2004 Chevrolet Aveo LS from North America - Comments

Not 1 thing has been wrong with the car.

This is the only new car I have owned that did not have to go back to the dealer for service. Car might be small, but it has the git up and go to commute to work every day.

I also had a '94 Geo Metro. It sat so low to the ground, I felt like a little speck on the road next to the giant SUVs. Now I have this wonderful new car that has so much more room inside & sits a lot higher from the ground. The mileage is good, but I really miss my Metro's mileage, even after 141,000 miles the metro took me further on a tank of gas than any other vehicle on the road. I'm taking my Aveo on a trip to Las Vegas from San Diego... I feel that it will serve me well.

I just got my 2005 Aveo SVM (base model) yesterday, but I thought I would add my initial thoughts.

The price was so insane I could not pass it up - I paid $6995 for a new one with 10 miles on the odometer! The dealer was more interested in selling high buck SUVs so sees the Aveo as a thorn in their side they had to get rid of. That said, they treated me with the same respect they treat their Corvette/Suburban customers.

The car is very deceiving, in a good way. It is European in ride and feel, although more Citroen (comfort) than Focus (sporty). It seems like just a basic economy car until you ask it to do something - want to go 80 mph on the highway? No problem. Want to take a corner fast (within reason)? No problem. Want to accelerate fast from a stoplight? No problem. Same thing with the shifter. I like precise shifting and the Aveo shifts sort of like a bus. Yet, again, it is deceiving. You think you are getting nowhere until you look at the speedometer and realize you're there already! So once I realized that I was okay with its "sloppiness".

The car is surprisingly loaded for what is a base model. It has a rear wiper, tilt steering, dual remote mirrors, fold down rear seats, 5 speed, sport wheel covers, metallic paint (mine is Spicy Orange, really copper), and so on - features that used to be extra cost options on Hondas and Toyotas of old.

Of course, I wish it had a few "luxuries" like remote locking, ABS, a stereo with at least a cassette player, and a trunk/hatch release - all features only available on the higher end models. But, again, for $6995 I can't complain that much.

As for quality, I owned a Ford Festiva for years, a car also built by Daewoo. What I realized is that Daewoo is not the best at "superficial" quality (such as seat material) but is great at the quality you don't see - drivetrains, motors, etc. And that is ultimately more important in a cheap car. My Festiva was nearly flawless for the seven years I had it (yes, I know the engine was built by Mazda), even though the doors were tinny and the paint was easily damaged by bird doo, tar, etc.

Overall I am hoping this car will be as reliable as my Festiva. I considered Hyundai and Kia but, especially with Kia, what is the point of a great warranty if the car is in the shop all the time? And I have yet to drive an entry-level Hyundai as fun to drive as my Aveo.

Actually, the Festiva was made by KIA in Korea, not Daewoo.

I still have mine (1988),,,I have never seen such a reliable car. Probably going to get an Aveo to replace it soon, so I hope it will be the same.

Mark in Pittsburgh.