2010 Chevy Aveo

The Chevrolet Aveo is GM's smallest, least expensive car. The 2010 Aveo offers an affordable vehicle that still has an attractive cabin space, especially on the upperlevel trim, the 2LT.  The Aveo also comes with a very fuel efficient engine, offering even more savings at the pump. The Aveo is a four door sedan, while the Aveo5 is a versatile five-door hatchback version. While the Aveo and Aveo5 got extensive revision for 2009, little has changed for the 2010 model year. For 2010, the Aveo receives minor equipment changes and a two more increase in horsepower, for a total of 108, from its 1.6-liter four-cylinder engine. This Chevy model is considered a subcompact and competes with the Honda Fit, Toyota Yaris, Nissan Versa, and Hyundai Accent. Chevy designed the Aveo to offer sensible, day-to-day transportation. It gets an EPA fuel economy of City: 25 - 27 mpg and Highway: 34.  The 2010 Aveo will have a starting MSRP of $11,965 - $15,365.

Aveo Power

All trims come standard with a 108-hp 1.6-liter engine mated to a 5-speed manual transmission. A four-speed automatic is optional. The Aveo gets the third generation of GM's 1.6-liter Ecotec engine, which is more fuel efficient than past versions. The addition of variable valve timing increases horsepower by 3 to 106 and helps improve fuel economy. Aveo compares well with other subcompact competition as far as mileage goes.

2010 Aveo Design

The 2010 Chevrolet Aveo comes in either a four-door sedan or as the five-door hatchback, named Aveo5. Right away you can tell this is a Chevy; up front, a thick, bright horizontal grille bar is emblazoned with a Chevy trademark gold bowtie. The lower fascia is nicely detailed, and the fog lights well integrated. On the side, a crisp bevel just below the window line and a parallel bulge down between the wheel arches combine to camouflage the Aveo's tall, stubby profile.  The sedan's blacked-out window frames look heavy handed, especially with bright colors, and the rear of the roof line appears bulbous. In the rear a bright band between complex tail lamps echoes the theme of the grille. The Aveo's design creates the illusion of a larger car, with contoured side feature lines running front to rear, pronounced "shoulders" over the wheel openings, and body-colored doorsills. Three-dimensional headlights and bold, round taillamps also add to the car's exterior character.

Driving the Chevy Aveo

The Aveo ride is tuned more for comfort than sporty driving; after all, comfort is important when commuting through heavy, stop-and-go traffic. The steering has a light feel, but not extremely sensitive.  Handling is like you would expect it would be for any economy car.  The brakes feel natural, but the use of rear drums is old technology. ABS is optional and one option that is well worth it. The noise and vibration from the 1.6-liter engine is nicely controlled for a four-cylinder engine. Things can get noisy at higher speeds though; road noise is also rather intrusive, as sharp bumps create audible banging noises. It is evident that Chevrolet hasn't used much sound deadening material.

Aveo Cabin Features

The inside of the Aveo is an enjoyable enough, particularly the Aveo 2LT, which comes with nice upholstery, cloth or leatherette. The climate and audio controls are easy to use and the driver's seat adjusts for height. The Aveo5 five-door hatchback has more ability to haul stuff. An auxiliary input jack is now standard, XM satellite radio is available, and the radio controls are changed. The driver information center adds an outside temperature display and a fuel economy/driving range function. Charcoal leatherette seating is offered and it is available with a leather-wrapped steering wheel and shift knob. The layout of the Aveo is simple.  All radios come with an auxiliary jack for iPods and other MP3 players. The dash is all hard plastic, which is to be expected in this class. The instrument panel features black-faced gauges with white numbers and watch-like dials. A driver information center is located between the gauges. The front seat bottom cushion is a bit short for drivers with long legs, cutting some occupants a little short on thigh support. Visibility all around is unrestricted. Small items storage can be found in trays in front and behind the shifter, a pop-out bin the size of an ashtray in the dash, and in door pockets.

2010 Aveo Lineup

The front-wheel drive Aveo and Aveo 5 are available in three trims. Aveo LS and Aveo5 LS ($11,965) come with cloth seats; power steering; tilt steering wheel; four-speaker AM/FM stereo with an auxiliary input jack; a height-adjustable driver's seat with adjustable lumbar support; 60/40 split folding rear seat; one year of OnStar's Safe & Sound plan, and 185/60R14 tires on steel wheels with wheel covers. The Aveo5 also gets a rear cargo cover and a rear wiper. Air conditioning is not included, although it can be installed by the dealer. Automatic transmission is not available, nor are power windows, locks, or mirrors. In fact the only factory option at this level is a prep package for air conditioning ($50).

Aveo 1LT and Aveo5 1LT ($14,100) add air conditioning, an interior air filter, a CD/MP3 player and floormats. The Aveo 2LT and Aveo5 2LT add upgraded cloth upholstery, cruise control, heated power mirrors, power windows, power door locks, remote keyless entry, XM satellite radio, steering wheel audio controls, a driver information center, fog lights, an alarm, and 185/55R15 tires.

Conclusions

The 2010 Aveo has a lot to offer for a vehicle in this economy class.  It is affordable, fuel efficient, has a decent interior, and available upgrades that make it even better. Safety features include front driver and passenger airbags with dual-stage deployment and seat-mounted side airbags for the front row occupants, front-seat seat-belt pretensioners, and a tire-pressure monitor.  As General Motors' primary contender in the subcompact market, the four-door Aveo sedan easily keeps up with other entry-level vehicles, including the Hyundai Accent and Kia Rio. For further research, read another 2010 Chevy Aveo review.