Anyone drive a Chevrolet? Are they any good or still crap cars?

[Herman Munster]

They are selling 2006 Chevrolet Aveo for under $10k where I live. Chevy's depreciate like a son of a bitch compared to honda's and toyota's.

[nonconformist]

1. I have a 2004 Aveo. It's a great car.

No problems whatsoever.

[Captain Angry]

2. Somebody did a thread on hybrids earlier this afternoon...

And a poster replied that their Aveo was doing great with similar mileage at a far lower cost than the Prius, et. al.

You should be able to track it down and PM that person. They would have much better info.

Depreciation means nothing unless you plan on reselling it soon. If the car is the tool you've chosen, and plan to drive it for a while, then who cares what the depreciation is?

[BlooInBloo]

10. Because a high rate of depreciation might be indicative of something *else* the OP cares about?

[Herman Munster]

12. yes

usually high rates of depreciation mean the cars are crappy and don't last long.

[Captain Angry]

13. There is that. :-)

I projected somebody else's bad decision on to you, and that wasn't fair.


I know people who decide on a car like it's an appreciable investment. Which is fine with a Ferrari, but not a Ford. So they end up with a car they didn't want because the numbers looked better in some mystical column of some book.

[nonconformist]

14. Or perhaps that's only the perception

I can't tell you how many people on DU I've seen over the years whine and bitch about the quality of American made cars... only to discover they don't drive them. They're just repeating the meme.

I only drive GM, always will.

[BlooInBloo]

15. Sure. That's a theoretical possibility.

[kestrel91316]

17. Hm. I'm one DUer who badmouths American cars because I know

from sad experience that too many of them are total POS's. I gave Ford a chance and they proved unreliable. I gave Chevy a chance and THEY proved unreliable. I got a Honda 19 years ago and am still driving it.

American cars don't last. That's why they are often cheap, BTW. But it's lipstick on a pig AFAIAC.

[nonconformist]

18. Then I wasn't talking about you.

Enjoy your Honda.

[wake.up.america]

23. ADAC (German AAA) ranks Chevies and Chrysler at the bottom...

of 33 Auto brands, in terms of quality, image, customer satisfaction, market strength, technical trends, and brand trends. ADAC motorwelt 6/2007.

Top makes: Audi, BMW, Mercedes, Porsche and VW

[EOTE]

39. That seems a bit odd...

Over the past few years, domestic car manufacturers have exceeded the Germans in terms of quality and reliability. Still not ahead of the Japanese, but better than the bulk of Europeans. Odd that this top five from a German publication includes only German makes.

[EnviroBat]

43. Yes,,, odd that...

A friend of mine recently bought a brand-new Mercedes SUV, and has had electronics problems with it since day 1. The dealership was unable to get the clock to set to the correct time, and the navagation system has periodic meltdowns. Oh and another friend of mine has a Toureg with similar issues. I think I will build my own car with a Honda motorcycle engine in it.

[JCMach1]

51. BMW and VW have had some very significant quality issues in recent years

The German AAA is whacked on this one...

[wordpix]

58. both my bros had BMWs & one couldn't wait to dump his; the other bought a Mercedes b/c he could

afford it.

[wordpix]

56. Audi, BMW, Mercedes---not exactly your common man's cars

[uppityperson]

26. I don't drive American made cars because I have had too many problems in past with them.

I will "bitch and whine" now based on my past experience with American made cars and I don't drive them anymore.

[murloc]

27. I come from a GM family and have bought MANY

GM cars.

While I don't drive much anymore, I've proably driven 80% of my lifetime miles in GM products.

I've finally decided that the discount just doesnt make up for the fact that the cars really are crap.

Last minivan we had died at 85,000 miles with a rod knocking.

I've had it with their junk.

[lumberjack_jeff]

37. I've had 11 GM's... 2 Fords... 3 dodges and one each; Honda, Isuzu, Triumph, Toyota, Mazda.

70 chevelle - excellent car, I've had it since 1980.
another 70 chevelle
68 chev pickup
69 gmc pickup (ran good on 7 cylinders ;-) )
69 chevy c60 dump truck
78 gmc 4x4 pickup
85 chevy conversion van
95 trans am
89 corsica
94 chev 4x4 pickup
another 94 chev 4x4
98 olds aurora (excellent car)
99 pontiac montana van (very useful but not well built)
87 thunderbird
87 ford f150 4x4
91 plymouth mini van
85 dodge shelby charger
07 dodge caliber
84 mazda 626
82 honda accord
69 triumph gt6

The only one I'd consider a bad car was a 99 Pontiac Montana.

The imports were okay in a useful tool sort of way. I've never been a big fan of car snobs, and particularly not cars in which the construction didn't employ a single American.

My 94 chevy 4x4 pickup has 231,000 miles, and can still tow my 6000# tractor easily.

