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Toyota Yaris vs Chevy Aveo

Comments

  • lhansonlhanson Member Posts: 268
    Unless the Yaris has been in a wreck, I think most people would it is the better of the two.
  • timsehtimseh Member Posts: 24
    It depends a lot on what you mean by "better". Dollar for dollar, you'll get more for your money with the Aveo. At least in the analysis I did when choosing between the 2 (and the Honda Fit).

    Make a list of pros and cons and compare them side by side.

    For me, some of the big ones were:
    Aveo:
    +Price (GM Supplier Discount)
    +Comfortable ride
    +Decent mileage
    +Reasonably "adult" styling (sedan)
    +A/C Standard
    +Warranty (5 year 100,000 mile power-train)
    -Front cupholders suck!

    Yaris:
    +Sporty ride
    +Decent mileage, but only 1 MPG better than EPA ratings on the Aveo now that the EPA has changed the tests for 2008.
    +OK styling. Wouldn't be embarrassed to be seen in it.
    -Interior layout (gauges, etc) is awful.
    -Warranty (5 year 60,000 mile power-train)

    If it weren't for the GM Suppliers discount I got and the difference in the Warranty, it would be a coin toss for me based on which dealer pissed me off the least in the process of evaluating and buying the car. Lots of people will talk about the great cars Toyota makes and their opinion that the Aveo, which is made by Daewoo (now owned by GM) is a piece of Korean crap. Personally, I know plenty of people who have problems with their "wonderful" Toyotas. If we were moving up a rung in the food chain, then I'd lean much more heavily to the Toyota over a Chevy, but there's not really a lot of difference at this level.
  • poncho167poncho167 Member Posts: 1,178
    Yes, but Toyota service writers are trained to brainwash customers into thinking that every service issue is normal wear and tear regardless if its covered repair or not. This helps lead to the perception that Toyota's are the best. My friends old Hyundai Excell had the clutch go out at around 80,000 miles but he didn't have to pay for it because he had and extended warranty. He tells everyone that he never had a problem with it based on not paying out of pocket for service.
  • ttaittai Member Posts: 114
    So Toyota service departments are the only ones lying to their customers and that accounts for their astounding reputation for the past 40 years? I guess Chevrolet dealerships are completely honest and that's why they have such a lousy reputation. Come on man.
  • bamacarbamacar Member Posts: 749
    The Yaris gets 36/29 under the 2008 system. The Aveo gets 34/24. That's not 1 mpg; that's a 3.5 mpg difference.

    Here is my analysis:

    Aveo

    Numb handling
    Below average mpg for class
    Boring interior
    Below average price
    Poor resale

    Yaris

    Comfortable ride
    Best mpg in class
    Quirky but interesting interior
    Above average price
    Very good resale

    Fit

    Sporty handling
    Better than average mpg in class
    Most flexible interior
    High price
    Excellent resale

    Aveo is much improved over previous generation, but the price advantage for the average customer (no special GM discounts) is not significant enough to pull me away from better handling and better mpgs of the Toyota or Honda especially when down the road resale value is important.
  • timsehtimseh Member Posts: 24
    Actually, the Yaris Sedan with 5 speed manual is rated at 29 city and 36 highway under the 2008 criteria. Even Toyota's web site has those numbers.

    2 MPG highway isn't enough to break the deal for me.

    As for the fit, I think the "excellent resale" value has yet to be proven. It hasn't been on the market in the U.S. long enough to prove itself in that regard. And anyone who's willing to pay more just because it's a Honda should really be re-thinking their priorities. Honda's good, but they have their share of issues as well.

    Besides which, I tend to keep my cars a long time. By the time I get rid of them, they usually have over 150,000 miles on them, which pretty much kills that "excellent resale" value, regardless of brand.

    And, there was the matter of a GM suppliers discount that came into play for me as well.

