Yes its the Daewoo! (Daewoo Lanos 1.6 SX 5-door)

Member Name: jaylad

Product:	Daewoo Lanos 1.6 SX 5-door
Date:	18/05/01 (2499 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: Quick, Masses of extras, Cheap to buy, run and service

Disadvantages: Gearbox could be better

I recently had the pleasure of owning a Lanos 1.6 SX, a car very different from anything I have owned before mainly because my last car was from a marque more associated with quality and is the complete opposite of this vehicle.

The Lanos is a compact family car, slightly bigger than a Fiesta, but smaller than a Focus. There are 2 engines available, the 1.4 75bhp unit, which is found in the entry and mid range models. Then you have the 1.6 16-valve unit, which delivers an impressive 106bhp and is only available in top SX trim. This is the model I have.

My 5 door version, being top of the range, has electric windows, central locking, air conditioning, ABS, twin front airbags, power steering, front fog lights, alarm and standard Sony stereo as well as body coloured bumpers and tinted windows. Now bearing in mind the car new, costs around £10,000, the value is almost unbeatable. The spec for a similar Ford or Volkswagen car would cost way more and the engine of the Lanos is more powerful than both Focus 1.6 and Golf 1.6 models.

Driving the car is a very easy experience. The steering is very light, being power assisted, and the pedals are pathetically light, meaning driving in traffic is bliss – as you aren’t wearing you ankle out.
The car handles well, although not like a Golf would do, infact the way the Lanos goes round corners and generally handles is very Vauxhall like, and that’s because this car has many key parts from Vauxhall. The engine being the main thing, which is simply a rebadged Vauxhall Ecotec 1.6 with a slightly boosted output.
Sadly, the engine is the only good thing Vauxhall have inputted. The gearbox is very average and is the same used in the Astra MK3. Notchy and difficult to change are its worst faults, but by no means is it terrible, you soon get used to it.
Acceleration is excellent, and as the body is quite light, you can really breeze past the other traffic. Beating an Avensis 2.0 is
no problem at the lights, the car literally takes off! Being a 16 valve also means the motorway is great fun, still having loads of kick at 60mph. The ride is only average though (another Astra MK3 similarity) and going over bumps when going round a corner causes the car the bump around quite a bit

The interior is very spacious, easily accommodating 4 people and the velour upholstery is surprisingly tasteful. The stereo is almost unbelievable, not only is it a Sony head unit, but the sound quality from the 4 speakers is top notch, it makes you think Sony actually helped with the acoustics of the car.

Taking the car to the dealer is easy too, they are quite helpful with a few exceptions from a certain dealer in East Berkshire (not hinting there! lol).
A courtesy car is standard whilst your car is in the garage, and is doesn’t even matter if your 17 or 70, you get one. Surely the best thing about Daewoos is that 3 years free servicing is standard on all the cars, saving literally hundreds of pounds. Generally, quite underrated cars and much better than any Hyundai – Daewoos arch rival.

Summary: