2005 CHEVROLET AVEO NEW CAR BUYER'S GUIDE

What's New for the 2005 Chevrolet Aveo?
The year-old 2005 Chevrolet Aveo has little change in store. Alloy wheels are now standard on LT models, while bolt-on wheel covers grace the 14-inch steel wheels. You can now opt for blackout door pillar trim, and the turn signal lamps are now white. A new rear spoiler beautifies five-door models, and there are some revisions to option package names.

Advantages of the 2005 Chevrolet Aveo:

• Low price
• Great size for city dwellers
• Standard seat height adjuster
• Available MP3 player
• Optional power sunroof

Objections to the 2005 Chevrolet Aveo:

• Unlikely to fare well in crashes with larger vehicles
• Warranty coverage doesn’t match length of the competition
• Small rear seat
• Busy cabin design
• Uncomfortable driving position
• Woozy handling

Editor's Advice:
With the impending demise of the Cavalier and the arrival of the 2005 Chevrolet Cobalt, General Motors needed a small, inexpensive car that could go head-to-head with similar entry-level vehicles from Hyundai, Kia, Scion, Suzuki and Toyota. Enter the new 2005 Chevrolet Aveo. Buyers in this segment of the market care about two things: reliability and fuel economy. Chevrolet offers a five-year/60,000-mile powertrain warranty on the new Aveo, which is better than what Scion and Toyota provide, but doesn’t quite match the extensive coverage provided by Hyundai, Kia and Suzuki. At the least the Aveo is frugal with fuel, and there are plenty of Chevy dealerships around in case something does go awry. Our advice is to work a little overtime and save up enough to handle the extra twenty bucks a month for even a 2005 Kia Spectra, because it's going to be well worth it in the long run. Either that, or buy a nice certified used Honda Civic, Mazda Protege or Toyota Corolla. We don’t recommend the 2004 Chevrolet Aveo, a car destined to become the cheap wheels in rental fleets nationwide.