Daily Aveo

by Joe LaMuraglia

We are always up for new things here at Gaywheels.com. Whether it be chat reviews or writing a review as a personal ad (yeah, we’ve done it), we are always looking for new ways to share our vehicular experiences with our readers. Being a very busy small business owners, we don’t always have time to write timely reviews on the cars we drive. We do our best but it may be a month before we can post an article. So, we are trying to a new format. A daily blog on the vehicle we are driving that week.

Friday, January 26, 2007 – This week I am crusing around in a very blue 2007 Chevy Aveo LT Sedan. It looks very much like the photo you see above. While I am a fan of the Aveo hatchback, the sedan isn’t really doing it for me aesthetically. It looks like they are trying too hard to make an inexpensive car look sporty. Then again, beauty is in the eye of the beholder, right?

We got delivery of the car on Wednesday of this week and have driven about 20 miles around Atlanta. Initial impressions? Not so great. It is really slow and there is a lot of fake wood on the inside. Positives? It is loaded with a sunroof, nice stereo, steering wheel controls, power everything. Getting ready to drive it from Atlanta to Nashville to see my boyfriend. I’ll update this when I get there.

Saturday, January 27, 2007 – Well, I wasn’t able to log on last night but I am happy to report that the 4-hour trip was uneventful. I make this trip quite often and it is nice to be able to compare the various vehicles on the same stretch of highway. The trek includes long stretches of highway and two uphil climbs that to be honest, I was worried the little Aveo would have trouble with. While no sports car, the Aveo tackled it all with aplomb. I was especially impressed with how the 4-speed transmission shifted during the uphill climb. When it dropped into third gear, it would hold it for just the right amount of time rather than hunting up and down like other vehicles I’ve driven. Not bad for a entry-level car.

A few things that I noticed during the drive: the car is very susceptible to cross winds – not surprising for a tall vehicle. I also kept inadvertantly turning off the radio via the steering-wheel-mounted controls. They seem to a bit of an afterthought rather than desgined from the get go. I did a quick MPG calculation when I filled up. First tank was only 28 MPG. That may be a factor of me averaging 75 – 80 MPH. I’ll do another calculation on my way home.

My lesbian friend is sitting next to me and insists that I tell you how large the trunk is. She’s right, it is huge – plenty for those in overpackers anonymous. She also commented on how roomy the interior felt. That’s all for today. I’ll give an update when I get back to the Atlanta.

Sunday, January 28, 2007– Had a great night in Nashville. Getting ready to head back to the ATL. Ran a few errands this morning in the Aveo and wanted to mention how easy it is to drive. The small size allows for easy parking and the more time I spend in it around town, the more I appreciate its zippy nature. One glaring shortfall, for me at least – the cupholders are NOT Starbucks friendly. They aren’t easy to use and don’t hold my daily tall coffee very well. When you drive as much as I do, this is vitally important. More after the drive.

Monday, January 29, 2007– The drive back to Atlanta was uneventful. My very sick bf slept the entire way so I wasn’t able to crank the stereo like I do when I am alone in the car. Did I mention it had the optional 6-disc changer with iPod input? If you are into music, this is a must have. It is a $250 upgrade on the LT trim and well worth it. Speaking of price, our Aveo topped out at over $16K. That is getting into “I can buy a really nice used car for the same price” territory. It is absolutely loaded with every option available and GM has a killer new warranty but $16K feels like a lot for this car. Then again, I just did a few comparisons to the Nissan Versa and the Hyundai Accent. It is actually competitively priced feature for feature. You can’t get some of the high-tech features like Bluetooth that the Versa offers but it is actually a bit less expensive and has a better warranty.

Verdict

I was pleasantly surprised by this car. I didn’t like it at first but it grew on me. If you need an affordable entry-level car, I’d say definitely take a look at an Aveo in addition to the Nissan Versa and the Toyota Yaris I wouldn’t advise it for cross-country treks but for the day-to-day commute and the occasional road trip, it will do just fine.Chevrolet is a gay-friendly company.

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