Chevrolet Aveo 5th Gear Extended Review

In continuation of the subject Chevrolet Aveo Fifth Gear Review I present this post with extended description of the Aveo features.

STYLING

It's not ugly by any standards but it does look dated. The front holds similarities to the 2003 face lifted Fiat Punto which, although good looking at the time, only serves to show how behind the Aveo is with its styling.

HANDLING

Nothing to write home about really, as once you get past the masses of body roll, the car feels numb and lifeless. It lacks feeling through the steering wheel which makes driving around twisty B roads a disappointing experience.

COMFORT

Again, not a strong point, but it depends how far you intend to go. The ride is noticeably hard - more so on the 1.4's larger wheels - and the interior is not somewhere you'd want to spend much time. However, road and wind noise are not too much of a problem, so the cabin is relatively quiet.

QUALITY + RELIABILITY

Despite the materials, the Aveo has actually been well put together and feels fairly solid. Plus there's no history of unreliability so durability shouldn't be an issue with this car.

PERFORMANCE

Neither of the engines provides much in the way of performance - the 1.4 not feeling much quicker than the 1.2 despite all the figures suggesting otherwise. Once you get going, the 1.2 is noisy at motorway speeds.

ROOMINESS

Space is plentiful in the front; both head and legroom are good. However, the rear seats are a different story, as anyone over six foot will struggle to get comfortable and with a tall adult in the driver's seat, anyone sat behind will have little, if any, legroom.

RUNNING COSTS

There's no mistaking that this car is cheap, and according to the figures, all of the manual models will achieve over 47mpg (some over 50mpg). Road tax is average however, as the range sits in VED band C, costing around £120 per year.

VALUE FOR MONEY

There isn't a shortage of equipment with the Aveo: the £8,845 mid spec LS comes with items like air con, electric rear windows, electric and heated door mirrors, 15-inch wheels and trip computer. However, to get the top LT spec, you'll have to have the larger engine which has a starting price of over £9k. Plus, the Aveo won't be on the desirability radar so residuals are likely to be poor.

STEREO / SAT NAV

Most of the problem stems from poor sounding speakers rather than the stereo itself, which is easy to use and does everything you would expect. Sat nav is not available even as an option.

ENVIRONMENT

All models are capable of under 140g/km except the automatic version, which produces 152g/km CO2. There is no diesel option available, which is a shame as a small unit could offer even better fuel economy and CO2 - plus it might benefit performance too.