ALL AUTOCARS

The 2009 Aveo is a 4-door, 5-passenger family sedan, available in 3 trims, ranging from the LS 4-Door to the LT2 4-Door. Upon introduction, both trims are equipped with a standard 1.6-liter, I4, 106-horsepower engine that achieves 27-mpg in the city and 34-mpg on the highway. A 5-speed manual transmission with overdrive is standard, and a 4-speed automatic transmission with overdrive is optional. The 2009 Aveo is a carryover from 2008.

What I liked most about the Aveo is the interior. It's neither gimmicky nor bare, and the car's tall roofline and large side windows convey a spacious feel.
The Aveo driver gets a pull-down armrest on the inside of the seat—something not often found on vehicles in this class.

Front sun visors include mirrors, and manual height adjustment for the driver seat gave me a comfortable, high driving position to see over the dashboard and even into cars ahead.
Also appreciated was the excellent dead pedal—a foot-sized, flat, bracing point—that was well-positioned for my use.

The mix of materials on the Aveo dashboard and doors looks good, and the Aveo's new, straightforward audio controls and decent sound are better than in some competitors.
Even the Aveo's horn is better than competitors' cheap, "little car" tone.

At the rear …The rear seat is tight, from door to door, for three adults. But legroom back there of 35.4 feet is noteworthy. Seat cushions are up high, and passenger legs tend to extend downward more than forward.

The Aveo sedan's trunk space of 12.4 cubic feet is commendable, too, though most of this space is wedged under the rear window shelf.