why ads?

Popular at KBB.com

The 40 mpg Cars of 2013

2008 Chevrolet Aveo

Please enter a valid mileage

Curious about the newer model? Check out the 2011 Chevrolet Aveo

Overview

Trading in or Selling? Know where you stand with the most up-to-date Kelley Blue Book Value at your fingertips. See your car's value

Buying this car?

2008 Chevrolet Aveo Review

By KBB.com Editors

The 2008 Chevrolet Aveo, a smartly styled subcompact, offers excellent fuel economy, a long list of standard features and a bargain-basement price. The Aveo's appeal extends to budget-conscious first-time buyers, retired folks on limited incomes and those looking for a thrifty second car. Available as a sedan or five-door hatch, the Aveo's uncommonly high roof means tall occupants can sit comfortably both front and rear, a major bonus for those who might stay clear of small cars due to their cramped interiors.

You'll Like This Car If...

If you're looking for budget-conscious, efficient basic transportation you'll like the Aveo LT. Practical, utilitarian and with no complicated high-tech systems to learn, the little sedan is also a good choice for RVers looking for a haul-behind car. Another plus: The high seating position for driver and passenger.

You May Not Like This Car If...

You may not like the LT if you expect instant response from the automatic transmission. You may also find that child carseats are the best bet for occupying the back seat. With the front seats all the way back, there is very minimal legroom for rear-seat passengers.

What's Significant About This Car?

Fresh from its 2007 makeover, the 2008 Aveo has only minor changes. A tire-pressure monitoring system is standard across the line and LT trims receive 15-inch aluminum wheels and chrome door handles.

Driving the Aveo

Driving Impressions Driving a car as uncomplicated as the Aveo LT releases you from constantly checking the myriad of messages or dealing with the intricate controls found on the lavish instrument panels...

in pricier cars. With an eye occasionally on the speedometer, the driver is free to enjoy the surprising capabilities of the Aveo LT's zippy little 103-horsepower engine. There is no available stability-control system, although anti-lock brakes (ABS) are an option. A slight lean is noticeable on corners taken at speed but the overall driving experience is precise and pleasant, with the car holding the line during straight, hard braking. As to be expected from this category of car, some tire, wind and engine noise is par for the course.

Favorite Features

Auxiliary Audio Input Jack
With an eye on youthful buyers who enjoy music 24/7, the Aveo LT has an auxiliary input jack for iPods and other music players and electronic devices.

Fuel Economy
Saving on fuel bills is high on many folks' lists and Aveo buyers are obviously looking for this benefit. The LT with automatic transmission rewards you with 26 mpg city and 34 mpg highway, depending on road conditions and driving style.

2008 Chevrolet Aveo Details

Interior

Small touches of metallic grain and satin chrome trim give an upscale look to the interior. Front seats with tilt headrests, storage pockets in doors and seatbacks, a sunglass holder and six-way adjustable driver's seat are features you'd expect in a higher-priced car. The dashboard is simplicity at its best, clearly showing all the information the driver needs. The front passenger seat reclines and, with a trunk capacity of 12.4 cubic feet and rear 60/40-split seats that fold almost flat, there's plenty of room for good-sized boxes or long, skinny stuff like skis.

Exterior

A full-featured economy subcompact built by General Motors Daewoo in Korea, the Aveo LT is a competently-designed four-door whose sheetmetal blends smoothly together to present a neat package. The V-shaped hood and strong grille reveal its Chevrolet heritage and emphasize its wide stance. Large "shoulders" over the wheels, oversized front and rear lights and a height of almost five feet give it the appearance of a larger sedan.

Notable Equipment

Standard Equipment

Despite its entry-level status, the Aveo LT offers a surprising amount of useful equipment found on more expensive cars, including remote keyless entry with alarm, cruise control, air conditioning with rear vents, side airbags and power heated sideview mirrors. The remote trunk release saves time fumbling with keys and the rear window defogger, tilt steering column and adjustable headrests are unexpected extra conveniences. Music lovers will appreciate the LT's standard CD/MP3 player and 180-watt six-speaker system with auxiliary input jack. Power windows and door locks lift this model above many of its similarly-priced competitors.

