Q: Sounds as if the car is not going into gear. I have RPM reading odometer, not sure what it should be reading when driving on freeway.

Hello and thank you for contacting YourMechanic. Watch the tachometer (rpm gauge) as the vehicle is in motion. When driving, you should see the tachometer go up and then go down a little when the transmission shifts gears. For 4 cylinder engines with a 4 speed transmission, the RPM’s will be at 3,000 when driving at 70 mph on the highway. This is a normal condition for your vehicle and you should be okay. If you are very concerned about the noise or begin experiencing drivability problems, have a professional, like one from YourMechanic, diagnose the car sound and determine if any adjustments are needed.

Tires are a big contributor to road noise. It is very difficult to determine how quiet or loud a set of tires will be. Your new tires could certainly be the culprit in this case. If not the new tires, it could be something else, but if there is something wrong, outside of noisier tires, most people would recognize a more localized noise.

As for the transmission question, the 3 indicates 3000 RPM (revolutions per minute). This would be about right at 70 mph. In addition, the fact that you reached 70 mph means the car is indeed in drive. The question I have for you is, are there lights on the dash that indicate the gear? When you first put the key in the ignition and turn it on without starting it, all the warning lights on the dash should turn on. This is a bulb check to be sure all the bulbs that need to be working still are. If you do this and your gear indicator is not illuminating, there is a bulb problem. With your Aveo, it could be an illumination bulb as well.

From what I can tell with the information provided, there may not be anything wrong. If you are uncertain, I recommend having the noise inspected at your home or office by one of our mobile technicians.

Good luck!