2003 Daewoo Evanda CDX 2.0

Summary:

Small limousine

Faults:

Lambda sensor, power steering leak.

General Comments:

Very comfortable, trim is great with leather and faux wood panels. It is very quiet and soft, the engine is very good, but tuned for more relaxed driving, it is not a racer in the city, but has more than enough power outside the city. The stock stereo is old school tape plus CD-changer combo, dated design, but sounds good. The design is very nice, elegant and practical, I understand why it was marketed for women on home turf of South Korea.

The approach and departure angles and road clearance are excellent for a sedan, much better than the VW Passat. I could take parking places other sedans or wagons didn't dare to during winter. Of course it's no offroader, but it provides a decent separation from the road.

Quality is perhaps on par with Nissan, but definitely below Toyota. There are occasional plastic creaks and some suspicious noises from the chassis, which in the end turned out to be nothing serious. However the dealer claimed the anti-roll bar had to be taken off to be greased and charged an arm and leg, later I found out there's a special hole where grease is injected without any disassembly!

Spare parts are a bit on the pricey side, reasonable for the size and trim of the car, but a bit costly considering how cheaply these cars were sold new, and how cheap they are used. Also since there are not so many of these, some parts take a while to appear, 3rd party spare parts are available by mail-order only and compatibility checks are hard.

Basically prepare to spend on service like on any other large sedan.

Would you buy another car from this manufacturer? Yes

Review Date: 9th August, 2010