Well, what do you think?

http://www.wieck.com/public/*2PV_050376
http://www.wieck.com/public/*2PV_050375
http://www.wieck.com/public/*2PV_050387
http://www.wieck.com/public/*2PV_050383

 

Sadly that interior looks nicer than your typical Chevy...other than that, no.

 

One of my good friends had a 99 Daewoo Leganza when they first began to arrive here in the States. He was part of a college program to promote the car, in return he got a pretty heft discount to own the car and thus drive it around so people could see it.

I have to say, I was very impressed with the car. Besides the lack of power (a crucial element for any personal purchase), the car was very nice. The interior used good looking materials and the fit & trim was above average even for a car costing twice as much. Unfortunately for Daewoo, they just never took off here. I had read somewhere that a previous designer at Lexus had designed the Leganza. It really didn't look and feel like your typical sub $20k sedan.

With that said, I don't think Daewoos are any "nicer" than current Chev products. The Chevys offer a little more punch and style. While the Leganza was clean, it was similar to the Lexus in that it was a tad "boring." Too conservative for my taste. Impala's rear taillight treatment might be horrific, but it IS distinct.

-Rich

 

I don't know if they are nesicarily(sp) better but when you put the two together you get a really nice little car. See link

link

Go there and look at the Aveo, we will get in the states, the Epica, can you say mini malibu, and Optra, I think the largest badge engineered Daewoo turned chevy we will see. The Epica is coming to the states as a Susuki, but I don't think the Optra is. But I think the Epica has some really nice style to it. What do you guys think

 

I actually saw an Aveo today, it isnt horribly bad looking, i didnt look at the front much tho, i was driving by it. Its actually not as small as i once thought it would be.

But the intirior looks nice in the daewoos

 

so you would rather have a distinctly ugly car than a "boring" car similar to a lexus?


i am not a huge fan of these rebadge daewoo's but i have to admit, they are much better than the j-bodies and firefly (which are definitely past their expiry date)

however, i do question quality... i mean chevy isn't lexus in that respect but korean cars have a terrible reliability record (although the new hyundai/kia cars are probably on par with any chrysler porduct)
the other problem with daewoo is that when something does break, it costs cadillac-rates to fix
last year there was a huge scandal because some insurance companies were dropping daewoo drivers because these cars cost more to fix than they were worth
i presume GM will set up a parts network (like chrysler did with mitsu) but even then you're stuck going to the dealer because there are barely any OEM daewoo parts

 

I never said I would rather have one or the other. I simpy stated that Lexus' styling is rather boring (gets lost in the crowd) while Chevy's styling has been a little more distinct. I wouldn't even compare the two in terms of purchasing options. They're 2 totally different markets.

-Rich

 

Smooth and bland are better than distinctive and "inexpensive looking." As it is, the Daewoo built Suzuki Verona (Chevy Epica in Canada) looks alot more classy than the new 2004 Malibu. On the value side of the equation, who wouldn't prefer a loaded six cylinder car to a base Ecotec Malibu for the same price.

Sadly, the Suzuki branding and GM's betrayal of current Daewoo customers would keep me away from the Verona/Epica. On a conceptual level, the Daewoo inline-6 should be a far better engine than the omnipresent Ecotec 4-banger. I've followed the develpment of the Daewoo six for over 5-years, so it should be well developed. Moreover, the Verona/Epica should also be a fine and well proven design, especially considering that the new "Daewoo" cars are just restyled versions of the Magnus from 2000.

Still, is a top-of-line "Daewoo" more desirable than the new Malibu? If looks and specifications are anything to judge by, perhaps. However, considering past Daewoo history in the U.S., I'd have to wait for a more substantial comparison of reliability and performance.