AZCentral.com's view

A dinky little subcompact car could be just the remedy for commuters who are sick of gas prices putting a hurt on the family budget.

Plenty of people are parking their gas-guzzling SUVs and big pickups, using them only for recreation or when they actually need them, while doing most local driving in little economy cars that are cheap to buy and operate. As second cars, that makes plenty of sense.

OK, so gas has receded to “only” $3 a gallon, but who among us expects it to stay there? The difference between 30 miles per gallon and 12 miles per gallon still resonates.

Chevrolet Aveo may be nothing special, but with decent drivability and refinement, it gets the job done economically without being too nasty to drive. Built by Daewoo of South Korea, the most obvious spinoff from General Motors’ acquisition of that company about five years ago, and has proven itself in sales results since arriving in 2004.

For 2009, the subcompact gets the face of the Chevy brand, with a large, horizontally split grille and bold, gold Chevy bow tie front and center. The interior is tight though finished nicely.

Aveo drives more substantially than it looks, handling highway speeds nicely, but it’s most at home on city streets, where its small size and maneuverability are an advantage. Not to mention its gas-sipping economy.

The Aveo5 I drove was the hatchback version, the five designating the number of doors. A regular sedan with four doors and a trunk is also available.

There’s some formidable competition out there in the subcompact world, including Honda Fit, Suzuki SX, Toyota Yaris, Kia Rio, Hyundai Accent and Scion xD, but Aveo is the only one with a domestic nameplate. Aveo falls short against the best of them, though not bad as basic transportation.

Chevrolet Aveo5 LT

Vehicle type: Five-passenger, four-door hatchback, front-wheel drive.

Engine: 1.6-liter inline-4, 106 horsepower at 6,400 rpm, 105 pound-feet f torque at 3,800 rpm.

Transmission: Four-speed automatic.

Wheelbase: 97.6 inches.

Overall length: 155 inches.

Curb weight: 2,557 pounds.

EPA rating: 25 city, 34 highway.

HIGHS: Good gas mileage, decent drivability, value pricing.

LOWS: Dinky, no rear side airbags, ugly fake-wood trim.

PERFORMANCE: The 1.6-liter four-banger runs smoothly and has enough power to propel this little hatchback with decent acceleration despite the automatic. Power is up slightly from past Aveos.

The transmission functions well enough, though I’d prefer stickshift. My fuel mileage was about 30 mpg.

DRIVABILITY: Aveo corners well with responsive steering. The ride is soft for comfort, which allows some body sway, so sporty driving is not really encouraged.

Antilock brakes cost extra, and the rear brakes are drums instead of discs. There are no electronic enhancements for traction or stability. There are no side airbags available for the rear.

STYLING: The lengthened front end mitigates the econobox look, though in profile, it still appears stubby towards the rear.

The 14-inch wheels on the test car look small, with 15-inch alloys optional.

INTERIOR: Not really roomy but bigger than expected. The rear seat is pretty small but workable for two. Three adults would be squished.

Tall drivers, such as this one, will find legroom skimpy, though headroom and shoulder space are not bad.

The dashboard design is simple and workable, and most of the interior materials and trim look decent. That is, aside from some exceedingly ugly fake-wood trim. BOTTOM LINE: A small price for a small car, with the stripped-down LS model starting at $12,120. But that doesn’t even include air-conditioning, which comes standard on the LT.

Base price: $13,595.

Price as tested: $16,295.

OPTIONS

Automatic transmission, $925.

Antilock brakes, $440.

Power windows, locks and keyless entry, $425.

Cruise control, $250.

Shipping, $660.