1997 Daewoo Lanos SE 1.5 from Australia and New Zealand

Summary:

Well priced as an alternative to the very popular and common Excel

Faults:

So far there is a shudder in the steering which is being dealt with by the dealer, at first I thought it might be the alloy wheels, but it seems to be more mechanical.

General Comments:

Not bad performance but we'll see after some after market additions.

Suspension seems soft but I guess it's set for comfort not stability.

Interior is very room, at 6'2 I am quite comfortable front and back.

Definitely needs the tachometer in the manual models, not the autos.

Would you buy another car from this manufacturer? Don't Know

Review Date: 2nd August, 2001

1997 Daewoo Lanos SE 1.5 from France

Summary:

Pretty good bargain, whether you like it or not!!!

Faults:

None, everything is excellent.

General Comments:

We bought a new Matiz for my wife last year, and I got very enthusiastic about the Lanos. Fortunately, I had the opportunity to find a good second hand one from the same dealer, in order to replace my old Passat.

I really enjoy my Lanos, though it's a little short in power (86 DIN). But, the dealer having bought my Passat, I paid in the end just a miserable 33000 French francs. Not so bad for such a nice car! I hope my next one is a Lanos SX (105 DIN)...

Would you buy another car from this manufacturer? Yes

Review Date: 12th June, 2001

1997 Daewoo Lanos 1.5 from Australia and New Zealand

Summary:

Cheap but awful

Faults:

Would die when started cold (3500km) and had to be revved hard for a minute just to stop itself from choking. Fixed under warranty - a faulty choke.

Glove box kept opening by itself.

Rattles and squeaks galore.

Transmission oil leak at 7500km.

Window handle stayed in my hand (12000km).

Sucks fuel dreadfully - 9L/100km on the open road! That equals a V6 car!

General Comments:

I only bought it because my poor Bravo got wrecked and I needed something cheap quick. Bad mistake and I warn everybody not to buy these bombs.

The deals they offer are tempting, but it is badly made, not particularly comfortable and performs like a tank - the engine delivers more like a 1.1 than a 1.5. And that horrible fuel consumption.

On the good side.. the wheels didn't fall off.

Would you buy another car from this manufacturer? No

Review Date: 2nd November, 2000

20th Feb 2001, 15:30

Why would you have gotten a Lanos? My brother had one, he said it went more like a washing machine than a car. You should have gotten a Hyundai, they're a lot better.

19th Mar 2003, 17:12

I Have a Daewoo Lanos and it acts the same way as his did. It eats a lot of fuel, car starts chocking at a stop light and then cuts out. I took it to a auto garage to see what was the problem, so the did a service and changed the ECG valve to see if that would fix the problem. Of course the problem was still their, so they changed the fuel pump and spark plug leads. At the end of that I spent over $1,400.00- the problem is still there. I will check on chock next. Thanks for the info. Dennis, Bermuda.

27th Aug 2004, 19:57

In regards to the fuel consumption... what do you expect? It is a cheaply made Korean car with an inefficient motor. On the other hand, it is one of the poorest cars in regard to safety (source: ANCAP crash tests)

24th Feb 2006, 04:20

I've been driving my Daewoo Lanos for 3 years now and I've not experienced any problems. It's a cute car. Just don't over-flog it.

1997 Daewoo Lanos SE 5 Door 1.3 from Australia and New Zealand

Summary:

Good everyday car

Faults:

Just little minor things, like small noises.

Most major problem is when the brake pads get low, the car jolts.

The dealership that it gets serviced at for free is shocking though.

General Comments:

For what you pay, this is a great little car, it desperately needs a tacho. As this is my girlfiend's car, I travel in it as much as she does. I'm quite a large guy (6'1', 130 kg), it has extremely good room for big guys.

It's done plenty of km's and is still running great. A motorsport company has recently developed a Lanos race car (if anyone wants info, contact me at Boomer1989afcmvp@hotmail.com), with a fantastic body kit. Overall it has some potential to improve, but as a run around car it's great, it beats the rivals such as Festiva's (very tinny) and Barinas (less power).

Would you buy another car from this manufacturer? No

Review Date: 24th September, 2000