Chevy Aveo Hatchback

i_l_aveo · December 2004

when you turn the heat on or AC, you will get less mpg

if you have auto transmission, you will get less mpg than manual one

muffin_man · December 2004

5 stars front, 3 stars side.

Hey, it's better than a Z4.

parky129 · December 2004

I get 28 MPG in mostly around town driving but the gas tank is a little small for an ECONOMY car?

I live in North Collins we get the same weather that Springville gets. I will be back in NY in the spring.

i_l_aveo · December 2004

I got my aveo 4 weeks ago, I still smell of oil burning after 700 miles. is it normal ?

other wise I am enjoying driving it.

5port · December 2004

Korean cars have a protective coating on the chassis, exhaust, etc that is applied at the factory to prepare the car for the journey to the USA by ship. The coating on my Elantra took 1 to 2 weeks to burn off. Enjoy your Aveo.

speedy7 · December 2004

I have an 04 hatchback and have not noticed this problem, but since it has been getting colder outside, what I have noticed is that when first taking off in the car, it wants to run for several minutes in third gear, then when it gets warmed up, it will upshift. Worried me a little at first, but it does allow the engine to warm up a little more quickly. The heater works good, except when it is absolutely bitter cold out, then it must be run on high for the hour it takes to get to work. It is a zippy little car, with good gas mileage, perfect for my commute. Mine is loaded, automatic, a/c etc. When I go in a store, people are usually looking at it when I come out and they say "what kind of car is that, is it an electric car?" lol. Took it to Florida ( 980 miles) for 60 bucks in gas. Absolutely love it so far. Salesman was VERY in tune with the car, it's competitor's etc. Service has been very very good. Would highly reccommend it.

i_l_aveo · December 2004

I read in some professional review that octane 87 is required for the aveo.

what he meant with that?

is octane 87 better than 93?

any body knows?

jbaustian · December 2004

The Passat is a much heavier car. So you would think the fuel economy would be worse.

But the Aveo's horsepower and torque peak at a relatively high RPM level. So I think in a "mixed" driving environment, the Aveo is going to spend more time in the lower gears and higher engine speeds... climbing hills, trying to reach freeway speeds, etc.

I haven't driven a VW with the 1.8 turbo engine, but I imagine it has enough low-rpm torque so that it doesn't "need" to downshift as often.

And finally, turbo-charged engines are just more efficient overall.

backy · December 2004

87 octane is the "regular unleaded" gas. It is good news that the Aveo doesn't need anything higher than 87 because the higher the octane rating, the higher the price.

i_l_aveo · December 2004

I checked aveo manual and it says use octane 87 or higher.

less than that, will damage the engine

beckyjo · December 2004

I have not had any problem with my clock,But i have had problems with my Aveo pulling to the right,and it getting stuck in park. have had it in the shop 8 times now and it is still pulling to the right. have had the Aveo for 4 moth. need to know if anyone has had this problem with there Aveo. Please let me. Thank You .

muffin_man · December 2004

jbaustian

The 1.8T Passat does get worse mileage, as reflected in their EPA estimates. Our Aveo gets 25/34 almost exactly, depending on where we are driving.

The 1.8T's low end torque is probably from the turbo - and it most likely gets worse mileage when boosting. However, between the high price and poor reliability of most VW products (TDIs excepted), I don't think you are getting particularly good value no matter what the mileage. (which is worse than the Aveo with the 1.8T)

Why are turbo-charged engines more efficient? From a specific output standpoint?

jojomonkeyboy · December 2004

Anyway you cut it, the Aveo doesn't get the gas mileage that it should, or at least the gas mileage that you would expect in a small sedan.

I average 37 mpg with my ECHO in mixed driving, actually I'm getting a little better than that now that it's winter.

I think good gas mileage is an underated feature. Even Edmunds Top Ten Features of Commuter Cars article has gas mileage ranked pretty low (IMO) Ranking it below having satelite radio and in-dash CD changer? C'mon give me a break.

