The single thing American about the compact Aveo car is it’s Chevrolet name. Built in Korea [or in China] by GM Daewoo, the Aveo is America’s price champion coming in at just below 10 thousand dollars. That’s right; you can still purchase a new automobile in the USA for under ten thousand dollars excluding taxes, dealer prep, and destination charges. Let’s take a harder look at Chevy’s bargain basement folks hauler.

Available as either a 4 doorway sedan or as a 5 doorway hot hatch, the Chevrolet Aveo fills an important niche in the Chevy line up as an entry level econocar. Priced just about 5,000 greenbacks less than Chevy’s next most pricey model, the Cobalt, the Aveo allows for Chevrolet to say for a chunk of the youth market. The Aveo is expressly targeted to compete against similar models from Scion, Kia, Hyundai, and Toyota.

So, exactly what do buyers get for their money, especially with a base model? For starters, the Aveo incorporates tires, a steering wheel, bumpers, and safety glass. Seriously, standard equipment for the Aveo is a 1.6L I4 engine twinned with a five speed manny tranny. Air will cost additional, but the base equipment list does include an AM/FM radio, rear wiper, a load cover, and side impact air bags for the driver and front seat passenger. Option packages include better sound, air, an automatic transmission, and a large number of other accessories.

With a 97 inch Wheelbase and a curb weight of nearly 2350 pounds, the Aveo definitely is a challenger in the lightweight class. Headroom of almost forty inches allows taller drivers easier access, but one can only question whether any one would find the Aveo all that comfortable to start with based on the auto’s size and the quality of the seating?

GM Daewoo [50.1% owned by General Motors] recently released a new version of the Aveo [called the Gentra in Korea] that now is only available in Asia. The new Gentra/Aveo incorporates a rounder exterior leaving from the dated jammed shape of the current Aveo. No official word as of this writing if and when the new model will make its Yankee debut.

While the Aveo is certain not to win many awards, it provides for customers possessing limited means a cheap style of transport. For Chevrolet, who was lacking a basic home grown model, the Aveo brings in buyers who could have otherwise bypassed Chevy dealers and headed at once to Scion or Kia for their first car. Beyond that the Aveo is a truly forgettable car and first time buyers may want to consider a good used car instead.

If you can have any car in the world, what would it be? Visit thesupercars.org for information and specs on the greatest cars in the world, also take a look at Chevrolet Bel Air auctions.