Initial ownership report: Chevrolet Aveo 1.4 LT After considerable research (on team-bhp included) and test drives that included Honda Jazz, City; Hyundai Verna, Fiat Linea, Maruti SX4, I went for a Chevrolet Aveo 1.4 LT. I own another Maruti WagonR, and have driven Swift, 800, Omni earlier.
The reasons for my purchase were as follows:
1) I wanted nice urban driveability (in Bangalore stop and go traffic over countless humps), good roomy interiors (especially since we are expanding our family soon). I am not necessarily a speed maniac, but want to feel comfortable when I drive from point A to point B. I also wanted a car that my wife can drive around comfortably too.
2) Honda cars are the easiest to drive, but you pay a premium of almost 2 lakhs for what you get. Their engines are very refined and responsive for the kind of speeds you need in cities. The low ground clearance was a worrisome factor.
3) Maruti SX4 offered power and a nice ground clearance. However the rear view was extremely bad. This can affect parking. The interiors also looked a little cheap. They were making up a feature count, but not adding the best in quality.
4) Hyundai Verna: I was put off by the engine rattling at low speeds, something we'll be doing a lot in Bangalore traffic. My wife, who's pregnant sat in the back, and she said that even the baby complained about the suspensions. Hyundai cars do have better looking interiors but the suspensions and rattling were put offs.
5) Fiat Linea: Appeared to be a powerful car. I test drove the diesel version. Looks amazing from outside, but not so good from inside. It looked rather long, and very stable at high speeds. I always found diesel vehicles harder to drive, they lack the refinement of a petrol engine, and are noisier. Linea's petrol version offers very bad mileage. So this got ruled out.
6) Chevy Aveo, Optra: I first test drove the Aveo, and liked it for good looking interiors. During the test drive, I noticed that the engine is amazingly smooth at lower speeds, hardly any rattling. While the pick up is low at very low speeds, at mid range its quite responsive. The suspensions were also good. The gear was clunky. I also test drove the Optra (diesel version), and appreciated the difference in suspensions even better. Optra has mcpherson struts on all 4 wheels, and the car almost sails. In terms of interiors, Aveo offered most of the top end quality stuff at a much cheaper price.
So here are all the factors that influenced me:
1) Drive quality. Honda was the best. Sx4 felt just like other maruti cars. Aveo's engine had no rattles and the acceleration is very smooth. Verna, Sx4 would rattle at low speeds in higher gears.
2) Steering. EPS is easier to use than Hydraulic steering. However the hydraulic steering looks more consistent, and has no play.
3) Gears: Nothing to beat Honda. Sx4 is decent too. Verna's gears are easy to change as well.
4) Suspensions: Honda has soft suspensions. Aveo has pretty rugged and effective ones. Optra felt the best.
5) Seating: Honda seats were more comfortable. But Aveo offered leather seats and a host of features at a lower price.
6) Fuel Efficiency: I guess most of these are comparable, and a function of the driver. I would be happy with something around 11-13 for this type of car.
7) Security: Of all the cars, Linea and Aveo felt the safest. Somehow you feel the guage they use is thicker. Maruti and Honda cars appear thin.
For me the choice came down to Aveo or Honda, since I cared about ride quality a lot, and the interiors were important to me. I do not want to change gears in a hurry since I see the engine is rattling at low speeds. The apply clutch-change gear-worry about humps routine is a major put off in Bangalore's roads.
GM's brand image is not helping them. Somehow people experienced high cost of ownership with Opel cars (made in Germany) and associated that with GM in general. The Chevy series are from Korea, and should be cheaper to maintain. Their maintenance guarantees also helped.
Ultimately, I went for a Chevy Aveo 1.4 LT, since it nicely fit my budget - I paid 7.7 lakhs on road, and also got a lot of features:
. 3 year zero-maintenance cost guarantee.
. Alloy wheels (although they give this only for 4, and the one in the stepney is ordinary)
. Leather interiors.
. Reverse parking sensor. (Extra from the dealer)
. Keyless entry. (the duplicate key is not electronic. GM being stingy)
. Height adjustable driver seats.
. Electronic OVRMs.
. Really good music system.
. Adjustable steering (standard in this segment)
. Driver-side air bags. (Cars in India are a family phenomenon. I wonder if providing only driver-side air bags make sense).
Now anything comparable in a Honda would cost at least 2 lakhs more. Even the Jazz is more expensive than the Aveo, and hardly has these features.
I opted for a green colour. People were cynical at first, but everyone started liking it when they saw the car. I dealt with Sundaram Motors and had a pleasant experience.
I have driven the car for 3 days now, about 80KM, in Bangalore traffic, and got to speed once or twice. Here are my thoughts:
1) Tighter gears are something that need some getting used to.
2) I really like the smooth performance, zero engine rattling at low speeds. I've almost stopped using my clutch at low speeds over humps. This is a major convenience compared to the earlier cars I drove.
3) Parking sensors are very handy!
4) The music system is very good. I've probably saved around 20K because of this quality.
5) The car is rugged over humps, and potholes. The front is far more comfortable than the back.
6) At first the hydraulic steering seemed more work than EPS, but I am beginning to like its consistency.
7) Almost everyone loved the car's looks, and the very nicely done interiors. Very few realize that the car is not that expensive.
8) My city drives are far more comfortable now. I use the clutch about 30% lesser. I am less tired because of no rattling in the engine.
9) The car accelerates quite well in mid-range after you are at about 30Kmph.
10) The car has hardly touched a speed breaker. Something I hated with WagonR and Swift that I would drive earlier.
Still no accurate measure on the mileage. Perhaps 10-11 kmpl with AC on 70% of the time. |