[umvarma]

Hi Guys!

I have been planning to buy my first car for quite some time. I was thoroughly confused on whether to go for a new one or an used one. On the new car front, I have been waiting for Logan and NMB launches for quite sometime. All I had seen and read about Logan after its launch thoroughly disappointed me and it is almost out of my list at present. I am eagerly waiting for the NMB launch and will decide between NMB/Verna afterwards. My budget is 6-7.5lacs, so I have to for a low-end model.

Meanwhile, I was also looking at used cars and came across a few fully loaded 2003-2004 Optras with a running of 15000-30000km in the price range of 5-5.5lacs. My priorities are comfort, safety, maintenance costs and FE in that order. My monthly running will be around 700-1000km with 70% city use. I am quite inclined for Optra, but many things I heard about pricey spare parts and high maintenance/service costs are putting me off from going for one. Guys with a first hand experience on Optra, Please let me know if it advisable to go for a used Optra (fully loaded, ABS, Airbags) instead of new Baleno/Verna. Any opinions/suggestions in this regards will be fully appreciated.

Regards,
Mohan.

[ravibhat]

Optra is very good car, very nice ride and build quality as well. Its bit costly to maintain but its luxury car! you can plan for used Optra its really worth a buy. Try Popular Automatch they sell many optras and give 1 year
free service or something like that ... They are quiet honest i feel.

Buy 1.6 Optra not 1.8 for sure...

Regards,

Ravi.

[unknown]

Optra Fe is not promisioning though it's gives around 9-10 In city driving,u should wait for Nmb launch & see at what price maruiti will introduced it then make your decision.

[sreenivass]

Originally Posted by umvarma

Hi Guys!

I have been planning to buy my first car for quite some time. I was thoroughly confused on whether to go for a new one or an used one. On the new car front, I have been waiting for Logan and NMB launches for quite sometime. All I had seen and read about Logan after its launch thoroughly disappointed me and it is almost out of my list at present. I am eagerly waiting for the NMB launch and will decide between NMB/Verna afterwards. My budget is 6-7.5lacs, so I have to for a low-end model.

Meanwhile, I was also looking at used cars and came across a few fully loaded 2003-2004 Optras with a running of 15000-30000km in the price range of 5-5.5lacs. My priorities are comfort, safety, maintenance costs and FE in that order. My monthly running will be around 700-1000km with 70% city use. I am quite inclined for Optra, but many things I heard about pricey spare parts and high maintenance/service costs are putting me off from going for one. Guys with a first hand experience on Optra, Please let me know if it advisable to go for a used Optra (fully loaded, ABS, Airbags) instead of new Baleno/Verna. Any opinions/suggestions in this regards will be fully appreciated.

Regards,
Mohan.

Unless you are not opting for a Honda city I think it fits your budget nicely, may be slightly more. One of my colleagues bought Honda city (NHC) manual for 7.8 OTR over this weekend. If I was in your place I would not go for a used car like Optra, it is a different matter if you want used civic/ accord/ skoda kinds.

[umvarma]

Hi Ravibhat!

Thanks for this information. I will surely check popular automatch. Sorry for my ignorance, please let me know why 1.8 is not preferred.

Regards,
Mohan.

[BUSA]

Optra is very good car, very nice ride and build quality as well. Its bit costly to maintain but its luxury car! you can plan for used Optra its really worth a buy. Try Popular Automatch they sell many optras and give 1 year
free service or something like that ... They are quiet honest i feel.

Buy 1.6 Optra not 1.8 for sure...

Firstly Mr. Ravi have do you have any first hand experience with the Optra. Guessing by your signature i can say you havenot. The Optra has the 2nd cheapest spares in its segment, 2nd only to the Elantra.

How is 1.6 better then the 1.8. I have driven both and a 1.8 feels much better to drive though there is not much difference in horsepower. The 1.6 feels out of breath at high revvs which the 1.8 doesnot.

Guys with a first hand experience on Optra, Please let me know if it advisable to go for a used Optra (fully loaded, ABS, Airbags) instead of new Baleno/Verna. Any opinions/suggestions in this regards will be fully appreciated.

Finding a Optra with ABS will be difficult since its optional from 2005 April only. I can assure you 30000km driven Optra is nothing at all. The spares are quite cheap, if you want you can go to GM and ask them the spare parts price list. The maintainance cost is not much and i can tell you that its cheaper then the NHC. People find it to be more because service for the Optra are in 6months wheras in NHC's its 3 months.

Optra Fe is not promisioning though it's gives around 9-10 In city driving

Tell me any another Dsegment car which gives even a meter more per kilometer.

P.S Guys please dont post blunt facts without sufficient data to abide with it. Mohan you can safely go for the Optra as maintainance/service & spares are not at a issue at all. The only negative of the car is bad resale compared to the Toyotas and Hondas but then your buying it second hand and looking at the price of 5.5L with features like Lumbar Support, Driver Side Airbag, SunRoof, Audio Controls on Steering Wheel, CD Changer and many more who wont be tempted??

