The 2008 Chevrolet Aveo should be a charming little budget car, but with typical listing prices in the low $5,000 range, it’s competing with vastly superior Kias, Hyundais, and Hondas at the same sticker price. It’s a hidden gem at $3,000, but overpriced at $5,000.
Is the 2008 Chevrolet Aveo a Good Used Car?
- Overall Rating 7/10 – The 2008 Chevy Aveo has you making a lot of sacrifices that might be worth it at half the price.
- Interior, Comfort & Cargo 6/10 – The seats are uncomfortable, the suspension is rigid, and the cabin is cramped. There’s plenty of headroom in the hatchback, though.
- Reliability 7/10 – Repairs are cheap, but the car feels somewhat disposable, and likely won’t reach 250,000 miles.
- Safety 6/10 – Mediocre crash test ratings and skimpy safety features have Aveo coming up short in the safety department.
- Gas Mileage 7/10 – 24/34 MPG isn’t bad for a compact, but you might expect a few more miles to the gallon in a subcompact that’s small enough to park in the back of a pickup truck.
- Value 6/10 – It’s cheap, but you don’t even get what you pay for.
Positive Owner Reviews
Negative Owner Reviews
What Do Critics Say About the 2008 Chevrolet Aveo?
Consumer Reports acknowledged that the 2008 Aveo offered some improvements over previous model years, including a tighter turning radius, but they still found the car to be fairly unimpressive overall. They marked clumsy handling, stiff suspension, uncomfortable seats, and lazy acceleration among the car’s biggest failings.
Kelley Blue Book were a bit kinder in their assessment of the Aveo, praising it as a budget-friendly, fuel-efficient compact that RVers in particular will love for how easy it is to haul behind the mothership. Unresponsive transmission, limited legroom and tight seating earned the car a few red marks.
Edmunds found the Aveo to be fairly spacious for the price and size class, with an intuitive control layout. They note that the car isn’t as fuel-efficient as you’d expect for something so wimpy and lightweight.
What Common Problems Does the 2008 Chevrolet Aveo Have?
The 2008 Chevy Aveo has generated 159 complaints with the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration. Around half of these are for airbag issues, with drivers reporting airbag warning lights blinking on for no apparent reason.
43 electrical complaints point to various wiring problems from sudden power loss to failing tail lights. One driver dealing with an unexplained Check Engine Light suggests that their problem may have to do with a soldering defect.
A handful of drivers have reported engine stall and power loss while in motion. In some instances this only happens once, and in others it happens repeatedly. There have been no engine recalls thus far.
The 2008 Chevy Aveo has been recalled only once, for overheating daytime running light modules.
How Long Will the 2008 Chevrolet Aveo Last?
Chevrolet Aveo drivers typically report a minimum lifespan of 200,000 miles. You might be able to squeeze 250,000 miles out of the original transmission, but many drivers treat budget compacts as disposable, so you may have to account for the previous owner having skipped oil changes and tire rotations.
Repairpal estimate the 2008 Aveo costing just $450 a year in regular maintenance, with the most expensive common fixes being coolant changes, starting at around $295, and new wheels at $275 each.
It is reliable but as mentioned before it has a couple things wrong like constant air conditioning going out and then the check engine light always comes on.
Not reliable. Oil leaks on spark plugs even once it is fixed. Had vehicle for 3 years and every six months I have the same problem.
No problems at all, we have the oil change and everything is gone through every 6 to 8 months or so and all that it needs is an oil change
My car is almost 12 years old and is quite reliable. As long as you do the recommended maintenance, such as regular oil changes, tire rotation and such, it is a reliable vehicle. I have not had any problems with this car.
How Is the Technology?
Entertainment technology in the 2008 Aveo is pretty basic. The base model doesn’t even include a CD player, while the LT offers up an MP3 player with 6 speakers.
Safety technology in the Aveo is sparse, even for 2008. Anti-lock brakes are not available on any trim level.
