My Take: 2007 Chevy Aveo

In his review of the updated Chevrolet Aveo subcompact, Kelsey Mays hits all the major issues on the head. I took the 2007 sedan out for a spin, and my overall impression is that Chevy missed an opportunity to go a step beyond the competitors.

To be fair, the Honda Fit is proving to be an anomaly in this smallfry class — head and possibly shoulders above the rest. But when Chevy updated this model, it at least should have taken the opportunity to leapfrog the other guys, not simply match them. Chevy made the same error with the Cobalt, which came out of the box just barely competitive with average compact models, all of which are now poised to leave it in the dust when they next are redesigned.

In relation to its competitors, the Aveo sedan seems to be skating by on some technicalities. For example, if you look at feature comparisons, you’ll see that the Aveo has power locks and remote keyless entry, but the execution, as Kelsey mentions, is missing elements such as a lock/unlock switch inside the car. The remote itself is short a button; the same one locks and unlocks the car, so you walk away wondering, “Wait, did I lock it? [Click.] Wait, did I just lock it or unlock it? [Click.] Wait…” How expensive can buttons possibly be? To an automaker, they actually may be quite expensive, but when the competition manages to incorporate them, any car that skimps will forever remind its owner that it’s an econocar. Even econocar buyers don’t want to be reminded that their budget only allowed for one button.