Chevrolet might like everybody to buy a Suburban, Silverado or — glee! — a Corvette, but personal economics and other circumstances dictate that is not going to happen.
The entry point for Chevy is the Aveo and even though it is manufactured in Korea, the goal is a product that will draw the consumer back into the showroom in the future.
Aveos come in hatchback
(SVM, LS) and sedan (LS,
LT) form with 2007 base
prices ranging from $9,430 for the SVM hatchback to $13,150 for the LT sedan. The hatchbacks are now known as Aveo5.
The only engine available in the Aveo is a 1.6-liter 4-cylinder that produces 103 horsepower. It seemed like 110 horsepower. (We kid.) A 5-speed manual transmission is standard.
This is a bare-bones car, so the other standard items are minimal, but do include front side airbags, driver-seat height and lumbar adjustment and rear defogger.
We tested the LS sedan with a base price of $11,750. The LS sedan comes with air conditioning, floor mats and an auxiliary input jack that can be used for an iPod. The top-of-the-line LT sedan adds cruise control, power windows, power door locks, remote keyless entry, heated power mirrors, a CD player, alloy wheels and 15-inch tires in place of standard 14-inch tires.
You will note by those LT additions that the LS comes deprived of some functions that many take for granted. No boo-hoo necessary for me, but try explaining to teen-agers that not all cars come with power windows (“You turn the crank, Son”) or power locks (“For the fourth time, push the button down when you get out of the car!”).
The car is not a head turner, although a redesign this year has brought the Aveo more in line with some other Chevy products and the interior materials have been freshened. The length has been extended
3 inches to 169.7 inches and the width increased 1.6 inches.
The Aveo accomplishes its goal of a functional get-around town car that even holds its own on the highway. The small size ensures parking in the
tightest of spaces. The handling and ride are acceptable for this kind of car.
Front-
continued on
seat riders have enough room to be comfortable and back-seat riders may be pinched, but they’re able to enter and exit easily.
There is 12.4 cubic feet of cargo space, a good amount, and it can be enhanced by a 60/40 split/folding rear seat.
Even though the Aveo has been lengthened for 2007, the space does not translate to additional room in the cabin so there isn’t much excess space for more items.
Mileage ratings are 26 mpg city and 34 mpg highway — good marks by themselves but not a standout when compared to other compact cars.
Options on our tester were the
4-speed automatic transmission ($850), alloy wheels ($375), CD/MP3 player ($325) and premium 6-speaker sound system ($125). A $400 option not included but worth consideration is antilock brakes.
The total vehicle price for the test Chevrolet Aveo was $13,990.
It’s a figure that first-time car buyers will consider. It’s a car that Chevy hopes will keep those first-time buyers coming back when they upgrade in the future.
David Mikesell is a free-lance automotive reviewer based in Indianapolis. Read this review and others like it at DaytonDailyNews.com/Wheels.
Appeared in January 6, 2007 issue of Wheels, a product of the Dayton Daily News