Optional Equipment

The four-speed automatic overdrive transmission with Hold Control uses adaptive-shift technology. It helps to reduce wheel spin and loss of traction by allowing the driver to manually select and then hold a gear so that torque to the wheels is reduced, much as with a true manual transmission. Like audio controls at your fingertips? The Aveo LT has them at thumb level on the steering wheel. Other options include a sunroof, leatherette seats, fog lamps, a rear spoiler, an engine block heater and an anti-theft system.

Under the Hood

General Motors' 16-valve four-cylinder engine powers the Aveo LT, producing 103 horsepower. An electronic throttle control and variable induction system help maximize power across the rpm range for consistency and fuel economy, and the four-speed automatic transmission's Hold Control mode provides a pseudo-manual operation the driver can select for sportier or more controlled driving.

1.6-liter in-line 4
103 horsepower @ 5800 rpm
107 lb.-ft. of torque @ 3400 rpm
EPA city/highway fuel economy: 24/34 (manual), 23/32 (automatic)

To compare current market prices, check out KBB.com's car classifieds to view the new and used Chevrolet Aveo vehicles for sale near you.

Trading in or Selling? Know where you stand with the most up-to-date Kelley Blue Book Value at your fingertips. See your car's value

Buying this car?

2008 Chevrolet Aveo Consumer Reviews

Overall Rating

7.0

Out of 10

Based on 678 Ratings for the 2004 - 2010 models.

Review this car

Value

7.8/10

Quality

7.2/10
Reliability

7.8/10

Performance

7.2/10
Comfort

7.4/10

Styling

7.5/10

Love it, love it!

By Granny (MO) on Friday, June 07, 2013

I own this car - My approximate mileage is 115,000

10 10.0

overall rating 10 of 10rating details

Reviewer Ratings

Overall Rating: 10/10
Value: 10/10
Reliability: 10/10
Quality: 10/10
Performance: 10/10
Styling: 10/10
Comfort: 10/10

Pros: "Excellent bang for the buck!"

Cons: "A/C could work faster."

Likely to recommend this car? (1-10): 10

"Best car I have owned in 45 years driving experience. Economical to purchase and maintain, easy to handle, no major repairs needed. Only additional expenses have been oil changes, tire replacement, windshield washer solution refills, one directional signal replacement, and, of course, gasoline--and this is for over 1000,000 miles!"

2 people out of 2 found this review helpful

Was this review helpful to you? yes | no | report abuse

Good dependable low end car

By Gino (VA) on Friday, May 31, 2013

I own this car - My approximate mileage is 189,000

10 9.0

overall rating 9 of 10rating details

Reviewer Ratings

Overall Rating: 9/10
Value: 10/10
Reliability: 10/10
Quality: 8/10
Performance: 8/10
Styling: 8/10
Comfort: 8/10

Pros: "Good little economic car"

Cons: "Could use more legroom for the back"

Likely to recommend this car? (1-10): 8

"If you keep up with the oil changes and timing belt replacements this is a good little commuting car. Timing belts need to be checked every 30K and replaced every 60K I did have a problem with an airbag sensor in the passenger's seat which may have been due to things rolling under the seat and hitting the wiring. It was an expensive ($1,300) repair."

4 people out of 4 found this review helpful

Was this review helpful to you? yes | no | report abuse

Behind its pretty looks lurks a monster.

By e town (MO) on Monday, May 13, 2013

I own this car - My approximate mileage is 94,000

10 3.0

overall rating 3 of 10rating details

Reviewer Ratings

Overall Rating: 3/10
Value: 5/10
Reliability: 2/10
Quality: 2/10
Performance: 7/10
Styling: 9/10
Comfort: 5/10

Pros: "Good looking car"

Cons: "Bad gas mileage, oil burning, Very poor quality."

