2004 Chevrolet Aveo Review

Specifications

The No-Nothing Hatchback

Whats wrong with the word “hatchback”? Apparently theres enough of a negative stigma associated with the designation to make most car manufacturers marketing departments dub their “5-door liftbacks” everything but. Suzuki has the Areo Fastback, Mazda the Mazda3 5-Door and Chevrolet the Aveo 5-Door. Why not keep it simple and call it a hatchback? After all, no matter how you word it a hatchback is still a hatchback.

The 2004 Chevrolet Aveo has evolved into the Aveo 5-Door since the last time I test drove it in September. Why? Because Chevrolet now offers both four-door and five-door versions. Is there any difference between the two models other than the name, as well as the obvious fact that one has a trunk and the other a hatch? Not particularly. This time, however, my test car came with nothing inside, literally.

I called the Aveo 5-Door my “no nothing” car. It did not come with power door locks or windows, keyless remote entry, CD player (let alone a tape player), sunroof; no nothing for $11,785. While I thought it was sparsely equipped, as it turns out Chevy offers an even more base version dubbed the SVM (Special Value Model) for $9,995. I guess I was living large after all?

As a comparison, Hyundai offers its slightly less functional Accent 3-door to buyers with even less income for $9,999 while Kias Rio Cinco is pretty well loaded with accessories and an even more spacious interior for $11,365.

So what does the base Aveo 5-Door come with? Well, it has a lightning quick (not) 1.6-liter, 16-valve, DOHC, 4-cylinder engine, four beefy P185/60R14 all season tires and some saucy 14-inch steel wheels with wheel covers. It also comes with air conditioning, fog lamps (Id rather trade the fog lamps in for a CD player mind you), driver and passenger airbags, rear window wiper with washer and front reclining full cloth bucket seats. A heavy duty exhaust system is also standard, which must be for anti-corrosion rather than for increasing exhaust flow being that the engine only produces 103 horsepower at 5,800 rpm and 107 lb-ft of torque at 3,600 rpm, but heavy duty it is. Also on the list is a power steering rack, appreciated in tight parking lots. The standard 4-speaker AM/FM stereo system was sufficient, but Id opt for the optional CD player or maybe even spring for the combined CD/MP3 player. I was at least much more on-top of current weather and traffic conditions than usual, so how can I complain?

The seats in the front are comfortable and the seats in the rear are quite roomy. I was, once again, babysitting that week so kids were in and out of my car. They enjoyed the back seats because they are comfortable and spacious, however the lack of an air conditioner made for occasional grumbles.

Maybe I am being a little too harsh on the Aveo 5-Door for not having all the bells and whistles I am used to. After all, those that want more can pay for the LS version. Both base and LS trim feature the same drivetrain, but the latter adds power door locks, power windows, power heated outside rearview mirrors, keyless remote, and a CD player, all for a mere $895 over the base 5-Door, or $12,680. Also, Aveo 5-Doors can be equipped with a sunroof as a stand-alone option at $725. A stand-alone rear liftgate spoiler can be had for $225 as well, plus 14-inch alloy wheels at $375.

The Aveo 5-Door drives relatively well, but it isnt a vehicle that I would want to push to the limit. At lower speeds it did what it was told to do, however, and got me from A to B with no hiccups.

I appreciated that my test Aveo 5-Door came with the standard 5-speed manual transmission. I liked manually shifting the high-revving, low-output economy car because it enabled me to use its 103 ponies to the best of their collective abilities. It is slow off the line but eventually would get up to speed, posted speed that is. The shift throws are quite long and the linkage isnt exactly tight, but the cars performance is definitely better with the do-it-yourself gearbox.

I was most impressed with the Aveo 5-Doors brakes. The front discs and rear drums stopped effectively on dry roads and even put up a good fight on wet surfaces. All in all, they preformed very well. Even the base car can be equipped with 4-wheel antilock brakes (ABS), a $400 expense that could very well prevent an accident.

Fuel economy is also pretty good compared to most larger compacts and the other Koreans available, but 26 mpg in the city and 37 mpg on the highway means that Hyundais Accent gets better city mileage, where both cars are most likely going to be used the most, plus the Toyota Echo and even the larger Corolla are more sparing on fuel. The comparitively large Honda Civic experiences better fuel efficiency too, as does the MINI Cooper and Dodge Neon. The Ford Focus does not, and neither does the hot-selling new Mazda3. The biggest surprise is Kias subcompact Rio also doesnt fare as well in fuel economy. While there are better and worse in this category, the Aveo5 is still quite affordable and practical.

But what would stop someone from spending $10K on a used vehicle or another brand with more features? And what about the safety net of a really good warranty? GMs bumper-to-bumper coverage of 3 years or 36,000 miles, and no additional powertrain warranty doesnt come anywhere near to measuring up to its Korean competitors. The Hyundai Accent, for instance, gets 5 years or 60,000 mile in bumper-to-bumper coverage and 10 years or 120,000 miles powertrain, while still offering a well made car with commendable driving dynamics. Kia offers a much better warranty than Chevy as well. But these are Korean cars, and the Aveo 5-Door is a Chevy, right? Yes and no. While the Aveo wears a bowtie at grille central, it is actually a rebadged, made-in-Korea Daewoo Kalos (the Daewoo brand not being sold in North America anymore). This means that Chevy is selling a Korean car without a Korean warranty, which makes Hyundai and Kia look pretty good.

Still, the Aveo 5-Door offers a sub-compact alternative to Hyundai due to its 5-door layout, and Kia due to its 5-door layout and bare-bones equipment and subsequent lower base price. Long term warranty or not, lots of features or lack thereof, the Aveo 5-Door offers one very good thing: transportation. It sure beats taking the bus.