Hope i have helped you. Best of luck in deciding.

[vasudeva]

Optra 1.8 is not preferred because it does not sell at all (or at least 95% of Optra's 1.6). I have a Opel Corsa which I get serviced from GM, and know works manager of a central Delhi workshop personally for a long time. I get my car serviced from him, and Optra 1.8 has Holden engine which has had problems, spare parts are not easy to obtain (not regular servicing parts, but things such as broken lights, etc). Optra 1.8AT is even more horrible.

Another thing, CNG in OPtra is not successful and may give problems. I was also considering a new Optra in Feb. 2007 because I like it. But go only for 1.6 as it can give FE of 9-10 kmpl. Regarding GM servicing, the quality of work performed by various workshops is not consistent (varies across dealers), and it pays to know someone. In that case, a small unofficial amount to the right person can work wonders. Corsa itself has had no major problems with 35K and 3.5 years. But already spare parts have become somewhat difficult. Since Optra is a running model, that is not an issue. Also servicing is not expensive as alleged by competitors. Biggest thing in Corsa and Optra: if you keep it in the right rpm and use System G, they may give you decent FE (my Corsa gave 13 in winters). They are sensitive to fuel quality and driving habits. Finally I hope you are buying that 2005 Optra 1.6 with VGIS and not a pre-VGIS Optra (1.6 or 1.8). Pre-VGIS Optra may only give 10 at best, and 7-8 kmpl on average.

[Rudra Sen]

Originally Posted by vasudeva

and Optra 1.8 has Holden engine which has had problems, spare parts are not easy to obtain (not regular servicing parts, but things such as broken lights, etc). Optra 1.8AT is even more horrible.

Could you kindly elaborate on these comments?

[Knight Rider]

My friend just picked up a 2005 Optra 1.6 for 5.25 Lakhs ... Well, That got me curious as well because i would be able to afford it....

But then I surfed the net for some information, Could not find ownership experiences, But did get to know that the hood costs 21000 (Indiacar)
under their used cars review.

Is this true? Does the other parts fall alongside the same price bracket???

Would be nice if we get some info from owners........

[v1p3r]

Just heard of a 1.8 Optra going for around 5 lakhs. BUSA, Elantra CRDi, Civic, and Corolla all give more than 9-10 kmpl in Bangalore driving.

umvarma, why don't you think of a used Baleno or Vtec? They will give you all the creature comforts you want, will be way cheaper than the others, and will also give you great FE. Spares aren't too expensive, and they're really nice cars to drive as well.

I love the way people post up stuff without a clue.

[unknown]

Tell me any another Dsegment car which gives even a meter more per kilometer.

Honda Civic manual gives 10-11 In city .

[wizardofid]

I was in the market for a used car recently and was looking for a Baleno and an Optra. I've driven 1.8's and 1.6's before. Both are refined vehicles to drive. I've not heard of any owners complaining about spares, though one of them did complain about a shortage of service centres for GM vehicles (true for anyone but Maruti). I think what you need to look out for are the ones with the three kidney grille. Those, or the cars about that time (2003~04) were slightly lower (lower suspension I presume), and I guess the undercarriage was threatened. I did not buy an Optra because I did not have the space to park it where I live, leave alone on a crowded road.

Can't beat the value it offers in the used car market though. I settled for a Baleno, not that I'm complaining. I've always wanted one

[Rudra Sen]

Originally Posted by v1p3r

Just heard of a 1.8 Optra going for around 5 lakhs. BUSA, Elantra CRDi, Civic, and Corolla all give more than 9-10 kmpl in Bangalore driving.

And so does mine.

That doesn't really mean that one should go for Optra or not. It's a choice with whole host of things put together.

Is there anybody here (apart from BUSA) who can say what's wrong with Optra? And what's wrong with it's 1.8 mill?

I, for a change want to know. Please put down first hand feedback and not what you heard from somebody.

[abhibh]

Originally Posted by Rudra Sen

And so does mine.

That doesn't really mean that one should go for Optra or not. It's a choice with whole host of things put together.

Is there anybody here (apart from BUSA) who can say what's wrong with Optra? And what's wrong with it's 1.8 mill?

I, for a change want to know. Please put down first hand feedback and not what you heard from somebody.

Well i dont know much about the specific problem but GM dealers themselves say that earlier OPTRA 1.8 engines used to have problem and they had to open it and stuff thats the only thing till now that i have heard about the optra 1.8 engine and the new VGIS is a GEM. Nothing comes closer to luxury and comfort in OPTRA segment. After optra the only car which is better or as comfy as OPTRA is ACCORD.

[Rudra Sen]

Originally Posted by abhibh

Well i dont know much about the specific problem but GM dealers themselves say that earlier OPTRA 1.8 engines used to have problem and they had to open it and stuff

BOSS!!! I'm hearing this for too long! What's the problem?