2004 Chevrolet Aveo sedan; photo courtesy General Motors. Click image to enlarge

Related articles on CanadianDriver First Drive: 2004 Chevrolet Aveo/Optra/Epica Test Drive: 2004 Chevrolet Aveo LS sedan Test Drive: 2004 Suzuki Swift+ Test Drive: 2007 Pontiac Wave SE sedan Test Drive: 2007 Pontiac Wave SE sedan   Manufacturer’s web site General Motors Canada

By Chris Chase

Years ago, I asked a guy I know why he chose to buy a brand-new Daewoo Lanos. “Because it was cheap,” was his answer.

That was how this Korean company hoped to break into the competitive North American new car market: by selling its cars for less than established brands could. It didn’t work, and by 2002 (about four years after the company’s 1999 debut here), Daewoo’s operations on this continent were out of money and out of business.

The 2004 model year would mark a return to North America for Daewoo, but this time under the guise of General Motors, who began importing the cars under its Chevrolet and Pontiac brands, as well as under the Suzuki banner.

The smallest of these cars was that sold as the Chevrolet Aveo, Pontiac Wave and Suzuki Swift+. The Aveo and Swift+ (a Canada-only model) arrived in dealers for 2004, while the Wave arrived a year later.

The Aveo and Wave were sold in both four-door hatchback and sedan bodystyles, while the Swift+ was offered as a hatchback only. All were powered by a 1.6-litre four-cylinder engine making 103 horsepower; the standard transmission choice was a five-speed manual, and a four-speed automatic was the option.

2004 Chevrolet Aveo (top) and 2004 Suzuki Swift +; photos by Greg Wilson. Click image to enlarge

In 2007, sedan versions of the Aveo and Wave got new styling and a tweaked suspension, plus some changes to the standard features and options lists. (Hatchback models wouldn’t get the updated styling until 2009, when both sedans and hatches also got a new, more efficient engine.)

Fuel consumption, while decent in the grand scheme, was a letdown compared to other small cars. The 2005 Aveo/Wave/Swift’s ratings of 8.8/6.1 L/100 km (city/highway, with manual transmission) were only slight better than those for a Ford Focus (9.2/6.2), about equal to those for a Hyundai Elantra (8.8/6.3), and were notably worse than the Honda’ Civic’s ratings of 7.5/5.7. In the subcompact class at the time, only the Kia Rio’s 9.3/6.9 L/100 km ratings were worse, while the Toyota Echo was the thriftiest subcompact, rated at 6.7/5.2.

Reliability seems to be have been sub-par, too, especially in early cars, but newer models appear to be far from trouble-free. Consumer Reports gives these cars a worse-then-average used vehicle rating, pointing out a number of potential trouble spots. Consumer Reports lists the 2004-2005 Aveo on its list of “used cars to avoid.” Ouch.