Chevrolet Aveo vs. Nissan Versa - Comparison

2009 Chevrolet Aveo

The four-door Aveo sedan represents Chevy's entry level compact and competes with other entry-level vehicles, including the Hyundai Accent, Kia Rio, and Nissan Versa. Aveo is available as a four-door sedan or a versatile five-door hatchback called the Aveo5.  New for 2009, the Aveo gets a 106-horsepower, 1.6-liter four-cylinder engine.  The hatchback Aveo5 was redesigned for 2009 and has more aggressive styling than its predecessor.   The Chevrolet Aveo is Chevy's smallest, least expensive car. Aside from its price, what's most attractive about the Aveo is its surprisingly handsome interior, at least on the up-level LT. Its 1.6-liter four-cylinder engine is rated at 103 horsepower, which is adequate. Transmission choices are either a five-speed manual or a four-speed automatic.  The lineup includes Aveo5 Special Value ($10,235); Aveo5 LS ($12,020); Aveo LS ($12,170); Aveo LT ($13,920).

Inside the Aveo

The Aveo's interior is impressive for its price and includes a standard 60/40-split folding backseat and a fold-flat front passenger seat, which expands the cargo area for longer items. Options include imitation wood trim, faux leather seats and a power moonroof. Cabin and cargo dimensions put the Aveo on par with competing sedans like the Rio and Accent.   Front bucket seats and a three-place rear bench give the Aveo5 room for up to five people. There's 7 cubic feet of cargo room, but folding the 60/40-split rear seat increases cargo room quite a bit, to 42 cubic feet. A two-tone cabin is available.

Chevy Aveo Design

The Aveo is longer than any of its competitors, at 169.7 inches. It's also one of the widest, at 67.3 inches.  The 2009 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. The Aveo5 gets a special grille treatment that doesn't look anything like the sedan. The large rectangular grille dominates the Aveo5's front, and is split by a body-colored section with the Chevy bowtie logo on it.

Powertrain for 2009

For 2009, the Aveo is powered by GM's new 1.6-liter Ecotec four-cylinder engine, which puts out 106 horsepower and 107 pounds-feet of torque. Transmissions include a standard five-speed manual or optional four-speed automatic.   The front-wheel-drive Aveo5 features a 1.6-liter four-cylinder that makes 106 horsepower. The engine teams with a five-speed manual transmission or a four-speed automatic.

Aveo Safety

Safety features include dual-stage frontal and seat-mounted side air bags for the front seats, along with front-seat seat-belt pretensioners, which take slack out of the belt in a crash. Offered since 2008 is a tire-pressure monitor. Anti-lock brakes ($400) are optional for LS and LT.

2009 Nissan Versa

The entry level Nissan Versa was first released in 1997 and is offered as both a hatchback and a sedan.  It has a base 1.8 S trim level and a higher 1.8 SL trim level. There are no significant changes for the 2009 Nissan Versa.  Despite being classified as a subcompact, the Nissan Versa is a big small car with comfort, performance and versatility. It's roomy and offers good fuel economy. Back-seat passengers will find plenty of rear-seat leg room.

Inside the Versa

Nissan says the cabin of the Versa stretches 6 feet from front to back. The Versa's rear seat is especially large for this class and its total passenger volume exceeds that of its competitors. The Versa sedan's cargo volume is 13.8 cubic feet. With the rear seat up, the hatchback has 17.8 cubic feet of cargo space, but that grows to 50.4 cubic feet when the seats are folded. The noise and vibration from the 1.6 liter engine is nicely controlled, for a four-cylinder engine.  Yet, the cabin can get noisy at higher speeds.  A two-tone dashboard slopes away from the driver with a high-mounted center control panel and a three-spoke steering wheel.  

2009 Versa Design

The Versa hatchback is 7 inches shorter than the sedan. The Versa's exterior features a monotone style that's free of side moldings, mesh grilles or chin spoilers. A large windshield and side windows, particularly on the hatchback, increase visibility.  The Versa sedan is 176 inches long and 66.7 inches wide.

Nissan Power

All Versas come with a 1.8-liter inline-four-cylinder engine. The standard transmission is a six-speed manual, but optional offerings include a four-speed automatic or a continuously variable automatic transmission (CVT), which eliminates shifts via chain-driven pulleys that infinitely vary gear ratios.

Versa Safety

Safety features include frontal airbags, side-impact airbags, roof-mounted curtain airbags, front-seat active head restraints, and a tire pressure monitoring system. Anti-lock brakes (ABS) with Brake Assist and Electronic Brake-force Distribution (EBD) are an option ($250) on all models.


Conclusions

The 2009 Chevy Aveo and the Nissan Versa both represent the entry-level subcompact car for their automaker.  Yet both are roomy and comfortable to drive and work well as an every day driver.  The Aveo was actually designed to offer sensible, day-to-day transportation. Its ride is tuned more for comfort than sporty driving, and this is where it differs from its competitors.  The Chevrolet Aveo offers attractive pricing and a pleasant interior. For another view of the Aveo, read Edmunds.com's review. The Versa was designed with the intention of attracting economy-minded buyers with its mileage, price and larger size than most other vehicles in its class. Although, the Nissan Versa looks bigger than it really is. One reason for that is an exceptionally short rear overhang: Very little of the car extends past the rear wheels. The Versa delivers decent performance and has a surprising amount of interior space. For more details and pricing on the Versa, click here. The 2009 Chevy Aveo has a starting MSRP of $11,965 - $15,365, the 2009 versa starts out $9,990 - $16,330.  The Aveo and the Versa both get the same excellent mileage; 27/34 mpg each.