[EOTE]

41. GMs were my first car love...

I had a '96 Olds Aurora, and I loved it. I typically stay away from front wheel drive cars, but I was offered a very good deal on the car, so I picked it up. It was a bit of a gas hog, but it was extremely comfortable, relatively quick, and had every amenity I could think of. At the time, it was pretty much the only V8 luxury car available for under 40k. Granted, there were some smaller, V6 powered luxury sedans available that would out-accelerate the 2-ton-plus Aurora, but none of them would allow me to stretch out while driving and still have a passenger behind me who is also comfortable.

Quick question about your Chevelles as the 1970 Chevelle SS 454 LS6 is my favorite muscle car of all time. That question of course, what's under the hood?

[lumberjack_jeff]

42. Small block. Still cool tho'. n/t

[EOTE]

47. Nothing wrong with that.

Small blocks certainly have their advantages too. Lower weight and better handling amongst others. Chevy small blocks are nothing to sneeze at either. I've driven a few 283s (and others 327s, 350s), and was impressed by how well it pulled off the line, and amazed at how well it revved in the upper rev ranges. And although I've never had the opportunity to try, I've heard it's fairly cheap and easy to get the same power to weight ratio out of small blocks.

[SidDithers]

3. I won't drive GM after watching...

Who Killed the Electric Car.

My own personal boycott :)

Sid

[NNN0LHI]

4. Not Chevy but I drove a friends new Pontiac GTO the other day on the Tri-State Tollway

Most fun I have had with my britches on in a long time.

Don

[madrchsod]

8. the 2004-6 GTO were a Australian GM Holden /Monaro car

these should be classics in 20-30 years. i actually watched someone blow up the engine on a brand new one.the guy was doing at least a 100 and suddenly blue smoke out of both pipes.....

[NNN0LHI]

20. I know he bought it last year new but it really screamed

It surprised me. Speedo goes up to 200 but I have no idea what the top speed is. I didn't know the Australian history of the car. Thanks for the info. It was really breathtaking to drive.

Don

[madrchsod]

5. they are not worth a crap in the snow...

wheel wells pack up with snow and makes them dam near impossible to turn basically an upgraded geo metro. i had a 93 metro and was a dam nice car for around town driving

[Atman]

16. It not a Geo Metro...it's a Suzuki Aerio

http://www.suzukiauto.com/sr_07/aerio/

.

[madrchsod]

21. oh...those suzuki`s are great cars...i was thinking of the aveo

[EnviroBat]

44. I've got one of those. Great car, but comes with crappy tires.

I got 25,000 mi out of the Yokohama junk tires they ship the car with, but the car itself is cool, and pretty quick for what it is.

[TwilightGardener]

6. Have a Jeep and a Chevy Silverado pickup. Jeep--would buy again. Chevy--won't.

[tridim]

7. I rented a Chevy Malibu last year

It got bad gas mileage and was terribly boring to drive. It did make the thousand mile trip without a problem.

Other than that I know nothing about modern Chevys.

[krispos42]

9. the perception is that Chevy is inferior, so they depreciate

And GM has lots of production capacity, so they often keep making cars even if they don't have the need to.

Everything I've read about recent GM cars is that the level of refinement is not quite as high as Honda or Toyota. Typically, the quality of the materials used in the interiors is not as high, and the fit and finish leaves something to be desired. Sometimes they complain about engine noise, vibration, and harshness on the smaller cars. Not just GM, either.

However, you get a car with a lot of features, including OnStar, for not a lot of money. I think the Aveo is actually make by Suzuki, though. One of those rebadging deals.

You can check car magazine sites like Car and Driver, Road and Track, and Automobile for comparisons.

I have a GM car, an 1989 Old Regency 98. Full-size front-wheel-drive and it's pretty sound mechanically. Starts right up, decent power, 24 mpg, 170,000 miles. Comfy seats. It's got that damn slow Oldsmobile transmission that hates to downshift, but it works well enough. I just use a heavy foot! :-)

Of course there are a lot of minor things that are finally falling apart on it. Headliner sagging, power windows don't work so hot anymore, radio needed replacing, a wheel bearing went last fall and had to be replaced. Somebody broke the driver's door interior panel and I spend last weekend patching that up, and somehow the tilt steering column got very loose. Leaky windshield that I patched up with bathroom silicone. And the paint job is the '80s GM piece of crap, wearing off in some places. But everything in the engine bay is original and there's no rust on the body.

Before this I drove an '87 T-Bird from 134,000 on the odometer to 255,000 miles. Again, reliable as hell and the engine internal components were all factory original.

