I have owned Optra 1.6 base version for 3 months now and I have driven around 3300 KMS. I am very satisfied with the car. I initially considered Honday City, Accent, Baleno and Ford Icon but decided to put in more money.
And for this extra money you get superb value for money - great looks, solid & stable build, excellent mileage, ride comfort are all clearly a notch up as compared to C-segment cars. In summary if you buy an Optra 1.6 you get a car that is in league with Corolla and Skoda but whose cost neither of them can match. There is not too much difference in engine performance between 1.6 and 1.8 Optra anyway all else in the car being very similar.
Mileage:
Now coming to the all important question of mileage. I drive around 30Kms a day in Bangalore and have driven the car on long rides to Yercaud and Goa (so far). With premium petrol and with intermittent A/C I get a city limits mileage of 10.5 KMPL. In one particularly bad week (Bangalore’s infamous traffic jams) I got a low mileage of 8.2 KMPL but this was because I idled the engine for more than two hours with traffic slowly inching forward on Hosur Road. Within Panaji city limits I got a mileage of 11.5 KMPL. On the highway I was able to get a consistent mileage of 14 KMPL with premium petrol (BP Speed) and 14.5 KMPL with normal petrol with IFTEX SYSTEM-G additive. From what I know, Skoda or Corolla or any other car in D or C segment (such as Accent) cannot match this mileage. I have friends owning all of these other cars and they get much less mileage.
Speed:
The car performs so well that overtaking in 5th gear at 110 KMPH is simply effortless. I reached peak speeds of 165 KPMH on the Salem - Bangalore highway. The engine is adequately responsive and has plenty of power in its reserves.
Ride comfort:
The car is unbelievably solid in construction and extremely stable on the road. You can throw any rough terrain at it and the car does not wobble. Its gas filled shock absorbers and all wheel independent suspension absorb rough roads and vibration. I have driven over pothole filled highway roads in Dharmapuri district at over 80KMPH without any shaking.
Interiors:
Awesome interiors. Again best in class I would say. Loads of space in the front and rear seats. Rear seats have thigh rests and proves useful on long drives. The indicators and display cluster is attractive, simple and uncluttered. Dual trip meters are really useful for tracking both trip distances and petrol usage simultaneously. One bug I found was that the trip meters reset upon reaching 1000 KMS ! I just didnt understand the logic and wished it was not that way. The cabin is very quiet and shields the passengers from outside noise almost completely. So if you are driven around by a chauffer, sitting at the back and reading a book is going to be a pleasurable experience. Cooled glove compartment keeps softdrinks cool !!!
Looks:
It has taken me three months to get used to stares and open mouthed gapes at my Red Optra, to a point I no longer take notice of it. The car is a head turner and looks stunning. Looks do matter, especially if you spend so much of money.
What I dont like about this car - The gear shift is smooth but is ’’clunky’’. Slightly annoying. Trip meter resets after 1000 KMS !
Compared to Honda City - Here goes. Lots of my friends asked me this so I thought I should share my thoughts anyway. I have four cribs against Honda City. First, it is under powered - 77 BHP (as opposed to Optra’s 104). This wont hit you within the city but the moment you get on the highway, you will immediately notice the difference and insufficiency of power. Secondly, long wait list - I cant wait 3 or 4 months for my car and dream like Mungeri Lal. GM gave me my car in 4 days !! Thirdly, aweful looks of City as compared to awesome looks of Optra. Fourthly, exaggerated mileage claims - it really gives mileage of around 11 or 12 not 14 or 15 as many people claim.
Who should buy this vehicle: Accent, Baleno, City, Corsa, Icon are insufficient for one or many reasons. But cant afford Corolla, Octavia or the 1.8 Optra. This is right in the middle !