Cars Q&A

Hi Anant,

I went through a similar dialema over a month back when I was choosing between Linea, Verna & Optra magnum. There is no 1 choice when picking a car, it totally depends on individual tastes...

Let me try & answer your question in parts-

The first thing which you need to understand is Optra Magnum is a C+ segment vehicle when compared to Linea
On a scale of 1-5--> Optra ranks 5/5 in terms of comfort, luxury & space- many ways better than 2007/ 08 Civic & Octiva

Engine Durability / driving pleasure/ smooth transmission-->
Both Fiat & Chevy Engines are supposed to be good in terms of durability, however Chevy Magnum's engine produces a far superior torque, smooth transmission & power outclassing FIAT in every domain except milage. However we cant compare apples to oranges here, since magnum has a 121ps, 2.0ltr to what linea offers.
Also the torque is similar to what you find in vehicles like Mercedes & BMW-- so drivability is awsome in mangum

The magnum gear box is something to get used to at low speeds, you would need to understand how it works, if u r on 1/2 gear in traffic don't use the accelerator/ let the car move ahead itself (you get this to happen only in 1st gear in other cars/ I don't use first gear, mostly on the second gear and w/o acceleration the car can get up-to speeds of 20- 25kmph- very useful in traffic), however if you have the habit of using accelerator to control the car / like other maruti's & mid sized cars u might find it little frustrating to move in traffic

Linea features an engine which is similar to the one used in new Indigo, Swift & Dezire. Performance / driving pleasure was not amongst the first thing in mind for those who designed the engine.
Also the gear transition in Linea is notchy

Interiors-
Magnum has very spacious interior, I am 6.1" and I dont need to pull my seat back, and yet the back leg space is awsome(& unlike other Sedan's I dont need to push myseat to as back as possible). With Leathers & wood finish inside the car looks very classy and luxurious.
However no fancy equipments like Steering controls, single unit display showing temp, service duration, fuel indicator etc

Cons- The instrument panel is like on Ford & Renault- designed for left hand drive/ however you would get used to it.
The steering is little huge/ hence response is not as quick as you would expect (its a hydraulic assist power steering,not eps) so if you r getting an LS you could change the steering wheel to a smaller one.
However one gets used to it, adn @ speeds over 60ks, the steering response gets more welcoming.
Fiat out classes Magnum in terms of steering design & interior gadgets, blue tooth & me (this can be sorted by putting in a 2 din- touch screen navigation sys with blue tooth costs 25k- JVC)
magnum interiors- 4/5
Fiat interiors- 3/5
Fiat controls/ switches/ gadgets- 5/5
Magnum Controls/ switches/ gadgets/ 3/5

Maintenance-
Linea is too new to be rated on maintenance.
For magnum you recieve cashless ownership for 3 years/ 45k kms + 50k kms warranty
You can actually run your car without spending a penny for 3 years

Value for money + resale value--->
Both cars have value for money, the only question is if you want a C or C+ segment car...