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Chevy Aveo Hatchback

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Comments

  • iluvmysephia1iluvmysephia1 Member Posts: 7,704
    at how many 3 and 4-door rigs look like the silver Kalos Sport in the picture in Europe. I took a gander at Car magazine (a British mag, I do believe)and in the back they have small pictures and short rundowns on all cars available over there. Cars this size are almost the norm over there and there are many makes of cars available.

    2021 Kia Soul LX 6-speed stick

  • roselandroseland Member Posts: 4
    I've always liked the angled headlights because they match the angle of the tail lights. I'm sure they're the original design. I'm guessing that the horizontally straight headlights on the U.S. version allow for wrap-around parking/turn signals, thus eliminating the need for separate side-clearance lights ahead of the front wheels, as there are behind the rear wheels. Oddly, however, I have a toy/model of the Korean domestic Kalos, and it has the same front end as the U.S. version. Go figure! And I really wish GM had wired up the small, round city-lights inside the headlight units. I'm sure leaving them empty was a money-saving move, especially since those lights aren't really necessary in the U.S., but the city lights on my wife's Honda Si function, and they look very cool!
  • randydriverrandydriver Member Posts: 262
    what are city lights?
  • roselandroseland Member Posts: 4
    I can't remember where I first ran across the term "city lights" (probably the Internet), but I started using it for lack of a better way to describe the small, round lights/housings that (on the U.S. Aveo, at least) are on the outsides of the headlights, inside the main assembly. (The city light is on the left of the headlight in the photo below.) I've never seen angled (original design) Aveo/Kalos headlight assemblies up close, so I don't know if there are city lights inside them.

    Image Hosted by ImageShack.us

    I just wish the city lights on the U.S. Aveo worked. It seems silly to have conspicuous light housings with nothing inside. I spent almost an hour, back when I first bought my Aveo, trying to find a switch that turned these small lights on. I gave up only after I went under the hood, looked behind the city lights, and discovered that the opening where a bulb should poke through was covered with a piece of plastic! Cheapness wins again!!
  • randydriverrandydriver Member Posts: 262
    thanks for the information on the city lights.
  • flav2000flav2000 Member Posts: 8
    I just wish the city lights on the U.S. Aveo worked. It seems silly to have conspicuous light housings with nothing inside.

    Well, I am not sure about the US. But in Canada, all cars must run with daytime running lights (DRL). This means that, even without the parking/low-beam on the high beam will run at 1/2 (1/3) strength. This has the same functionality as the city lights from what I gather. Since this DRL has to be implemented by law there is no need for the city lights
  • randydriverrandydriver Member Posts: 262
    we have the DRL's here but not city lights.
  • roselandroseland Member Posts: 4
    Here's what I think. (Sorry to carry on about something so trivial.) On my wife's Civic Si, the city lights function as the parking lights. They come on alone with the first click of the light switch, and they stay on when the headlights are turned on. The amber turn signals are separate. They're on the sides on the headlight housings and only work as turn signals. On the North American Aveo it's different. The horiztonal amber lights under the headlight housings function both as parking lights and turn signals, making the city lights unnecessary... which is why they're not hooked up. BUT... they must be hooked up in some markets or they wouldn't be there. Somewhere on earth they must be functional! Bottom line: I still think having non-working lights on the front of my car is cheesy!
  • poncho167poncho167 Member Posts: 1,178
    Most cars in the U.S. have them, but they are not required by law. Believe it or not there are kits made to disable them because some people are not into public safety.
  • kleinautokleinauto Member Posts: 3
    Thankyou very much but my knowledge of computers is very poor. So I guess I may have to spend $400 bucks to replace the speakers.

    Other than that the car runs great and it's very practical.
  • fdannafdanna Member Posts: 263
    In Europe the amber lights do not illuminate as "parking lights" they only function as directionals (which makes perfect sense to me). Only the city lights come on (white). I've never used parking lights and I don't even understand the concept. I do think it's stupid to illuminate amber lights for anything other than a lane change. Clearly, when your headlights are on, having the amber lights on at the same time is just redundant and makes it harder for oncoming driving to sense it is blinking without staring. This is only done in the US and Canada.

