Optra Magnum / Cedai Spirit - any problems (onwers)??

The only downside Ive heard about the Magnum D is its comparitively low GC and that it is prone to underbody scraping even over the tiniest of road undulations. Ive driven this car but did not experience this on a not-so-good road.

Feedback from owners and other car gurus out here on this issue and any others will be greatly appreciated.

I know that there isnt a car without problems, but before I choose between the Magnum D and the Cedia Spirit, it would be great to know the what not to expect from these cars.

I know both these cars are extremely good machines and I have read copiuos amounts of good feedback, but would love to hear from owners of this car about any negatives that the've experienced.

Or is it that these cars really dont have any problems at all...Ive hardly seen/read any negative feedback.

This feedback could certainly be the last mile I go before I go for one of these marvels.

As you know, Magnum D is Diesel while Cedia Spirit is Petrol.  The 2 cannot be compared, as such.  Nevertheless, Magnum D delivers more power & much more torque (in particular) & at much lower rpms.  The performance, drivability & the driving pleasure will be more in Magnum.   It is also more spacious/comfortable & has little better interiors/features. Magnum D - being diesel - is more fuel efficient & economical.

Have a look at the comparison between the two - go through the Specifications, Features & All Features.

Thanks for your answer Pankaj and I agree with all the good things you've written about the Magnum D. I have seen the comparison of these two cars earlier on too and I also understand there is no real comparison between a Diesel and a Petrol car, and though i have zeroed down to these two cars, I am not comparing them at all.

So Mods, please change the title of this post. The title could more be related to any problems faced by owners of these two cars.

The interiors are again a subject of debate as there are many who really like the Cedia Spirit interiors with the touch screen HU and the wood finish dash, etc. I personally like the interiors of the Magnum D though.

The burning question is however not about the good things in a Magnum D. Most current cars in this segment generally have several goodies and USPs, but then they all have that one thing thats not good in the car. It could be low end power issues or ground clearance problems or bad gear shift ratios or even pathetic service at the A.S.S.

I was looking for any owners or gurus feedback on any such things in a Magnum D. What do i have to be wary of.

Does the Magnum really have any problems? I know people who mentioned low ground clearance, but are they any other issues with this car that owners have experienced or the gururs know about?

Sorry to be such a pain if you think so, but I'm just trying to be a little cautious.

oh and ...does it really matter if I do no more than 1000 km in a month but still go for a Diesel. Are there any other issues other than FE related savings?

I'm neither a guru nor do I own any of these cars. I've mentioned my observations/views.

In my opinion, there is nothing you need to be wary of (ground clearance included).

No, you are not a pain.  It's good to be cautious.

There is absolutely nothing wrong in going for a diesel car with 1K of run/usage (or even less) - there are no issues.  Fuel efficiency is an added advantage - you will be saving on fuel/running cost (whatever).

The fact is, as stated before, engine/performance of Magnum is better for the reasons stated, and so is the overall package (in my opinion).

Hope others / Magnum owners also post their experiences/views.

Edit: Thread renamed, as desired.

i own a magnum d ... and i m more than satisfied with my car ..own a sparking diamond magnum which looks awesome ... pick up is best i ve seen ... car is very comfortable as the suspention is good .. ground clearance probs i ve never felt .. cant say about others .. u should go for magnum 

Thanks for your comment Sourabh.

How long have you had your Magnum... how does it behave on bad roads and what is the FE you get in city and highway. Do you live and drive in a city with heavy/dense traffic and do you have issues with maneuvering in such traffic? This is a relatively big car hense these questions.

How does the clutch feel in start and go traffic...and what is your experience with the service quality at the A.S.S.

hi saurab,

     congrats on your purchasse,i had always loved optra,can you tell us which specific model you bought,how much did it cost you,dicpunts etc???

some confusion here I guess. Sourabh has not purchased it recently. The thread was from Kairalee and Sourabh just clarified the queries posted on Optra by Kairalee

Post edited to remove 'quote' (same as previous; NOT required, therefore).

I have a Magnum D (LS) bought it on Nov 2008 driven about 12000kms so far uptodate i have never faced any problems and im more satisfied .Coming to your point regarding ground clerance its not at all a problem  in magnum compared to a honda civic or skoda octavia which i found was poor in ground clerance . If your going for a diesel engine go for the Magnum its the best

yup centaur is right  , i purchased it a year back , n thats why i m clarifyin those doubts , i purchased optra magnum LT TCDI model which costd around 11 , i ve not experiencd any cluch problems in stop n go traffic , though it takes some time to get used to its massive torque