Chevrolet Aveo Sedan

fastdriver · January 2004

As I reported on 1/20 here, the AVEO transmission warranty has been extended to 5/60 for the US models. The 3/36 bumper to bumper warranty remains for now. The AVEO review here by Hellwig needs to be updated. I wrote once, but they didn't make the change yet. Just sent them another e-mail, since this info should be updated ASAP.

fastdriver

bigdaddycoats · January 2004

How about a turbocharged Aveo SS for $14k?

alpha01 · January 2004

turbo?!!!

What a whacky little car. 1600lbs, turbocharged 1.0L 3 cylinder producing 70hp, 35 MPG, 5 speed manual. Sold only in MYs 87, 88.

~alpha

jchan2 · January 2004

not a bad idea.

iluvmysephia1 · January 2004

a Chevy Sprint turbo 1.0L 3 cyl.package! Ah, those were fun times watching the Chevy Sprint and Ford Festiva duke it out for micro-prominence in the late 80's. I actually liked both of them a lot at that time and was tracking each car as to which would be the best choice for me for my first new car! I didn't get either one and my first new car ended up being a 1994 Ford Escort station wagon. I like(and still do)the body design of Sprint and Festiva but preferred the Festiva body design by a few whiskers. The fact that Kia produced it didn't hurt a bit, either. They are now advertising Aveo's in the St.Louis paper for $9,135 after several discounts. As I was going by the lone Aveo for sale in Rolla, MO, today all I could think of was that it looked good with it's funky style there in the extreme rear sides of the car but one would want to work extra hard at NOT GETTING INTO AN ACCIDENT IN ONE OF THESE LITTLE CARS! I wouldn't let safety concerns stop me if I really wanted one but it's something to at least think about before you buy one.

jchan2 · January 2004

spotted a silver one with alloy wheels (perhaps an LS, I don't know) in a mall parking lot nowhere near the Avis and Enterprise lots in the area.

rctennis3811 · January 2004

Aveo SS could be a reality if they imported the Kalos Diamond edition.

aveman · January 2004

Where is there official information stating that the Aveo powertrain warranty is 5 year 60,000 miles now. The Aveo comparrison info on the Chevy web site says powertrain is 3/36 miles.I had to struggle to find the warranty info at all on the Aveo site. You could get the impression that they don't want peop;e to think about it.

fastdriver · February 2004

aveman-

TRUST ME. The AVEO transmission warranty IS 5/60. Just that GM and Edmunds are a little slow in updating the numbers! You would think that they would do that ASAP since it is a PLUS!

Going to the auto show in Providence, RI today. HOPE to see some nice cars there. Bringing the digital camera. If there is anything interesting/different, I'll take some pics and try to post them later tonight.

fastdriver

jchan2 · February 2004

As long as the car is reliable, there's not much need for a warranty. The protection might be nice, but it's not a dealbreaker for me.

iluvmysephia1 · February 2004

Aveo is it's main competition is Kia's Rio with a better warranty, Hyundai's Accent with a better warranty, Suzuki's Aerio hatch and sedan with better warranties, etc. It shows that these cars are not REALLY important to Chev much at all. They're bait to get you in to buy a better car. I agree, though, if I wanted an Aveo I'd trust the Daewoo engineering easily enough to pull the trigger and get it. The Edmunds review of the Aveo is pretty good concerning ride quality, rattles, etc. The ticky-tack pickups, if required, will be covered by the very-important 3 year, 36,000 mile warranty(IF that's all you get). I'll bet Chev upped that to something better, too. Post info.,anybody, on that warranty when you find it, OK?

regfootball · February 2004

at the dealer.

BTW, they had a note on the car posted about the improved 5/60 warranty

to the inside.......looked better outside of the car than when i got in, HOWEVER for this class of car and price, I still think its good. fairly spacious, nice upright seating position, airy cabin, good ergonomics. Seats felt soft and cheap. Cloth was nice. Plastic was a grade B. Assembly quality good, not A+. A nicer place to be inside than the Cavalier!

Trunk (hatchback) was tiny. Not much between either bumper and the driver. Don't crash with this thing!

As an Accent Rio competitor, good job. Get some more hp and some safety assurances. Hatch version could stand some actual cargo room too. Firm up the seats.