When gas prices were at 2.15/gallon my ECHO was saving me a bundle of money, and the savings was a whole hell of a lot more important than having an in-dash CD changer.

http://www.edmunds.com/reviews/list/top10/102588/article.html

http://www.edmunds.com/reviews/list/top10/102019/article.html

http://www.edmunds.com/reviews/list/top10/103164/article.html

BTW... its kind of funny that some of Chevy's other offererings get about the same - possibly better gas mileage than their "bottom of the line" economy car ???

muffin_man · December 2004

I think good gas mileage is a very underrated feature, and it is one of the Aveo's weak points. That said, gas mileage is reasonably good, and I get 30mpg in mixed driving.

That top ten list is moronic.

How much did you pay for your echo?

jojomonkeyboy · December 2004

I paid $11,300 - out the door for the 2003 4-door manual w/AC

I mainly purchased the ECHO because I thought it would spend the least amount of time in the shop compared to the other low-end sedan models.

I've got 23K on it with no problems, and I like the mpg.

The knocks on it are the usual cons of driving a small car - gets blown around a little on windy days and the wake of semis.

I still see the special value 2004 Aveos advertised for $6200.00 in Chicago. That kind of savings can buy a lot of gasoline.

muffin_man · December 2004

I like the ECHO, and at one point I seriously considered bringing a Canadian ECHO hatch over the border.

jbaustian · December 2004

RE: "The knocks on it are the usual cons of driving a small car - gets blown around a little on windy days..."

Yesterday I finally returned my rented Aveo to Enterprise. 32 days, about 5000 total miles. I actually drove two different cars, having returned the first one when it needed an oil change and other servicing.

For two days earlier this week, we had some strong gusty winds. And on one occasion, driving across the Coronado Bridge from San Diego to Coronado, I was... concerned. Not scared, exactly. But I slowed to 35 mph and turned on the emergency blinkers. It did not feel safe to drive at normal speeds.

But if one accepts what the Aveo is, and does not pretend that it has the capabilities of larger and more expensive cars, then it is a reasonable choice for someone who doesn't have much money to spend.

I am very happy to be back in my VW Golf TDI. I have about 80k miles on it, and expect to get another 200k-300k miles... something that one should not reasonably expect from an Aveo.

But I have this final report-card on the Aveo. If you rarely venture onto the freeway; if most of your driving is on streets and boulevards at less than 50 mph; if you drive an average of 12k miles per year or less; and if you don't mind sacrificing the safety of a larger or better-handling car... then the Aveo is an acceptable choice.

backy · December 2004

If you rarely venture onto the freeway...

IMO that's a bit harsh. If you regularly drive across windy bridges like the Coronado Bridge, that's one thing. When I drove the Aveo 5-door on the freeway with 40 mph cross winds--about as strong as they get where I live--there was no drama; the car tracked straight and didn't feel unsafe at all. I was actually pleasantly surprised how the car moved down the highway.

It's not unexpected that a small, light and relatively tall car will get buffeted in strong winds. If you regularly drive in those conditions, across windy bridges and such, maybe it is best to go with a heavier, more to-the-ground car. But a general warning about driving on the freeway with the Aveo is not warranted, IMO.

flytle · December 2004

This happened to me, after two trips to the dealer, I was still unsure of what the problem was. Two days ago, the car malfunctioned completely, it did not even make it to the dealership and had to be towed. It was diagnosed with "complete engine malfunction/failure". Not good for a 2004 AVEO with less than 11 000 KM on it. The explanation: The 2nd valve broke off and the piston mashed it up, explaining the smell and the malfunction of the engine. The entire engine is now being replaced under the Warranty, not impressed now, before this the only problem was the clock (which apparently is also another common problem in the AVEO) Disappointed, maybe with a lemon of a NEW car.

muffin_man · December 2004

jbaustian - I totally disagree with your freeway assessment of the Aveo. I have taken a number of long road trips at high freeway speeds (~85mph) and I never felt the slightest bit concerned - that said, any small car is subject to wind gusts.