    I've disabled the amber lights coming on with the city lights on my Ford Focus (which has city lights as part of a headlight upgrade). Looks better too.
  • digitalquirkdigitalquirk Member Posts: 5
    I have a soft spot for the Aveo and cars of its ilk. The first car I ever owned that could be considered reliable and that I could afford to keep on the road for more than a couple of months was a Nissan Micra 5 door. A silver 5 year old 3 speed automatic with a 49 HP 1.2L engine and just over 60,000 miles, I bought it in my 3rd year of College; it was there for me when I got married, bought my first house, and saw the birth of my first child. I finally sold it when it had over 130,000 miles, owing me absolutely nothing. I was at a stage in my life where I was commuting every day, and while it was great around town, it struggled to keep up on the highway while I had the accelerator pegged to the floor. I always thought it'd be perfect if only it had a 1.6L engine and a manual transmission. I moved up to bigger, more powerful cars.

    When the Aveo came out, I thought it was the perfect opportunity to revisit those days, and went to the dealership to buy one. Instead, I ended up falling in love with a 2 year old low mileage black Grand Am GT. Let me tell you something about owning something that can do 0-60 in under 8 seconds: it feels real good, rather like being on a jet plane as it launches into the atmosphere. It's also addictive, which can be a problem. Then there's the ability to pull .82g in a corner. There's the 200 watt 8 speaker Monsoon stereo system. There's the 4 wheel disc brakes that can bring it all to a halt much quicker than most other cars on the road today. There's the standard features, such as cruise control, traction control, ABS brakes, 4 vanity lights, automatic headlights, power sunroof, oil life monitor...I could go on and on with the endless features. There was the fact that it's a bigger car, and looks sharp, especially with the chrome 16" wheels. For the price of a brand new Aveo, I bought a loaded 2 year old Grand Am GT and an extended warranty. You want value for your dollar; it doesn't get better than a 2 year old domestic GM vehicle.

    I still think there may be an Aveo in my future; I figure I may buy one for my son to learn to drive on. Of course, I'll drive it for a couple of years first (helps with insurance rates when a car is a little older), then sell it to him, then get something else. Some things I'd like to touch on after reading some of these posts:

    -There's no reason why a properly maintained Aveo wouldn't last past 300,000 miles. The only reason why cars like it usually don't is because they're usually treated poorly.

    -If you're concerned about crashworthiness at higher speeds, don't get any car in the Aveo's class! The Chevrolet Impala and Malibu still get very good fuel economy, can be had very gently used for the price of a new Aveo, and will offer superior crashworthiness. Clearly, the Aveo (and cars in its class) can handle collisions at in-town speeds (<35 MPH) with 5 stars. It's evident to me that the Aveo is meant as an urban commuter, scooting in and out of tight spaces rather than as a highway cruiser. It should also be noted that the current average speed in rush hour traffic in around major urban centers is typically much less than 35 MPH. Most days, you're lucky to get out of 2nd gear.

    -As the problems get worked out and the car improves, the price will climb.