Exterior looks nice in person, good job. Sheet metal is thin though (to be expected for a car in this class).

As long as the price is in line, this will sell well. This is a good city car, I think.

As the next gen GEO METRO its a huge improvement but it also needs more mpg then too.

fastdriver · February 2004

Here are the pics of the AVEO 5-door. It was a base model with stick shift. Wish there was an LS there. Doesn't seem bad for what it is.

http://f1.pg.photos.yahoo.com/ph/fastdriver2_99/detail?.dir=/81c4- &.dnm=eb46.jpg

fastdriver

pat · February 2004

Why don't you also post that link in the brand new Chevy Aveo (hatchback) discussion?

fastdriver · February 2004

pat HOST-

Done! Didn't even know there was a hatchback topic! Then, I saw that it was just created last night. :-)

ALL-

Here is the response from Chevy RE: new transmission warranty:

"Thank you for contacting the Chevrolet Customer Assistance Center. We appreciate you taking the time to write us in regards to the updated warranty information for the Chevrolet Aveo.

The following letter was sent to dealers on 1/15/2004:

We are pleased to announce the addition of a 5yr/60,000 mile Powertrain warranty for the 2004 Chevy Aveo. This warranty coverage will be retroactively applied to vehicles already delivered and it has a $0 deductible and is transferable at no charge.

We are currently updating our warranty booklet information and working on details for getting new warranty books to vehicles in dealer inventory, in-transit and to current Aveo owners. We will be integrating the new warranty information into consumer communications very shortly.

We understand how important the extended warranty is for our Chevy dealers to effectively compete against the Aveo competitors. We look forward to seeing the entire Chevy dealer body aggressively promote Aveo and its innovative features (including the Powertrain warranty) in marketing communications in the near future."

That's it. I told them that if they REALLY wanted to compete with the competition, they should also consider changing the 3/36 warranty! We'll see.

fastdriver

jchan2 · February 2004

there'd be no reason to buy a Rio!

lngtonge18 · February 2004

I kind of like the green on that Aveo. It's a very stylish looking car. As a previous owner of a 00 Accent 2 door and an 03 Aerio SX, I think the Aveo did an excellent job in the styling department. If I was looking for cheap transportation, I think this car would be at the top of my list. The low bumper to bumper warranty is a letdown though.

rctennis3811 · February 2004

Why do you say that?? I like the Aveo, but I'd still like the "peace and mind" of a longer warranty. Otherwise, the car is great for its price.

iluvmysephia1 · February 2004

for American buyers, but they need to up that 3 year, 36,000 bumper-to-bumper warranty to a 5 year, 60,000 mile warranty. The powertrain protection is better now, though. I also like that shade of green, it looks better than the metallic medium-blue Aveo here at our local Chev dealer. This car should compete well with HyunKia but I'm spoiled by that great Long-Haul Warranty!
=;)

jchan2 · February 2004

I'll take the 5-60 powertrain- the car will probably be someone else's by the time it reaches 100K miles. (I used to trade cars after 100K miles, but now I do it right before 100K, typically around 85-99K miles)

rctennis3811 · February 2004

I wish GM adopted Suzuki's (who they own 20% of) warranty. 7 years/100K. That's more miles a year than HyunKia and the competition! Plus, it's transferrable meaning that resale will be higher than normal.

dindak · February 2004

"Chevrolet has announced a change to the warranty on its all-new Aveo entry-level car. The Aveo includes a 5-year/60,000 mile warranty on the vehicle's powertrain and 3-year/36,000 mile bumper-to-bumper coverage"

http://www.media.gm.com

fdanna · February 2004

As far as Warranty goes, one has to also consider that if a much bigger warranty is advertised and put on this car in puts Chevy in tough position: 1) why do you need this extra warranty? Is it because the car is less reliabled? and 2) Well, if you have this great warranty on your cheapest car, why shouldn't I get it on a big fat $30k SUV?

Pretty tough questions for them to answer. Hyundai and Kia slapped on those warranties to save themselves from financial ruin. Hyundai, at one point, was rumored to be pulling out of the US.