    I'm not saying the Yaris is a bad car. Not by any stretch, but I didn't care for it. Believe me, I wanted to love it. It was the first thing I looked at, and until I actually got behind the wheel, I thought for sure it's what I was going to buy.
  • bamacarbamacar Member Posts: 749
    2 mpg highway and 5 mpg city for the average of 3.5 mpg difference. Either of these cars is more suited to city use in my opinion. If you drive it 150k, resale does make little difference. The Fit has been very in demand and just about all Hondas have the highest resale value even versus Toyota. It will be a big surprise if the Fit does not have the best resale value in the class.

    150k miles divided by Yaris 32.5 mpg = 4615 gallons
    150k miles divided by Aveo 29.0 mpg = 5172 gallons

    The difference is 557 gallons saved times $3 a gallon is $1671.00.
    If gas continues upward and averages $4 over the lifetime, it will be $2228.00.

    Hope the initial savings plus interest offsets the reduced gas costs and the difference in values at the end of the cars' lives.

    I just saw a 2007 Aveo5 used with 8000 miles for $6995. Now that might be a ticket to savings.
  • poncho167poncho167 Member Posts: 1,178
    No one said that they were the only ones lying to their customers about service ralated issues, I just said that is part of their corporate game (not dealer) as a whole in how they opperate. In my upbringing Chevrolet had/has a great reputation for reliability as well as longevity. The old saying is buy a Chevrolet and it will be the last vehicle you will buy. My 1992 S10 p/u will just not die but is pretty rusty. While there are still a lot of 1970's and 80's Chevrolets on the road, here in the midwest it is rare to see a 1980's Toyota still on the road. Just to let you know or remind you Toyota has the worst customer service satisfaction in the industry per a JD Powers survey last year if I recall the survey company correctly.
  • toyoman3toyoman3 Member Posts: 11
    sorry to tell you but none of these small korean subcompacts are gonna give you that kind of longevity, I've had chevy ford and vw and toyota, only the toyota and old beetle gave me 200,000 miles of life without sending the mechanic's kid to college. the others got to be unreliableand I was forced to trade them away
  • ttaittai Member Posts: 114
    but but but, what about the story of that guy that my friend knows that never had any problems with his Hyundai? What about the vast Toyota conspiracy to trick us into believing our cars are reliable? What about GM's latest reports that their cars are way more awesome than Toyota's. What are you, a Communist?
  • timsehtimseh Member Posts: 24
    I think the key word in your statement is "had". I've driven the Yaris. It wasn't up to par, fit & finish wise with the Aveo IMO.

    Toyota has a well deserved reputation for high quality cars, but the Yaris (and the Echo before it) were built primarily to be cheap and efficient. That comes at a cost and it was obvious to me when I drove one what that cost was.

    The engine in the Chevy Aveo is old technology. It's showing its age in numerous ways. Namely, it doesn't pack as many ponies as similarly sized engines from the competition (Toyota and Honda among them), it's a little "rough" when it comes to noise, etc. But it is proven technology and I haven't heard of any substantial problems with it. There have been some issues with things like leaking oil plugs because of bad washers, and some bad timing belts, but I don't think you'll find any car at all that hasn't experienced some issues along the way.

    Yes, the Aveo was built to be "cheap and efficient" too. I'm aware of that and I'm aware of the trade offs I made in buying one instead of say, a Honda Civic or a Toyota Corolla or Camry. But... I think the Yaris, the Aveo and the Hyundai Accent, as well as the Kia Rio, are all pretty much in the same class when it comes to how reliable they're going to be. They're all at the bottom end of their product lines, and it shows to one degree or another, in all of them.

    I think Hyundai has gone a long way to proving that the days of Japanese dominance when it comes to reliability and quality at a low price are coming to a close. I'm saddened by the fact that no American manufacturer has stepped up to the plate in this regard. GM has a leg up on the competition with the Aveo. Ford and Chrysler have nothing in this class, which means they essentially give up that segment of the market entirely.

    The old Beetle was a dream of a car. But we'll never see the likes of it again, thanks to safety regulations. Oh, and of course, the 1971 Beetle packed a whopping 60 horses under the hood. Funny, I don't remember Beetle drivers complaining about that back then. And many Beetles that weren't reduced to Iron Oxide dust by North American road salt are still being lovingly cared for by collectors. Being sold today used for more than they sold for when new.

