[benzinblut]

You can get a used optra and go on upgrades on the engine and suspensions and still save a lot.

You must check this out: http://www.team-bhp.com/forum/modifi...ph-pg-4-a.html

[aks_karthik]

[quote=blueorchid;2499744]Me having the money to buy the Cruze does not justify me buying the Cruze. I definitely like the Cruze, but I need to have a half decent argument in favour of the Cruze over the Optra.
quote]

I know many of my folks bought Optra because of Money matters, as Cruze is 4-5 lakhs pricier than Optra .They thought , Optra is VFM ,having same engine with different tunning. that's it.

If anyone having a budget to buy Cruze then why should they refrain from buying cruze instead looking for Optra.

As i TD'ed both, Definitely Cruze is leap ahead than Optra in all elements.

My vote is for Cruze anyday.

I am also looking for an AT machine in the same budget as you mentioned and Cruze AT is the Front runner.

[blueorchid]

Originally Posted by benzinblut

You can get a used optra and go on upgrades on the engine and suspensions and still save a lot.

You must check this out: http://www.team-bhp.com/forum/modifi...ph-pg-4-a.html

You should not be showing such posts!
All my hopes and attempts at getting a Cruze will be washed down the drain if my husband sees this (in all probability, he must already be aware of this...)

[ghodlur]

Originally Posted by blueorchid

And I was hoping I would get some support for the Cruze
You sure are getting a lot of support for the Cruze.

Anyways, do you suggest some other car?
The cars I was to suggest have already been ruled out.

Has your husband test driven both the cars? Was he fascinated by the Optra after the test drive? What is he against in Cruze?

Buying a Cruze just because the budget is 15L is not the correct option. Also the talks of Optra getting outdated affecting your decision making does not hold any value if you are going to keep the car for 4 yrs+. I guess now you should play mind games with your husband if you want an upper hand.

[ninjatalli]

Originally Posted by blueorchid

The running does not matter here. A diesel he want, a diesel he gets !

Loved that statement!

From a Barodian to another - If snob factor/prestige is important then Cruze should be the choice.
From a Gujju to another(?) - If VFM is the important factor, then Optra should be the choice

Originally Posted by blueorchid

My husband tried and tested a lot of cars with his friends -

Not to create any problems, but the points in all the cars seem to be biased (I can find parallels between your husband's comments & most of the Optra ownership threads!) based on his love for the Magnum.

If you haven't been involved in the TDs, I suggest you try out the other cars.

But if you guys are bullish on Cruze & Optra, then a long test ride(s) on the open road is the best solution. Ride both the cars for long distances, and make the decision right there.

Originally Posted by blueorchid

I had seen this post in which he talks about 'how to beat the lag in the Optra', which means that Optra does have a lag, no?

Turbo-lag, cars being outdated, interiors being cramped/big - these aspects you'll find different opinions on the forum - you have to try it out yourself.

For e.g. I'm 5'11 - Contrary to most 5'10 - 6 footers, I did not find Vento cramped but instead felt Verna was. But that's my opinion.

[dnaturallywired]

@Blueorchid

In the case of your husband's decision, its Hobson's choice! He has only one option in mind and may even refuse to accept any other if he is fixated on Optra. Remember in the battle between economics & passion, the latter overtly is the winner. It has nothing to do with the purchasing power (Read economics) and its purely an inherent inclination towards something they feel is more aptly suited !

An unbiased share of my opinion would be Optra. Why? not because I drive one (Its just a month old) and I was torn between Cruze and Optra although i had the budget for Cruze!

Firstly to put other speculations to rest- GM sold 212 Optras in the month of August only and on an average GM sells 1500 Optras a year and since i share a great Love -Hate relationship ( because of my first niggles I faced in the Optra, all sorted by the way) with the leadership team of GM in Gurgaon, I can assure you that they will continue the production of Optra for next 3 years (May be a facelift in the anvil) as Optra although doesn't register immediately in the minds of people when talking about the competition war, but is loved by many avid gearheads.

Secondly - Cruze is like the new chick in your campus, quiet a head turner but it aint practical in many ways compared to the Optra.. 150Bhp @4000RPM and how many horses would u use anyways when you are driving on a daily basis? (baring those occassional highway drives, occasional because we wouldn't spin a distance of 200km on a daily basis)

Third - A good friend of mine (Former rally driver & a petrohead) drives a cruze (4 months old) and when we both took my Optra & his cruze for a hard - Boiled drag on one of the highways, trust me the Optra indeed made him think this - "darn, i should've saved that 4.5 lacs buddy" not once but several times.

