Optra Magnum 0k To 10k Experience And Some Nagging Issues EDIT: updated to 15k Since long i wanted to write my experience of buying and first drive but it took so much time to write this post that now my car completed 10k service so i will clube up my initial as well as long term experience.
Let me start from my buying experience ----I booked this car at Sundaram Motors, Bangalore on 14th may at the time of booking they confirm that I will be getting the car within 10 days but there was no sign of the car forget about the car they were not confirming the date of delivery also. After one month got intouch with GM marketing office and then got the confirmation that CAR can be delivered in second or third week of july only due to some excise duty issues. Well after resolving this issue second problem pop up that is about the price at the time of booking on road price was 11,67000 but due to increase in duty and introduction of ACC price was 1230000 but as per their commitment I was suppose to get the car on old price. The day they were suppose to deliver the car I received a call from Sundaram Motors stating that car can not be deliver on old price as GM is not releasing the car on old price.
Well at this stage, I took up the matter with higher management of Sundaram and GM and with lot of back and forth price adjustment, GM agreed to wave off ACC increment.
Now I will come to the actual driving experience -----
I believe this is the best in its class. Drive is smooth and comfortable. The only drawback i have seen is that the steering response is slow and grear shifting not as smooth (I do not have much experience with the gear shift of Diesel car and I am comparing with my Opel gear shift).
On engine of this CAR if the biggest USP, it feel like a rocket once the turbo kickoff and with automatic climate control inclusion I believe that GM is having a winner in hand.
The experience till now has been really satisfying…the good part first
1)Breaking – Spot on , need to be careful with the vehicle coming from behind while applying for break
2)AC – Automatic climate control, i think this was a good desicion on part of GM. it is a must for this class of car
3)Suspension – Best in class ( in my opinion)
4)Ground Clearance – For me it is fine specially after driving Opel I feel GC is much better here.
5)Space and comfort – Probably I rate this car highest, infact in first glance I feel it can easily compare with Pontiac cars
6)Power – Its is having oomph factor…
7)Economy – With AC in city 11+
The bad part ---
1. Gear Shifting – From second to first at take some effort not sure it may get adjusted after some time at present I had done only 200 KM
2. Steering – I feel it required to revolve more compare to opel, it could have been more responsive.
Now the interesting part experience of servicing at 5k and 10k
At 5K sent her for servicing at Vijay Motor with two specific complain.first the gear lever vibration in 3rd gear which was making lot of sound and second dashboard rattling.None of the issue was resolved and my service advisor at VM told that she required to change the gear input and output systems and they had logged the request to GM for parts and rattling sound has been resolved. Even after three months parts did not reach to them and in between i completed 10K on odo.
Raise the issue with GM CC and GM south india after sales head, after a week got the response stating that Praveen from Frontline Motor will send the driver to pick the car and get this resolved.At 10k again had the same problem, they took the car and open the gear box but fitting the gear box took allmost a month as GM took so much time in arranging the parts even after regular followup.
yesterday received my CAR on test drive found that gear lever is not making the vibration sound on 3rd gear, however if i keep my hand can feel the vibration.i worry that vibration will increase and again it will start making sound. Secondly car was pulling toward the left and still there were some rattling sound though it was less.
Raise the issue with Praveen, he suggested to drive for a week and even after that if problem persists then he will work to resolve the issue.
Can other optra magnum owner share some experience on gearlever vibration in 3rd gear? On rattling and pull toward left, i saw many post and come to conclusion that this is the known issue.
In short happy with CAR and still stick to my initial obsevation on the good part but not so happy with GM and their dealer.
Last edited by Jaggu : 15th April 2009 at 18:25.
Reason: Readability, please use paragraphs.
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