First Drive: the 2009 Chevrolet Aveo5
We were recently invited, along with an immodestly large group of our fellow scribes, to have our way with the whole of the 2009 General Motors lineup at the bustling Autobahn Country Club in Joliet, Illinois. And despite the siren song of several Corvette ZR1s wailing from the direction of the north track, we took the afternoon to acquaint ourselves with a vehicle that seems to have an ever increasing importance for GM’s near term future, the 2009 Chevrolet Aveo5.
The General’s smallest offering is new for the ’09 model year, and there are high hopes that the Aveo5 will enter dealerships prepared not only for the inevitable scrutiny of a new model but also to fight it out with fine small five-doors newly minted from both Honda (Fit) and Toyota (Yaris). GM Vice Chairman Bob Lutz spoke to the importance of changing the company’s model for small vehicles, pointing to the high-content, high-cost small cars on the European scene and noting that American car buyers are still in the midst of a shift that should see them ready to accept such cars in the near term.
For all the talk about the development of premium American small vehicles, it seems clear that the new Aveo will make its hay on the rate at which it sips fuel and its sticker price, rather than on its high level of “premiumness.”
At the heart of the Aveo5 is a 1.6-liter DOHC four-cylinder that is among the most fuel efficient mills that GM sells, at 27/34 mpg for the five-speed manual version. The engine also received gotten tiny power bump for the 2009 model year, from 103 to 106 horsepower, though the fiddling has dropped torque to 105 from 107 pound-feet.
If those power figures don’t sound like great news for the Aveo’s performance, it’s probably because they aren’t. Despite a respectable curb weight of 2546 pounds, the little Chevy’s acceleration can charitably be described as “unhurried.” While no strict figures were made available from the manufacturer, and noting that conditions were a long way from ideal, our primitive attempt at measuring the 0 to 60 mph time in the automatic transmission car yielded a time that was very solidly in the double digits. This may be the slowest passenger car on sale today, folks.
But speed isn’t everything, especially in the case of ultra-budget conscious small cars, and the Aveo5 certainly didn’t leave us with nothing to recommend it to possible buyers. We were pleasantly surprised at how well the suspension soaked up the miles of crumbling roads and the frost heaves that dotted our test route, offering a pliant ride befitting a much more expensive vehicle. The steering wheel may have been overly large but offered good feel and feedback, allowing us to take full advantage of the grip allotted by the rather skinny all-season tires. Aveo5 also offers standard front and side impact airbags, a tire pressure monitoring system, and an auxiliary jack to hook up your iPod.
The littlest Chevy also looks a lot better for the 2009 model year, with chunky, big-box proportions and a Malibu-style grille making the outgoing car seem almost instantly outdated.
It’s too bad that Chevy designers didn’t make out as well with the car’s interior then, as it remains mostly a pastiche of all the things that can be done wrong with small cars. For starters, it’s important to note that potential customers that measure above six-feet tall should make doubly sure that they feel comfortable behind the wheel. At 6’ 5”, your reporter had his right knee pushed up against the center console for the entire test, even with the seat all the way back on its rails and reclined as much as he could manage and still see out the windows – the big and tall set may want to look elsewhere. Cabin materials weren’t much better than cabin fit either, with the hard console plastics looking especially dreary in the lighter shades and with inexplicably placed “wood” accents highlighting them. Does anyone really expect the Aveo to have a wood-lined cockpit?
The base price of the base Aveo5 has gone up by a bit over one thousand dollars, the 2009 LS starts at $12,120, and the car is still going to be one of the most inexpensive pieces of new transportation on sale in the U.S. With added content and a better overall package, that’s good news for the GM executives who hope that Aveo can be a hit in these movable times. But with new entries like Fit and Yaris just a few thousand dollars of financing up the price line, Aveo5 may still find that it isn’t quite new enough.
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Comments
hyundaismoke
That grille has got to go. The top portion of the grille looks nice, but the bottom portion does not fit right with that car. Why the chrome on a B-segment car? If you want chrome on a small car, get a Mini. Why does it cost that much? Is it the unecessary chrome, or the standard TPMS system, humm I wonder. $12,120 is a lot for a car with that kind of content and realiblity history. You can get B segment cars from the Hyundai/KIA conglomerate with superior content and reliablity for less. That Beat concept will be an adequate replacement for this car, however.
-Always Drive Foreign, American cars are a joke. We still make good trucks though.