    That's what we need is another Beetle. Cheap enough for anyone with a steady job to buy, good on gas, and not painful to drive.

    OK, I'm rambling now. Need another beer. I'll shut up.
  • iluvmysephia1iluvmysephia1 Member Posts: 7,704
    for the domestics falling way behind in the race to build and sell a great small car is that they can't make a profit building and selling them. How depressing if you want to stay domestic in your purchases.

    I will say this, GM made a hella-smart move when they bought out Daewoo and formed their GM Daewoo Auto & Technology Company in 2002. That gave them access to all of Daewoo they wanted to pick from, drawings, workers , factories in South Korea, etc. And a great inroad in to the Asian automotive market. Twas a keen and cunning move, because their partnership with SAIC was already working well for them and GM is hugely popular in China with their vehicles. China is the 2nd largest automotive market in the world right now, behind the U.S.

    Lately GM has been working on small rigs a lot more and let's hope something bright, shiny and new will emerge. The Volt sounds like a money pit. I have seen some nice concepts in car magazines coming from Chevy in the last year or so and some of them genuinely look very, very promising, both in mechanical design and body design. I think some good things are gonna emerge from The General in the next year to five years and on. The Aveo seems to have some ticky-tack issues that have come up but nothing too worrisome, IIRC. The new '09 hatchback looks good, too.

    2021 Kia Soul LX 6-speed stick

  • poncho167poncho167 Member Posts: 1,178
    My first and only sub-compact car as of yet was the imported 1988 Pontiac Lemans (Daewoo). It had a whole 74 hp which was more than enough for the average driver. With its standard 4-speed I rarely was the one left behind at the toll both. In fact I accelerated out in front most everytime. People are just spoiled by this horsepower war which does nothing for the consumer but burn more gas, cause more accidents, and give us more speeding tickets to name a few.
  • iluvmysephia1iluvmysephia1 Member Posts: 7,704
    isn't that the Daewoo-made Pontiac that has such a bad rep in the U.S.? I mean, people just cringe when they talk about the car. But your experience was positive with the car, it sure sounds like anyway.

    Comments on the Lemans from Daewoo/Pontiac?

    2021 Kia Soul LX 6-speed stick

  • poncho167poncho167 Member Posts: 1,178
    Some people talked bad about it but I don't know to what extent. The fit and finish coming from the final assembly point in Korea wasn't very good with some slightly mis-matched panels upon close inspection in the back by the hatchback. The welds didn't look too finished either. I saw one of these on the road last year in ok shape. My car got pretty good mileage and was fun to drive. I bought the bone stock model with only the AM/FM radio and floor mats as an option. I had them take the radio back for a credit and put an Alpine in there. It had no air conditioning or power features except for the standard power brakes, but that was all right. I think I paid the $5,990 asking price which was $1,000 more than the Yugo I believe. I should have gotten the VW Fox but that was like $7,500 or so and who knows how much to repair should something go wrong. I on the Lemans I really didn't need power steering with such a small car especially at speed. The car, at least in my experience had electrical problems and sometimes when it rained or if there was a lot of moisture in the air it may not start. The problem was a design flaw that had the ignition coil on the bottom of the car. Other than that if I can say so, it was a great runabout. I got rid of it because I felt it was too small and dangerous and I needed a small truck to haul a dirt bike.

    The Opel Kadet which shared a similar body style had great fanfare in Europe and the Lemans did have that German Getrag 4-speed manual trans which was descent.
  • iluvmysephia1iluvmysephia1 Member Posts: 7,704
    competent manual transmission producer. So, other than a few electrical and moisture intrusion problems and some fit and finish issues the car was decent. That price was sure right, for sure.

