to choose between Hyundai Verna crdi sx with ABS or Chevy's Optra Magnum2.0 Max

Hi Friends,

At present i own a Maurti Alto. Mostly i will be travelling on the highway, but the performance is not satisfying (with the ac on). So i planned to upgrade my car and in a confusion to choose between  Hyundai Verna crdi sx with ABS or Chevy's Optra Magnum2.0 Max. I have read that Verna is not stable at high speeds. Is it true. Stability is the only issue that blocks my mind. But for sure that magnum wont have that problem. On road price(CHENNAI) of Verna 9.30 lakhs and for Optra (base model) 10.25 lakhs. Is it worth investing additional 1 lac in optra. Plz guide me. My priorities are:

performance

stability at high speeds

low maintenance

resale value

Regards

Arun

Hi Garun,

Both the cars you are thinking about... Verna N Optra... having great power but Verna definitely is not stable at highspeed and no match with the performance of Optra Magnum D.

Magnum is very very stable at high speed and the best available around 10 lacs of budget. And if you like Optra Magnum, well its worth buying! If you can easily go for Optra.... well the best option available for you.

Another option I want to suggest you, and the best in Lower budget and that is Ford Fiesta TDCi, Garun I am using this car, Ride & Handling.... No Match! Though power is 68PS but take a test drive I dont think you will feel that power is less for Highway use, max. I touched 140kmph and car was damn stable, You wont feel that you r driving it on 140, Mileage is great 16-18kmpl in city and around 21 at highways... excellent road presence.. and most importantly,... Maintenance is not High though its from Ford, if you can afford upper model den its best cuz I am using base Exi and bro met wid an accident too wid Tavera but No major damage done, only sound of impact he heard inside and not more den that.... So, I can say... Ford is damn Solid and good for Highway Driving.

 

People dont change when you tell them that there is a Better option... They change when they realise that there is No Other Option..

hello garun.

i would suggest u to choose between fiesta & magnum. magnum is more powerful & spacious than the fiesta infact optra is been placed in the segment higher than the verna & fiesta but thats ok, optra is the best diesel available & its too powerful but at wat price u get a magnum base model at that price u can get a fiesta sxi so u should see both the cars, compare the features & have a test drive & than decide which one did u felt the best & which one would u like to go with.

Would like to third the choice of the Magnum --its the best diesel sedan in the 8-12 lac range, though could you clarify what the 'stability' issue with the verna.In my experience with the verna only the brakes felt inadequate and the standard tyres are also a let down.No stability issues other wise on the ride parameters.

hi!

among your choices one can blindly say optra magnum is the best in evryway  if u are willing to go for it and can afford it there is no need to think otherwise  i am using optra mangum  just been 10 days since i got my car and currently away attending marriages  and have driven on highways and i will tell u   verna is no way near  optra magnum so if u are willing to spend the amount and can go for it then just go for it

if u  want to find something  in the segment of verna then i will suggest fiesta  
though yes verna is more powered then fiesta , which is quite useful for highways but the only thing i found when i drived  it on highways was   u feel like  its bit floating in air when going at higher speeds especially for people sitting on  backside  but with fiesta its not the case as it is more planted to the ground   and the other reason for me is i just dont like the looks of verna anyway looks and colors are always personnel likes and dislikes

hello

I am very pleased with your reply. The advantages that you have said about fiesta are very much convincing but the power 68 bhp make me to think again. Alto i am using was 47 bhp. Will that 21 bhp  make a difference. i agree that torque was good.

another clarification:

the mileage you are mentioning  are with a.c. switched on or off.

whether  the car's performance is good in the highways with the a/c on. 

hi!

i dont think there will be much difference with power because i myself have driven santro before  i think one can easily get adjusted to the transition after having a drive

so finally what have u decided magnum or fiesta or verna

i would suggest magnum  if not fiesta last verna

Would like to add here that:

• Optra definitely is a segment above Verna / Fiesta.
• Would be kind of unfair to include Optra Magnum base model in the comparison as base model does not have ABS & Airbags which are necessary for safety especially while going high-speed driving on highways. So it would be appropriate to do the following comparison: Verna VGT CRDi SX ABS vs Ford Fiesta 1.4 SXi TDCi ABS vs Chevrolet Optra Magnum 2.0 LT
• Which means Optra Magnum 2.0 LT ex-showroom price of ~ 11 lacs makes it around 2.5 to 3 lacs more expensive than Verna
• Stock tyres for Fiesta & Verna are 175/65 & 175/70 R14, whereas for Optra Magnum it is 195/60 R15. If one upgrades tyres for Verna & Fiesta to 195/60 then i guess stability & road grip would be much better. Mileage however would take a marginal hit.
• I also feel that "Power" (BHP rating) again is not a true indicator of performance. In my opinion a car needs a certain amount of power to move the car, beyond which there is always extra power available. So 68 BHP need not mean it is less. Fiesta 68 bhp for 1150kg (kerb weight) as against Magnum 121 bhp for 1370kg (kerb weight). However due to this the top speed would definitely be less for Fiesta.

 

With this in perspective:

• Performance: No doubt the sequence is Optra Magnum, Verna & then Fiesta. Magnum is a 2L engine as against 1.5L for Verna & 1.4L for Fiesta.
• Stability: With matching tyres there would not be too much of a difference. Optra Magnum would still be the best. Also because Optra is the heaviest.
• Low Maintenance: With warranties & maintenance programs all three cars would be decent.
• Resale Value: Here i guess Fiesta Scores. Selection would be Fiesta, Verna & then Optra.

 

And i would like to add one more parameter from my side for your reference

• Mileage (average): Magnum (12.5 to 12.8) vs Fiesta (14 to 14.5) vs Verna (13.5 to 14). Highway mileage for all these three vehicles would be 17.5 to 18kmpl.

 

So, if a 2 to 2.5 lac premium does not matter and for pure performance pleasure (that too on highways) Optra Magnum takes the cake. However if there is lots of city driving also involved then Verna D followed by Fiesta D would be preferable.

Just one more thing. Power & Torque ratings for:

• Optra Magnum: 121bhp @ 3000rpm and 314Nm @ 2125rpm
• Fiesta D: 68bhp @ 4000rpm and 160Nm @ 2000rpm
• Verna D: 110bhp @ 4000rpm and 235Nm @ 1900rpm

 

I could be incorrect, but i think for optimal (or better) mileage one would be required to work between this rpm-band range. As one can see in Optra Magnum we have a lower rpm-band range between peak-Torque & peak-Power (2100 to 3000rpm) in comparison to Fiesta-D & Verna-D.  Since this range is larger for Fiesta-D & Verna-D, mileage would be better for these 2 cars.

 

This also means lesser number of gear shifts while in Fiesta-D / Verna-D. Not that on highway when one is cruising at 150kmph in a Optra Magnum, there would be a necessity for frequent gear shifts!! Others would be far behind. But the band is definitely narrower.