshq on 9/12/2009 at 7:57 AM | Comments (0) | Permalink