The Aveo is REALLY attractrive right now with the rebate! One of my personal disappointments with the car, though, is the mileage numbers. Where talking about a 103hp engine here, and the mileage with manual transmission is only 27/35? How can that be? How does my crappy 2.0L 130hp Ford engine get the the same numbers? Even worse, how does a 1.7L 117hp Honda engine get rated at 36/44??!!

That's a pretty big gap! I can only think it means 1) the engine is REALLY old tech 2)inefficient 3) too small for the weight of the car.

Any thoughts? Anyone have real world numbers?

lngtonge18 · February 2004

Suzuki's powertrain warranty hasn't helped their resale. Believe me. When I traded in my 03 Aerio SX, 2 dealers, including the local Suzuki dealer, flat out said they didn't want my trade. Suzuki needs more then that warranty to help their poor resale.

In all honesty, the improved powertrain warranty on the Aveo doesn't mean much. Very rarely does anything go wrong with an engine or transmission with mileage that low. What would have made a statement is improving the bumper-to-bumper warranty to something like 4/50, like Mazda. But at least Chevy is trying to make the Aveo more competitive.

lngtonge18 · February 2004

Your comments with 1 and 2 hit the nail on the head. Korean companies are currently more concerned with providing high quality with their components while still providing low prices. Something has to give and it has traditionally been in the engineering department. They tend to stick with engine designs for longer periods of time with very little change. Korean engines are just as solid and reliable as other engines but they lag behind in the fuel economy area. They often lack such features as variable valve timing which would increase the fuel economy by at least 2 mpg. As their sales and profit increase, you will start to see more money spent on developing more fuel efficient engines.

Take for example my previous 00 Accent 1.5 liter. It only had 89 horsepower but it was rated at 28/36 in fuel economy. Taking that into account, the 103 horse Aveo has decent mileage.

I would have to see the engine to be sure, but I think the Aveo uses the same 1.6 motor from the old Daewoo Lanos (I know the Forenza uses the exact same engine from the Nubira). This engine was introduced in 99 in the US and somewhere around 96 elsewhere and hasn't received any updates. If it is indeed the same engine, it is definitely old tech and inefficient.

fdanna · February 2004

Interesting... with gas not getting any cheaper and with my 35 mile (70 both ways) a day commute, I don't see the Aveo as a viable option for me. I do like the looks of the 5 door though.

It looks like this market segment is just warming up with entries coming from Mazda, Honda and Toyota (Scion).

Mazda has the Mx-micro concept and Honda has the Jazz. That should be some stiff competition.

jchan2 · February 2004

has pretty good MPG ratings.

rctennis3811 · February 2004

and the tC should be a pretty big hit too.

jchan2 · February 2004

is actually a hatchback that looks like a coupe. It fooled me into thinking it was a coupe the first time I saw it.

kendrid · February 2004

http://news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=story&u=/ap/20040219/ap_on_bi- _ge/gm_aveo_trouble

fastdriver · February 2004

kendrid-

I've been trying to find out WHY, but no luck yet! As expected, chevy.com played DUMB!

GM dealers are supposed to find out WHY tomorrow. I want to know now! It's not like this car is brand new.

fastdriver

bigdaddycoats · February 2004

http://www.mlive.com/newsflash/michigan/index.ssf?/base/business-- 2/1077209644176322.xml

If this is true it is not fault of the car. I believe GM will issue information tomorrow.

fastdriver · February 2004

bigdaddycoats-

Thanks for the link. I knew it couldn't be something wrong with the car because it's been around for some time now in other countries.

fastdriver

jchan2 · February 2004

has been the Daewoo Kalos in many other countries, so the Aveo isn't exactly all new.

iluvmysephia1 · February 2004

at this site yet, the "do not sell" ban on Aveo's for U.S.Chevy dealers has been lifted and the little import is fair game once again.

mht_in_la · February 2004

Just bought a 2004 Aveo hatchback last weekend. Color black, automatic transmission, A/C, radio with CD/MP3. I took some photos immediately (see link below). Yesterday I had window tinting done so it looks slightly different now. Here's the photo link, hope it works.

http://f1.pg.photos.yahoo.com/ph/mht_in_la/album?.dir=/b13a&.- src=ph&store=&prodid=&.done=http%3a//photos.yahoo.com- /mht_in_la

fdanna · February 2004

Hey, that Black 5 door is pretty spiffy! Personally, I don't like the 4 door and it was only destined for the US anyway because of the baby boomer's hatred for anything called a hatchback.

