[Highflyer]

@Norules heartiest congratulations on your purchase. You have very nicely brought out the deliberations you carried out for this purchase.
At times I wonder about a large number of people who have not considered Optra while taking a car decision. I am sure that a large number of these would be swayed towards this gem.
Without taking away thunder from your moment I wish you a very long, safe and enjoyable drive.

[MAS]

@Norules

Excellent write up and kudos to Chevy managers to come to your help on a holiday.

Wishing you unlimited miles of joy!!!

- The ACC is a little crazy. Whenever i drove the car, i always noticed the air circulator to have a mind of its own. If i manually press the air-circulator, the Auto switch cuts off. I have noticed many times that the air-circulator activates when speed increases.

- What is the standard warranty period and kms for the Magnum?

- When i was checking out the Magnum, the SA informed me that they usually fit a USB slot to the existing double din HU for about Rs. 350/-. You could check if this is required for you till you upgrade the HU.

[MileCruncher]

Heartiest congratulations on the new car. I'm sure you will have many miles of happiness.

As regards to ACC, I think the switch is happening because of you keeping the temp a bit high. Try 18-20Deg and see if that still happens.

Originally Posted by plain.vanilla

Congratulations on the car! Frankly, this is first time I am seeing a dead pedal-manual transmission combination. Interesting and a very good idea for long drives.

Lotsa of cars with manual transmission in India have dead pedals. Fiat Uno and the Xylo are a few examples.

Cheers

[oxyzen]

Congratulations.

Originally Posted by NoRules

1. The power - The surge is exhilarating and the power in unending. Keep asking and it will keep responding till you are tired.
4. The space - It is very comfortable and the rear can seat 4 adults without great difficulty. It has a sofa like feel. Since I will be hiring a driver soon this a major plus for me and has been one of the deciding factors.

It is without a doubt Power and space is the biggest USP of Optra.

Originally Posted by NoRules

3. The faux-wood - Did not really like it.
4. Turbo lag - There definitely is turbo lag and unless you down shift it takes a little time to get to 1800 RPM. Beyond 1800 RPM it is a different story all together.

I dont like faux-wood either.
And yes, the turbo lag is a pain in the city.

Originally Posted by NoRules

This incident and the response of General Motors at all levels on a public holiday (Call centre, General manager - Service, Service Engineer) gave me lot of confidence about my choice of car.

I know the A.S.S and quality of GM has varied opinions. But dealing with GM foe 1.5 years, I rate them 1 level above Maruti as far as A.S.S is concerned. What you mentioned is a fine example. This is what actual service should be like.
It is product that excites you. But at the same time A.S.S can take everything away. It is important for both to be in a balance. What I am trying to say is there is no point buying a Ferrari if that stays in the workshop for 11 months. Or breaks down every 200Kms.

I have said it before and I will say it again, The Optra is a fantastic car and there is no doubt about it. But it is a couple of generations old. Sure the Cruze is the new Optra but it is way too expensive than OPTRA.

[optimist]

Congratulations NoRules. Wish you many happy (s)miles on your torpedo.

Good that you got the fully loaded LT version. Have a Safe Drive.

On my magnum the acc doesn't change on it's own. I don't use the auto. I set it to 30 / the slowest blower and feel cold. get the service center's opinion.

Just my random dumb thought. Since the controls are feather touch, take care while changing gears not to touch them as they are just ahead of the gear lever.

Yes the service response from the dealers side is looking good. OTOH whatever mail i wrote to GM ended up with the service center in 2 days. Next to impossible to talk to GM directly after many attempts from my end. Even on the voice complaint line, they put the ASC in a conference call, when all i wanted to do was give them a feedback on the ASC. DUMB.

[NoRules]

Originally Posted by Ardy

Congratulations, NoRules !!!

Optra Magnum is definately VFM in that price range. GM does need to redo the interiors a bit and make a bit modern and can market it for a some more years to come.

