Chevy Aveo 1.6 LT - ABS @ 6300 KMs - Team-BHP

Indian · 14th March 2007, 09:57

Hi All,

I just want to share my experience on Chevy Aveo (sedan):

Make: Chevrolet Aveo 1.6 LT with ABS/Airbags
Purchased on : 16th Aug 2006
Mileage done so far : 6350 Kms
Best mileage got so far(city) : 11.5 KMs/litre with AC on in City (measured over 200+ Kms, average 3 people in the car )
Best mileage got so far(highway) : Around 16 KMs/Litre with AC on (measured over 380 KMs drive, 4 people in the car)

Just want to share my pre-buy impressions (myths) that I had on Aveo, by reading through many posts/reviews etc and the reality at this point:

1. Notchy gear shift

I had initial hiccups/problem in shifting gear from 2nd to 3rd and from 3rd back to 2nd. But this was only for about 500 Kms or so. Once I crossed this limit, I never felt the gear shift is notchy/difficult. I used to have a Zen before and am comparing the gear shift with Zen. I don't feel anything much different.

2. The reflection of dash on the front screen

I have never had any problem due to any reflection so far. You may notice this in the peak of the day (between 12 noon and 3 PM), but I've never felt it to be distracting my vision.

3. Your leg touches the dash

With proper seat adjustments, this statement is not true (atleast for my height (5 Ft, 10 inches)). Even my friends who have driven this car hardly had any such complaints.

4. Poor AC

Again I've seen a good AC performance, atleast in B"lore so far. I agree that peak summer is still away, but my car is parked in open for most of the time and I've got into the car when it was really "hot" !! Only thing is that you may need to put the fan at higher speed and blow away the hot air out, before switching on AC.

5. Mileage is less !

I am so far happy with the average mileage it has been giving. I usually fill petrol from Shell (super unleaded) and on any good/free road, I drive between 2000 to 3000 RPM. Usually I can reach max upto 90 KMpH with this RPM.

6. Good ground clearance which implies better handling over the speed breakers

This was my assumption, but turned out to be false. If there are big road humps, this car do scrape the hump. On an average, well laid hump, no issues even with 5 people in car. So, ground clearance is still not that good !!!!

7. Lack of Initial pull.

Yes to some extent. I've seen this especially when AC is switched on. I have also seen this when I try to go at low speeds in higher gear (e.g. at 20 KMPH in 3rd gear) and suddenly I need to accelerate. It requires a down-shift to lower gear.

8. GM service is a concern

Atleast in Bangalore, it is not I have had very satisfying pre/after sales support from Garuda !!!!

Any thoughts on these myths from fellow Aveo-owners or others?

In Bangalore, am also seeing more Aveos these days !!!!!

sajo · 14th March 2007, 10:51

Hi Indian. Good to know you are satisfied with your purchase. What was the OTR price for the ABS version?

PS : It would be great if you remove the formatting tags from your review. Makes it difficult to read.

Indian · 14th March 2007, 10:59

Quote:

Originally Posted by sajo

Hi Indian. Good to know you are satisfied with your purchase. What was the OTR price for the ABS version?

Hi Sajo,

When I bought (in Aug 2006), it was 7.8L on road in Bangalore. Now it must be lot cheaper!

ashu2025 · 14th March 2007, 19:23

hi Indian,
nice review there.
I have a sep2006 aveo 1.4LS. driven for about 4500kms. 1st main service is still due.
so far I have been satisfied with the 1.4 version. i actually found it more VFM then the top end 1.6 version mostly bcoz i was little economy conscious and I didnt notice much difference in both car's initial pull/pickup and also that both versions have the same notchy long gearshift knobs.
FE of my car is getting better now. I recently got surprised with the FE of 13.09 kms/l in my last tankful with normal HP fuel with 50%ac usage in city driving conditions. I hope it improves even more and touches 14 kms/l after 1st service.
car feels very roomy and a headturner with both interiors and exteriors designed beautifully. AC is good enough if not excellent.
I also dont feel any noticible trouble with the left leg touching the dash and I am 6 feet 1 inches.
Ground clearnce is excellent. It hasnt touched and speed braker yet with full loaded capacitiy. yet I find that the turning radious of 5 is not enough and this car is little troublesome on sharp and narrow U-Turns.

Overall , Aveo 1.4 is actually a good car however infamous for its notchy gearshaft, engine response and drivebility. However the FE is very GOOD.

hope this short reviews helps those seeking advice on AVEO and in comparison with Fiesta which is a great car too.
-ashu

ravibhat · 14th March 2007, 21:40

Nice review aveo is good car just bit costly thats all!