    My dream Aveo would be a silver base model with a 5 speed. I'd have the windows tinted and I'd install a decent aftermarket stereo system. I'd also have to add an armrest and cruise control. I'd add extra gauges, like a volt gauge and an oil pressure gauge. I'd put meatier, sticker tires on it, along the lines of the Cooper Cobra GT (one of the best performance tires for the price). I'd replace the shifter bushings with some firm nylon ones, and do some mild performance upgrades (ie; cold air intake). Then I'd use it for scooting around town, zipping through traffic and in and out of tight parking spaces.
  • vw79type2vw79type2 Member Posts: 37
    I appreciate everyone's answers. If the test drive goes well I probably will purchase the car since it seems like a bargain and I would be assured of at least getting about 10 or 11 miles per gallon better than what I am getting now. :)
  • chrisducatichrisducati Member Posts: 394
    The term city lights is what I have always heard them called. Way back in the sixties VW's had them in the main headlights. Most European cars had them. I know 70's vintage Renaults had small white lights beside the amber turn/parking lights. Also, the practice of having the amber "parking" lights stay on with the headlights also started in the late sixties. My friend has an early sixties Studebaker that the parking lights are only on when the headlights are off. I'm assuming it was the late sixties safety reg's that caused this to change. I'm sure you could fit lights in the housing of the Aveo. Large LED's fitted would make the housing glow fairly bright.
  • chrisducatichrisducati Member Posts: 394
    check out wikipedia under automovtive lighting for the whole story.
  • judyhnmjudyhnm Member Posts: 1
    I am looking at a 2006 Chevry Aveo to tow behind my RV. Can it be towed 4 wheels down? -- Thx
  • vw79type2vw79type2 Member Posts: 37
    After taking a test drive, I was pretty set on getting an Aveo up until last evening when doing some research. I noticed on another sites forum that there were numerous complaints regarding electrical problems including the clock needing replaced several times and the car even shutting off while people were driving it. Doing more research this morning only seems to confirm that these problems are common.

    This is a shame given that the car has character and I was relatively impressed with it. :(
  • woodsmanmnwoodsmanmn Member Posts: 13
    From the owners manual -

    Your vehicle was not designed to be towed with all
    four wheels on the ground. If your vehicle must
    be towed, you should use a dolly. See &#147;Dolly Towing&#148;
    that follows for more information.
  • woodsmanmnwoodsmanmn Member Posts: 13
    I have a 2005 hatchback with 12,500 miles with zero problems so far. I read about the electrical problems with the clock but came to the conclusion that these were on earlier models and it had been resolved. The car was purchased last August when the gas prices started going up. Now that it looks like gas is going to be higher and higher, I'm really glad I have it. The mileage has been right around 30-31mpg on average, but last week I got 35.1 on a highway trip with a strong tail wind. Now my four-wheel drive Sliverado sits in the garage waiting for when I need to tow my camper or haul something big.
  • wave54wave54 Member Posts: 211
    Haven't had the car quit while driving, but do have the clock problem intermittently -- out of warranty though.

    Have heard of other owners having problems with valves requiring complete replacement. Seems to be a spotty issue only affecting some vehicles, regardless of model year.

    Also, the timing belts tend to fail early, far short of the 60K mile replacement guideline. Mine went at 38K miles (without actually snapping) and have heard of others failing before 50K. To be on the safe side, will replace after 40 - 50K miles. Not happy about the $500 repair cost for a belt replacement! Wish the automakers would give it up on the rubber belts and go back to timing chains or a gear drive instead.
  • poncho167poncho167 Member Posts: 1,178
    From what I have been reading the electrical problems are from the early models. This is the third model year and as far as I know the kinks have been worked out.

    As far as the timing belt is concerned yes it would be nice to have a steel belt like the Ecotec engines, but rubber timing belts is the normal in the industry. I have only heard of one owner who has had issues with premature replacement of the belt, and that would tell me it is isolated. Rubber belts are designed to be replaced at 50-60,000 miles in these small four cylinder cars, and $500 or more in some cases is also normal for having the service done.
  • wave54wave54 Member Posts: 211
    Including myself, I know of 3 Aveo owners who had timing belts fail before 50K miles. That's enough to cause me to get it replaced before the 60K mark. Don't feel like replacing 16 valves on my dime.

    I usually run cars to 200-300K miles in 3-5 years using them for light medical deliveries. The cost for replacing timing belts will add thousands to the operating costs compared to a car that doesn't use rubber belts. I'll definitely take that into consideration on my next purchase.