[DBoon]

11. Dec 2006 Consumer Reports didn't give them high marks

Lowest overall road-test score (fair), ranked fair predicted reliability of all the "budget cars". Was not one of the recommended models (which were Honda Fit, Scion xb, Ford Focus)

They didn't publish test results for this particular model, at least not in this issue

[Maru Kitteh]

19. my daughter is still driving our old 87 Nova, and despite her best efforts to kill it

It persists.

So, I'd say it's done well.

[krispos42]

28. It seems that if you pick up a car after 5-6 years...

attrition has killed off all of the factory problems like bad assembly or flawed parts. If they car makes it to 60 or 70 thousand miles, it will probably last basically forever.

Use synthetic motor oil like I do and you should be in business for quite a while.

[AngryOldDem]

36. Novas refuse to die n/t

[focusfan]

49. 87 Nova is really a Toyota Corolla

[Atman]

53. I had one. Best car ever.

I bought it without a test drive...the salesman was very confused, he couldn't do his song and dance. Consumer Reports said at the time that anyone who paid $3000 more for a Toyota Corolla might as well dump the $3000 down the toilet -- it is the exact same car. I pulled the radio out to replace it, and everything under the dash has "Toyota" stamped all over it. We couldn't kill it...took it off-roading (wilderness camping -- our friend in front of us would hook us up to the winch on his 4x4 and pull us through the bad spots), lots of travel, bad New England weather, nothing stopped it. After a couple minor dents and dings and a couple hundred thousand miles, we finally retired it and have never owned as good a small car since.

.

[blondeatlast]

54. Exactly. nt

[TreasonousBastard]

22. It's really a rebadged Daewoo, and...

not a terribly bad car, but not a particularly good one, either. GM did a big makeover of Aveos in '07 and '08 and they are a little better, but a little more expensive.

If these are new and the sticker is under 10 grand, they made a "Special Value" model back in '06 that was, well, pretty well stripped. That and the 36/36 warranty made them reasonable for fleet use but not something that would involve real people borrowing money to buy them.

[Initech]

24. I have an '01 Pontiac. Decent car.

Except for a brake problem that wont seem to go away, it hasn't really spent any time in the shop.

I want to get something that gets better gas mileage (ie Prius), though.

[murloc]

25. junk

Theres a reason they depreciate so fast.

[poverlay]

29. I don't know if this will help you at all but: I own a '99 2wd 4 door chevy blazer and

it's the best car I've ever owned and better than anyone elses' that I know. It gets great gas mileage, is comfy, stylish, sturdy and the power is downright dreamy. I love it and wouldn't trade it for 2 cars. When it dies I'll get a hybrid and hope that Chevy has a good one to choose from...

Anyway, there's my 2 or 3 cents. Hope it's helpful.
Good luck Mr Munster.

[Cruzan]

30. Chevy and Ford full sized pickups are supposedly decent quality

This coming from a big NY Times story on Toyota where this was the one market they haven't been able to conquer.

[Hubert Flottz]

31. I'm driving an 86 Chevy C-10 that runs and drives like a new one.

Wish I owned an oil well too.

Edit...I'll sell it to you for the right price...call BR-549

[mmonk]

32. While we own a Toyota Highlander that my wife drives,

I drive a Chevy. As a family, we have had a mix of foreign cars and my experience has been the Chevy has been the cheapest to maintain. That's why I continue to own it.

[My Good Babushka]

33. We have an '03 Impala

It hasn't needed any really major repairs, but then we've only had it a year.

[JANdad]

34. And people wonder how Walmart came to

ruin the American econonmy...

What do you expect for under $10K...hold it's value to pass on to your heirs so that they can live in the lap of luxury by selling it for $10k?

Come on man...When you want to buy on the cheap...don't bitch about "depreciation"...

If it only lasts you 3 years (assuming a 3/36) you are only spending $9.25 per day to own this car that gets great gas milage...

LOL...depreciation...thats slays me...

[lumberjack_jeff]

38. No shit. There's another way to look at depreciation.

The Aveo costs $20/month more to drive than the hybrid, yet the hybrid costs more than twice as much.

In that sense, (if you intend to drive it until it quits - let's say 100 months) the hybrid has an immediate $10,000 depreciation.

[AngryOldDem]

35. Driving a 1988 Chevy Nova

It's been literally rebuilt several times, and despite having a tendency to stall out upon first starting it, it runs fine.

[blondeatlast]

55. Again--that's a Corolla with GM skin. nt

[OPERATIONMINDCRIME]

40. They're Much Better Now. Just Got An 07 Trailblazer And It's Awesome! I Say Go For It.

[EnviroBat]

45. I rented a Ford Fusion about 6 mos ago. A Fusion of Crap and Nitey-Nite...

What a piece of uninspired garbage. Engine sounded like it was eating itself alive above 40 mi/hr. One of the most yawn inspiring plasto-rubber interiors I've ever parked my ass in. No offense grandma, but this is the car for you! But hey, American Idol says it's hip! Call the fugging mothership already...

