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So while the Aveo’s design merits a mere ‘D’ on the report card, the chassis people deserve a commendable ‘B’. For a car with a mere 2480 mm wheelbase, the Aveo is smooth over ruts and humps—more so than its Japanese rivals. The ride is rarely crashy and damping is actually quite good. It’s also quiet despite running on economy-biased Kumho rubbers. Of course, tuning the Aveo for the A to B city block means a huge compromise (and a barely passing score) on the highway run. The tall body alone makes it susceptible to crosswinds, while the submarine hatch steering response won’t exactly help things. The softly sprung suspension means that it starts to leap all over the place at 100 and it begs to slow down at 120 km/h. Take heed of the “Objects in the Mirror…” warning on the side mirrors too—they pessimistically magnify passing traffic and hamper overtaking maneuvers with large blind spots. The Aveo’s poor highway touring ability means that it’s surely built for the city. Well, granted that the suspension’s soft and the comfort’s great, it should make for a good traffic companion. However, its engine tells another story. Though the four-speed automatic is smooth, the gearing is far too tall causing the Aveo is puff out of power by 80 km/h. An invisible barrier prevents further progress beyond 120 km/h. The huff-and-puff of the transmission isn’t helped by the gruff and underpowered 1.5-liter Ecotec engine. Its 200 cc additional capacity may spell good bang for the buck performance, but with a power rating comparable to smaller engines, the Aveo straddles along with a mere 83 horsepower and 128 Nm of torque. Lack of power aside, the combination of a larger displacement engine and tall gearing don’t bode well for fuel economy. And guess what, it doesn’t. In the week that I had the Aveo, we filled it up four times with an average mileage of 7.98 km/L—figures similar to a Honda Accord V6! At this point, it’s clear that I’m no big fan of the Aveo. I simply don’t like the frog-like looks, the garnish green point, the boomy engine and the disappointing transmission. So could I absolutely think of it as a college boy’s first car? As mentioned earlier, the super mini formula must always include ‘cheap to maintain’—in fact, it should be a main consideration, otherwise you’d be better off with a base sports compact. Despite the Aveo’s thirst for unleaded, it does come with a comprehensive bumper to bumper, three-year warranty that includes parts (even consumables like oil) and labor. This means that after the P 595,000.00 that you plop down for this car, you don’t have to spend on anything else but petrol and the occasional car wash. This sways everyone (me include) to give the Aveo a serious consideration. But, in the end, it leaves me in the cold. The Aveo may be well-built and cheap to maintain, but if you’re looking for good driving dynamics and a refined drive train, this car fails—miserably. There are far better choices out there that are just as well-built but can give an equally exciting experience behind the wheel. Or, if a super mini really isn’t to your taste (like me), you’d do just what any sensible college student would do: ask for hand-me-downs. And look at me—six years on I’m still very much in love with my 1991 Mitsubishi Galant GTi. |
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