2004 Chevrolet Aveo review from North America

I have had 3 problems with the sun roof in just over a year. The first time was a noisy motor. The second and third time the sun roof won't properly close. The roof is opened with a toggle switch. If the sun roof is open, you press the switch once and it closes. Release and press again and it vents. In my case it comes to a stop in the open position. It's hard to judge when the sun roof is actually closed.

I was disappointed to find out that cruise was not available. If I had realized this before I picked up the car, I probably would not have bought it. I just figured cruise was standard.

I was also disappointed that there are no arm rests.

The cup holder leaves a lot to be desired. Two holes, one won't hold a standard sized soda bottle. The cup holder pops out from the dash and seems pretty cheap and easy to break. The cup holder is over the only cubby and if your drink sweats it drips into the cubby. The cup holder also blocks the heating and cooling controls. I think this is somewhat of a safety hazard since it makes it hard to get to the defrost if needed.

My biggest problem currently with the Aveo are the keys. Replacement keys cost $90. The remote is on the key. I found this out because I wanted to install a remote start. In order to do that a key needs to be installed in the dash. There is no such thing as a valet key because there is some sort of chip in the key for theft deterrence. That is all well and good, but they put a chip in the key and installed cheesy cup holders and no cruise. Am I the only one that finds that odd? Is it odd that keys for luxury cars costs less than keys for a budget car?

The interior of the car is not well lit. It's hard to see anything in the back seat. No light is available there.

The fold down seats are nice, but they don't create a flat surface in the back. The trunk is much lower than the backs of the seats.

On the positive side:

The car is much roomier than you might realize. My sister owns an Escort and borrowed my car to move a chest of drawers.

It attracts a lot of attention. I had a guy walk up to me while I was at a stoplight to ask about the car.

The gas mileage is around 26 mpg. That's mostly freeway driving.