[triguy46]

46. "Still"?????

they have not been good for a helluva long time.

I would suggest that the 'depreciation' issue reflects both the quality of the product (that is the expected life of the product) and the confidence of the marketplace (low to zero).

[focusfan]

48. Aveo is built in Korea

I have owned and driven Ford for the last 33 years,and have never been stranded beside the road.I am in the used car business and the Japenese and Korean cars are just not as great as you people think they are.They give just as much if not more trouble than the domestics.My personal car that I have driven the past 2 years is 1995 Mustang GT,188,000 miles uses no oil ice cold a/c no squeaks,rattles or leaks.It gets 25 M.P.G. on interstate and 20 around town and has no problem reaching 100 mph before the end of the interstate ramp.In my opinion thats not bad for a car that I paid 1500.00 for how many Honda /Toyota owners can say that.Oh and by the way other than maint.and brake pads it has not had a bolt turned on it,still has original plugs and wires dated 1995.My wife`s 2001 Ford Focus has 76000 miles no problems with it either.I also have 1993 Ford LA9000 Aeromax with over ONE MILLION miles on it(1,080,643 to be exact)it hauls all of my cars and cars for several other dealers in my area.I have owned other Fords with very high milage all have proven very reliable that`s not to say that I haven`t saw some give problems at low milage I have,but I have seen Toyota`s Hondas,etc. have major trouble at very low milage also and parts for them are very very expensive,used engines and transmissions are hard to find where most domestics are easy to find and cheaper.Another thing I can`t uderstand is why Americans are so anti American,I know why everyone else hates us,but why do we hate ourselves?

[DrDan]

50. my wife has an impala

we bought it after renting one and putting about 5,000 miles on it.

It gets right at 30 mpg. It has a great sized trunk. We compared it to Toyotas etc before buying it. Have had it for 2 1/2 years and have had absolutely no problems. My wife drives about 80 miles per day.

I think it is a pretty darned good car.

Just hate to deal with those dealerships and those salesmen.


Let me add - We seriously considered a hybrid thinking no other decision could be better. Work all the number. For us, it worked out about the same cost. Of course, that is only the financial aspect. Evironmental is a separate issue, obviously.

[pink-o]

52. The rental company gave me an Aveo when my Toyota was in the shop...

...and the POS died on me TWICE!!! In one day!!! Seriously, the same dude in the same tow truck who rescued me in the morning before work, showed up to start it again when it was becalmed after work!!! He couldn't believe it either.

And the odometer was registering in double digits! I kid you not, I think the car only had 45 miles on it when they rented it to me. Needless to say, I was very happy to get my 93 Tercel with 135,000 miles on it back from its tune-up. My car's a beater, but I can park it on any street without attracting attention, and it's totatlly reliable.

So chalk me up as being "one of those" who disses American cars for the Japanese models.

[wordpix]

59. I've had Hondas since 1984 & the Civic is reliable, good on gas & has longevity

My present 2002 Civic gets around 40 mpg hwy miles, and I've had only oil changes and basic maintenance on the brakes at around 60K mi---now at 75K mi. and still going strong.

I'm planning for this one to last at least to 200K mi.

[baldguy]

57. 2005 Cobalt

Before that I had a 1996 Monte that I put 100k miles on.

[HughBeaumont]

60. 1997 Cavalier here . . .

As much as consumer advocates hated these cars, mine has 227 thousand miles on the same engine AND clutch. It's also a stick, which, depending on the model, last longer and are better on gas than automatics. I've had three major repairs in the 10 years that I've had it and have owned it free and clear since 2002.

I don't know about anyone else who tells me to "get rid of that beater and get something new", but I like not having a car payment, myself. And if there's relatively little difference in driving quality over the years and it still gets me from A to B, why give it up? In May, I drove this thing to Silver Spring MD; from there, to Lancaster PA, and back to MD and OH again. It held up as if I were driving an '05.

[The Cleaner]

61. 1996 Cavalier Sedan 2.2L Here...

And it's been a great car considering. About 120K on it now...recently I had to put $500 down for a blown fuel injector, new plugs/wires, etc. Also it's had a weird but SLOW oil leak problem all it's life, but you just have to watch it and add a touch of oil before each 3-month/3000 mile oil change.

Oh yeah, my AC compressor is out, maybe I should think about getting that fixed before the good 'ol 100 degrees + Texas summer kicks in :P

I've also had the basics such as a new muffler, new belts...but all in all it's held up well and still looks good. Also in 1996 the 100K tune-up thing (which is basically just the plugs) was a big deal.

The one thing I lament is that the gas mileage, while better than an SUV, isn't as good as it could be. Honda civics for example cost around $20-25 to fill up while my Cavalier takes around $40. It's a bigger tank but still I think the Hondas are far better on gas.