    Have had engines with them before, but they went over 100K between replacements and it was a $125 repair.
  • awalecawalec Member Posts: 1
    New Turbo Diesels (TDI)(CDI) in Europe are not slower than gasoline counterparts.
  • chrisducatichrisducati Member Posts: 394
    Very true, they offer more performance and higher mpg. My in-laws live in the UK. Both their cars are diesels. They produce a lot of torque. Driving on the highway at say 80mph just the littlest press of the gas pedal and you shoot forward. There really is no need to floor the pedal.
  • jaylibbyjaylibby Member Posts: 6
    Okay, im very new to this whole aveo trend... Today in my local mall parking lot there was a dealership sale.... i saw an Aveo and Fell in LOVE. Its a 2005, hatchback LT. Cobalt Blue everything i could possibly want. 17,000 miles. worth $11,500? :)

    Any haggling tips.. or tips in general?
    Thanks! -Jay
  • poncho167poncho167 Member Posts: 1,178
    Well a loaded LT with sun roof is about $14,000. The 2005 has been out for over-a-year. I would try and haggle it into the $10,000 range based on its age, or have them throw in an extended warranty or something.
  • jaylibbyjaylibby Member Posts: 6
    hmmm Sounds tricky. However, sound like a good price for that car. I mean, is it worth it? Will I be able to drive this car for years to come? Im moving to Ohio, from Chicago this June and I need to know if it will be good for long distance trips..

    Thank you!
    -Jay :)
  • chrisducatichrisducati Member Posts: 394
    Yeah, I would def' haggle over that price. Here in the St.Louis area you can get a new one for that or less. :)
  • jaylibbyjaylibby Member Posts: 6
    Hmm, well today being sunday did not help me get a test drive in :( but i did get a chance to further examine the vehicle. I noticed that the two rear wheels had some extra wear on the outer sides. Im thinking that the wheels are either pointing inwards a tad bit.. like this /----\ you see what i mean? Anyone ever hear of this problem? I guess it could have just been a bad driver as well before hand..

    What are some defects i should check for durring my test ride tomorrow? Im going to ask about the wheels.

    That is all the news for now.. here are pics of the one im looking at.

    http://i43.photobucket.com/albums/e359/jaylibbys/Photo290.jpg

    http://i43.photobucket.com/albums/e359/jaylibbys/Photo289.jpg

    http://i43.photobucket.com/albums/e359/jaylibbys/Photo293.jpg

    http://i43.photobucket.com/albums/e359/jaylibbys/Photo287.jpg

    p.s. we talked him down to $10,000 already.
  • wave54wave54 Member Posts: 211
    Quickly checked Kelley Blue Book values and $10K is below the private party retail ($10300) for that model in excellent condition.

    If you take it for a test drive, try to get some highway miles on it, preferably behind some trucks to get a feel for how it handles. Go for some tight off-ramps and bumpy areas, as well. I find the suspension to be the weakest part of the car -- abundant side-to-side sway and buffeting from trucks and wind.

    The Aveo is very tall and narrow and tends to lean quite a bit in turns compared to lower-riding cars. Potentially tough on front tires, too -- just ate thru a set in 20K miles and I'm an easy driver. The rear tires you mentioned were probably rotated from the front.
  • jaylibbyjaylibby Member Posts: 6
    Thank you so much for your help! Really, thank you! I also just did a carfax report on this car and it came out clean! I'm growing very excited! I love the way this car looks inside and out. Now... i just need to get behind the wheel and hope im not dissapointed.

    Have you had trouble on highways? I am moving to Ohio, from Chicago in June. Should I be warned about something?
  • randydriverrandydriver Member Posts: 262
    oh don't forget to rotate your wheels every 7000 miles or so keeps down the wear.....still have my originals. It's a 2004 model.
  • jaylibbyjaylibby Member Posts: 6
    Thanks for the tip.

    You all have been/are so helpfull. You all are making this transition from hatchback to hatchback very smooth.

    Do any of you know how much I should be asking for my....

    1997 VW Golf GL
    Small rusting

    76,000 miles
    Little Slipping in Trans.
    Euro Red
  • wave54wave54 Member Posts: 211
    Have you had trouble on highways? I am moving to Ohio, from Chicago in June. Should I be warned about something?

