i bought a new Aveo LS automatica sedan in 2008; got a killer deal because in 2008 NOBODY was buying cars and the dealership was desperate to sell. the LS i bought off the lot is pretty much an LT; the only things missing are cruise control (wouldn't mind it) and the sport interior (don't care).
at the time, i was interested in getting the cheapest econ car available, and the Aveo was the ticket. yes, the toyota, honda, nissan econo's have better specs and performance, but at $8-10 more...price vs. performance people; i am very happy with my purchase.
and i guess i'm lucky; i have had 0 mechanical issues with it. using mobil 1 syn oil on it and hi quality trans oil. do i wish it had a bit better mileage; yes. do i wish it had a bit better power; yes. but, i am satisfied with the tradeoffs. i have no interest in any mods, unless they are related to improving MPG. the sport rims are good enough for me. this is my commuter car; when i want to GO, i got my alfa romeo milano verde to cruise in.
it sucks that Forbes considers the Aveo one of the worse cars to own; what they say about it (that it's the worse in its class) is true, but again, it's all about tradeoffs...
on the other hand, from a recent article, nobody wants to carjack it...i can live with that LOL ...