[Sommos]

Originally Posted by Klever

Guys, I know that the Optra Magnum was discontinued by GM a good 6 months ago. Considering the fact that this car never set the sales chart on fire, is there any way I can get one now? Unsold 2012 stock? My friend made a few inquiries with Orange in Hyderabad but was told that they stopped selling Optra Magnum and instead tried to get him interested in the yet-to-be-launched Sail sedan. My friend has no interest in it. He only wants the Magnum.

Any suggestions as to how to get an Optra Magnum now?

The only way to get the Optra Magnum now is to hunt if some car is lying with any dealership. For this your friend would need the help of the local dealer or GM sales team.

Otherwise he can get one pre-owned car from the dealer or local market.

But I thought the Optra Magnum was available on demand/order. I was at the local GM dealership just before the Diwali (with a friend) and saw a new Optra Magnum there, and this is what the SA told me then.

[Prodigyy]

Originally Posted by Klever

I know that the Optra Magnum was discontinued by GM a good 6 months ago. Unsold 2012 stock? My friend made a few inquiries with Orange in Hyderabad but was told that they stopped selling Optra Magnum and instead tried to get him interested in the yet-to-be-launched Sail sedan.

Yes, GM had stopped manufacturing this car about 6-7 months ago, and the last few months' sales figure clearly suggests that there is the odd 2-3 cars being sold each month. Magnum even though was an excellent and pure VFM vehicle at its price range, still i would suggest your friend to stay away from this car now. Chevy as it is notorious for taking huge times for spares, that too for cars which are sold by them in pretty decent numbers (I own a Chevy Spark as well as a Magnum).

Chevrolet took a sweet 2.5 weeks for a side mirror of my Spark and this was a good 2-3 years ago (that was the time when Spark peaked its sales). I can only wonder what would happen to my Magnum if at all i need some spares. Though my love for that car prevents me from selling it off (as of now ).

Still, in case your friend is fixed on the Magnum, then as rightly said by Sommos, i guess he would need to do some exercise and check with each and every Chevy dealer, i think he should be able to find some 2011 or 2012 model lying around in some stockyard (the reliability / worthiness of that particular model is an altogether different debate)

It would be better that your friend hunts for some sparsely used 2010-2011 used Magnum, which would save him a few bucks and at the same time give him a wonderful vehicle in a perfectly running condition.

[Sommos]

Originally Posted by Prodigyy

Chevy as it is notorious for taking huge times for spares, that too for cars which are sold by them in pretty decent numbers (I own a Chevy Spark as well as a Magnum).

Chevrolet took a sweet 2.5 weeks for a side mirror of my Spark and this was a good 2-3 years ago (that was the time when Spark peaked its sales). I can only wonder what would happen to my Magnum if at all i need some spares. Though my love for that car prevents me from selling it off (as of now ).

This is news for me.

The friend I mentioned in my previous post owns a Opel Corsa for 8 years now and he has never faced any spares problem though the car was discontinued in India way back. I have observed over the years that more than 90% of the spares for the Opel comes from Brazil, though over the last one year there are only two mechanics left at the dealership, who have decent knowledge about the Corsa engine. Non availability of skilled mechanic is becoming a problem rather than non availability of spares in my friend's case.

The car is being used by my friend for daily office commute and it is absolutely reliable over it's lifespan except for one incidence that happened before Diwali (this year) where the car had to go to the dealership for 4 days (1 day delay is attributable to non availability of the mechanic). I always had a very different opinion about GM.

[Prodigyy]

Originally Posted by Sommos

The car is being used by my friend for daily office commute and it is absolutely reliable over it's lifespan except for one incidence that happened before Diwali (this year) where the car had to go to the dealership for 4 days (1 day delay is attributable to non availability of the mechanic). I always had a very different opinion about GM.

I have been very happy with the GM service experience too barring that one incident. In that case i had to elevate the matter to quite a high level. I mean waiting 2 weeks for just a simple ORVM was kind of shocking for me. I don't know, might have been a dealer issue too.

Barring that one incident i too have never faced any issues per se with GM on the whole. It may be since i never needed spares since that issue.