Interior fit and finish looks pretty tight. I'm waiting to see how reliability pans out.

jchan2 · February 2004

I've always liked it over the sedan.

iluvmysephia1 · February 2004

to the sedan, too. Easy call.

jchan2 · February 2004

and the uniqueness. You just don't get both of those things in the Aveo Sedan.

iluvmysephia1 · February 2004

this little car found only in the hatchback. The sedan is OK but the lovable parts of the hatch are aplenty, including the little notch in the right-rear quarterpanel(on the upper part of the rear)that sweeps back to the taillight area in back. Ya gotta like small cars to appreciate it. Good show Pinanfarina! Looks sharp!

jchan2 · February 2004

the compliments said above are quite impressive!

frenchcar · February 2004

I love this new AVEO which is the same as the Suzuki Swift Plus in Canada and in the rest of the world back in 2003 as the Daewoo Kalos. G.M. now owns Daewoo and this car was designed by Ital Design in Turin, Italy and the suspension fine tuned by either Lotus in England or Porsche and the European models have a lot of Bosch German electrical components and the 1.6 L ECOTEC II engine comes from Holden (GM of Austrailia) and the car is assembled in Korea. The basic chassis platform that it is built on appears to be from Suzuki as the odd wheelbase of 97,6 inches is the same as the Suzuki Aerio hatchback and sedan that came out in 2002 and the interior legroom, headroom and shoulder room is almost identical too. I have sat in the Aveo sedan (will wait to drive a hatchback) and I swear the front seats are from a Suzuki Aerio which is good as my wife has one and it has been a fantastic ride these past 2 years. The back seat is different however in the way it folds down. They just took a foot off the back end. but it is good looking and practical. My dealer has a gimmick ad in this mornings paper. that says they will sell an Aveo for $6995 (or maybe it was $5995) with all kinds of strange...if you qualify discounts, rebates and matches to your down payment.. I think $10,000 to $13000 is more like it with tax, title, license, DOC fees, add ons, etc. I suspect they will turn out to be good cars and will be in their line up for many years. The Chevy Sprint back in 1987 became the Geo Metro and then was named the Chevy Metro and hung on for a total of 13 or 14 years all told.. Chevy hopes to sell 5 or 6000 per month and they have to to offset all the poor gas mileage trucks that people are grabbing up. Fortunately I love small cars that are well designed. and the Aveo is far superior to a Metro for comfort and build quality but some of them have survived tons of miles and abuse. I think this Chevrolets best effort ever at a small car endeavor.

jchan2 · February 2004

in Canada will also be the Pontiac Wave.

lngtonge18 · February 2004

The Aveo and Aerio share nothing in the chassis department. They are two totally different cars.

lngtonge18 · February 2004

Car and Driver tested the Aveo hatchback in their April issue. They appeared to be relatively positive about the car. They said it was a better car then the Rio and praised the decent fit and finish and roomy interior. 0-60 is achieved in 10.2 seconds with the 5 speed in case anyone was curious.

jchan2 · February 2004

does this mean it's better than any other car in it's class, other than the ECHO and xA?

muffin_man · February 2004

I like the Aveo, but I don't know if "better car then the Rio" is much of a compliment. My issue better arrive already.

It's hard to believe the Aveo even competes with the xA. I see Aveos for $7999 all the time. That's practically %40 off. Sure, there's no A/C, but for that price...

moparbad · March 2004

My observations on the Aveo. Fit, finish, and design are below that of Honda and Toyota and above the level of the Cavalier. The design details and execution of the interior is the strong point of this car and it's price range IMO. Really like the instruments and the layout of the controls.
Engine has decent power. Fuel economy is poor. Noise and smoothness are acceptable, however, spend the money for the Civic if you want the level of refinement found in Honda and Toyota engines since the GM-Daewoo engines are lacking.
Overall I find the Aveo to offer decent value and it certainly fills a hole in the GM portfolio.

jchan2 · March 2004

what do you expect from a $10,000 car? Leather, V6? No way!

Chevrolet Aveo Sedan

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