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Chevy Aveo, Honda Fit, or Toyota Yaris?
I'm just sold my 2004 Chevy Aveo and am looking for a new car that's similar to it. I loved my Aveo dearly, but it had quite a few issues and wasn't the most reliable. Otherwise I loved the car and it suited my needs perfectly. It was sad to see it go and I originally bought it brand new when the Aveo first debuted.
I'm looking at a Toyota Yaris hatch, Honda Fit, or a new Chevy Aveo5. I just need basic transportation (as long it has seats and an engine I'm happy) that's fuel efficient, reliable, comfortable for my 6'5'' frame, and something I can fit my surfboard onto. After looking around at recent auto shows here in LA, I narrowed my choices down to these three cars, but I'm not sure which one is better. I'm a college student and don't have a lot of money for a new car.
I really like the Honda Fit, but it's a bit over my price range ($11-13k) and has power windows/door locks standard, but I've never been fond of them. I actually prefer the simplicity of manual windows. Also the base version doesn't have an MP3 player or a cargo cover in the trunk. Those items are much more important to me than the power accesories, considering the higher price. Also the insurance is quite a bit higher than the other two. However, the car drives very nicely and probably has bullet-proof reliability and great resale.
My best friend has a Yaris hatch and it's a really good too. It feels very solid, is fun to drive, and is excellent on gas. I've gotten used to the center-gauges and love all the storage in the dash. Also the price is lower than the Fit and local Toyota dealers have huge discounts on them. And it is really cute. However, the hatch only comes in two-door form and I'd much much rather have a four door (not fond of the sedan). The Yaris also holds a lot less cargo than the other two and there are no surfboard racks available from Toyota, and without the extra doors, I can't put a "soft-rack" (strap-on ties for the board) on the car, so no surfing with the Yaris.
And then there's the Aveo. As mentioned, I love the Aveo's style, roominess, versatility, performance, features, and the price is right, and GM has huge discounts. Ever since they came out they were a perfect fit for what I need in a car. I would love a new one, but am wary of the reliability again. My old one was one of the first made and it's not uncommon for them to have defects, especially for GM/Daewoo. I'm hoping the 2007 may have the bugs worked out and be more reliable, and GM now has a longer warranty on the car, but it's still a big question mark.
Any thoughts on which one you'd buy given the circumstances?
Good suggestion on the Versa. I did look at it and test drove one, but the trim quality was kinda tacky and it felt a bit cheap for the price.
The other car I looked at was the Suzuki SX4. It was really impressive and the dealer had good discounts. But the fuel economy (28mpg highway) was lousy for a small car. Granted it has AWD, but I don't need that in LA. Otherwise, it's an awesome little package and the warranty is excellent
Looked at the XA. It was good but I'm really tall and my knees were right up against the dashboard, it felt really cramped to me.
Here are my opinions.
Both Toyota, Honda, and Nissan over the past few years have built some lemons. It just goes to show that no auto manufacturer can build 100% reliable vehicles ALL the time.
One of the big things that you need to consider is what the manufacturer does after the problems that start occurring. Did Chevrolet satisfy you with the repairs that they made on your GM/Daewoo Aveo? So the question is did they earn your trust to get back your business? Do they deserve your money/business. GM was offering 5 year/100K warranties on their vehicles (check your location to see if this is still the case), which were fully transferable to whoever you sell the car too. It may be worth giving Chevrolet another try, especially if the cars initial start up cost is cheaper, and they will warranty the vehicle for 5 year or 100K miles.
Also consider how much you sold your vehicle for. This is one of the reasons American cars aren't as appealing. The depreciation on American cars always seems to be faster. So say you spend 10K for an Aveo today and a few years from now you sell it for 5K. There was 5K in depreciation. While with a Honda or Toyota, you may spend 13K today, but still be able to sell the car for 10K in a few years. You only lose 3K in depreciation costs. (There are other things to always consider, like opportunity costs and all, ie what else could you have gotten today for the 3K difference, and what it would be worth in the future).
My thoughs are go with what you are comfortable with. But don't expect the fact that just because it's a Toyota or Honda that it will be 100% reliable.
Oh, and the GM vehicles that are Toyota/GM joint ventures is the Pontiac Vibe. GM uses Honda V6 engines in their Saturn Vue (only the 6cylinder version and I belive the Hybrid Vue is also Honda tech, but don't quote me on that one).