In our previous comparison, we left out one piece of significance - repair costs. I highly doubt your TDI will see 380,000 miles, but the costs of repairs are likely to make driving that car significantly more expensive overall than the Aveo.

That said, your car cost $10k more than many Aveo owners pay, so it should be the better car. Good luck to you.

flytle - wow, that's terrible. Let us know how this turns out.

jbaustian · January 2005

MuffinMan, it is true that my Golf cost about %18,000 -- or about $6,000-10,000 more than an Aveo.

However, 5-year-old Golf TDIs with 75,000 miles are currently selling for about $9,000-11,000. They lose about $7,000 in value (on average, for rough comparison).

This compares to 5-year-old Daewoos with that mileage, which sell for about $1500, and have a trade-in value of less than $1000. I don't know what the Daewoos cost new, but it had to be in the $8,000-10,000 range. So they also lost $7,000-8,000 in value.

Given a choice of two cars, both of which will lose about $7000 in value over 5 years and 75,000 miles -- and one gets 40-45 mpg and the other one only about 28-32 -- and the first one is stronger and safer to boot, with more standard features, it really is foolish to buy the cheapo econobox.

The Aveo is fine as a rental vehicle, but it doesn't make sense to buy one. It's costing you more per mile to own an Aveo, than it does for me to own a Golf TDI.

muffin_man · January 2005

This takes me all the way back to post #247...

Assuming 5 years of ownership, the TDI will only save you money if you are driving more than 50,000 miles a year. If you were going to drive 15,000 miles a year - the Aveo will have saved you $5,000 in the end.

However, the $10,000 you save up front could be invested, and when you have $10,000 of tax free investments (not even calculating potential earnings) sitting in a Roth IRA by the time you sell your car, the VW looks like it's cost you a lot more than you planned. Know what that $10k is worth after 30 years @ 8%? $100,000. So who is foolish? (replying to your own use of the word)

From an economical stanpoint, the VW will never be worth the extra money. The 5-star crash tests of the Aveo are good enough, and the standard features of the VW are hardly worth a $10k premium.

30 years from now, the TDI and the Aveo will be long gone, but the $100,000 you would have made says that the TDI cost you a LOT more per mile to own than the Aveo.

bootstick · January 2005

I live in Florida and got a quote from a local dealer for a left over 04 base {with a/c 5 spd stick} for $8299.00 so I jumped on it. Far superior vehicle to the Rio.

muffin_man · January 2005

Great price, I'm sure you'll enjoy it! The Rio doesn't qualify as a car compared to the Aveo.

i_l_aveo · January 2005

in 0-60 mph race, Aveo will be the last one, am I right ?

backy · January 2005

Not at all. According to the tests Motor Trend has done, there would be about ten other vehicles, including the Scion xB, that would take longer 0-60. But it's no speed demon--that's not why people buy it.

muffin_man · January 2005

xB and Mini Cooper are pretty popular cars, and both slower than the Aveo (among a few select others).

chrisducati · January 2005

Ok, So the Three door is out in the rest of the world. Any bets that we will never see this cool model here?

http://www.carbc.com/albums/album213/kalos3dr_04.jpg

http://www.carbc.com/albums/album213/kalos3dr_05.jpg

iluvmysephia1 · January 2005

Aveo was even being made. I guess it's up to The General as to whether we'll get it or not. Looks sharp!

lexubw · January 2005

I noticed the same issue of the A/T not upshifting into 4th on cold mornings (about 2-15f degrees). Just got it back from the service shop (Mr.Goodwrench), and found out that by design the transmission will not upshift into 4th until the AFT is at 15c(59f) degrees. This is to prevent something, what they could not tell me. Their only solution was to let the vehicle warm up for 5 to 10 minutes on the "cold" mornings. What of course is illegal in CO.

5port · January 2005

automatic car to hold the upshift into 4th until the car warms up. This is becoming common now for emissions reasons.

muffin_man · January 2005

Looks great, it would be nice if they brought it here, and offered a sports-package for it - stiffer springs would do a lot for this car.

