29th Mar 2011, 07:16
The car has now 47000 km, and it is still OK, just as it was when it was new.
The plastics inside, can be quite easily scratched, and the leather on the steering wheel shows some scratches (probably because of my wedding ring).
The fuel consumption is as follows : About 5,5 - 7,5 liters/100 km outside city, depends on how fast and how hard you push the gas pedal, and about 9,5-11 liters/100 km inner city, depending on the traffic in the city.
Other that that, except for some burned bulbs and 2 scratches on the front fenders (solved with a scratch remover product, but one scratch is quite deep), no troubles. Just regular service (oil and filter exchange).
The suspension is pretty hard, rough, it could be smoother. But it handles well, has a good stability.
I still consider that 1,6 16V is not the perfect choice for this car, it is somehow underpowered. Probably, the new 1,6 is better and more powerful. Better choose the 1,8 engine, which is better. I wanted to buy the 1,8, but, when I bought this car I did not have enough money, I am not a wealthy man. However, it doesn't bother me that much, I had even more underpowered cars.
Up to now, my conclusion : A good car, well equipped, safe, looks good, and up to now, from my point of view and experience, reliable.
Anyway, 47000 km is too little to judge, but in 47000 km a car, no matter the manufacturer, can cause a lot of trouble. Next year, when the car is probably going to have about 100000 km, I will say whether it is reliable or not. Up to now it has fared well. Let's see in the next 53000 km. Now I'm doing even more km/year, because of my job. And I also travel by car a lot.
4th Jun 2011, 13:33
Now, the car has 59700 km. Still goes OK, no issues.
The fuel consumption is about the same, the interior is a bit squeaky, bad plastics, front seats are squeaking. Went to the dealer, but they could not fix it, and I told them to leave it, because I have a trauma from my older Peugeot 307; I went to service it because of a problem, and got it back unfixed, and even with two problems. So I don't want more squeaks.
The audio system has a strange menu, and if the CD is bad, it will not read it, especially if it is an MP3 CD/CD-RW.
The paint is pretty thin and easy to be scratch; I managed to scratch it in a few places, and the scratch will not disappear without a good scratch removing product. So, just apply a polish and wax after a scratch removing session.
Now: The cat is OK, no mechanical or electrical troubles so far, the engine is OK, goes OK, but I still regret that I didn't buy a 1.8 140 PS version.
Has good handling, good stability, has a sporty feeling, but too bad the 1.6 engine can't offer too much to enjoy the suspension. However, I don't mind this, for me it is enough, (I am 47 years old after all), but because of its sporty feeling, seems to demand more from the engine and the 1.6L engine can't give, you have to step on it, the 1.8 or even the 2.0 diesel are better. It is just asking to step on it to go faster and faster, but the engine can't give. But I still criticise the suspension, which is extremely hard and noisy on bad roads.
Altogether, I am happy with this car, I like it, but I should have chosen the 1.8 engine. However, I didn't had too much money at that time. Up to now, the car was reliable, and up to my expectations. I don't mind about the plastics, it is a Daewoo after all, but is a big step forward for Daewoo.
7th Dec 2011, 14:16
The car has done now 79000 km. Works perfectly fine. I use it daily, and I can rely on it without any troubles. I had to take it through The Netherlands, Belgium, Switzerland, and Germany. I traveled a lot this year, anyway.
The car is perfectly fine, except for a small accident, but this is not the car's fault. The car got hit from behind. I had to change the distribution kit, now at 78700 km, in fact the entire distribution kit (including the water pump, belt tensioner). However, this was part of the maintenance, as I skipped the 75000 oil/filters exchange.
I want to use the car just another 21000 km. And if nothing goes wrong until 100000 km, my next car will also be a Chevrolet. Nice, car, till now it proved reliable, no significant issues.
Oh, the radio : I still don't know how it really works, the volume is very low, even when on maximum, you can hardly hear something (the volume level is too low).
Apart from some minor quality with the interior plastics and some squeaking from the front seats, and the radio (but probably that is the way the radio is), there were no troubles with the car.
19th Dec 2010, 14:32
Mechanically speaking, the car seems solid. The plastics inside are cheap quality indeed, but I want to keep the car for about 3-4 years, that's how long I keep a car. In Europe, it is also available with 1,6 16V 113 BHP. It is slow, it doesn't have good performances, but I don't mind this.
I use the car just for going to work and shopping. I am doing about 30000 km per year. In 3-4 years, the car will have over 100000 km so I will sell it and buy something else. But, I don't mind about squeaky plastics or other minor troubles, it is very important for me that the car will not leave me in the middle of the road. Up to now it seems reliable. Let's see in the next years and kilometers.
Greetings from Austria.