Have had a couple of friends struggle for spares though. On the whole, i would rate Chevy cars are very very reliable, right up there with the Japs maybe slightly better too. Solid build quality & good reliable cars, maybe that's why i have two of there cars. Wanted to buy a Cruze too, but budget constraints stopped me at Sx4 D

[radek]

Originally Posted by Prodigyy

I have been very happy with the GM service experience too barring that one incident. In that case i had to elevate the matter to quite a high level. I mean waiting 2 weeks for just a simple ORVM was kind of shocking for me. I don't know, might have been a dealer issue too.

Barring that one incident i too have never faced any issues per se with GM on the whole. It may be since i never needed spares since that issue.

Probably once in while, all manufacturers/dealership face this issue.

I never had such problem in 70000 Kms of my Spark. But for my wife's Estillo, Maruti dealership took such a long time to get left side ORVM that we finally got one from outside accessory shop.

Atleast we could get it from outside. But when Estillo's sun visor came loose, they took more than 2 months to get one. This part was not available in other accessories shop. We had to escalate this issue. But I can not overall brand this as generic issue with Maruti.

[Sommos]

Originally Posted by Prodigyy

I have been very happy with the GM service experience too barring that one incident. Barring that one incident i too have never faced any issues per se with GM on the whole.

Originally Posted by radek

Probably once in while, all manufacturers/dealership face this issue.

But when Estillo's sun visor came loose, they took more than 2 months to get one. This part was not available in other accessories shop. We had to escalate this issue. But I can not overall brand this as generic issue with Maruti.

I too think that must be a one-off incidence from GM and should not be a generic issue about non availability of spares from GM.

Coming to the main issue of the Magnum, I don't think spares would be a major issue atleast in another couple of years or more. The issue would be the dated interiors and lack of features. If someone is willing to stay with that, Magnum is a fantastic car.

[Klever]

Originally Posted by Sommos

The only way to get the Optra Magnum now is to hunt if some car is lying with any dealership. For this your friend would need the help of the local dealer or GM sales team.

Thanks for your inputs.Will reach out to the local GM dealer again.

[vb-saan]

Went for a few Test Drives last week. Started with the Ford Fiesta Titanium+ TDCi, followed by the Vento TDI highline, and later the Laura TDI Elegance DSG.

Dealer experience

Ford: Visited the dealership on last Thursday. Even though they were not very keen on pushing the Fiesta, on my insistence they agreed to bring the car home on Friday. As promised, I received a call around 10am, asking if I am available at home. And the car reached our apartment gate in 15 mins. The SA who came along was reasonably knowledgeable, explained the features well, and suggested a TD route with a mix of city traffic and long free roads.

VW: After visiting Ford on Thursday, next stop was at VW showroom. Massive showroom, ample display cars, and we were greeted with a welcome drink, and the SA patiently explained the positives and negatives of each of the models/variants on display. We went to enquire about the Jetta, but he went ahead and explained what Jetta have, what more is there in the Passat, and also a comparison with the Vento. Hearing our requirements, he suggested Vento TDI instead of the Jetta. The TD car was out then, and he offered to bring the car home on Friday, so that we can do the TD, and also checkout if the car fits well in our apartment parking.

They were scheduled to reach on 10:30am on Friday, but to space out the TD of Fiesta, I asked them to come in by 11:30. They were late by 15 mins, but the SA brought in a brand new shadow blue Vento Highline with their driver. Tried reverse parking and exit from our parking lot, and looking at the way the Vento went into the parking lot; it was quite evident that the Jetta will not fit in there.

Took the same TD route as the Fiesta.

Skoda: On Saturday, visited the Skoda showroom. Relatively smaller establishment, with just a Rapid and a Laura on display. The SA explained on some of the new features** on the MY13 Laura Ambition, and straightaway asked if I wanted to do a TD. I chose the Elegance DSG, and we were on the road in 5 mins. Again top notch service from the dealer.
All the 3 dealerships were excellent in dealing with us, but I will have to rate the experience, my vote goes to VW, followed by Skoda and Ford on same rating.

