Summary

The Chevrolet Aveo offers a lot for not much money. The frame structure is designed with safety in mind. The engine offers zippy acceleration and delivers an estimated 27/35 city/highway mpg with the manual transmission. The cabin is quiet, and there's good room in the rear seats. If all you want to spend is $10,000 or $12,000 for a new car and you don't need anything more than a small five-seater, it's hard to see how you could go wrong with the Chevy Aveo.

NewCarTestDrive.com correspondent Sam Moses filed this report from San Antonio, Texas.

Model Line Overview

Model lineup:Chevrolet Aveo Special Value hatchback ($9,455); LS ($11,370); LT hatchback ($12,790), Special Value sedan ($9,455); LS sedan ($11,370); LT sedan ($13,015)

Engines:1.6-liter DOHC 16-valve inline-4

Transmissions:5-speed manual; 4-speed automatic

Safety equipment (standard):dual-stage front airbags; side-impact airbags; seat belt pretensioners; LATCH anchors and tethers for child safety seats; trunk entrapment release system

Safety equipment (optional):ABS with EBD

Basic warranty:3 years/60,000 miles

Assembled in:Bupyong, South Korea