Tahiti. The mere mention of this rhythmic word conjures up images of picturesque beaches hopefully devoid of obese, Speedo-clad French tourists. Someone at General Motors’ downtown Detroit offices in the Renaissance Center must have been lost in a dream vacation one dreary winter day when he or she decided that the diminutive Chevrolet Aveo5 should come in bright colors with exotic-sounding names like Tahiti Green.

We have no qualms with Chevrolet’s attempt to make the smallest model it sells in the United States a cheerful little box. Small cars have long been considered throw-away devices for urban commuters, pizza delivery “professionals” and cash-strapped college kids who relish the new car smell. Thus, Chevrolet offers the Aveo5 in all sorts of festive hues ranging from Summer Yellow to Victory Red to Blue Moon – and, of course, Tahiti Green.

That color namer (we imagine his or her business card reading “Chief Aveo5 Color Naming Person”) must have been feeling the winter blues a bit more when it came time to select a name for the tan interior scheme: The final decision was “Neutral.” So our test vehicle was a Tahiti Green on… Neutral 2009 Chevrolet Aveo5. What about Bora Bora Beige? Or Beachside Brown? Or even Tanning Oil Dripping Off of the Fat French Tourist in a Speedo Tan?

What’s notable?
Colors aside, the Aveo5 is a pretty traditional subcompact car. One of the smallest vehicles in the U.S. market, the Aveo5 is a three-box Aveo sedan with the rearmost box removed and replaced by a vertical hatch, making the Aveo5 more than a foot shorter than its cousin. Designed by GM Daewoo in South Korea, the Aveo5 has been subject to considerable marketing in the U.S. ever since gas crept above a couple bucks a gallon because of its economy car status.

Buyers might be a little shocked by more than just the color names when they look at the window sticker on an Aveo5. Highway fuel economy is just 34 mpg, only one mile per milk jug of gas more than the much larger and more powerful Saturn Aura we drove recently – and that’s with the fuel-saving five-speed manual transmission on the Aveo5.

That’s more a testament to the Aura than a slam of the Aveo5, which features about class-average fuel economy and, to be fair, the Aveo5’s 27 city mpg bests the Aura by five mpg.

With low rolling resistance 14 inch tires and a rather unsophisticated MacPherson strut/torsion beam suspension setup, it’s no surprise that the Aveo5 isn’t a track star. Driven within its limits, the Aveo5 provides a comfortable and absorbent ride thanks in part to its especially stiff structure. It feels more substantial than its sub-2,400 lb. curb weight would imply.

The Aveo5 gathers speed modestly, but a light clutch and reasonably precise five-speed manual transmission make it feel peppier than it is. At speed, there’s more road noise than you’ll find in Chevy’s larger Cobalt or Honda’s similarly sized Fit, but it’s not bad – and not far from luxury car levels just a few years ago.

And glance inside quickly and you might be forgiven for temporarily thinking you were indeed in an older luxury car. Chevy’s poorly named Neutral interior scheme combines nicely with a contrasting black dashboard and convincing faux wood. The low sheen materials look upscale (though a quick touch reveals that you’re definitely in an economy car) and the design is a step above economy car norm – closer to small European cars not sold on these shores. Also reminding us of a European car was the radio volume knob that merely mutes the stereo when pressed – you’ll have to search for the power switch. That stereo head unit looks comically like a cheap Chinese copy of GM’s “bowtie” unit seen in virtually everything else The General makes these days – it’s clearly of the same vein, but the fonts and shapes are off ever so slightly.

The interior is tall and narrow, though firm seats proved comfortable during our time with the car. The relationship between the driver’s seat, the steering wheel and the pedals was a bit off, however, requiring either bent knees or stretched arms to feel at home.

It won’t remind you of a Tahitian vacation, but the Aveo5 struck us as decent transportation. It’s certainly not the most dynamic car in its class – that goes to the Honda Fit or even a modestly equipped Mazda Madza3 – and it’s not the best value – that goes to the Hyundai Accent and the Kia Rio. Nonetheless, the Aveo5 is a pleasant runabout that shows some promise for future products from GM Daewoo – The General’s Korean arm that creeps more into the (Tahiti Green) limelight the higher gas prices climb.

2009 Chevrolet Aveo5 LT1, $13,595. As tested, $14,930.
Power and Convenience Package, $425; Cruise control, $250; Destination, $660.

Words and photos by Andrew Ganz.

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