2014(ish) Chevrolet Aveo - The Jalop-like Review

"Green Mountain Car Guy" (williamleedy) 01/27/2015 at 10:10 • Filed to: None

2

10

This will be, I'm sure, a riveting review of a crappy little econobox that no one cares about and isn't even sold in this country any more. But, hey, at least it's a stick.

( Full disclosure: Chevrolet could care less if I drove this car. However, they did sell one to Avis in Cancun, Mexico to which I had a no-expense-paid vacation for a week and was given the Aveo as a free upgrade from the Dodge i10 I was to be given initially.)

Truth be told, I was actually secretly looking forward to the little bitty Dodge simply because it's the first time I would ever have driven a car that is not, was not and likely will never be available in the US. But, as it turned out, our second day adventure was a longer drive than I figured at a steady 110-120kph, so maybe having a little longer wheelbase and 20-40hp more wasn't a bad thing.

After assuring the guy at the rental counter that the clutch would be okay by the end of our journey, we took delivery of a dark gray Aveo sedan with a heart-poundingly big 1.6L engine and a 5-speed manual transmission. It can't have been too old because it only had 5200km on it and nary a scratch to be found (on a rental car no less).

Unfortunately the first 24 hours with the car offered no real insight into it or it's abilities. The first 20 minutes were getting to and finding our hotel, at night, in a new car, during my first ever drive in a country that is different than my own (I've been to Quebec a few times, but, I don't count that as it's closer to my house than Boston). The following day, exploring the immediate area around Cancun was spent simply trying not to crash. I'm thinking that the sun's intensity has an effect on driving ability and that the closer one gets to the equator, the crazier we drive.

By the end of the day I was starting to get the hang of it. The rules as I've observed are as follows:

If there's room, go for it.

If there's not room, go for it - but don't signal that you are going to go for it.

Drive as fast as the guy in front of you until you can't see his taillights and then pass on whatever side, corner, crest is most readily available regardless of what might be in the way.

If you are in a bus or a taxi...or a car or a truck or something with wheels on it - disregard rules 1-3 and just fucking floor it.

So, with some lead in my boot and a complete lack of sympathy for anyone or anything around me, I pressed on. In total we added about 500 miles to it's odometer and had an awesome vacation and this was the 2nd (out of 2) best car I drove in our time there - but, that'll be a story for another day.

Exterior - 5/10

The exterior is exactly average. It's as nondescript as any other car on the road and just as easy to forget about. It's simple, uncomplicated and as pretentious as mashed potatoes. But, as boring as it is to look at, the design makes it easy to drive. The pillars are small enough to see around and the windows are large enough to see out of and keep an eye on your blind spots. The hood line is visible enough to make pulling into a spot easy and the back is short enough that you can judge where it's ass is with confidence. Even in the driving environment I was in, we returned the car in the same condition as we picked it up - albeit with a little more sand on the floor mats. It's gray and it's bland so no one will see you on the road - which is fine; they aren't looking anyway. But, they also won't see you at the gas station or the market and, not once did anyone ask to trade or how fast that baby is or what amazing job did I have to be able to afford it's insurance premiums. If you want to be noticed - talk to Doug about what to buy. If not, this is the car for you because even Camry owners want you to know how many millions of miles their car has driven without needing to replace anything - "We haven't even changed the oil in 300 years!"

Interior - 5/10

Simpleton, thy name is Aveo. The 4 people that read my thoughts about the !!!error: Indecipherable SUB-paragraph formatting!!! a couple weeks ago would remember, if they read that far without falling asleep, that I am a fan of a simplified interior. Well, the Aveo is the very definition of the word. Even one piece of styling flair would have been appreciated. I get the feeling that while Mazda's uncluttered interior is a purposeful design trait, the Aveo is designed, to use the term loosely this way only because it's cheap - as evidenced by the quality of materials around the cabin. It's a great sea of hard gray plastic. You get 4 dials to tell what things are doing. The climate control has 3 knobs and 3 buttons and the radio, if it weren't for the aux input and usb port, wouldn't look out of place in a 1987 Escort. But, even after 3,500 miles everything was still in it's place - despite my best efforts on Mexico's back roads - and there weren't any rattles, so that's something. Also, the key stayed in the ignition the entire time the car was running, which is something else! And, despite not trying one bit, my knee did not turn it off!

!!! UNKNOWN CONTENT TYPE !!!

Acceleration - 3/10

There wasn't any. The internet tells me it would get to 60 in 13. something seconds. The Ford Escort the radio came from could pull the same trick an entire 2 seconds quicker in 1987. A trip to the redline is really only an exercise in creating more noise. I saw a thing once that said the quickest car in the world is a rental - someone must've missed that memo. I know it only has 103hp, but, this day in age you would hope for at least a little something to happen when your foot goes down.

