'07 Aveo sedan review: TTAC *really* did not like it

[MetroMPG]

All of the Aveo reviews I've seen to date have been fairly neutral - basically "the car is not much to get excited about, but it does its job as it should" kind of pronouncements. Some give the impression "pleasantly surprised."

Not this one!

The Truth About Cars (TTAC) really didn't like the freshened up 2007 sedan (the hatch didn't get updated until '08, and neither got the Ecotec engine until 2009).

Basically the reviewer complains about everything: from styling to trim quality, steering, handling, braking, engine, shift quality, clutch feel. You name it.

But where the review misses the obvious is in the conclusion:

Aveos sales are up despite the fact that the model doesn’t offer one competitive advantage over its rivals— not mileage, sportiness nor versatility. With better buzzboxes priced within a shifter’s throw of this Korean expatriate, there’s only one reason for anyone to buy a Chevrolet Aveo: to make other small car dealers and owners shake their heads in disbelief.

Well, not quite. The car's main competitive advantage he glosses over - price - is obviously more important to a sizeable chunk of buyers in this segment than he realizes.

Full review (and 100+ comments from readers): http://www.thetruthaboutcars.com/chevrolet-aveo-review/

[petrified.rabbit]

Price is a big part of it yes, but even though i think most of us agree to some extent he is way off in other areas, buying a car is about more than price.

Financing specials and deals offered on the price is a big part too. Nissan, Toyota, etc. in my area rarely included the "baseline" cars even a stones throw in price of the Aveo. Chevy has had many better financing deals over the years to make the Aveo even cheaper than the others when you add up the payments.

[Thymeclock]

You might want to re-title this thread "Just Another Negative Aveo Review".

Before I bought my 2009 I did a lot of research. I read all the reviews (mostly negative, some very harshly so). I shopped and test drove the competition: I drove a Yaris, didn't want to even drive the glitzy Fit. (IMHO Hondas are wonderful cars, but routine DIY service like changing oil is a PITA, and they surely are 'compact' in design.) Then I drove an Aveo, and I was surprised, because it was much better than what I expected after reading all the overwhelming negativity in car reviews. Frankly, it was comparable to these others, even superior in some aspects - so I bought it. Why? Because the level of quality (comparatively) was similar and it was better suited to our needs: ease of routine DIY service, better designed interior, etc. The others may have more sophisticated accessories, but I didn't want or need them. Price was no object; I bought an LT1 with A/C and A/T, which are essential for what we needed in a car. I didn't bother seeking out the similar Kia and Hyundai versions. As far as I'm concerned the Aveo is just another Korean econobox. (The only real plus to an Aveo having a Chevy bow-tie on it is that Chevy might stay in business longer than some other imports thanks to Uncle Sam's GM bailout $$$ - which means parts should still be available years from now.)

Virtually every negative review I read (and there are many if not most that are negative) seemed exaggerated far beyond what I saw in the car that I test drove and eventually bought. Maybe the earlier model Aveos really were flimsy and flawed, but I didn't see any evidence of poor quality or materials in the '09 model, and even now that I own one I still don't. So maybe these reviews are just full of prejudicial bias and inertia. Time will tell...

I really think the majority of "professional" reviews are written to steer us away from simple, basic, inexpensive cars and into more expensive and sophisticated options that we may not need or want. Hey, I'm sure the profit margin is much greater on Cadillacs and Hummers. (Oops. I almost forgot that they don't make Hummers anymore. Or Oldsmobiles, and Saturns and... )

[MetroMPG]

I definitely get the impression that many professional reviewers are spoiled (by the automakers), and are out of touch with the real concerns/priorities of the average car buyer.

The proof of this lies in the fact that the Aveo outsold the competition for quite some time, even when it was supposedly "worse" than the '09/'10's.

[serega12]

Just read the whole review and some comments... sounds like the guy never even been inside an Aveo. And what exactly does he expect? He's comparing our manual transmission to... truck's gear box?? Wow... I wonder who pays them for this kind of stuff. And you know, I'm personally not a fan of 07-08 sedan myself (it's just not my style), but he's saying that it's an improvement over the hatch??? I don't know about that...

Oh, and the guys in the review are saying "I would buy mazda3 over this any day"... I would too if I could get an 06 with 28k miles for under $5k! But the cheapest I found them when I was looking for that year mazda3 hatch wasn't any lower than $12-13k, if it was loaded - $16+... Plus if I did all the things to mazda that I did to my aveo - I would be looking at a price tag of over 20K+, not 8k+....

And the gas mileage... The honda fit and toyota yaris are only a couple miles per gallon higher than aveo, but the price difference in a used sector is at least a few thousand...

[MetroMPG]

Just for comparison:

A reviewer from the Car Connection drove the '07 sedan and loved it. It's funny how the TTAC guy hated just about everything about it, but the Car Connection guy summed it up as:

Aveo is well-appointed, quiet, smooth riding, handles nimbly and most of all is fun to drive.

See the Car Connection review: viewtopic.php?f=50&t=27488

[Thymeclock]

Just for comparison:

A reviewer from the Car Connection drove the '07 sedan and loved it. It's funny how the TTAC guy hated just about everything about it, but the Car Connection guy summed it up as:

Aveo is well-appointed, quiet, smooth riding, handles nimbly and most of all is fun to drive.

See the Car Connection review: viewtopic.php?f=50&t=27488

It would be interesting to compile a list of every review ever done on the Aveo. I think you will find that positive reviews are few and far between. It seems to be the inertia effect: after several initial reviews are negative the subsequent ones tend to go with the flow. Eventually the negative sentiment that is parroted is devoid of objectivity and largely undeserved.

[MetroMPG]

It would be very interesting... and a lot of work! :P

I've read many, and I have to say that my impression is most are middle of the road in sentiment.