I just bought the Aveo top end 1.6L. I have owned it for 3 weeks/650 kms. Here are some of my experiences with the car:
Looks:
I think the Aveo is at the moment the best looking C segment car. So when it comes to looks, look no further. Fiesta looks really muted in terms of street presence. Agreed it’s a subjective thing. Fit and finish is superb. I have a black Aveo and the chrome door handles stand out well. The front is awesome, with the big hearted chrome grill, the chevy badge and nice tucked fog lamps.
The drive:
The gear shift is a disappointment. But I have to say, after driving it for the last 3 weeks, it doesn’t feel that bad, of course, that doesn’t mean it’s good. I have become an accomplished Aveo gear shifter :-). Had the gearshift been good, this car would have beaten the fiesta hollow. As of now, this is the only area where I would say the car lags behind the fiesta.
Acceleration is good, though a bit slow to deliver when you have your AC turned on and you are on a low RPM. But once it kicks past the 1500rpm mark things start to look very good. Also, the torquier high end of the car helps you pull past slow traffic in the 3rd gear. Overall, I would say no problems on the performance front.
It terms of driveablity, the turning radius of the car is very small, in fact, I thought it was easier to manoeuvre the Aveo than the Zen which I owned before. So full marks to the Aveo when it comes to city driving, where you will need wiggle through traffic and squeeze into parking spots.
The AC is great, but with the AC on, the car seemed to be guzzler. I still need to ratify this. The first impression is that it’s a bit more of a guzzler than the Zen. But like I said, I have driven it for just 3 weeks and still need to be sure that I have my facts straight.
Interiors:
Plush is the word. The interiors are bright and cheerful. The top end has nice false wood finishing, a dashboard with two-tone interiors and a dual-din music system. I especially liked the look of the dual-din music system. It fits very nicely into the dashboard giving the interiors a very upmarket feel. Th car comes with 6 speakers, of which two are tweeters built into the front of the car. The music system is great with plenty of thump and fizz. The front seats are nice and comfortable and the back seat has ample legroom compared to other cars in its class.
Overall:
So far I’m thrilled with the Aveo. Spares cost are less than the Fiesta so, it scores well there as well. If you are looking for a great sporty looking car with good performace and a quality driving experience, this is the car for you. I’ m planning on a long drive to really dive into the car. Wish me luck!
Bye,
Prasant