By Chris Chase
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Chevrolet Optra, 2004-2007 Ottawa, Ontario - When Korean automaker Daewoo's North American operation went belly-up in 2002, it was fair to assume we wouldn't see the company's name here again any time soon. That much was true, and many people still don't know the company ever had a presence here at all.
A couple of years later, after GM purchased a majority share of the company and re-named it GM Daewoo Auto Technology (GMDAT), the company's cars returned to North America sold by Chevrolet and Suzuki. One of those re-branded Daewoos was the Chevrolet Optra, a compact car sized to compete against benchmark vehicles like the Honda Civic, Toyota Corolla and Hyundai Elantra.
2004 Chevrolet Optra5. Click image to enlarge |
In fact, Chevrolet's idea was that the Korean-designed Optra might attract the kind of import-car shopper who tended to pass over homegrown cars like its own Cavalier and Cobalt.
The Optra didn't offer much more than the Daewoo Nubira it ostensibly replaced; the engine was a 2.0-litre four-cylinder making a weaker-than-average 119 horsepower, with transmission options being - typically - a five-speed manual and four-speed automatic.
The Optra began life as a plain-looking four-door sedan and was joined in 2005 by a four-door hatchback and a station wagon. The hatch was arguably the most attractive of the trio, owing to its unique front-end styling. The sedan was discontinued after 2005.
Fuel consumption was on the high side for the class; in fact, its EnerGuide estimates of 10.7 L/100 km (city) and 7.4 L/100 km (highway) were high compared to those for four-cylinder mid-size sedans, notably Chevy's own Malibu and the Honda Accord and Toyota Camry.
Finding accurate reliability data on these cars is very difficult, thanks to relatively low sales. Because the Optra was a Canada-only product, Consumer Reports offers nothing on it; the same car was sold Stateside as the Suzuki Reno/Forenza, and CR doesn't even have information on those models, thanks again to low sales.
Searching the web yields little, too: the Optra doesn't even rate a mention on most Chevrolet forums, making your best bet the
Forenza/Reno forum at Suzuki-Forums.com. Even here, most of the talk is on the topic of aftermarket modifications, with little mention of trouble spots. You could, I suppose, take that as a tacit endorsement of these cars' durability, but I wouldn't bank on it.
2004 Chevrolet Optra5; 2005 Chevrolet Optra wagon (bottom photo). Click image to enlarge |
One thing you will find information on is crash safety. The Forenza earned an "acceptable" rating in the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety's (IIHS) offset frontal crash test, and a "poor" rating in side impact tests, and this, on a car that had standard side airbags in the U.S. By contrast, however, the Forenza earned four stars for both driver and front passenger protection in the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration's (NHTSA) frontal crash test, but the organization didn't conduct side impact testing on the car.
As with any virtually unknown car, the Optra's resale values are almost laughably low. According to Canadian Red Book, prices range from $6,000 for a 2004 base model, to $11,725 for a 2007 LT wagon. Oh, so those prices don't sound so low, do they? Hang on: compare those numbers to prices for the Hyundai Elantra, and you see that, yes, those Optra prices are indeed quite low. Count on an Optra costing a solid $1,000 less than an Elantra, with the difference growing further if you cross-shop an Optra with a higher-spec Elantra (a car that came to be quite well-equipped in the mid-2000s.
Suffice it to say that, while the Optra's low prices and practicality (particularly in hatchback and wagon forms) are real plusses, it's my opinion that you'll get what you pay for with these cars. Once you own one, the only positive thing I could offer is that there are plenty of places to get it fixed, given the sheer number of Chevrolet dealer service facilities in all parts of Canada.
Want a good, affordable, used compact? The Elantra is still the king in this regard and remains my recommendation.
Online resources
As mentioned in the article, your best bet - and it's not a great one - is the
Suzuki Forenza/Reno section at Suzuki-Forums.com.
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General Motors Canada Recalls
Transport Canada Recall Number: 2007315; Units affected: 33,865 2004-2006: Certain vehicles may experience a loss of headlamp low beam or Daytime Running Light (DRL) function as a result of a melted instrument panel harness connector. Low beam failure would lead to reduced visibility during hours of darkness. DRL failure may render the vehicle less visible to other motorists and pedestrians during daylight hours. Both cases could lead to a vehicle crash with injury or death. Correction: Dealers will add a direct connection splice clip to the headlamp low beam circuit in order to bypass the faulty connector. Transport Canada Recall Number: 2005021; Units affected: 23,507 (includes Chevrolet Epica) 2004: On certain vehicles, the stop lamp switch may become misadjusted if an upward force is applied to the brake pedal. The stop lamp electrical contacts in a misadjusted stop lamp switch may not open when the brake pedal is at its natural rest position, resulting in the brake lights staying illuminated continuously without service brake pedal application. Correction: Dealers will replace the stop lamp switch. Transport Canada Recall Number: 2007255; Units affected: 9,120 2006-2007: On certain vehicles, a piece of the seatbelt buckle lower cover may break off and become lodged in the buckle assembly. As a result, the seatbelt tongue may not latch in the buckle or the push button may become stuck, preventing the occupant from unlatching the buckle. These buckle malfunctions could prevent a person from using the seatbelt system, resulting in an increased risk of injury to an occupant during a crash. Correction: Dealers will replace the driver and front passenger seatbelt buckles. Crash test results
National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS) Used vehicle prices vary depending on factors such as general condition, odometer reading, usage history and options fitted. Always have a used vehicle checked by an experienced auto technician before you buy.
For information on recalls, see Transport Canada's web-site, www.tc.gc.ca, or the U.S. National Highway Transportation Administration (NHTSA)web-site, www.nhtsa.dot.gov.
For information on vehicle service bulletins issued by the manufacturer, visit www.nhtsa.dot.gov.
For information on consumer complaints about specific models, see www.lemonaidcars.com.