When we compare Maruti cars with other cars we feel overpriced,

Aveo has quality and nice ride with it.

so its a worth car,

Ravi.

Rudra Sen · 14th March 2007, 21:59

Quote:

Originally Posted by Indian

8. GM service is a concern

This is really new to me. At least in Bangalore. Try Sundaram next time. I do have a great relation with them.

Let me know if you need help on this front.

sajo · 14th March 2007, 22:24

Quote:

Originally Posted by Rudra Sen

This is really new to me. At least in Bangalore. Try Sundaram next time. I do have a great relation with them.

Let me know if you need help on this front.

Actually, he stated that this was a myth and that he had experienced otherwise.

ashu2025 · 14th March 2007, 22:52

I got my Aveo 1.4LS in Rs 6.65 Lacs OTR in Sep06.

I dont think AVEO is costlier. The Aveo 1.4LS comes almost the same price of the Fiesta 1.4 and it is much more loaded then the fiesta. The plastic quality is better and the spare parts are cheaper. A.S.S. are good too, atleast in my town.

kpzen · 14th March 2007, 23:42

Nice Review Indian..!!!

Quote:

Originally Posted by ashu2025

I got my Aveo 1.4LS in Rs 6.65 Lacs OTR in Sep06.

I dont think AVEO is costlier. The Aveo 1.4LS comes almost the same price of the Fiesta 1.4 and it is much more loaded then the fiesta. The plastic quality is better and the spare parts are cheaper. A.S.S. are good too, atleast in my town.

Yes Aveo is well priced in comparison to Fiesta n also has good quality finish all over but its Baleno n Accent sold @ 5.5lacs which is eating up all the sales of Aveo....

cartech · 17th March 2007, 17:39

Hi Indian.
GM has improved gear shift. Pl contact dealer. You may get your shift improved. Check this link
:: AUTOCAR INDIA - CAR AND BIKE MAGAZINE ::

Indian · 20th March 2007, 14:08

Quote:

Originally Posted by cartech

Hi Indian.
GM has improved gear shift. Pl contact dealer. You may get your shift improved. Check this link
:: AUTOCAR INDIA - CAR AND BIKE MAGAZINE ::

This is a good information. But I am little scared. Should I go for this change or not? WHat do you guys suggest? I don't have any crib on my gearshift so far. Still, is it worth going for this change? Has anyone got this change done? Your experience please.

ashu2025 · 21st March 2007, 22:38

Are they providing this improved gearshift to the existing aveo owners too???
its hard to believe. my dealer has no information on that front.

nevertheless, good news after all... we may say few more aveos on the roads after the gearshift improvement.

Indian · 22nd March 2007, 09:14

Quote:

Originally Posted by ashu2025

Are they providing this improved gearshift to the existing aveo owners too???

Even I have the same question. I don't think it is for existing (already sold) Aveos. It is for the new ones coming from factory I guess. And even my dealer does not have any clue about this news :-(

DriverR · 23rd March 2007, 11:32

Nice review. I've driven the 1.4 Aveo that belongs to my dad, and these are my opinions.

Well built car. Not an outstanding looker, but then beauty lies in the eyes of the beholder. And I think it looks no better or worse than most of the other mid-range sedans.
Had a struggle a bit to find a good driving position, but then it is possibly due to being a different car from the one I'm used to. Decent power range, but have to downshift and rev to get a mild acceleleration feeling. Infact, it can be said that because you don't get the against-the-seat feeling, one tends to feel that the car is not too powerful.
Gear shift was not as smooth as I expected, BUT after my Indica it felt very good. Infact, after I returned back home and drove the Indica, I thought that there was something wrong with the gear-box!
The suspension is good. Best part is the high ground clearance. In fact one of the main reason my parents went for this car was for the ground clearance, as the roads in Assam and neighbouring parts of the North-Eastern states are not the best roads around. The approach 'road' to my parent's house is a dirt track used extensively by trucks and not maintained by anyone, as it provides free swimming pools during monsoons!!! So far the car is able the take the 'road' well.
In terms of space, the car is quite spacious, both front and back. Did not sit for too long distances, so cannot comment on highway comfort, but it felt very comfortable for city driving.
Driveability is good. The power steering did not feel too light, and it does not strain the driver.
I believe my dad is getting city milage of around 12 and highway milage of 16-17. A/C usage more or less 100%.
The one grouse I had with the car was the horn. I really dislike the center press system, as I have to move my hand to the center of the wheel to honk.
The car has travelled quite some distance, from Guwahati to Darjeeling (3 times), Guwahati to Shillong (regular trips), and Guwahati to Arunachal Pradesh (once). My Dad loves to drive...guess I get that from him!!!