The actual drive

Ford Fiesta TDCi: Excellent for the driver, but not so good for the back seat occupants. Excellent steering, smooth gearshift and clutch, nice supportive front seats, adequate power for the city and available roads in Kerala. And the car felt extremely stable and poised. The OEM music system sounded nice and punchy. Plastics were not much of an issue for me, but there were constant complaints from my wife and dad on the badly designed rear headrest.

VW Vento Highline TDI: This was right after the Fiesta TD. The car is extremely airy, looked really elegant and classy inside out. The steering was effortless (probably a bit too light even on highway speeds). The NVH characteristics were excellent considering the fact that the car sounded like a truck from outside. The key negative I felt was the hard clutch. The TD car was brand new, and I am not sure if it will get eased out after some running in. The leatherette seats are of good quality, but the stereo was quite average, especially when compared with the Fiesta. What I liked most is the superb 1.6 TDI, and it does not call for frequent gearshifts.

Laura TDI DSG Elegance: I went looking for the Ambition variant, but the TD car they had was in the Elegance trim. Not sure if it was a bad decision to TD the Laura because it provided an entirely different experience from the Vento/Fiesta. Good all-round visibility and the driving experience were mind-blowing. I really liked the steering, and the addictive power offered by the 2.0TDI was just awesome. The 6-speed DSG made it even better. On the highways, it’s unbelievable the way this car masks speed. My wife is not much into cars, but she is completely bowled over by the Laura experience. To add to that, she like the Skoda design language more compared to the VW.

Decision time by end March!

**The Skoda SA mentioned that the MY 2013 Laura Ambition is now extremely VFM due to the added features – it now comes with 16” alloys, music system from the L&K, and Bluetooth. He has promised to email me the full list of updates once he gets the official notification from their management.

[F150]

Dear VBSAN,

Could you post the OTR price for the all the models you test drove including the discounts if any ?

I am pretty sure Laura is out of the 10 lac bracket. Or is it some where near 11 - 12L ?

[vb-saan]

Originally Posted by F150

Dear VBSAN,

Could you post the OTR price for the all the models you test drove including the discounts if any ?

I am pretty sure Laura is out of the 10 lac bracket. Or is it some where near 11 - 12L ?

I did not discuss in detail on the discounts (as I was looking for end March timeframe). If I remember correctly, Both Vento and Fiesta were around 11.5 lakhs OTR Kerala. VW mentioned they have exchange bonus of around 30K.

Laura I believe is around 19 lakhs OTR before any kind of discounts.

[pikaxe123]

Vento vs Rapid.

I am planning to book either of the two in the coming months. After exhaustive readings thanks to TBHP I had to finally take a test drive of each of them to get my head in place. Unfortunately i am confused. My problems are as follows.

Rapid : Good -I felt the chums at skoda did some tweaking with the suspension for an effective setup for indian roads, The noise levels are surprisingly low, Good dealer JMD N. Mumbai- who were willing to give me a few upgrades to give the additional bang for the buck.
Bad: Terrible equipment level. Not even a USB input! No steering control

Vento: Good: decent equipment levels , with all the bells & whistles (rs cam, gps), leatherette upholstery.
Bad: Ride a Tad stiffer for better handling but my family had enough of my gyaan they want a softer setup thanks to my beloved swift (which i bought for its handling & setup ) Thought the gps was a bit tacky& could have been integrated in the oem ICE which was given away in their IPL edition breeze once.

I got a call from VW navi mumbai and the chap said VW vento is getting some more additions post april. Can anyone verify this news? Is Skoda finally putting some steering controls & USB input in the car?

Heart says Vento but Head says otherwise. Oh Wise men! Help

Note from Mod: ONLY 2 smileys per post. Thanks

[santoshr]

Originally Posted by pikaxe123

Vento vs Rapid.

I own a Rapid for like 5 months now, done close to about 7000 kms in it.

1. Rapid is the one with the Stiffer suspension. At low speeds in and around the city you will feel it being stiff. My wife hates the car for that, but because of the stiffer suspension the handling is pretty awesome.
Vento has the more softer suspension.