Thanks Ardy. One reason I can think of why GM is not upgrading the Magnum interiors is they might be apprehensive they will loose Cruze customers.

Originally Posted by ashis89

Congratulations for your new Chevy. It looks great. Optra Magnum is an awesome piece of machine,though highly under-rated. Your review is very detailed and very informative.
Enjoy your ride. Best wishes.

Thanks ashis89. So far I have been enjoying the ride and am happy with my decision. Glad you liked my review.

Originally Posted by prabhuferrari

Congratulations. Wish you many happy miles with your new car. Good to see the responsive nature of GM and your experience. Have lots of fun and please keep updating the thread on a regular basis.

Thanks prabhuferrari. Will keep updating the thread.

Originally Posted by plain.vanilla

Congratulations on the car! Frankly, this is first time I am seeing a dead pedal-manual transmission combination. Interesting and a very good idea for long drives.

Thanks plain.vanilla and yes, the dead pedal is very comfortable on highways.

Originally Posted by bluevolt

Congratulations on getting the Chevy Optra.

Very Nice review and pictures, rating five stars.

I see quite a few reviews on Optra here on team-bhp in recent times.

Wishing you happy and safe driving!

Thanks bluevolt for your kind words. I think 5-6 T-BHPians have purchased this car in August.

Originally Posted by ghodlur

@Norules

Congrats on the Magnum, the colour looks royal on the car. Nics pics too. Great review. I could imagine the dilema you were going through before finalizing the Magnum after Test driving so many cars. Looks like you made a great choice finally.

Happy mile crunching and drive safely.

Thanks Ghodlur. Yes, sandrift Grey is much liked by every one of my family members and friends. The consumers never had it so good in the C segment. So much choice, you can find a car to suit your taste and style.

Originally Posted by Highflyer

@Norules heartiest congratulations on your purchase. You have very nicely brought out the deliberations you carried out for this purchase.
At times I wonder about a large number of people who have not considered Optra while taking a car decision. I am sure that a large number of these would be swayed towards this gem.
Without taking away thunder from your moment I wish you a very long, safe and enjoyable drive.

Thanks Highflyer. It was a tough choice indeed with so many options available in the market, every make with its own strengths. I only feel sad that Optra just does not figure in the list considered by most people. It might not be the absolute best but definitely deserves a good look and TD.

Originally Posted by MAS

@Norules

Excellent write up and kudos to Chevy managers to come to your help on a holiday.

Wishing you unlimited miles of joy!!!

- The ACC is a little crazy. Whenever i drove the car, i always noticed the air circulator to have a mind of its own. If i manually press the air-circulator, the Auto switch cuts off. I have noticed many times that the air-circulator activates when speed increases.

- What is the standard warranty period and kms for the Magnum?

- When i was checking out the Magnum, the SA informed me that they usually fit a USB slot to the existing double din HU for about Rs. 350/-. You could check if this is required for you till you upgrade the HU.

Thanks MAS. It was indeed pleasantly surprising response from Chevy A.S.S.

Reg the ACC, yes thats exactly what I am facing too. Will try out by keeping the temp @18-20 and see how it behaves. Actually I faced same issue with my Baleno initially but over a period of time it started listening to me. Strange really.

Standard warranty is 2 years / 50k kms.

Did not know about the USB slot. Will check it out with the SE. Thanks for the tip.

Originally Posted by MileCruncher

Heartiest congratulations on the new car. I'm sure you will have many miles of happiness.

As regards to ACC, I think the switch is happening because of you keeping the temp a bit high. Try 18-20Deg and see if that still happens.
Cheers

Thanks MileCruncher. Will try keeping the temp low and see how the ACC behaves.

Originally Posted by oxyzen

Congratulations.

It is without a doubt Power and space is the biggest USP of Optra.

I dont like faux-wood either.
And yes, the turbo lag is a pain in the city.