Two regular servicing sessions have been done and my parents have no complains.
All in all a good package, that would be more value for money if GM reduced the price a bit.
But then, given a choice, I would buy the Baleno over the Aveo, even though the comfort levels of the Aveo is better.

kamy450 · 20th May 2007, 13:52

Thats true since i have test driven the changed version of aveo which has improved AC, Gearshift and some changes in interior its certainly a better package now .....

i have booked blazing red with sundaram motors... Hope dealership support is good after sales.....

If not then Rudra sir is there for escalations

14th March 2007, 09:57	#1 (permalink)
Indian BHPian Join Date: Aug 2006 Location: Bangalore Posts: 78	Chevy Aveo 1.6 LT - ABS @ 6300 KMs Hi All, I just want to share my experience on Chevy Aveo (sedan): Make: Chevrolet Aveo 1.6 LT with ABS/Airbags Purchased on : 16th Aug 2006 Mileage done so far : 6350 Kms Best mileage got so far(city) : 11.5 KMs/litre with AC on in City (measured over 200+ Kms, average 3 people in the car ) Best mileage got so far(highway) : Around 16 KMs/Litre with AC on (measured over 380 KMs drive, 4 people in the car) Just want to share my pre-buy impressions (myths) that I had on Aveo, by reading through many posts/reviews etc and the reality at this point: 1. Notchy gear shift I had initial hiccups/problem in shifting gear from 2nd to 3rd and from 3rd back to 2nd. But this was only for about 500 Kms or so. Once I crossed this limit, I never felt the gear shift is notchy/difficult. I used to have a Zen before and am comparing the gear shift with Zen. I don't feel anything much different. 2. The reflection of dash on the front screen I have never had any problem due to any reflection so far. You may notice this in the peak of the day (between 12 noon and 3 PM), but I've never felt it to be distracting my vision. 3. Your leg touches the dash With proper seat adjustments, this statement is not true (atleast for my height (5 Ft, 10 inches)). Even my friends who have driven this car hardly had any such complaints. 4. Poor AC Again I've seen a good AC performance, atleast in B"lore so far. I agree that peak summer is still away, but my car is parked in open for most of the time and I've got into the car when it was really "hot" !! Only thing is that you may need to put the fan at higher speed and blow away the hot air out, before switching on AC. 5. Mileage is less ! I am so far happy with the average mileage it has been giving. I usually fill petrol from Shell (super unleaded) and on any good/free road, I drive between 2000 to 3000 RPM. Usually I can reach max upto 90 KMpH with this RPM. 6. Good ground clearance which implies better handling over the speed breakers This was my assumption, but turned out to be false. If there are big road humps, this car do scrape the hump. On an average, well laid hump, no issues even with 5 people in car. So, ground clearance is still not that good !!!! 7. Lack of Initial pull. Yes to some extent. I've seen this especially when AC is switched on. I have also seen this when I try to go at low speeds in higher gear (e.g. at 20 KMPH in 3rd gear) and suddenly I need to accelerate. It requires a down-shift to lower gear. 8. GM service is a concern Atleast in Bangalore, it is not I have had very satisfying pre/after sales support from Garuda !!!! Any thoughts on these myths from fellow Aveo-owners or others? In Bangalore, am also seeing more Aveos these days !!!!! Last edited by Rtech : 14th March 2007 at 10:59. Reason: Removed formatting

14th March 2007, 10:51	#2 (permalink)
sajo BHPian Join Date: Apr 2005 Location: Pune Posts: 873	Hi Indian. Good to know you are satisfied with your purchase. What was the OTR price for the ABS version? PS : It would be great if you remove the formatting tags from your review. Makes it difficult to read. __________________ Its big, slow, thirsty and American - but love is strange!