    2021 Kia Soul LX 6-speed stick

  • ls6454ls6454 Member Posts: 11
    Don't forget about the Fit. We drove the Aveo, Yaris and Fit , my wife is replacing a 01 Grand Caravan and wanted something more fuel efficient. When considering the options that the base Fit has as standard equipment, the price difference between a comparable Aveo and Yaris really is about $1200.00.
    The Fit handles better, has better interior and build quality and decent fuel economy, and great resale.
    I hated the Yaris interior.
    The Aveo has the best warrany and price.
    We went with the Fit, already have 2000 miles on it, a great fun little car, with great fuel economy and enough interior room for 2 kids and a Golden Lab.
  • poncho167poncho167 Member Posts: 1,178
    Yes, the Honda Fit is supposed to be pretty good. Your observation of the Yaris interior is pretty common and is considered the poorest of the sub-compacts. Already Toyota is in the process of restyling the exterior.
  • newcrvmannewcrvman Member Posts: 15
    OK, here are my 2 c.
    I was about to buy Aveo, I was loving it, the OTD price for LS automatic sedan here in AL was $13600. I loved the design, ride, warranty etc. Then I found this:
    http://www.iihs.org/ratings/default.aspx
    then somebody said: "of 10 Aveo wrecks there were 5 cars where people died in. Nice car to drive, just, please, don't get into an accident"
    That changed everything. Its side crash rating by IIHS is horrible. Most likely you will die in it even if it has STANDARD side airbags. But those are very tiny and provide almost no protection.
    Yaris is another story. It also has horrible ratings when comes without OPTIONAL ($650) side and curtain airbags. But when you buy one with those, it is just great. See for yourself.
    Price difference? $1800. Yep. There are no Yarises with side airbags without power packages installed. My dealers didn't find any sedans, at least. Sedan, alloy wheels, ABS, MP3 radio, curtain airbags, power windows/locks, fog lights - you have to pay for everything mentioned even if you don't need it. Mine came out $15400 OTD, and I had to fight for that price. Original quote was $16150
    I wish I could get Aveo since I loved it so much. But I've got Yaris solely based on its safety with curtain airbags, since it's for my wife and it's her first car.
    Please, stay safe and drive safely. All the best to you.
  • timsehtimseh Member Posts: 24
    Yes, the IIHS ratings for the Yaris are better than for the Aveo IF option package C is selected, which includes the power package. For those who don't particularly want the power package, though, there is a very large jump in price. Configuring a basic Yaris Sedan with that package comes out to $15,455 before Taxes. The stock Aveo Sedan is better than the stock Yaris Sedan according to the IIHS, thanks to side airbags in the front seats.

    As for "of 10 Aveo wrecks there were 5 cars where people died in." Show me the statistics. If 50% of all wrecks involving Aveos resulted in a fatality, I think we would have heard something about that on the news by now. Don't believe everything you read on the interwebs.

    I'm not saying safety shouldn't be a concern, and I'm not criticizing you for putting that above other criteria.

    List on the Base Aveo Sedan is 12,330. I found one with an upgraded stereo that bumps the price to $12,655. That's a difference of $2,800 between the Aveo and Yaris. To top it off, I got a GM suppliers discount thanks to my employer, which translated to a bottom line price of $11,600 (before taxes). That's a difference of $3,855. That was a deal I couldn't pass up. Of course, I'm probably a bit older than you. Divorced. The kids are grown and gone now. It's just me. I will probably put all of 8,000 to 9,000 miles a year on my car since I home office.

