Optra Magnum TCDi ... My new love ..!!

[Rudra Sen]

Originally Posted by reignofchaos

Below 2000 rpm or so, I felt there was a severe lack of power.

I'm sorry my friend. I can't really buy this logic.
I've driven this car in thickest of traffic (by design). If you're use to petrol then let's not compare this situation.

[reignofchaos]

Yes it was all relative to my car which is a petrol. I assume when someone is spending more than ten lacs on a car, he/she would definitely compare it to the petrol siblings around the price range.

[Rudra Sen]

Originally Posted by reignofchaos

Yes it was all relative to my car which is a petrol. I assume when someone is spending more than ten lacs on a car, he/she would definitely compare it to the petrol siblings around the price range.

Not really, reignofchaos. Do not get me wrong.

I'm much, much older than you and telling you something from my gut. This car is a killer under any given circumstances. Living with it for a few days will give you that proof.

I've done enough cross country in my life. This is the car to take me to those places, henceforth. Option 2 would be Innova.

Let's not make a statement just like that.

[Mpower]

Frankly I think, the turbo lag thing is blown out of proportion. Just because there is a lot of power after the turbo kicks in...doesn't mean there is a lack of power before that.

Nobody is arguing that a turbo car doesn't have lag but its a question of getting used to and modifying you driving style. At the end of the day, every car has a signature power band.

Besides, how much power does a person need to crawl in Bangalore's traffic???

[Torqueguru]

Originally Posted by reignofchaos

Yes it was all relative to my car which is a petrol. I assume when someone is spending more than ten lacs on a car, he/she would definitely compare it to the petrol siblings around the price range.

Hi ,
I too own a petrol car...the same make as yours...but trust me, the feel i got when i test drove the Magnum was something really different...the lag that you r talking about is not a long one. And also, the pick up after the lag, more than makes up for the lag!!! Its monstrous...

And when someone is spending 10+ lakhs on a diesel car....with Magnum he gets much more than what many of the petrol siblings....Magnum reports of 16-18 km/ltr on the highway...that too diesel, and with the kind of power available, people who frequent long trips would benefit a lot!

The only thing, i felt it was lagging behind a wee bit, was in the handling department( My cedia influence could be one of the reasons for that)...but thats pretty acceptable for a heavy diesel car like the magnum!

[beanstalk_230]

Originally Posted by Mpower

Frankly I think, the turbo lag thing is blown out of proportion. Just because there is a lot of power after the turbo kicks in...doesn't mean there is a lack of power before that.

Nobody is arguing that a turbo car doesn't have lag but its a question of getting used to and modifying you driving style. At the end of the day, every car has a signature power band.

Besides, how much power does a person need to crawl in Bangalore's traffic???

thats the exact point.. the turbo lag has been the hottest debate about magnum

the feeling of "the serious lack of power" also seems large due to the colossal torque wave which happens in no time, (talking about theory of Relativity.. Einstien talking here ) Relatively the lag seems even more large, now c'mon guys thats the way this car is and one got to accept it that its more enjoyable driving it that way(atleast until the petes comes out .. lets see what happens after that), BTW i remember Shuv's post mentioning about how exactly one should enjoy this superb car and its engine of course

i drive both petrol as well diesels quite often , but IMHO i find the raw power of a diesel much more exciting and playful than its petrol siblings [or may be i have'nt driven better petrol cars]

btw guys do continue this discussion.. seems interesting


P.S. Cedia is one of the best handlers available in India (or should i say it is the best), atleast under sub 25 lacs category AFAIK

[reignofchaos]

Originally Posted by Mpower

Besides, how much power does a person need to crawl in Bangalore's traffic???

Yup that exactly is the basic issue. Because of the traffic, one would be sitting in the turbo lag territory all time and sooner or later it'll get irritating, especially considering that the car has a slightly heavy clutch and steering.

Frankly even the cedia that I drive is a bit sluggish at the bottom, but the magnum and all other diesels take the definition of sluggish at low rpms to a different level altogether.

Barring this problem, its a nice car for the price.

@Rudra: I absolutely respect your opinion and the Optra has more good things going for it than bad. I gather that your daily driver is the petrol sibling which is a completely different animal compared to the diesel one. However sluggishness at the bottom end in the diesel is something that seriously is an issue with which frankly I'd not be able to live with.

