Living delights
Remember, it’s I who tested the Octavia, Corolla, Elantra, Optra and the Tavera, so I should know. The thing is, Daewoo underpinnings or not, the Optra is a very capable car that’s also great fun to drive. Especially the 1.8, though the 1.6 isn’t too far behind either. As for the sheetmetal, are you kidding me? What would you rather drive – a Lotus Elise or a Chevy Suburban? I want my cars light and lithe, lean and swift. And the Optra’s 115 bhp, 1799cc engine has enough grunt to make sure I don’t die of boredom while driving. And as for visiting friends and relatives, the Optra does have enough space for five people. The rest can take a cab...

The Optra doesn’t come with a warranty as comprehensive as the Tavera’s, but I seriously doubt if it’ll have any major problems for the first 50,000 km at least. After which I should be looking for a replacement anyway. The Optra will certainly be at least as reliable, fuel-efficient and capable as the Tavera and in a crash, the monocoque Optra will also be much safer than the body-on-chassis Tavera. I’d certainly feel happier if my family were travelling in an Optra, rather than a Tavera.

Bottomline is, the Tavera is a dated UV, one that’s best left to tour/taxi operators, whose only mission in life is to squeeze in as many people as possible in one car. The Tavera’s interiors are dated and it bounces its occupants around on bad roads. Its brakes too, aren’t confidence-inspiring at all. The Optra is built to contemporary passenger-car standards, has a very plush and comfortable ride quality and I’d be proud to own one. Certainly wouldn’t want to drive down from Mumbai to Goa in a Tavera, would you? Trust me, the Optra is the Chevy to buy!

- Sameer Kumar