2009 Chevrolet Aveo 4-door AVEO5 LS Hatchback Sedan

With small touches of metallic grain, satin chrome trim and a faux leather interior, the Aveo LT retains an upscale look uncommon in this class. 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 in the sedan and feature a flip-and-fold-flat design in the five-door, there's plenty of room for good-sized boxes or long, skinny stuff like skis.

A full-featured economy subcompact built by General Motors Daewoo in Korea, the Aveo is a competently-designed four-door with sheetmetal that blends smoothly together to present a neat package. The Malibu-inspired V-shaped hood and split 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 Standard Equipment

Notable Optional Equipment

Despite its entry-level status, the 2009 Chevrolet Aveo offers a surprisingly high level of standard equipment, including front side-impact airbags, height-adjustable driver's seat with lumbar support, tilt wheel, interior releases for trunk and fuel door, variable wipers, OnStar and a rear window defogger. The upscale 2LT trim adds air conditioning, remote keyless entry with alarm, 15-inch wheels, cruise control and power and heated mirrors. Music lovers will appreciate the 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.

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, XM Satellite Radio, fog lamps, a rear spoiler, anti-lock brakes (ABS), an engine-block heater and an anti-theft system.

General Motors' 16-valve four-cylinder engine powers every 2009 Aveo and produces 106 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
106 horsepower @ 6400 rpm
106 lb.-ft. of torque @ 3800 rpm
EPA city/highway fuel economy: 27/34 (manual), 25/34 (automatic)