Honestly speaking, I had no plans for buying a new car, since Bangalore has one of the highest taxes. It was only because of the discount that I just thought of locking the opportunity. Tried a few cars like Verna, Swift, SX4, Linea. Since the trials were not for long distances, I was unable to make out the exact thing I should be looking at while buying a car. Having owned a Premier Padmini and 800 for 3+10 years, and not having driven any MPFI/Power steering cars over longer distances, I was under an impression that all the cars in the market are smooth and peppy. With this impression, I focused more on the cosmetics than the skin deep beauty. AllI watched out for was a good looking babe with a boot.
Moreover, Aveo boasted a lot more power beneath the hood according to GM, a 94bhp engine, 115 torque, 0-100 km in 11 something seconds. Having owned Aveo 1.4 LT 2009 (I was missing chromes in LS) for 9 months, I am happy about my selection. Though there were apprehensions about GM going bankrupt, and expensive spare parts, and dealer service, they all turned out to be just rumours in all these 9 months. GM India is alive and will be alive. Spare parts are cheaper than Honda and Hyundai. One more dealer has come up in Kalyan Nagar. The staff is courteous too. Now don’t expect any of these guys to get a cake for you. Tea or coffee should be fine. Here are some pros and cons of the car.
Pros:
Looks - Absolutely killing. The proof is that mischief mongers have ignored all the cars in the parking, and welcomed my car with a few scratches (not that bad though) done deliberately with stone or sharp object. That shows jealousy for something that stands out of the crowd.Leather upholstery gives a rich look. Spoiler adds to the sportiness.
Space - Unbeatable. You don’t need to cramp up inside the cabin.
Engine - Very smooth. The engine has turned smoother as I drove something like 5500 kms. Its peppy too. Obviously you can’t rev at 3-4-5th gears in the crowded city, but its very responsive at 1-2 gears. No prob in beating the crossing signals, leaving even the bikers far behind.
Ground Clearance - 180 mm is not low by any standards. Soft shockers further add to the comfort of riding. Though with Bangalore’s unscientific speed breakers (humps), you need to be extra cautious to cross these at low speeds. Else one will end up banging the bottom. Better do so at 1st gear, and then rev.
Steering - very precise for long drives. keeps the car intact on its track. Better than electronic steering which go hay wire on the highways. Leather wrapping adds to the looks as well.
AC - Very effective, but slightly heavy on the engine in heavily crowded streets. Works fine once the RPM increases beyond 2000.
Music system - Crystal clear sound from 6 speakers. Though distorts at high volume, but could be forgiven for this given that there is no subwoofer. As good as any well known brand.
Pickup - Who says it has a low pickup. Easily beat the traffic, and the engine is very responsive. Once over 2000 RPM, it fires like a bullet.
Cons:
Gears - Just fine. Not too notchy, but lack the smoothness I felt in Linea, and I10 (I didn’t notice other cars’ transmission). You need to aim right to ensure non-jerky transitions.
Great Looks - People are jealous and scratch my car while in the parking. Happened twice.
On the whole, a great car to own.