Ducati Minor
This is a prank user, right? The Hyundai and Kia sub-compacts are as much a joke as the Pacers and Gremlins of the '70s.
hyundaismoke
No its no a prank. It is the facts. You may not like the way the Huyndai KIA sub-compacts look and you think they are a joke that way. However, according both Consumer Reports and JD Power, they are the most reliable subcompacts this decade. It was a big news story the other day. The Americans hardly have competiton in that segment yet (expect the Aveo, and that's trivial), but when the Neon was out as a B-Segment car it made the Korean cars seem as reliable as an old school Toyota workhorse. Talk about Pacers, that was the Neon, a modern Pacer. Any car, where they build it for 10 years and then change the name, the styling, the class it was in; was a shit box in the first place.
Neon, Escort, Cavilier=Eastern Bloc cars.
The Yaris(Echo)=recalls and quality concerns with an overpriced MSRP (2009 5 door looks very promising) .
Fit=7 year old car borrowed from Japan and Europe with low grade plastics and an overpriced MSRP.
New Fit=gas mileage inferior to all competitors, still has 1990s era door handles, a drop of 4 MPG for only 8 more horsepower. (I like Honda Products, but the Fit is dissappointing)
New Fiesta/Escort=3 door looks like a blatant Hyundai Accent 3 Door kncokoff in the window design, should be cheapest car sold in America but it peobably wont be, that possible 40 MPG looks nice though, later than sooner 2010-2011 launch date
Dodge Hornet=Built by the Chinese-another Pacer. A great idea, but possibliy no more Crapsler Motors Corporation to run it.
Suzuki Swift/Swift Sx=if only they had the balls to bring it.
issan Cube=Very Ugly, and Nissan has had lots of quality problems as of late
Chevy Beat=Another typical GM mistake in having such a late release date (2012), will have an excuse to make the car overpriced by dumping 100 extra pounds of chrome on it there by reducing performance as well, will be made by Shitwoo Motors by outsourcing more jobs. (If I want a Korean car, Id buy it from the Koerans themselves to hell with a middleman.)
Mitsubushi Colt= They dont have the balls to bring that over.
VW=2 B-Car Concepts/1 rear engined, and the other as the Polo. Well see if VW ups their quality.
Subaru Justy=Great Idea, they just dont have the balls to bring that over either.
Hyundai/Kia Accent/Rio=solid workhorses like old school Corollas, Higher MPG for 2009 31/38 for both models, dramatically refreshed interiors with possible all digital gauges, European front fascia, bumper and grille styling, new colors, more tuning options.
My whole Point is, we cant even make B-Segs on our on shores. How are we gong to compete with the foreign B-segment cars? For someone like me who only drives B-segment cars, the Hyundai/Kia Conglomerate has the best: quality to price, best fuel mileage to performance value. By the way, they dont need that warranty anymore. Nissan does, however. If Toyota keeps it up, they will too.
-Always Drive Foreign, American cars are a joke. We still make good trucks though.
Ducati Minor
Wow...hyundaismoke has a lot of time on his hands to lavish all that praise on a Rio and an Accent. A LOT.
Ranetti
If you have never owned any Hyundai or Kia product, then you don't know of what you speak. I own a 2004 Accent and I love it. I do not expect it to do anything it isn't capable of, like many younger drivers do. They buy an inexpensive car and expect it do much, much more. Wrong. It is an econmoy car and for me and my wife, it's perfect. Not the greatest by any means, but more than adequate. When it comes to opinions, they should be backed up by experience. If you are a dsisgruntled owner of one of these products, that's too bad and it's a shame you had problems. Just saying that they are a joke means nothing without first hand knowledge.
mo
For real..... I wanted to have similar comment as you did. but the hyundaiguy seems right. the accent is cheaper, and has better feul economy. couldn't debate against his view and so I kept it quiet.
Mena
I like the interior on this car.
Trinks
It's better than it used to be, I suppose. I don't know, I feel bad ridiculing GM at this point. It's like criticizing a retarded child. You know they're trying their hardest as it is. :/
Ducati Minor
I'm liking what I see. (I know I'm leaving myself open to jokes.) It's not only a step above what I've seen in past Aveos, but a solid work overall.
Esrick
We looked at the 2008 Aveo recently, but all they had left on the lot were loaded four door sedans and stripped yellow hatchbacks. We drove just about every car in this size range and finally settled between a Kia Rio 5 SX and a Honda Fit Sport, both with five speed manual transmissions. The Kia won on price, less road noise, and better, more mature looks. The 10 year 100,000 powertrain warranty didn't hurt either. What we got is a great handling car with plenty of room for four front and back. It has gotten peppier as it gets broken in and gas mileage is up to an overall 32 miles per gallon average after just 1000 miles. This is spirited driving in extremely hilly and curvy terrain with some city and highway driving. The Kia Rio 5 easily keeps up with my 1987 VW GTI 8V and is very similar in suspension design and overall layout. A much quieter and more refined but new older VW GTI is what it reminds me of with a similar close ratio manual transmission and the familiar red stitching in the interior, but none of the reliability issues of the VWs of old. The Aveo is cheap basic transportation and not even in the same league.