Is the 2008 Chevrolet Aveo a Good Value?
The 2008 Chevrolet Aveo isn’t a great value. A Special Value Model hatchback typically lists for around $4,562, while an LT sedan lists for around $5,112. These prices are nice and low, but they’re not low enough. At around five thousand bucks, you might as well by a superior Kia or Hyundai.
If you can find an SVM at the lower end of the fair market range, starting at around $3,042, you might have a pretty good bargain on your hands. But, with most sellers these days listing their cars for as much as they can get away with, the Aveo just isn’t worth its typical listing price.
What are the Different Models of the 2008 Chevrolet Aveo?
The 2008 Aveo is available in three trim levels, from the stripped down Special Value Model to the high-end LT.
With the SVM you’re getting:
- AM/FM stereo with 4 speakers
- Cloth seating
- Tire pressure monitoring system
The mid-range LS adds:
- Manual air conditioning
In the top-of-the-line LT you’re adding:
- Heated mirrors
- Remote keyless entry
- Premium cloth seating
- CD/MP3 player
What Engines Come In the 2008 Chevrolet Aveo?
- The 2008 Chevy Aveo packs a 1.6L inline-four engine delivering 103 horsepower and 107 lb.-ft. of torque at an average fuel economy of 24/34 miles to the gallon, city/highway. This is paired to a 4-speed automatic transmission in front wheel drive.
What Colors Does the 2008 Chevrolet Aveo Come In?
How Comfortable Is the 2008 Chevrolet Aveo?
The 2008 Chevrolet Aveo is not very comfortable. The one positive here: There’s plenty of headroom in the hatchback models. But the suspension is stiff, the back seats are tight even for larger children, and the seating isn’t incredibly comfy.
How Much Storage Space Does the 2008 Chevrolet Aveo Have?
The 2008 Chevy Aveo offers 12 cubic feet of cargo space in the sedan, which should hold four medium suitcases, or maybe a couple small coolers for a camping trip. The hatchback starts you off with a meager 7 cubic feet in the back, which expands to a respectable 42 cubic feet with the seats down.
What Are the Differences Between Years?
The 2008 Chevrolet Aveo is the 7th model year in the car’s 1st Generation, which would launch in 2002, and be replaced by the 2nd Gen model in 2012.
2006: Standardized side airbags were the biggest change for 2006.
2007: Sedans got a slight redesign in 2007, with new dashboards to optimize the interior space.
2008: Tire pressure monitoring was made standard in 2008.
2009: The 2009 Aveo is a few MPGs more fuel-efficient than the 2008 edition.
2010: Chevy gave the Aveo a new rear spoiler in 2010.
How Does the 2008 Chevrolet Aveo Compare to the Competition?
If the Chevy Aveo were only a couple grand cheaper, it could be a charming little budget car. As it stands, the 2007 Suzuki Reno is both cheaper and more powerful. The Honda Fit is more powerful with way more standard features, including anti-lock brakes and CD players, averaging just a few hundred dollars more than an Aveo.
The 2008 Chevrolet Aveo aims to compete in the subcompact market by being cheaper than the competition at the sacrifice of standard features and horsepower.
That works out just fine when the car is brand new and we’re looking at a difference of several thousand dollars. After fifteen years on the road, the Aveo is asking you to give up quite a bit just to save a couple hundred dollars.
Do Owners Recommend the 2008 Chevrolet Aveo?
It is getting older and has had its own issues. Air conditioning constantly goes out but overall it is a sturdy vehicle. So all in all I would say yes.
Not really. I have the same problem with it every time I get it fixed. The oil keeps leaking on the spark plugs making the vehicle difficult to drive.
Yes it is a very good vehicle, very reliable and has never broken down. It has 78,000 miles on it and still starts right up without fail
It's an OK car. Handles much better on dry roads than snow covered or icy roads. For a small car, it doesn't get very good gas mileage. Only about 21 mpg.