23rd March 2007, 11:32	#14 (permalink)
DriverR BHPian Join Date: Mar 2007 Location: Hyderabad Posts: 145	Nice review. I've driven the 1.4 Aveo that belongs to my dad, and these are my opinions. Well built car. Not an outstanding looker, but then beauty lies in the eyes of the beholder. And I think it looks no better or worse than most of the other mid-range sedans. Had a struggle a bit to find a good driving position, but then it is possibly due to being a different car from the one I'm used to. Decent power range, but have to downshift and rev to get a mild acceleleration feeling. Infact, it can be said that because you don't get the against-the-seat feeling, one tends to feel that the car is not too powerful. Gear shift was not as smooth as I expected, BUT after my Indica it felt very good. Infact, after I returned back home and drove the Indica, I thought that there was something wrong with the gear-box! The suspension is good. Best part is the high ground clearance. In fact one of the main reason my parents went for this car was for the ground clearance, as the roads in Assam and neighbouring parts of the North-Eastern states are not the best roads around. The approach 'road' to my parent's house is a dirt track used extensively by trucks and not maintained by anyone, as it provides free swimming pools during monsoons!!! So far the car is able the take the 'road' well. In terms of space, the car is quite spacious, both front and back. Did not sit for too long distances, so cannot comment on highway comfort, but it felt very comfortable for city driving. Driveability is good. The power steering did not feel too light, and it does not strain the driver. I believe my dad is getting city milage of around 12 and highway milage of 16-17. A/C usage more or less 100%. The one grouse I had with the car was the horn. I really dislike the center press system, as I have to move my hand to the center of the wheel to honk. The car has travelled quite some distance, from Guwahati to Darjeeling (3 times), Guwahati to Shillong (regular trips), and Guwahati to Arunachal Pradesh (once). My Dad loves to drive...guess I get that from him!!! Two regular servicing sessions have been done and my parents have no complains. All in all a good package, that would be more value for money if GM reduced the price a bit. But then, given a choice, I would buy the Baleno over the Aveo, even though the comfort levels of the Aveo is better. __________________ *Seat belts are not as confining as wheelchairs.*

20th May 2007, 13:52	#15 (permalink)
kamy450 BHPian Join Date: May 2007 Location: Bangalore Posts: 232 View My Garage	Aveo A better package Thats true since i have test driven the changed version of aveo which has improved AC, Gearshift and some changes in interior its certainly a better package now ..... i have booked blazing red with sundaram motors... Hope dealership support is good after sales..... If not then Rudra sir is there for escalations

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14th March 2007, 19:23	#4 (permalink)
ashu2025 Newbie Join Date: Sep 2006 Location: Jaipur Posts: 27	hi Indian, nice review there. I have a sep2006 aveo 1.4LS. driven for about 4500kms. 1st main service is still due. so far I have been satisfied with the 1.4 version. i actually found it more VFM then the top end 1.6 version mostly bcoz i was little economy conscious and I didnt notice much difference in both car's initial pull/pickup and also that both versions have the same notchy long gearshift knobs. FE of my car is getting better now. I recently got surprised with the FE of 13.09 kms/l in my last tankful with normal HP fuel with 50%ac usage in city driving conditions. I hope it improves even more and touches 14 kms/l after 1st service. car feels very roomy and a headturner with both interiors and exteriors designed beautifully. AC is good enough if not excellent. I also dont feel any noticible trouble with the left leg touching the dash and I am 6 feet 1 inches. Ground clearnce is excellent. It hasnt touched and speed braker yet with full loaded capacitiy. yet I find that the turning radious of 5 is not enough and this car is little troublesome on sharp and narrow U-Turns. Overall , Aveo 1.4 is actually a good car however infamous for its notchy gearshaft, engine response and drivebility. However the FE is very GOOD. hope this short reviews helps those seeking advice on AVEO and in comparison with Fiesta which is a great car too. -ashu

14th March 2007, 21:40	#5 (permalink)
ravibhat Senior - BHPian Join Date: Jul 2006 Location: Bangalore Posts: 1,461 View My Garage	Nice review aveo is good car just bit costly thats all! When we compare Maruti cars with other cars we feel overpriced, Aveo has quality and nice ride with it. so its a worth car, Ravi.

14th March 2007, 22:52	#8 (permalink)
ashu2025 Newbie Join Date: Sep 2006 Location: Jaipur Posts: 27	I got my Aveo 1.4LS in Rs 6.65 Lacs OTR in Sep06. I dont think AVEO is costlier. The Aveo 1.4LS comes almost the same price of the Fiesta 1.4 and it is much more loaded then the fiesta. The plastic quality is better and the spare parts are cheaper. A.S.S. are good too, atleast in my town.

17th March 2007, 17:39	#10 (permalink)
cartech BHPian Join Date: Jan 2007 Location: Mumbai Posts: 179	Hi Indian. GM has improved gear shift. Pl contact dealer. You may get your shift improved. Check this link :: AUTOCAR INDIA - CAR AND BIKE MAGAZINE ::

21st March 2007, 22:38	#12 (permalink)
ashu2025 Newbie Join Date: Sep 2006 Location: Jaipur Posts: 27	Are they providing this improved gearshift to the existing aveo owners too??? its hard to believe. my dealer has no information on that front. nevertheless, good news after all... we may say few more aveos on the roads after the gearshift improvement.