2004 Chevrolet Aveo SVM from North America - Comments

I have had really very few problems with this car. There have been a couple of very minor annoyances (but not really problems) :

The clock on the dash does not seem to hold the time very well at all (I have had to reset it 4 times in the past 3 months).

I am starting to notice some squeaks and rattles coming from the suspension and from beneath the rear seat.

Again, these are minor annoyances and nothing that I am too concerned about at this point.

I purchased this car 3 months ago for $7,000; it had very low miles and is still under full warranty. I have the SVM sedan with the 5 speed manual transmission, the most basic model with basically no options other than A/C.

So far, in the 3 months and 6500 miles that I have put on the car, I have been very happy with its performance. I feel the acceleration, braking, and handling are very acceptable for an economy car, the interior and trunk room are very adequate. The driver seat could offer a little bit more lumbar support, but I only notice this to be an issue on longer trips.

I have been watching the fuel consumption very closely because one of my primary reasons for purchasing this vehicle was to get better fuel economy than my Ford Explorer could offer (I still have my Explorer, and am still very happy with that vehicle as well; I just wanted a commuter car to get me to work and an occasional weekend road trip).

I have been very happy with the fuel mileage aspect of the car. I drive on average 25k - 30k miles per year, and it is typically a mix of city and highway driving. When I average 80mph+ on the highway and do a little more city driving, the mpg drops to around 27; but if I drive on the freeway more and hold it around 60 or 65 mph, it has returned a consistent 33 - 35 mpg. On a recent road trip that was all highway miles, I held it around 65 the whole way and averaged a solid 39mpg. This is even a little better than was advertised on the window sticker, so I am totally satisfied with this.

I do have some concerns about the car's long term reliability. I have no basis for this concern up to this point, other than a few very small squeaks/noises. As much as I drive, if problems are going to start popping up, it should not be long before I start to see them. Hopefully, this will never be the case. Only time will tell.

Your mileage sounds dead on the money: 27-35 mpg, with slightly higher mileage coming with more highway driving. Sounds like you got a great deal ($7,000). This car was sorely needed here in the States (as well as the Fit, Versa, and Yaris). Bring on the diesels!

The SVM does not come with air conditioning even as an option. You either have an LS or some dealer retrofitted one.

I am the original poster of this review. To the person that posted the last comment: You are absolutely correct. My Aveo is actually not an SVM, it is a "Base" model. It appears that in 2004, Chevrolet offered the Aveo in SVM, Base, and LS trim levels. I think it was in 2005 that they switched to the SVM, LS, and LT model designations. The dealer that I bought it from had advertised it as an Aveo SVM, so this was what stuck in my mind. However, when I went back and checked the original window sticker that was in the glove box, I found that it was actually the Base Model, with no options. Good Catch!!

Hey, I'm curious about insurance rates. I am over 40, have a 2006 Aveo SVM (with side airbags), a clean driving record, drive less than 7,000 miles a year, yet my insurance rates are over 10% PER year of the car's value ($1,200 per year for a car that retailed at $10K)

No other car I have owned has had rates this high relative to its selling price, so it has nothing to do with my location. Is this just due to insurance companies gouging because of Katrina and other losses or is this car in a high risk category?

I called over six insurance companies and all the quotes were about the same.