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Old 18th January 2010, 05:46   #1
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Used OHC Vtec or Optra 1.6?

Hi all,

I'm planning to gift a car to one of my close relative (early 20s) and after a thorough research I have shortlisted these two cars:

2003 Honda City 1.3/1.5
2004-2005 Optra 1.6 LT/LS

I know well enough about both the cars and personally would prefer the Optra (maybe a bit more profile?).
But someone told me the Optra is not a very reliable car and spears are hard to find outside the GM workshops.
So if like I take it out of city then if something happens to the car there would be no way to fix it as compared to an Honda city.

I like the city, but I think its quite old now and even though the engine is great the ownership feeling may not be as high as the Chevy.

What do you say guys? I am wanting to get the Optra as well as my relative but I'm being discouraged by a friend dealer.

Any help would be appreciated!
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Old 18th January 2010, 10:32   #2
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If you are looking for a fun to drive car=OHC
If you are looking for a spacious, comfortable, alrounder family sedan with wel built cabin=Optra
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Old 18th January 2010, 10:34   #3
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Between these 2 OHC VTEC any time.
Not sure about the Optra Spares availability.
Any OPtra Owner here.
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Old 18th January 2010, 11:03   #4
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Thanks for your feedback guys!

One more question: Is Optra a reliable car? I know its no Honda or Toyota but is it reliable enough to drive out of Delhi without worrying that something could go wrong?
The car will be purchased in Delhi but will be driven in UP.

Not looking to buy an Optra over 50k kms and City over 70k kms

I guess this is another one of those 'Heart VS Brain' thing lol!
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Old 18th January 2010, 11:03   #5
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If your relative is a driving enthusiast, the OHC VTEC anyday. But if he is the kind who just enjoys cruising in comfort, the Optra would be a better choice.

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Old 18th January 2010, 11:10   #6
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OHC is a very reliable car and very easy to drive as well. The performance is a bonus. I own an OHC and can vouch for this.Optra on the other hand is a bigger and comfortable car. The performance is decent enough as well. AFAIK Optra is not a troublesome car.
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Old 18th January 2010, 11:12   #7
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OHC all the way!! Excellent car but make sure you get the car checked properly before signing any paper.
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Old 18th January 2010, 11:58   #8
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Quote:
Originally Posted by goingout View Post
One more question: Is Optra a reliable car? I know its no Honda or Toyota but is it reliable enough to drive out of Delhi without worrying that something could go wrong?
All Chevy branded cars in India are essentially Korean engineered(erstwhile Daewoo) and are known to be as reliable as Japanese. Of course Optra owners can comment on this better.
Does this Optra 1.6 has ABS/Airbags?
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Old 18th January 2010, 12:28   #9
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Optra is very much reliable, I drove it around for around 1.10 Lakh KMs and it drove like dream still after so much kms covered.

Only glitch is spare costs, which is on higher side (read not so much higher side) due to non-availability in local-market.
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Old 18th January 2010, 12:34   #10
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The OHC is an enthusiasts car and an absolute looker even now, but if you are looking at a more sedate sedan then optra would be the way to go. One more factor is that the optra is a comparitively newer model to the OHC so you might want to look into that aspect too w.r.t to the availablity of spares, resale value etc. If you manage to get your hands on a Vtec then dont even think twice about any other car.
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Old 20th January 2010, 03:19   #11
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Honda any time would be a decent package with quality, performance and reliability. Coming to spares I would always recommend the branded though they are costly(dealer dependency). As you know the profile of the both cars personally, the deciding factors should be vehicle condition, service history and how well they are maintained AND mileage plus maintenance costs.
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Old 20th January 2010, 08:58   #12
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Hey thanks again everyone for your valuable input.

The vehicle is being bought for a short period only. After which my relative will upgrade to a new car.

I test drove an Optra 1.6 yesterday and OMG the clutch and gearshifts are a nightmare (no offense to Optra lovers
Did not take a test drive of the City yet but was hugely disappointed by the interiors.

There is no problem in availability of used cars in Delhi.

Could anyone help me with the prices as well?

Optra 1.6 LT 2003-2005
City 1.5 Exi 2002-2003

How much do you guys think? Both cars would be in good condition with service history etc.

Thanks in advance!
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Old 25th February 2010, 14:55   #13
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Hi, Are you comparing the Optra 1.6 to the OHC 1.3 or OHC 1.5. Note that the OHC came in 3 avtaars - 1.3, 1.5 and 1.5 vtec. Many 1.3 owners just rebadge their cars to 1.5, so pl. cross.
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Old 25th February 2010, 17:25   #14
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Guna View Post
If you are looking for a fun to drive car=OHC
If you are looking for a spacious, comfortable, alrounder family sedan with wel built cabin=Optra
+1 on that. its a very clear thing.
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Old 25th February 2010, 17:31   #15
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2002 OHC should cost you something between 1.5-2.5L, again it all depends on the car's condition. Remember, we had a TBHP OHC Vtec sold for 4L
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