I know the A.S.S and quality of GM has varied opinions. But dealing with GM foe 1.5 years, I rate them 1 level above Maruti as far as A.S.S is concerned. What you mentioned is a fine example. This is what actual service should be like.
It is product that excites you. But at the same time A.S.S can take everything away. It is important for both to be in a balance. What I am trying to say is there is no point buying a Ferrari if that stays in the workshop for 11 months. Or breaks down every 200Kms.

I have said it before and I will say it again, The Optra is a fantastic car and there is no doubt about it. But it is a couple of generations old. Sure the Cruze is the new Optra but it is way too expensive than OPTRA.

Thanks oxyzen. I agree with you on all the points and lets hope the A.S.S. keeps improving.

Originally Posted by optimist

Congratulations NoRules. Wish you many happy (s)miles on your torpedo.

Good that you got the fully loaded LT version. Have a Safe Drive.

On my magnum the acc doesn't change on it's own. I don't use the auto. I set it to 30 / the slowest blower and feel cold. get the service center's opinion.

Just my random dumb thought. Since the controls are feather touch, take care while changing gears not to touch them as they are just ahead of the gear lever.

Yes the service response from the dealers side is looking good. OTOH whatever mail i wrote to GM ended up with the service center in 2 days. Next to impossible to talk to GM directly after many attempts from my end. Even on the voice complaint line, they put the ASC in a conference call, when all i wanted to do was give them a feedback on the ASC. DUMB.

Hey Opty,

Many thanks. So far did not touch the controls while changing gears but will be careful.

We both took the delivery around the same time. Keep sharing your experiences as well and congrats to you too. Waiting for your ownership thread.

[C300]

Another Optra on the forum. Congratulations NoRules! Do keep this thread alive with your Optra experience.

Thanks to the BHPians like Poitive and Keyur, there is a new-found interest in this VFM offering from GM.

[keyur]

Congrats NoRules! (once again, officially )

Originally Posted by NoRules

7. The color - Sandrift grey makes this car look even better.

See - the waiting helps - a few days of wait, and years of pleasure!

9. The FM reception - Normally when I go to my village I noticed the reception of FM stations gets cut off after 50-60 kms on the highway but on the same route and with the same FM station I could get clear reception beyond 125 kms in the Magnum.

That's because your entire rear wind shield / glass is the antenna! With that kind of antenna size, you better get great reception

Dislike:

1. The bottle holder - It interferes with the arm rest. Wish it was in the door.

Ha ha, that made me remember one of my earlier drives, when I had taken the in-laws for a drive and my MIL placed a bottle in the holder without me knowing - the sudden interference while changing gears made me nearly shout at her .
Anyways, bought shorter and fatter bottles for the car - solved the issue!

3. The faux-wood - Did not really like it.

Yeah - agree here. Should have been a shade of the dash colours!

4. Turbo lag - There definitely is turbo lag and unless you down shift it takes a little time to get to 1800 RPM. Beyond 1800 RPM it is a different story all together.

Check this thread - my guide to avoiding turbo lag!

Originally Posted by NoRules

The LT model has all the features I need. ABS, Airbags, power steering, power windows, central locking, remote boot opening feature, electrically adjustable ORVMs, driver's arm rest, rear arm rest, ACC, 6-CD changer audio system, rear defogger, cooled glove box, Co-driver under seat tray, sun glass holder and some more.

Just for info - out of these, the ones marked in bold are also available in the LS (Sorry to hijack this NoRules, but after you had enlisted all the features, lazy me felt it easier it just mark out the differences right here )

Originally Posted by Highflyer

At times I wonder about a large number of people who have not considered Optra while taking a car decision. I am sure that a large number of these would be swayed towards this gem.

Wish that were so! Unfortunately, a lot of people still go in just for looks or snob value and also have a tendency of following the herd without sparing some time for independent thoughts!

Originally Posted by plain.vanilla

Frankly, this is first time I am seeing a dead pedal-manual transmission combination. Interesting and a very good idea for long drives.