Braking - 7/10

My score may be biased a little, but, 'round these parts your brakes are essential to life. I'm betting by what I saw here, lights and suspension and rust and doors are easily overlooked but everyone's brakes are top-notch. You wouldn't live long if they weren't. The ultra-modern setup includes a couple of discs up front, a couple or drums in the back and a pedal between the two. They did an adequate job of slowing the car down for the general flotsam of life - speed bumps (holy hell), everyone else on the roads, and the inevitable result of no leash laws.

Ride - 5/10

The low level of sophistication of this car flows through everything it does and everything in it. The suspension is fine when the road is smooth. On the pot-holed, large stone filled back road it rode with all the sublety of a Hellcat and the grace of a Sumo-wrestler tap dancing. We tried to get a couple pictures of the road, but, they were just a blur. There are two types of speed bumps here, and since their warning sign reminded us of a bra laying on a floor, we likened them to A-DD sizes. The A ones wouldn't upset an ant's path - but are extremely rare. The Aveo didn't like the rest of them. The DD's you were going slow enough to not make a big mess of things, but, the B and C ones are smaller so you think you can just massage them lightly and be on your way, but, they are firm and perky, so you are met with a crashing noise that ruins all your fun. On the plus side, we were both able to spend a fair amount of time in the seats without needing a chiropractor - although, 7 hours in a day was pushing the limits of comfort.

Handling - 4/10

If there is one thing you should be able to do in a small car like this, is laugh at how well it corners. Their lack of weight and and short wheelbase make most of them fun in the bendy bits. The Mazda3, the 2, the Fiesta, Civic, Sonic, etc. are all at least halfway decent at corner carving. This isn't. Between the wobbly suspension and the complete lack of feel in the steering, there is no joy in finding a twisty little road. Not that there are any around here anyway.

Gearbox - 5/10

About an hour after I received my drivers permit (1996) I drove a 1976 Dodge truck to get my haircut. That 4-speed had the accuracy and precision of a Stormtrooper. By comparison, this is decent. It's a 5-speed with, curiously and with perhaps the image of a VW in their minds, reverse gear to the left and forward. I don't think I missed any shifts and I don't think I stalled it either - so it can't have been too bad! It definitely didn't have that sports car feel too it, especially when trying to shift quickly while merging from a stop to 100km/h. But, it was functional.

Toys - 6/10

I was a little surprised here, hence the above 5/10 rating! While it did lack cruise control, it didn't seem too badly equipped. We had alloy wheels, chrome plated door handles, power windows and locks, A/C that worked well (thankfully), bluetooth, usb connectivity and a key with buttons on it! Not bad for a boring little econobox! Luxurious for a 2nd-from-the-cheapest rental car!

Audio - 4/10

While the radio interface did have bluetooth for my phone and a USB port for my tunes, the systems ability to turn files into noise was merely adequate - perhaps I need to lay off the Jimmy Eat World?? This section seems also to refer frequently to the audible pleasure of the car - be it a beautifully wailing V12 from an Aston Martin or the beritone thunder that AMG brings - to the angry growling "I'm bigger than I look" sound of the Abarth. This time, it won't be any of those things. On the highway at 3k rpm, it's fine. It's a little 4-cylinder and that's exactly what it sounds like. Above that and especially when you get above 4k, it buzzes and wheezes and makes a terrible racket that you would sooner drive 30mph in 5th rather than hear it again.

Value - 5/10

Well, I have no idea - frankly. It was a rental in a country that I'm not going to move to and a car that I can't buy new in the US anymore, so, I had no reason to look into what they go for. Judging by the amount of engineering that went into it and the quality of materials used, I'm sure it's cheap. Which is good, as it is cheap. At least it won't fall over on it's side and you can toil away in anonymity.

Total - 49/100

Engine: 4 hampsters with a total capacity of 1.6L

Power: 103hp - 107lb-ft of gut-wrenching torque

Transmission: 5-Speed Manual

0-60 Time: Glacial (13 and change seconds)

Top Speed: Who knows - the last person who tried died before reaching the end.

Drivetrain: Front engine - Front wheel drive.

Curb Weight: 2491lbs

Seating: 5 - assuming 3 are small but not in car seats.

MPG: Supposed to be about 40mpg on the highway, which is probably about right - I couldn't be bothered to do the math though.

MSRP: Base - $10,031. As tested - $12,941

P.S. - how do I get that bottom part to be single spaced like the big boys do it??

WesBarton89 - The Way to Santa Fe > Green Mountain Car Guy 01/27/2015 at 11:47

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I had one similar to this as a rental back in November of 2010. It was a 2011 MY with only 1,300 miles on it, so it was brand new essentially, even for a rental. I put about 700 miles on it over the three weeks I spent with the car, while I was sorting out the insurance and car buying process after totalling my Infiniti.