    Nothing beyond what I've already mentioned. On an interstate at 60-70 mph with many trucks and/or crosswinds, the Aveo can feel very unstable with the stock suspension set-up. At least a couple of days a week, I have to keep a firm grip on the wheel while driving it, because it wanders and gets pushed around a lot by wind gusts.

    This tendency has gotten worse as the miles pile up and the suspension loosens up. So far, no replacement struts or shocks are available other than the OEM units from the dealer.

    Based on your test-drive, you may consider a lower, wider car such as the Rio or Accent, which will probably be far more stable at highway speeds, if that's of prime importance to you. The other alternative is to lower the body and add wider wheels/tires on the Aveo.
  • jaylibbyjaylibby Member Posts: 6
    I JUST BOUGHT IT!!! I am so very excited. The 2005 Chevy Aveo LT handled sooooo well on the highway and on city streets. The brake was a little soft, but that is nothing i can not grow accustomed to.. you know?

    Being the Haggler I am I got the car for 8,999! AND a full set of new Tires. Wooo YEAH.

    ;)
  • randydriverrandydriver Member Posts: 262
    that is a good deal.
  • andy_handy_h Member Posts: 49
    Happy that you bought such a good car!
  • poncho167poncho167 Member Posts: 1,178
    I may not be an owner yet but I have driven the Aveo enough to know it is a very good riding and handling car for what it is. I have not experienced the freeway turbulance that you described (didn't drive the freeway), but I have driven other sub-compacts that have issues with wind on the freeway, so this is somewhat expected in a small light car.

    As far as shock absorbers are concerned I find it hard to believe that OEM are the only shocks available. That wouldn't make sense for a car going on three years here in the states. If I was to go to a Midas, Merlins, Car X, etc., for shock replacement, I would be real very surprised if their Gabriel or Monroe shock suppliers don't produce shocks for this car. The shock tunnels and suspension design are really no different than any other car.
  • randydriverrandydriver Member Posts: 262
    I heard that the Suzuki Reno...has the same supension.
  • vw79type2vw79type2 Member Posts: 37
    Well after doing some more research it seems the suggestions some of you had that the problems with electronics were only indicative of early Aveo's does appear to be the case. Since that was my biggest worry with the new 2006 models, and it appears many of the bugs have been addressed, I've decided to go with a 2006 Aveo SVM 5-speed hatch. :)

    I'm impressed with the overall interior and exterior appearence (looks very European, like a Fiat, a product of it's Italian design) and it handled better than I anticpated on a test drive. I didn't notice any problems with crosswinds even on the highway. Having owned a 1979 VW Bus though, I'm use to dealing with wind. :)

    The cargo room was also better than I anticipated and I'm pretty much convinced I can get at least 32 MPG (about 11 better than I can manage with my current car) driving the way I do. Given that gas is probably going to peak somewhere north of $5.00 a gallon over the summer, the better mileage will certainly be worth it. :)

    I guess time will only tell if this turns out to be a good purchase. :shades:

    By the way the only other cars I was considering was a Scion Xa or a Toyota Yaris liftback, but every Toyota dealer I talked to refused to haggle and seemed like a jerk. After inquiring about certified pre-owned, I had one tell me that the price of used Scion's are more than new ones. I just left. :D
  • chrisducatichrisducati Member Posts: 394
    Congrats. That price is more like it. Glad you were able to get them down to a real world price. Great looking car.
  • chrisducatichrisducati Member Posts: 394
    Yes, I had a horrible time with the Scion dealers I talked to. Ended up not getting one because of their sales ways.
  • iluvmysephia1iluvmysephia1 Member Posts: 7,704
    is the same car as the Daewoo Tacuma, so it would very probably share suspensions with the Daewoo Kalos(or Chevy Aveo). Suzuki, Daewoo, Shanghai Motors and GM all got together and changed the world with GM Daewoo Auto&Technology Company and began sharing and swapping out parts and chassis, etc. to their hearts content.