That's more of a foot rest than a dead pedal. A dead pedal is an actual pedal.
And once you are on the highway an in the 5th gear, you can just take your foot of the clutch and cruise away. The footrest helps.
Also, with the softer suspension, when you are taking curves and the roll comes in, the footrest also provides a nice bracing to give you more confidence!

Originally Posted by MAS

When i was checking out the Magnum, the SA informed me that they usually fit a USB slot to the existing double din HU for about Rs. 350/-. You could check if this is required for you till you upgrade the HU.

Could you please get some more details regarding this and possibly PM me ( to not take this thread OT)

[girishglg]

Congrats NoRules on buying the best VFM and one of the best powered mid segment sedan available in our land. The write up is great with lots of pics detailing every finer point of the Optra. Also super job on the credits section where you have collated all those who have pitched in for the Magnum. Actually this is a great collection of Magnum buyer guide at a single place and would help a lot of folks. Sure T-BHP rocks.

I have similar consideration for my next diesel sedan which would be most probably mid/ late next year and this would serve as a great resource. The current favourites were SX4 D - for its great GC and MASS and of course the Magnum. As you have mentioned hopefully we will have the Magnum still running strong in the sales chart. Personally not very fond of the sedate front. Would be really juicy if GM retains the car and spruces up the exteriors. Surely would give a new lease of life with everything else being near perfect package.

Originally Posted by NoRules

Thanks CtrlAltDel for pointing me in the direction of Optra Magnum; Keyur, Poitive, Highflyer, drive or die, MAS, Optimist, Visweshkalambur, Torquedo, radiokidb, SLK, prabhuferrari, khoj, Jakku, deep-shri, brraj, oxyzen and several other T-BHPians for sharing your views and helping me decide. T-BHP rocks.

Originally Posted by NoRules

The ACC is very good and cools the cabin quickly. You can close the individual AC vents if you wish. However I have an issue with the ACC. In the city I prefer to keep the AC on auto mode and keep the air circulate internally to avoid bad smells and the fumes whereas on the highway I prefer the fresh air re-circulation. But the ACC has a mind of its own and keeps switching between internal and external circulation based on its own logic. Wonder if I am doing anything wrong. Below are pics taken within few mins of each other and the ACC switches between internal and external:

The flipping over of your ACC may not be any malfunction after all. Actually this is the same issue my friend faces in his previous gen Verna and is a characteristic of any ACC. The ACC has thermostats that maintain your set temp. When the temp reduces below the set mark, the ACC changes the air inlet from recirculating to fresh air which was confirmed by a service guy. Hence my friend turns off the ACC and puts it under the manual mode. I would prefer re-circ in a manual mode instead of letting in all the muck in city even though they may get filtered to an extent. You can also try to set a temp by re-trails when the A/c is both comfortable and stays at the re-circ mode. Petrolheads please comment if you have any other explanation.

[Torquedo]

Hey NoRules, Many A Congratulations for owning the BEAST.

Wish you many a Happy Miles with her !!

Happy Motoring !!

[NoRules]

Originally Posted by C300

Another Optra on the forum. Congratulations NoRules! Do keep this thread alive with your Optra experience.

Thanks to the BHPians like Poitive and Keyur, there is a new-found interest in this VFM offering from GM.

Thanks C300. Keyur and Poitive have definitely helped me in deciding.

Originally Posted by keyur

Congrats NoRules! (once again, officially )


Also, with the softer suspension, when you are taking curves and the roll comes in, the footrest also provides a nice bracing to give you more confidence!

Thanks a lot Keyur. I actually forgot to mention this but the footrest provides a nice bracing. Also on a long drive if you want to stretch a bit, this foot rest comes to help.