You didn't spend long with this car. You don't want an Aveo as a DD for one week, much less three. Mine wasn't even as well equipped. Manual everything, except the transmission. Autobox on that bad boy.

They drive pretty much as you describe, and are not a pleasant place to be. I don't understand why people drive these as their regular car. Cavaliers are better, and those are seemingly objectively terrible cars on their own. I did not feel safe in this at all, and even getting up to highway speed was an exercise in patience. I think I got through a whole episode of Breaking Bad by the time I hit 55mph. The gas gauge moves faster than the speedometer does.

I'm sorry you had to experience one of these cars. Such a shame.

Green Mountain Car Guy > WesBarton89 - The Way to Santa Fe 01/27/2015 at 12:07

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Ooohh, sorry to hear about the auto-tragic - that would have definitely made it worse! But, at least it didn't fall apart and we were alive still at the end of the journey - so that's a plus.

m-b-w loves his SUBAROO > Green Mountain Car Guy 01/27/2015 at 15:57

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good review. I find it interesting that the Mexican sedans got the front end which was reserved for American Hatchbacks.

Green Mountain Car Guy > m-b-w loves his SUBAROO 01/27/2015 at 16:08

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Yeah, the other thing I noticed that was different from what we had in the US is that the radio isn't the same radio the GM used in EVERYTHING from that ear (from Aveo's to Saab 9-3's) but that old-style single stack unit...

But, thank you for reading it!! I'm not new to cars, but, I am new to writing about them (at least in a place the public can see it, lol) and I'm always open to critiques.

m-b-w loves his SUBAROO > Green Mountain Car Guy 01/27/2015 at 16:29

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they must have been trying to cut costs to make the car more affordable to the Mexican market. It wouldn't suprise me if it were missing safety features such as side airbags, passenger airbag, traction control, or abs just to keep the price cheaper. Also, I think that the review was really well put together. I think at some point in the near future I will try to do a review on my Outback, even though writing isn't one of my strong suits. Anyways, I enjoyed reading yours, and hope to see more.

Green Mountain Car Guy > m-b-w loves his SUBAROO 01/27/2015 at 16:57

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Thank you for the kind words. I will continue to hone my skills for sure!! I never saw any TCS buttons or anything, but, I didn't think to pay attention to other stuff like ABS or airbag stuff....maybe next time!

Also, as a guy who sells Mazda's - it seems like you are really liking the Outback (looking over a couple of your posts) - did you drive the CX-5? (only asking because Vermont is a gigantic Subaru market and it's good to know how people feel coming from the other side!)

Thanks!!

m-b-w loves his SUBAROO > Green Mountain Car Guy 01/27/2015 at 17:25

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I looked at the CX-5, but didn't fit. My choices were limited, because I swore off the Korean brands, which make surpassingly roomy cars. I was left with the Outback, Forester, Ford Explorer, Flex, or F150. Also, for a wildcard, I looked at a leftover 2014 Volvo XC90, which had been on the lot for about a year and a half, but I didn't fit. Anyways, my dad owns 2 explorers, a 2012, and 2013, they are really roomy, but in my opinion they are nothing special, and don't pack in a lot of value for the money.. My mom used own a 2009 Flex, but it turned out to be a nightmare, so as comfortable as the Flexes are, her experience crossed that car off of the list. I will say that I really loved the F-150, as I had 2 of them as rentals while my prior car was in the shop getting a new transmission, but I wasn't too big on spending $100 a week on gas. I ended up coming between a new Forester or an Outback, and chose the Outback due to the new features that Subaru brought out on the 2015 Outback, which most likely will not hit the forester until next year.

Jonee > Green Mountain Car Guy 01/27/2015 at 18:12

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Fun read. Nice job. I love a good, boring shitbox. The Spark doesn't quite cut it. Yes, it's dull to drive, but it looks too interesting.

Green Mountain Car Guy > Jonee 01/28/2015 at 09:41

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Lol - true.....though, the Spark is less interesting looking than the Subaru 360....

Alex Zapata > m-b-w loves his SUBAROO 02/03/2015 at 17:59

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Actually, yes, thay do, the versión the OP drove probably had driver and passenger airbags and ABS, but the base model does not have either, nor A/C, no version has Traction Control...

We did use to get the one you had in the States, the styling at least, when the Sonic came out they cheapened the old Aveo so they could drop the price more to meet the Nissan Tsuru (I think they started selling those in 92 as the Sentra in the US) and it quickly became the best selling car in the country, it is very very cheap to buy and it is a sedan, which the market feels it is a necesity derived from the lack of public security (it is generally believed that if a potential robber can't see into your trunk, he won´t steal, also it's better if you have metal instead of just glass guarding your stuff)

Also sedans are considered to be more upscale tan hatchbacks, a taste we inherited from our dear Northern neighbors, the Americans (thanks for that)