Likely to recommend this car? (1-10): 1

"The only good thing I can say about my aveo is is I like the way it looks. When driving on slick surfaces the brakes are un predictible. It is very easy to loose control in the snow making it a car that I would not let my daughter drive in the winter. My aveo has been serviced on schedule since new, but i have had many mechanical problems for example replaced computer under warranty after that at about 40,000 miles The first throttle body went out and it took over a week for the dealer to find out what was wrong because the computer did not put out any codes. At around 60,000 miles the second throttle body went out and the third at 80,000 miles I have had to also replace fuel pump map sensor crank shaft position sensor and cam sensor. When going through a car wash the wind shield leaks and when passing through drier at the car wash the roof makes a loud bang because the roof bends the car has very little insulation so there is alot of road noise the seats are ok but pretty hard the controls are laid out well but interior materials are of very poor quality very hard to vacuum the carpet because it holds the dirt like velcro. This car gets horrible gas mileage for a car its size at 20 city and about 25 Hwy not to mention the oil burning It uses almost a quart of oil every 600 miles it smokes when I start the engine. I bought a 93 volvo 240 for a 1,000 dollars and would not trade it for two Aveos."

8 people out of 14 found this review helpful

Was this review helpful to you? yes | no | report abuse

Worst car ever owned.

By Navyred (ND) on Thursday, April 18, 2013

I own this car - My approximate mileage is 52,797

10 1.0

overall rating 1 of 10rating details

Reviewer Ratings

Overall Rating: 1/10
Value: 1/10
Reliability: 1/10
Quality: 4/10
Performance: Not Rated
Styling: 7/10
Comfort: 6/10

Cons: "No cup holders n back, ash tray very hard to reach"

Likely to recommend this car? (1-10): 1

"This is the worst car I have ever owned. It was cheaply made and it does not hold up. Since buying it new in Aug 09 with less than 100 miles on the odometer, it needed a new battery in Nov. 09; new brakes Oct.2010; new radiator & new transmission plus something went wrong with the gas pedal(fuel regulator etc.) all in Sept 2013. To date, there have been 11 times that major things have gone wrong with this car. The original tires went bald at 8,000 miles;to date the car is on the 3rd set of new tires (at 52,000 miles). I have had the entire car aligned twice and all the hoses have been replaced 3 times now."

4 people out of 8 found this review helpful

Was this review helpful to you? yes | no | report abuse

Wish they still made them !

By J.K. (NC) on Saturday, April 13, 2013

I own this car - My approximate mileage is 56,000

10 10.0

overall rating 10 of 10rating details

Reviewer Ratings

Overall Rating: 10/10
Value: 10/10
Reliability: 10/10
Quality: 10/10
Performance: 10/10
Styling: 10/10
Comfort: 10/10

Likely to recommend this car? (1-10): 10

"I would buy another in a heartbeat. Comfortable driving, great gas milage,good hauling ability with fold-up seats and sporty looks. Only fault...cd only, no cassette player !"

5 people out of 5 found this review helpful

Was this review helpful to you? yes | no | report abuse

excellent and reliable vehicle

By don (MA) on Wednesday, April 10, 2013

I own this car - My approximate mileage is 185,000

10 8.0

overall rating 8 of 10rating details

Reviewer Ratings

Overall Rating: 8/10
Value: 9/10
Reliability: 9/10
Quality: 9/10
Performance: 9/10
Styling: 7/10
Comfort: 7/10

Likely to recommend this car? (1-10): 9

"i bought this car new. i change the oil every 3000 miles. changed the timing belt at 100000. have replaced the front brakes twice, the rear brakes are still very good. I have also replaced the thermostat and the belt tensioner. this car has been an unbelievable value. 185000 miles and still going strong"

5 people out of 5 found this review helpful

Was this review helpful to you? yes | no | report abuse

See all 678 reviews