    I wish you many many miles of enjoyment from your new Yaris. :D
  • poncho167poncho167 Member Posts: 1,178
    Most of us knew that the new sedan wasn't as good as the previous model in crash tests, but the 5-door is still rated at the top front and side. Lets be realistic, you can put all the air bags and safety features in these cars but because of their size you are more vulnerable than any other car because of the weight factor.
  • backybacky Member Posts: 18,949
    True, but the side crash tests are irrespective of the weight/size of the test car. So a "Good" IIHS side crash test score on a car like the Yaris, with the side bags, is an excellent showing indeed. There aren't many cars in this class that get that rating--Fit and Versa being two others, and the Versa is really a "size up" from the Yaris and Fit.
  • newcrvmannewcrvman Member Posts: 15
    I think the lighter the car, the safer it’s going to be when you have a side hit. Try to imagine 2 situations: 1.F-150 hits another F-150 to the driver’s door; 2. F-150 hits Yaris to the driver’s door.
    Take two toy cars of different weight and of the same weight, and try to model the situation. If the door holds, air bag deploys, seat belts are fine, it’s all about for how far the hitting car will penetrate into the door. In case of a lighter car, like Yaris, it will be just moved out of the way, without letting F-150 to really “penetrate”. Sure, you are risking some great Gs when the car spins around, but you have a much bigger chance to be actually hit, if you are sitting in a much heavier vehicle. Imagine yourself in a house near a window, when F-150 drives into it. House is not moving, F-150 goes all the way into the room killing you. You have bigger chances to survive sitting in a trash container.
  • newcrvmannewcrvman Member Posts: 15
    Thank you for your post, Timseh. I would have also get Aveo sedan if it's just for me, not for my wife who is still learning how to drive. Oh, well. Hopefully, one day I also have adult kids.
    All the best to you, Sir.
  • backybacky Member Posts: 18,949
    Well, you might be safer in a small car in a side crash IF it has good side crash protection (including side and head airbags) and IF it's free to move laterally (and not run into some other dangerous object/vehicle when it does so).
  • ellenbettyellenbetty Member Posts: 7
    In most well designed small cars you are safer in a off set frontal accident with a box frame vehicle. The smaller car will pivot around the side of the larger vehicle often crushing in the floor area of the driver, while crushing the legs of the driver of the large vehicle. The box frame failure to collapse is main reason for the higher death rate per million miles driven in many large vehicles.

    I disliked the Aveo. Try getting A/C, power steering, power brakes, power windows, automatic, rear defroster on the same Aveo. You can't. GM feels that the Aveo does not have the power to operate all those options at the same time. Toyota 1.5 VVT-i motor has the power to operate all available options at the same time. One minor problem. The Yaris electrical system does not generate enough electrical power to run the rear window defroster. So power is drained from the battery. So the rear window defroster should be turned off as soon as possible. Once the Yaris is warmed up keeping the rear window free of frost, without using the rear window defroster, is not a problem.
  • myk384myk384 Member Posts: 9
    In the Philippines, I have browsed that the Yaris performs well than the Aveo

    In fact, one magazine gave the Yaris an excellent 5 stars while the Aveo had a 12/20 score when it was tested

    The Aveo in the Philippines has a 1.5 Ecotec engine with 84hp (which is the least powerful among rivals)

    While the Yaris has a 107hp VVT engine. In fact, the Yaris sedan is called as the Vios, which is the best selling vehicle in our country

    I advise you to shop wisely and test drive. Just giving my opinion.

    The Yaris takes the top cake here..
  • wifes07aveowifes07aveo Member Posts: 31
    The yaris is just plain ugly.
  • dakedake Member Posts: 131
    Ah - helpful. I did hear the Italians are basing the next Ferrari on an Aveo too. :D
  • wifes07aveowifes07aveo Member Posts: 31
    lol. I know the aveo is not that great I just dislike the interior of the yaris.
  • joeyrabjoeyrab Member Posts: 65
    I liked this one sentence answer, how true. Wow, that's almost like asking who's better Toyota or Hyundai. Honda or Dodge.....
  • girlcarbuildergirlcarbuilder Member Posts: 225
    Oh, I have had an earful on this one. Both owners who have bought Aveo's that consult me will not buy again! One has had to put a new motor in at 50K and yes he has taken care of it. Timing belt failed at 50K miles. Service calls for 100k, so heads up everyone, change it before 50K! It has even had problems shifting from park to drive. The lock out system is poorly designed.

    The other owner has had emission complaints.

    I have only worked on one repair between these two vehicles, that was the tranny lockout system. Frankly, I was not impressed at all.

    Take it from someone who has a lot of years driving cars way past they useable life span. Leave the Aveo at the dealers lot! It is not worth any money! Look for my other posts on the Yaris by clicking on handle.
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