Some numbers, which will get you thinking.

Optra 122 BHP (translates to 124.3PS) Vs CRUZE 148 BHP ( 150 PS)

WEIGHT>> Optra 1370kilos vs CRUZE 1520 kilos..150 kilos more remember, yeah thats the math

Torque ---> Optra (314 newton meter@2200RPM) vs CRUZE (327 newton meter @2200RPM)

Well, that summarizes at least one thing for now and as once told by our great grandpa called Einstein - A perfection of means, and confusion of aims, seems to be our main problem! and I hope I have most certainly added more to your already existing confusion...

On a more serious note - May the fate of the unlearned be darned,Its the Optra for you !!!
Happy researching

Note from Team-BHP Support - SMS Language is STRICTLY prohibited on Team-BHP. Please type in full and proper English for the benefit of other community members.

[Car&me]

if the car is primarily going to be used by one person and that too in the driver seat with good hard driving then it should be cruze. If its going to chauffeur driven or back seats used by anyone , even if thats a single kid, i would prefer optra. The airy optra cabin provides much better stress free driving or travelling experience.i own a cruze today, but i don't like it as much i liked my cedia. I can safety attribute that to the openness i experienced in cedia, which i believe is present in optra.

[vb-saan]

Originally Posted by blueorchid

I liked the Cruze for the mean look that it has - and the nice growl that it produces - it just clicked, that's it!
Had it been only me, I would have already bought the Cruze - I am 'bothering' with the Optra for my hubby (he will not accept spending on something without a proper justification)

This is an interesting What Car thread. I remember seeing your posts in some of the Optra threads.

Both are good cars, but essentially you are comparing two generations of the same car. Since it’s sold side by side, your hubby opts for the old gen, whereas you’re into something new. Isn’t that a good enough justification?

[NoRules]

Tough call really. Both are good cars and come from the same brand with the same engine, differently tuned.

I recently bought Optra Magnum after quite a lot of research and my wife also was ga-ga over Cruze, purely for its looks and the gadgets.

Looks - Cruze; Practicality and VFM - Optra.

Just the day before I was talking to a friend of mine who is looking to buy a car and we had similar discussion. Since he was clear about his requirement - snob value, gadgets and looks I recommended Cruze over Optra.

I have nothing against Cruze and know the reasons why my wife and kids wanted me to buy it, I also know why I opted for Optra instead - space, VFM. So cannot help you with an argument for Cruze over Optra except for snob value, gadgets and looks and additional 4-5+ lakhs.

You really want a Cruze? Then I would suggest you win your husband over with some other argument than getting into logical / technical discussions. There must be some quid pro quo you can offer and get your way.

Good luck.

With your permission I would like to share few points about the popular perceptions junta has about Optra for the benefit of the other members:

1. Turbo lag - It is there in the Optra and it is there in the Cruze too. This reminds me of the days of Yamaha RX100 and Hero Honda CD 100. Honda CD 100 had turbo lag because it was a 4 stroke engine whereas RX100 was a instant pick up bike because it was a 2 stroke engine. The first bike I owned was CD 100 and I knew how to beat the lag which led a friend of mine to remark, way back in 1994 - 'Anna, you drive your CD 100 like a Yamaha RX 100'. Be in the right gear, you can overcome the lag in Optra too.

2. Optra will be replaced - Well, only GM knows the correct answer to this. We all can only speculate and try to find out from the best possible sources. I personally checked this from my GM sources and I was told GM does not have any plans in near future. Having bought the Optra in August and if they suddenly phase out this car in November, well, tough luck. What can I do except enjoy my drives?

3. Resale value - This is the biggest misconception. Resale value is applicable only to small cars and Maruti Diesel (Zen, Ritz, Swift, DZire) have the best resale value. My personal experience tells me that Optra does not have bad resale value. A 2007 50k kms +/- LT model still sells for 5.5 lakhs and a new LT model comes for 10.63L. Do you math. 4 years, 45-50% depreciation. Now check out the resale value of Skoda, Honda, Toyota, Hyundai (all the 10+ lakh cars) and you will realise that Optra actually does not have bad resale value. Yes, if you own a Swift or Swift DZire, then after 3 years of owner ship and 75k+ kms you can get 70-80% of the new car value but that is applicable only to Maruti cars. Check out Ford, Hyundai and other makes.

[optimist]

Originally Posted by blueorchid

I once did the mistake of posting this on an Optra thread and all I got were pro-Optra comments, so am looking at some other views as well!

Hi , We are all over the forum and we just tried to point you in the better direction (at least that was what we felt) But if you want the Cruze, for the looks or any particular reason please do buy it. All the best. BTW who will be driving the proposed car most?