2. I believe the Ambition model of the Rapid does not come with the Audio, but the Ambition Plus does come with an integrated audio system. Are you sure you are not comparing the mid-range model of the Rapid to the top-end Vento.

http://www.skoda-auto.co.in/models/Rapid/Features

When I got my Rapid there was no Ambition plus, and hence I got the after market audio done by the Accessories shop at the Showroom itself.

3. I preferred the rapid because of its rugged finish. It is more of a driver's car I believe, however to each his own. The plastics inside the Rapid and extremely plasticky if you know what I mean, but the driving experience compensates for all that missing glamor.

4. Skoda after sales service has a nasty reputation but I do believe they are improving. You will start finding more positive threads about the Skoda experience as compared to earlier.

5. Between the vento mid- variant and the low variant there's almost no difference.

6. My Rapid gave me an average of around 19 kmpl on the highway and around 15-16 in the city, with intermediate spells of AC.

See Kyrptonite's thread for a detailed ownership report on the Rapid - Swift to REMAPPED Skoda Rapid.

To cut-it short both the cars almost like twin brothers with very little difference. People have complained about Vento being the more loud inside the cabin, but then there have also been reports that it really isn't all that different. Yes, Rapid has stiffer suspension hence its a little bumpier. But at higher speeds its - Makhaan . Vento does offer a tad bit more as far as accessories are concerned.

Try and compare the Ambition plus with the mid-variant of Vento, that should help you decide.

[pikaxe123]

Thanks . Will do, I was looking at elegance & highline. Actually the vw vento test vehicle was old with squeaks. May be that gave away the false impression. I will try another showroom for the vw. Apparently there are some squeaky noise issue with the vw. Is it the same incase of rapid? well look wise I like the rapid's chiseled bum & the trademark 'c' taillights. The fog lamps are sized well for c segment car unlike the vento tiny circular lamps( subjective matter though) So all in all you are a satisfied soul. Any vento owners would like to she'd some light on this matter?

[coolboy007]

Originally Posted by pikaxe123

Any vento owners would like to she'd some light on this matter?

Well i have a 6 months old Vento which has clocked 6000 kms and a close friend bought a Rapid a couple of months before me, he is at the 8000 mark. We have both driven each other's car multiple times and to be honest there isnt anything at all to choose between these 2 cars - i will go on to say that go with the one whom you find more good looking, you can choose the Rapid with its bold front end or the Vento with its classic styling.

There is no NVH difference between them now and you can personally check it with any refreshed Vento, where i find a difference is with the suspension. Rapid is definitely on the stiffer side, not that vast a difference but back to back drive and you can easily notice it, the rear jumps less with Rapid.

I chose Vento as i didnt like the interiors of Rapid and it lacked equipment compared to Vento, the price difference between both was just 20k and i got steering controls, leather wrapped steering and gear knob, leatheratte seats, reverse parking intergrated etc and VW image, they are no saints but reputation in after sales is still a notch above Skoda.

Rest its upto you , hope that helps.

[ninjatalli]

Originally Posted by pikaxe123

Thanks . Will do, I was looking at elegance & highline. Actually the vw vento test vehicle was old with squeaks. May be that gave away the false impression. I will try another showroom for the vw. Apparently there are some squeaky noise issue with the vw. Is it the same incase of rapid? well look wise I like the rapid's chiseled bum & the trademark 'c' taillights. The fog lamps are sized well for c segment car unlike the vento tiny circular lamps( subjective matter though) So all in all you are a satisfied soul. Any vento owners would like to she'd some light on this matter?

Come on - you are just creating a problem where there is none!

Both are the exactly same cars; with just a few adjustments here and there.

- No, there is no squeaky noise issues; not with the Vento nor with the Rapid.
- Both are good looking models; you just need to pick one.
- Price-wise I believe the Rapid (used to) gives a better deal; but then the Vento has more equipment for the buck.
- W.r.t after sales, ignoring the historical data for now, both are more or less on the same level. I'd suggest you go by the feedback w.r.t Mumbai dealers.
- And enjoy the confusion; nice pickle to be in!

One advice - make this confusion very clear to both VW & Skoda dealers & let them try to convince you!