The Aveo did not have enough knee room in the back seat with a 5'10" driver in the front and a 5'8" passenger in the back behind the driver. The Kia has room for a 5'10" person front and rear at the same time with several inches of knee room to spare. The quality of the Kia was ranked best in the JD Power and Associates ratings for it's class in initial quality in 2006 and 2007 and tied with the Honda Fit for 2008. We have found no flaws in ours. If I had to gripe, it would be a somewhat notchy gear shifter when quickly downshifting from 5th to 4th and no built in MP3 in the standard CD radio system. It does have a aux plug for an external MP3 player.
The Aveo could not compete with the Kia or the Honda which both had a much more sporty and refined feeling. The Honda was several thousand more than the Kia, which was less than a thousand higher than the Aveo with the same level of equipment. If you want a low cost car, get a fun Kia over the boring and less dependable Aveo.
Ducati Minor
What the hell is this? Is the same Kia guy just posting over and over again? There can't be this many people turned on by a Rio. That would be too pathetic even for a country our size.
Trinks
Watch out for those rabid KIA/Hyundai fans, Ducati. Never has a group of people been so fervently enthusiastic over such a mediocre product.
Jeff Puthuff
"For all the talk about the development of premium American small vehicles, it seems clear that the new Aveo will make its hay..."
Seyth, don't you mean premium Korean small vehicle? The Aveo may be sold by Chevy, but it's not American.
martin_prince
The Aveo has actually proven pretty reliable (according to our experience, and JD Powers), and can always be had at a discount. We had no trouble with reliability, fuel mileage, depreciation, or anything else. It was a solid little car, and had it not been wrecked (in quite an accident, all were safe) we would still have it.
I only wish we had bought it with a manual, as most cars are more fun that way.
Oyun
The engine also received gotten tiny power bump for the 2009 model year, from 103 to 106 horsepower, though the fiddling has dropped torque to 105 from 107 pound-feet.
Timothy Harris
I had worked a short-list of potential new cars for the last three months, basically looking at everything from 15,000 to 23,000. I wanted a hatch, and a 5 speed manual. I tried to get excited by the VW Rabbit, cuz it's a nice car with a lot going for it.....but kinda dull exterior and pricey with every option I wanted. I planned on the Mazda3, a really good car, but the new grille is hideous to me.....couldn't get past it. I decided on the Mini Cooper a few weeks ago...until I started reading about reliability issues, and a lot of angry customers hating on the dealership and service
center employees. I was appalled by some of the stories. So, reluctantly, I changed my mind. Now, I am wondering if the Fiat 500 will come to the States in 2010. It's tiny, but very Italian and sweet inside and out. It all seems to hinge on what happens to Chrysler, since the 500 will be offered through their dealerships.
A few days ago I stumbled on a review of the Kia Rio5, which I assumed was a piece of junk. The reviewer loved the car. I looked further, more favorable reviews, some awards as well. People honestly seemed to love this little car, male reviewers, female reviewers, young and old. The interior is pretty nice, and the exterior has european styling cues. Lots of standard features, great warranty, great gas mileage, and is described as "grin-inducing" and "fun to drive". Strange, but I am seriously considering this little car, unless I get confirmation that Chrysler is not folding, and the Fiat 500 is coming for sure, I may buy it.
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Greetings !!!!
I LOVE my Summer Yellow 2009 Chevy Aveo5 LT2 "PLUS"(alloys,rear spoiler,Perforated Sport Leatherette, AND FACTORY MOONROOF)!!!!!
Of course, just for my selfish pleasure and fun, I ordered it with the 5 speed manual transmission.
Great looking leather shift knob....very nice leather covered steering wheel.
I just bought the "lifetime" subscription to Sirius/xm radio.
(It was less $$$$$ than the 4 year plan) !
The Aveo5 is part of my ecclectic 16 car collection.
I consider it my "motorcycle".
With my mint condition black 1959 Peugeot 403 sedan being my oldest car, the 2009 Chevy Aveo5 gives me a 50 year spread within my collection.
And.....it is ALMOST as much fun to drive as my Tigre Yellow 2001 Qvale Mangusta !!!!!!!
If you're driving a 2010 Camaro in Atlanta and a yellow Aveo5 flashes it's headlights at you.....it's probably ME !!!!!
Thanks GM !!!!!!
Thanks Chevy!!!!
Thanks GM/Daewoo !!!!!
I LOVE my Summer Yellow Chevy Aveo5 LT2 !!!
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