Optra

At last I've got my new girlfriend,..the black optra, last Friday. It wasn't my first choice, as it will always be a Civic, but it's the best non-Malaysian car that I could afford at the moment.

At this point, not much i can say in terms of handling, performance, and fuel efficiency as I'm still in running in stage, thus I can't push it to the limit. Wait until I reach my first 1ooo km, than I'll definitely try to discover what is she capable of.

It has been mentioned that the car needs a full service every 10,000 km or a year whichever come first, so that only adds to the hassle free nature of the car. I can bet that this car is not as frugal as the New Honda City, but according to the reviews that I've read on the net, it’s really not too bad. A steady figure of 9 km/l in the worst City Traffic Conditions (KL rush) with Air conditioner is respectable for this class. That number rises considerably when you turn the AC off and drive at a constant 60-70 km/h. The car should return 11-12 km/l realistically on the highway, which is damn good for this kind of car.

The fit and finish of the body is excellent. The steering is speed sensitive and is a joy to drive! The interior is spacious for a not so big car. The car is very quiet Cabin noise if very less and it takes time and practice to keep note that engine is running and don’t gun for the ignition key. It is also very smooth, came factory with a MP3 player but of course, I've already upgraded the speakers, tweeters, crossovers and amplifiers! And with the installation of Dynamat sound proofing material, I must say the sound getting way way way better than my previous ride (though 80% of the ICE set up is taken from my Satria). I can feel the bass..so solid I don't need subwoofer anymore (but i still have it anyway..for extra power!)

One of the features I like most is the remote boot opener, more over when I have to carry bags of shopping stuff back to car and don’t have to fumble with opening the boot. Press of the remote switch is sufficient to open the boot..and yeah, this feature makes my mem besar smile all the way from Carrefour to my house!