I bet this car would be a lot of fun to drive with a short shifter, sport oriented stiffer springs, and an intake/exhaust. That package could be EASILY put together for under $1000. I bet you could even get better tires in for that price.

Make the 3-door slightly cheaper, and have a Aveo "GT" package for $9999. I wonder if anyone would buy that?

lngtonge18 · January 2005

I would buy it! I think that 3-door is very sharp looking and with a GT package, it could easily be my 84 Rabbit GTI reincarnated. I think there would be enough interest in it to warrant bringing it over. It would be in a unique class of its own. They could maybe give the GT model variable valve timing to increase hp to 115 or so and make it a nice enono hot hatch. GM are you listening?? At least bring the 3 door over here. It's by far the best looking of all the Aveos and better then any other subcompact out there.

muffin_man · January 2005

I like to call the Aveo the spiritual successor to the Metro - Metro was the twin of the Swift, and the Aveo is the twin of the Swift+. So make this Metro GT the spiritual successor of the Swift GT. (even though I would much prefer the true Swift to be brought over)

Heck, go the Scion/aftermarket route with it. I don't understand why that isn't more common.

fish8 · January 2005

When I made the original comparison between the Aveo and the Passat 1.8t it was strictly in reference to the MPG I have experienced and the MPG Aveo owners have experienced. My contention was that a Passat with a turbo charged 170 hp engine should get worse gas mileage than an Aveo. I was not comparing the 2 vehicles head to head. The Passat costs in excess of $20,000 and the Aveo can be had for less than $10,000. There is ZERO comparison between the two. From a size, feature content, engine power, warranty, etc, etc.......the Passat is about 2-3 leagues above the Aveo. No one in the market for an Aveo will cross shop a Passat, and vice versa. To be totally honest with you, practically no one will consider an Aveo over a Passat if they are in the market for a mid sized family sedan. That is just being realistic!!!!

I have never driven a Aveo, but I have sat in one and the 2 vehicles are not even in the same ball park as far as interior feel goes.

Reliability: I agree, VW's have allot of work to do in order to be taken seriously in the reliability realm. But my 2 VW's I have owned, (2002 Jetta and 2004 Passat) have been mechanically sound.

rbethed · January 2005

Well, the winter is finally here in Buffalo, NY. We've actually had it pretty good up until this point. The other day, I was warming up my Aveo and after I let it sit two minutes, I tried the gas pedal and it seemed to be stuck. I pressed harder and then it got stuck half way down and the car was revving like crazy. I ended up having to turn the car back off, pump the pedal and turn it back on. It seems that the pedal was frozen. It was -5 here the evening before but I've never heard of anyone having this problem before. It's happened once since then as well. Anyone else experiencing this? Does anyone know if this is something to be worried about?

lngtonge18 · January 2005

Hyundai had this problem with 2000-01 Accents and I've heard of the problem in other cars. Hyundai ended up recalling all Accents in northern states because the throttle plate could freeze in an open position, leading to a possibility of accident or unwanted acceleration. The fix was to add a heated throttle body and relocate the PCV hose. This freezing condition only occured in -5 or colder temps when high humidity was present.

Maybe Chevy has identified a similar problem but hasn't released a recall. I would complain about it to the dealer and see if there is a tsb to fix it.

parky129 · January 2005

I would draw this problem to the dealers attention, it seems that there is frost forming on throttle assembly and causing throttle to lock in position. It could be a dangerous situation!

i_l_aveo · January 2005

I'm pleased for the way my Aveo handle the snow !!

in nyc, we got about 15" of white stuff, and i have no problem at all drive on snow or ice like any other SUV.

flytle · January 2005

Hello:

This is the Aveo 2004 with the engine meltdown, the dealer had a new engine block put in the car: it runs worse now, and the mileage absolutely sucks! Living in cold climate may not help but I am getting 320 km to 3/4 tank of gas...is this good, b/c I think it is awful, it is less than half the travel I was getting in an old beater????

