Better than its previous self, still not as good as the competition  by Thom Blackett

Chevrolet Aveo – Review: Ponder the past 30-plus years of automobiles, and it’s clear how much has changed. There’s technology that adds levels of safety and entertainment never imagined in the ‘70s, complete vehicle types which had yet to be dreamt of, and a focus on efficiency and environmental impact that was in its infancy. But through it all, one fact has remained constant – Chevrolet has yet to prove that it can build the best subcompact car. The Korean-sourced 2007 Aveo is a fine sedan, admittedly bettering its predecessor with dressed up style and improved driving dynamics, yet it still lags behind rivals such as the Honda Fit and Nissan Versa, suggesting that as much as some things change, others shall remain forever constant.

For this evaluation, the powers that be at General Motors loaned us a bright blue 2007 Chevrolet Aveo LT sedan with an as-tested price of $16,650. Sounds like a pretty penny for the brand’s cheapest ride, but what was delivered to our lot was the primo, totally tricked out Aveo. OK, not quite, but it did have $2,635 in options. Among them were a four-speed automatic transmission ($850), a power sunroof ($725), antilock brakes ($400), leatherette upholstery ($250), a rear spoiler ($225), fog lights ($110), and steering wheel-mounted audio controls ($75). Add all that and a $565 destination charge to our tester’s $13,450 base price, and viola, you’ve got an economy car ready to break the $17,000 barrier.

One can only ask so much of a 1.6-liter four-cylinder engine, especially one saddled with a four-speed automatic transmission. However, the Aveo did its best to satisfy by expeditiously getting up to cruising speed, providing just enough power for occasionally overtaking slower cars on the highway, and doing so with a level of refinement that was on par with others in the class. Sure, more power is almost always welcome, but the Aveo is an economy car built for those on a budget with efficiency on the mind. In that light, it underperformed; we achieved only 23.8 mpg in mixed driving.

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