I had the opportunity to own a 2004 denim-blue Chevrolet Optra.
This car is a joint venture between General Motors and Daewoo of Korea. It has a 1.6 liter fuel-injected gasoline engine and 4-speed automatic transmission. I thought the euro-type body and 15-inch tires with multi-spoke rims gave it a nice stance.
When I first checked out this car at the showroom, I was impressed by the huge cabin. Even with say, someone almost 6 feet tall driving, the adult seated behind him would still have enough legroom. The trunk is very spacious as well.
Interior features like map lights, double vanity mirrors & lots of storage space make travel both convenient and enjoyable. Build quality is also admirable. And the Chevrolet Optra boasts of a nice sound system by Blaupunkt - 6 speakers, AM/FM tuner, cassette player, and 5-disc frontloading CD changer. The cassette player was a very nice touch for me since I still have a huge part of my music collection in this format. Yes, I know, pretty old school but what can I do? Every now and then, I still like to listen to my Queen Live Killers Volume 1 & 2 tapes while cruising around. Oh by the way, the steering wheel-mounted remote for the stereo is very practical.
Performance-wise, the Chevrolet Optra wasn't bad at all. Whether it was driving up to Tagaytay City (about 50 kilometers south of Manila) to hear early Sunday Mass with my wife & our daughter; or going as far as Pangasinan province in the north (180 kilometers from Manila) for an out-of-town business meeting, it was always willing, able, and fun to drive. Consumption was around 8 km/liter for city driving, and 12km/liter- highway driving.
GM and Daewoo did not compromise safety in the Optra's design. Strong headlights are complemented by halogen foglamps. Both front and rear bumpers, as well as all doors are reinforced with steel beams. And an Anti-lock Braking System (ABS) is standard.
I remember one particular night when I was driving home, southbound on EDSA (E. De Los Santos Avenue), Manila's main highway. Traffic was very light and I was travelling at around 90kph. Suddenly, a taxi cab coming from the inner lane swerved to pull into a gasoline station on the right side of the road. There were about 50 meters between us when he crossed my lane so I instinctively stepped on the brakes and turned the wheel to steer clear. I actually expected to either lose control and hit the taxi, or lock the wheels and skid down the road and hit another vehicle. But the Optra's ABS kicked in instantly which helped me avoid a collision. I was very surprised that, at that speed, there wasn't even a screeching sound from the tires as I pressed on the brake pedal and steered at the same time.
I pulled over a short distance away to regain my composure. After about 2 minutes, I was okay and continued my journey. Needless to say, I got home safe and sound that night; thanks to a great car.
A couple of years ago, I had the chance to drive another 1.6 liter Optra, this time with manual transmission. I went to Subic Freeport in Olongapo province north of Manila for a sales meeting. That drive was so much fun especially on the newly renovated North Expressway. I felt a bit tired after the meeting and was worried that I might doze off while driving so I put on Joe Satriani's Surfing With The Alien CD to pump me up. Well it worked. Satch had me so pumped up that I almost didn't notice that I was already doing more than 170kph. It was such a rush but I swore to myself that I'd never go that fast again.
The Chevrolet Optra is also known as the Lacetti in European markets, and as the (Suzuki) Forenza in North America.