[beanstalk_230]

@reignofchaos - it now seems that its turning out to be a diesel vs petrol debate. Nearly all the present diesels do have a lag present in them, the lag seems more prominent with a more powerful turbo kicking in. petrol counterparts also do seem to have a lag but the lag is usually insignificant considering the absence of a turbo, but in case it is there as in the RS, one would obviously feel a lag due to the turbo kicking in later

that petrol is easier to drive atleast in the city than a diesel, but i seriously don't know why i would still prefer a diesel

i suppose its just a person to person preference. just in case my dad finds the petrol counterpart a better drive than the magnum, though its a tad slower

[reignofchaos]

It depends on how the car's turbo is setup. The octy 1.9TDi has hardly any lag unlike the magnum as the turbo kicks in at 1200 rpm. Makes it more suited for city driving.

The RS doesn't feel that laggy as the magnum as there's enough torque even without the turbo. Its the same with most petrol turbos that I've driven including the Exige S and the Evo IX. The Evo's turbo kicks in at around 3800 rpm and thats when the fireworks begin . Anyway I'm going off topic.

[PatienceWins]

Optra Magnum would be boon for people who drive mainly on highways. I prefer diesel for highway use for the torque it offers. It makes overtaking a breeze.

For city, bangalore traffic, it would be petrol for the driveability and comfort.

[dockap]

my optra magnum lt has finished its first service at 5k recently (cost Rs 2238/- including engine oil,wheel balance & align)all i can say is this car rocks i havent had any problems with it and its fun to drive in the highway as well as in the city i dont know why people keep complaining about turbo lag i am in mangalore with bumper to bumper traffic and i dont find any problem
regarding comfort we also have a skoda laura and compared to magnum the skoda has the comfort of a autoriksha its horrible everyone who has sat in both of my cars has the same opinion
only weakness are the headlamps u may need to swap to xenon(havent done so myself due to budget limitations)
my advice optra magnum diesel best buy in the 8 to 16 lakh segment

[beanstalk_230]

so my latest FE for you all.. 13.7 BTW they are only city figures which includes bumper to bumper traffic and a share of harsh driving as well over a run of more than 800 kms & I am absolutely satisfied with its FE in the city

cheers

[beanstalk_230]

planning to change the horns as soon as possible [i hate it actually] . seems very inadequate with such a car, its petrol sibling has that deeper sounding one and planning to get the same for this one as well.

@dockap - using the car just in the city and never actually had such a requirement about changing the headlamps, seems adequate in the city.

[vid6639]

Bosch makes that horn. This is the horn you are looking for:

Horns - SHARPTONE horns

If you don't get that you can also get the windtone horns one from roots india. They are available for Rs.400-500.

Root Industries Limited - Products - WINDTONE

[HotChillyPepper]

Originally Posted by beanstalk_230

thats the exact point.. the turbo lag has been the hottest debate about magnum

the feeling of "the serious lack of power" also seems large due to the colossal torque wave which happens in no time, (talking about theory of Relativity.. Einstien talking here ) Relatively the lag seems even more large, now c'mon guys thats the way this car is and one got to accept it that its more enjoyable driving it that way(atleast until the petes comes out .. lets see what happens after that), BTW i remember Shuv's post mentioning about how exactly one should enjoy this superb car and its engine of course

i drive both petrol as well diesels quite often , but IMHO i find the raw power of a diesel much more exciting and playful than its petrol siblings [or may be i have'nt driven better petrol cars]

btw guys do continue this discussion.. seems interesting


P.S. Cedia is one of the best handlers available in India (or should i say it is the best), atleast under sub 25 lacs category AFAIK

Guys Guys Guys....
Before conclusion about Turbo lag I just want to ask you one question? Which batch of Magnum you have driven ? Check out any Magnum manufactured after november 2007. And if you see any turbolag I think you have used to 300+ bhp cars and coming back to 120ps/314nm is a tough job.

The ECU unit of Magnum has been remapped by GM in November. The guys running on old map can checkout with GM and they will do an upgrade for you free of cost. I have driven it for almost 100Kms in a test drive car (Brand new , No reg / insurance ) and I would say that petes is a waste of money for this car now. (Sorry petes)