Originally Posted by girishglg

Congrats NoRules on buying the best VFM and one of the best powered mid segment sedan available in our land. The write up is great with lots of pics detailing every finer point of the Optra. Also super job on the credits section where you have collated all those who have pitched in for the Magnum. Actually this is a great collection of Magnum buyer guide at a single place and would help a lot of folks. Sure T-BHP rocks.

Hey Girishglg,

Thanks for your comments and the discussion by the passionate TBHPians on the pros / cons of Magnum helped me finalise.

Originally Posted by Torquedo

Hey NoRules, Many A Congratulations for owning the BEAST.

Wish you many a Happy Miles with her !!

Happy Motoring !!

Torquey,

Thanks a lot for your wishes. Earlier I used to find excuses to avoid going on drives and now I am looking for excuses to unleash the beast. My mother is going to be a happy person because I will now be driving down to my village more often than earlier. The 4 lane NH 44 is fun to drive on.

[CtrlAltDel]

there! you have brought me out of my hibernation....

this is my first post on my return...congrats, once again, on the new Magnum! I am happy that I was helpful in pointing you in this direction with my comment. I will come and have a look at the car in the "flesh" (or is it "metal"). We will go on a long ride one day!

Most of the inputs I have about the Magnum are from another member of this forum "Rodeo", who has not been active since long. He owns a Magnum and always sings its praises!

The review is very well written, dude. Shows the attention to detail you had.

about the ACC, I had read elsewhere in this forum that the switch between recirculation and fresh air modes is a feature and its done to maintain the temperature at the desired level. one workaround is not to use it in Auto mode in city. it may serve you better on long highway rides when periodic circulation of fresh air is important to keep your mind fresh and alert.

[sachinj12]

Whatever happened to the "Optra is long in the tooth" talks! Seeing quite a few Optra ownership threads on TBHP lately! And a few more in 'What Car?' section too!

Congrats on your new oil burner! Drive Safe

[NoRules]

Originally Posted by CtrlAltDel

there! you have brought me out of my hibernation....

this is my first post on my return...congrats, once again, on the new Magnum! I am happy that I was helpful in pointing you in this direction with my comment. I will come and have a look at the car in the "flesh" (or is it "metal"). We will go on a long ride one day!

Most of the inputs I have about the Magnum are from another member of this forum "Rodeo", who has not been active since long. He owns a Magnum and always sings its praises!

The review is very well written, dude. Shows the attention to detail you had.

about the ACC, I had read elsewhere in this forum that the switch between recirculation and fresh air modes is a feature and its done to maintain the temperature at the desired level. one workaround is not to use it in Auto mode in city. it may serve you better on long highway rides when periodic circulation of fresh air is important to keep your mind fresh and alert.

Thanks a lot Andy. After that initial comment of yours I remember all those discussions we had about Optra - lack of AT / Cruze etc.

You and Missus are most welcome to drop in at my place for a dekko.

Next T-BHP - Hyd meet lets go in my car. FrH is anyway dead now.

Originally Posted by sachinj12

Whatever happened to the "Optra is long in the tooth" talks! Seeing quite a few Optra ownership threads on TBHP lately! And a few more in 'What Car?' section too!

Congrats on your new oil burner! Drive Safe

Thanks Sachin. When I bought my Baleno in Nov 2006 I knew it was being phased out and that SX4 was on the way but it never bothered me. Even if Optra Magnum is phased out, I really do not mind. Having bought it, I am happy and am gonna live happily with it.

If phasing out / upgrading / cosmetic changes are gonna really matter then let us see how the existing Vento owners are going to react to the changes made in Vento Highline TDi.

[NoRules]

Update:

Decided to get sun control and anti-glare film for my car. Got the following installed:

1. 3M Suncontrol film
2. Garware ALPS wind shield film
3. Packy Poda transparent mats

Also bought car perfume, Mr.Leather - Leather conditioner and chamois cloth for cleaning.

Total cost was Rs.8500.00 at Hot Tracks, Basheerbagh


Next in list (actually it was not in stock yesterday) - Nokia Bluetooth wireless set.