2009 Chevy Aveo5

A perplexed powertrain Mated to a five-speed manual, the Aveo5 makes an impressive 27 mpg in the city and 34 mpg on the highway. Small tweaks to the 1.6-liter I-4 engine have caused even smaller changes to power numbers, resulting in 106 hp and 106 lb-ft of torque. That's all fine and dandy on paper, putting the Aveo5 right in the thick of the Honda, Toyota and Hyundai. But driving the Aveo5 is proof that specs don't always have a direct translation to the real world. Compared to the Fit, Yaris, and Accent, the Aveo5 is in its own class - far below the others. The Aveo5's throttle pedal is poorly calibrated and prone to surging and hanging up on revs. The transmission is even more vague than the throttle pedal, with a shifter that has no clear pattern or defined feel to it and a clutch that feels remarkably inconsistent. Driving the Aveo5 takes a surprising amount of finesse and patience. The skill required to smoothly move the Aveo5 down the street is more akin to that required from cars built several decades ago. Working the throttle and gas pedal as deftly as you can still has the car jerking long after you've let the clutch all the way out. Same song, different verse Tuning a car's chassis is an exercise in compromise as engineers balance a comfortable ride with predictable handling. With the Aveo5, GM's engineers missed both goals entirely and ended up with a body that wallows down the road while taking serious abuse from rogue potholes. The steering feel is numb, with the wheel always eager to return to center. The aversion to turns is seconded by the suspension, which plows through corners with excessive understeer. A blast from the past As driving enthusiasts, we understand that not all cars are intended to be driven hard and fast, and subcompacts definitely fall into that category. So we've moved from subcompact to subcompact, understanding that 12-second saunters to reach highway speed are part of the game. But the Aveo5 isn't just subcompact slow. Accelerating, stopping and turning become as awkward as a middle school dance as you negotiate uncommunicative controls and wimpy mechanicals. It's a driving experience that places the Aveo5 at least five years behind its competitors in terms of refinement. Conclusion The Aveo5 plays the subcompact game very well on paper, in pictures and sitting in the driveway. Its recent redesign has breathed some much-needed style into the car. The spec sheets look competitive with the rest of the class. Inside, the interior has been finished with well-chosen materials and excellent precision. Unfortunately, when you pull out of the driveway, the Aveo5 reveals itself to be an awkward and uncomfortable reminder of small cars past.