The Chevrolet Aveo Is the Most Boring Car You Should Avoid
Describing a car as “boring” is subjective as a car can be boring to drive and look great, or it can be great to drive and look boring. Believe it or not, we actually found a car that not only looks boring, but it is also boring to drive. Say “hello” to the Chevrolet Aveo.
What’s so boring about it?
The Chevrolet Aveo was produced from 2004 to 2011, after which it was superseded by the Chevrolet Sonic in 2012. Truth be told, the Aveo was actually a Daewoo Kalos that was sold globally under different nameplates and us lucky Americans received it as the Chevy Aveo.
The Aveo was powered by a 1.6-liter, four-cylinder engine that produced 108 horsepower and 105 lb-ft of torque which was able to propel the car eventually up to 60 mph in about 11.8 seconds. For reference, a misfiring Prius could probably beat it off the line.
It sure was slow, so you might be thinking that a small, lightweight car (2,568 pounds) with a tiny engine must mean stellar fuel economy ratings. However, you would be wrong. The Aveo achieved 27 mpg in the city and 35 mpg on the highway. Not bad, but too great, either.
Exterior
For starters, it looks boring. Its bland exterior lacked any type of character, in fact, the only bit of excitement that we can find about the way the car looks are the big headlights and the door moldings on the sides.
As it turns out, Kelley Blue Book didn’t have much to say about the exterior styling in their review either: “The V-shaped hood and split grille reveal its Chevrolet heritage and emphasize its wide stance. Large “shoulders” over the wheels, oversized front and rear lights and a height of almost five feet give it the appearance of a larger sedan.” So basically, the main highlight is that the car looks bigger than it actually is.
Interior
The lack of excitement extends to the inside as well. The Aveo exudes true rental-car quality via its cloth seats, which can actually be upgraded to leatherette, and the no-nonsense dashboard is so bland that it might be more interesting to watch paint dry on a wall.
If you find it hard to believe, Consumer Reports even noted that the seats were uncomfortably hard and flat, the interior panels didn’t fit well, and the switchgear was flimsy. It doesn’t take a second look to notice that the Aveo’s interior looked like something out of a car made in the ’90s. That wouldn’t be all that bad, but remember, this car was made in the 2000s.
Driving
You would think that a small car like the Aveo would be fun to drive. After all, rivals like the Honda Fit and Mazda2 at the time were definitely pocket rockets. But again, you would be wrong.
The Aveo’s engine was mated to either a five-speed manual or four-speed automatic. In their driving review, Consumer Reports noted that the automatic gearbox was smooth but unresponsive and the rest of the car didn’t drive too well either. They went on to note that the body roll was pronounced and that the car was “slower than other mainstream cars.”
Those aren’t high remarks from the reviewers you really want to get high remarks from.
Owners don’t like it either
While it might sound like we’re piling on about the poor Chevy Aveo, we invite you to look at the KBB Consumer Reviews about the 2011 Chevrolet Aveo.
Some main highlights are Aveo owners stating that they “can’t wait to sell this death trap” and that they find the car “disappointing.” One reviewer even said that their Aveo “almost killed them 3 times,” mainly due to the car’s lack of power.
In summary, it’s boring
Hopefully, you can see why we picked this car as the most boring car that should never buy. While we do condone getting a car that fits your needs and your budget, quality should be a factor in your shopping process. And while the Chevy Aveo will work just fine as a “point A to B” kind of car, we highly suggest passing on this boring piece of automotive history as it might be more fun to ride a bike.