The clock on the car is still on the fritz, the engine doesn't sound good, and dealer will not help...I'm at a loss now, what to do with a car like this? Keep it and run it down? Or trade it for way less than I bought if for 3 months ago? Any ideas???

Flytle

5port · January 2005

Any ideas???

---------------------------------------

Try another dealer? Why is the clock still on the fritz? Did they replace it? If the dealer will not help time to bump it up a level...regional manager.

jinan · January 2005

I posted earlier about how my aveo gets too hot even in winter. the car gets so hot that the cd player skips and melts the cd's. every person I talked to about this problem assured me that it was normal(thats you guys) or that it was a design flaw(the jerks at kelly chevrolet butler pa) so I tried to live with it and now as of yesterday evening the cd/mp3player/radio only makes popping noises and really loud ones when I press on the brake almost as if I am listening to am radio without a grounding wire or an antenna. This car is only 7 months old and has 10,000 miles on it.

So is this normal or a design flaw somebody start blowing some smoke please.

backy · January 2005

The radio doesn't operate as it should. The car is under warranty. Demand a new radio or whatever they need to do to the car to make it work as it should. Tell them if they can't make it work as it should, they can give you your money back on the car or give you a new one.

muffin_man · January 2005

I definitely don't think the hot radio is normal, insist on another one. (then again, I only have the am/fm)

parky129 · January 2005

I have checked my radio several times while in operation, usually with mp3 player operating. Felt under radio in storage space have felt only slightly warm surface temp, I have no problem with the car or clock (have yet to reset clock even once)Radio on my car is operating 100% of the time while driving and is cool, no over heating.My temp guage is approximately 1/8 in below center mark on guage after warming up, I am in Tampa Florida area of U.S.

robot-man · January 2005

I bought an Aveo hatchback, and I'm loving it. It doesn't climb up mountain roads as well as I'd like, but life is rough sometimes.

I have a slot on the driver side door. It is about 2 inches vertically. Is this some type of Korean power outlet, mp3 thing, or graham cracker storage?

I'd appreciate any wisdom you guys got for me, thanks- Robot-man

backy · January 2005

Toll ticket holder?

parky129 · February 2005

It is for credit card type card storage, such as parking passes etc.Some people have a credit card type pass for entrance to parking lots or expressway pass systems, etc.

little_sharks · February 2005

I own a 2004 Aveo 5 (hatchback) and up until 18931 Kilometers, it's been trouble free. This weekend while driving to Sudbury Ontario, I encountered intake ice which I immediately recognized from pilot training. The result was complete loss of power (stalling) and dead on side of highway in middle of nowhere. When I opened the hood, I observed the entire intake assembly covered in ice crystal growth (it was not snowing). Of course after 15 minutes, the effect of the residual heat from the motor cleared it up, and I was able to restart. This is a dangerous situation because it is more likely to happen on the highway when engine compartment heat is being lost more quickly than it would be during city driving. This has now happened to me twice when the temperature was at about -20C. If this happens to you, keep the hood closed and the residual heat will warm the engine compartment and allow you to restart in 10-15 minutes. I took it to the dealer, and as you would expect, the "check engine" light was now off, and the ECM had some stored codes which indicated that it had detected problems with intake manifold pressure, and O2 sensing as a result of the air fuel mixture being out of wack. They could not offer a fix because it is a design problem. I'm composing a letter to GM Canada detailing the events. The service manager at my dealer is researching to see if there is a pattern of "stalled on highway" incidents in Canada. These incidents would of coarse be brought back to the dealer with no problem found, obviously because the ice has melted, so they will probably replace the sensors and send you on your way. I live in a norther climate. Anyone from perhaps Quebec, or other cold provinces experienced unexplained highway stalling? I would like to push for a recall on the intake assembly, this is a dangerous situation.

lngtonge18 · February 2005

Scroll up to message # 312. A person in New York had the intake freeze after starting the car in below zero temps. It does appear there is a design flaw involved. I would push this issue as far as possible to try and get GM to work on a fix. You should issue a complaint with Canada's equivalent of the NHTSA.

Chevy Aveo Hatchback

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