    The Reno looks dangerously close to the Daewoo Tacuma. That is the small crossover that Daewoo US was actually offering as a prize if you could name the Tacuma for the American market for them(a contest round about late 2000 or so). Turns out all sorts of financial troubles began to flurry upon Daewoo and the prize Tacuma-car was never awarded to anybody, as far as I know. I kind of like the Reno's looks, it looks good, though the May C&D picked the Reno last place amongst 6 other econo contenders. They hated it's body roll and yawn and it's rubbery shifter. Also the "6 shades of grey" dash arrangement. Humm...not exactly condemning words to me, though. Priced right about what the Kia Rio or Toyota Yaris will set you back. Resale value will fall too quickly, yes it will. Just a factor that would have to be wagered when mulling a purchase decision over. If you take great care of your rigs and can resist trading in in two years a Reno would no doubt do you right.

    I think The General made a smart move in buying up Daewoo spoils. One of their good moves.

    2021 Kia Soul LX 6-speed stick

  • sislerericsislereric Member Posts: 1
    I just bought a 2006 brand new AVEO for 7995. It was 8600 with tax and license. I love it. Fit and finish, ride, comfort, looks, little extras..... I would get a new one and add the things you need.
  • chevyvanchevyvan Member Posts: 1
    new to forum but I have followed forum for a while.My son bought a new '04 LT 2 years ago. He went to college in Georgia found a job in Los Angeles loaded up the Aveo with a friend and drove crosscountry with no problems. When gas prices started climbing in the fall it was time to trade my wife's Jeep Liberty. We bought an 06 icelandic blue LT hatchback has 8000 miles on it now, so far a great car, the wife loves it. just my 2 cents.
  • wave54wave54 Member Posts: 211
    The big problem here is: no one has any serious miles on their Aveos, so there is no long term data on durability, etc.

    The car gets great reviews from people who have less than 20K on them. Big deal -- the real test isn't how a car runs when nearly new, but how it is at 50, 100, 150K miles.

    My '04 rode and handled well when it was "young" but is deteriorating rapidly since 40K or so. Where it once felt smooth and stable on the highway, it now feels like it's riding on popsicle sticks connected to pudding. Very loose side-to-side and generally unstable. 10-15 mph breezes are enough to move the body back and forth.

    Every damn bushing creaks and crunches. Even while accelerating gently, the suspension groans when the auto trans shifts from 1st to 2nd gear. It creaks when I get in and out and on every imperfection in the pavement -- forget speed bumps, the car sounds like it's tearing in two.

    My own mechanic can feel the excess movement while on the highway and can pull the front wheels in and out, but has no experience with this model and has no suggestions but to order upper strut mount bushings online and have them replaced. The only other option is the dealer and I've been very dissatisfied with their performance.

    No, there are no replacement parts yet for the Aveo and I'm not going to monkey around with Daewoo suspension parts, as though you could actually find those!

    On the plus side: The engine runs great and I'm even getting better mileage lately -- averaging 33-35 MPG.
  • druid663druid663 Member Posts: 1
    where did you get the aveo for the price of 8600 dollars
    i want to get one for that price
    thanks
  • dca16dca16 Member Posts: 3
    Looking hard at the hatchback Aveo but no one speaks of how it handles in the snow. Is one model better than another for handling?
  • mstarmanmstarman Member Posts: 1
    Chevy Aveo is a piece of crap...in the shop more than not. Less than 9000 miles and has been in the repair shop 5 times. Lemon???? I'm pretty sure it is. Horrible behind semi/ large vehicles in rain. We couldn't keep it on the road and had to pull over. Worst 11,000.00 I ever spent!!!
  • wave54wave54 Member Posts: 211
    I doubt there's much difference -- the sedan and hatch weigh the same and are identical ahead of the rear wheels. I have the sedan and it's like every other small, light FWD car in snow.

    No weight means no bite, so take it real easy on any curve and when stopping. Lots of wheelspin to get going from a stop, but once it's rolling -- not too bad.
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