2007 Chevrolet Aveo LT

2007 Chevrolet Aveo LT - Clearly, the threshold of acceptability for basic is a lot higher than it’s ever been. It’s also clear that the second-generation Aveo, renewed after less than three years on the U.S. market, goes beyond that threshold. The question is, of course, how far.

General Motors took effective control of a leaky Daewoo in 2002 and promptly made the Korean carmaker its source for cheap-as-possible cars. The first Aveo was a hastily rebadged Kalos, as it’s known at Daewoo — a cheap car that looked cheap and felt cheap, which accounts for its short shelf life before this makeover.

Although the Aveo is unchanged in its fundamentals — same wheelbase, same basic dimensions, same 103-hp, 1.6-liter four-cylinder engine — the quietly stylish sheetmetal is new, and the interior is finished in materials that would be at home in a mid-price sedan.

And of course there’s decent fuel economy — 26 mpg city, 34 highway for this automatic-equipped model, according to the EPA. During its time with us, it averaged 24 mpg. We think that result would have been higher with a manual gearbox, and the car would have been a little more entertaining to drive — though entertaining is probably a stretch — but the Chevy people are excited about the new hold feature for the automatic.

That’s the gospel according to Chevy, and that’s why our test car was so equipped. However, hold feature or no, this is a four-speed auto in a segment whose top players offer five-speed autos, and the power band of the Aveo’s little four gets stretched pretty tight over four ratios.

Which brings us to a bigger reservation. The Aveo’s responses are competent, albeit with demerits for underassisted steering and long braking distances; its ride quality is acceptable; it’s reasonably quiet at cruising speed. But for anyone who seeks some modicum of pleasure from driving, even in an activity as mundane as commuting, this car is exactly as entertaining as televised ice fishing.

So, yeah, basic includes a lot more stuff today than in yesteryear. But there’s one element included here — relentless ennui — that no longer has to be a part of the deal. The Honda Fit proves that.