But please do all your homework from all angles. It that we spent months discussing and ended up with the "Magnum". It was no blind purchase and those who have it love every moment of ownership as it ticks most of the boxes when compared to others including the Cruze. My apologies to barge into your party.

Originally Posted by blueorchid

150 bhp vs 120 bhp - I tried this argument with my husband - this is the reply I got - "Both have the same engines, and hence the Optra can easily churn out the same power with a remap or a Pete's box or a RaceChip".
He was planning to get a used Optra and get the remap done so that he as atleast 150bhp and 380 Nm torque.

But the Cruze has more linear power delivery doesn't it? I have also read that the Optra also has quite a bit of lag.

Where are you planning to drive it, what kind of roads and speeds are possible? If want more info PM/talk to me and i will give you a honest no nonsense opinion on the optra from a owner/driver perspective. Will drive the cruze tomorow again for final opinion.

Originally Posted by benzinblut

You can get a used optra and go on upgrades on the engine and suspensions and still save a lot.

You must check this out: http://www.team-bhp.com/forum/modifi...ph-pg-4-a.html

Yes Yes, talk to him, he's done blisteins, slotted rotors, remap and what not and was in that condition for sale though the ad has been removed now. No idea but it was at a very good price. Read that thread for details.

[Deep_Shri]

Hi Blueorchid:

Is the debate still on or did you lose the argument with your husband?

I am an Optra owner. My cousin has a Cruze. Both are black in colour. Looks matter and I like the way the Cruze looks. It also feels good to sit in the driving seat of the Cruze especially at night.

Having said that I find the Optra more practical for my purposes. It has a lot more 'airiness' about it. The rear seats are better and more comfortable and since my car is primarily used by my parents, it makes more sense for me than the Cruze.

If I were to buy a car for my personal use with an occasional rear seat passenger I would probably buy the Cruze. If I were the passenger either on the passenger seat or the rear seat I would buy the Optra. What's your situation?

I would recommend that you don't get into the technical details. There isn't much to choose between the two. The Optra is comfortable cruising at 170 all day and you are bound to run out of road for that in India. The top end LT version of Magnum has all creature comforts and if you replace the 2-DIN system with a Caska or a MapMyIndia you are sorted.

Did you try "Please buy me the Cruze because I like it more...one thing I demand of you and you won't even listen" line (with a sulking tone and face)?

Cheers!

[mayankjha1806]

As the post before asked, is the debate still on, and if it is i am surprised that you haven't had your way yet .

Curze is the better looking, more refined, would surely have support for much longer product any-day, so my take would be Cruze (If these are the only options). Engine mods and tuning is fine, i am sure that could be done but sometimes it voids the warranty. So i think its safer to buy a car that excites you rather than buy and make mods to get the power that would excite you. I like running then stock (But thats me)

[ashis89]

Originally Posted by blueorchid

And I was hoping I would get some support for the Cruze

Reasons for both the choices being Chevy -
1. The Cruze was my first and only choice - I liked the car - period! I got into the technicals only when my husband started arguing over my choice (thats why I joined tBHP - till then hp and Nm just denoted figures, FE and speed and number of gears were the only numbers I understood and turbo, fgt, vgt, turbo lag, crdi etc were completely unknown to me).

. Now that's what is called determination and dedication. I am happy that you took the initiative to read and learn about car technicals.

Regarding your dilemma, the Optra is a better VFM product over Cruze. It is a very good and capable car, though highly under-rated.
Looking for chinks in the Optra's armour, you can suggest that since the car may be phased out in future,spares won't be available(Chevy ASC sometimes don't keep spares for in-production cars,let alone out of production cars). It will lead to your car staying at workshop longer for want of spares.
Also I found some links in the forum regarding engine issues with Optra diesel. This might help you in convincing him.
http://www.team-bhp.com/forum/techni...ra-magnum.html

[prabhuferrari]

Though Cruze is 5L costlier it sells 5 times more than Optra every month. You can use that line of argument.

P.S. No offence to Optra owners.

[SedatedDrive]

As a Cruze owner, I can say an un-modded Cruze will turn heads when next to a modded Optra.

I have one question in mind:
Do you plan to drive the car in the city, whichever car it may be? Or will it be your husband?
If it is to be driven just by your hubby, then do let him buy what he wants.

If it is you or both of you, then I recommend an AT Cruze. You will find the clutch and gear shift hard to use in City traffic and will feel like working out at a Gym until you get used to it. Also an hubby is supposed to fall in line with what the wife wants. No excuses!