He looks like your roommate. He walks like your roommate. Heck, he even smells like your roommate. But there's a heretofore unknown shimmer in his eyes, and he's suddenly extolling the virtues of the new Daewoo. An invasion of mutant beings from the Planet Econocar, you ponder? A remnant of Roswell? A shining? Perhaps, but not necessarily. Could be that he was a recruit as a Daewoo Campus Advisor.
Daewoo, as one of its marketing strategies, recruited college students at 400 universities nationwide in order to expose their product to the audience that the Nubira was designed for, the first-time car buyer with a lean coffer but possessing a penchant for style and a willingness to eschew the ordinary choices for something a little different, something anti-establishment.
In return, the recruits received a $400 commission for every referral that resulted in a sale, as well as the use of the car, which they could have purchased for a discounted price after their term. We couldn't decide if this was better or worse than standing on a street corner trying to attempt to garner an audience for the test screening of the latest Pauly Shore movie. Did it work? Nope. Daewoo has scaled back this operation, and the dying embers exist only in Boston, to be discontinued sometime in spring.
Daewoo had hoped that this strategy would increase brand recognition (how many people know of Daewoo, let alone say it correctly? It's not DAHI-woo, it's DAY-woo, for all you folks out there who also pronounce "nuclear" "nucular") and get potential customers behind the wheels of cars they may not have previously considered. The whole college thing was about as successful as Kevin Costner's career of the past five years, but it does raise an interesting question - what's a car company gotta do to get some respect around here?
The answer may lie in - drum roll, please - well-built cars! And according to sales figures as of February 2000, this novel approach may just be working. Launching with just 15 company-owned retail stores in September 1998, the company embarked on an aggressive growth and marketing plan (some components of which were good for a few chortles) which resulted in impressive sales growth. Amidst Daewoo Corporation's financial woes and speculation as to who will purchase the controlling stake in the motor division - Ford, DaimlerChrysler, Italy's Fiat, Hyundai and General Motors are all suitors - the sales figures of this rather inconspicuous brand have steadily grown.
Daewoo buyers can now shop in more than 300 showrooms in 45 states. By year-end 2000, the company anticipates 450 retail outlets throughout the country. Did these recruits have to lie like a rug to their trusted compatriots in order to get their hot little hands on the commission money? At least in the case of the '99 Nubira, which we thought was a pretty good car, their noses didn't grow too long. We did our own road test on the restyled 2000 Daewoo Nubira to further investigate.
First, let us open with the always contentious debate of styling. Our CDX model came to us in Galaxy White - "it's refrigerator white," griped one driver, while another shot back "it looks clean." (personal view - it was a nice palate cleanser after all the funky-colored cars we've been testing - sort of a vehicular sorbet, if you will.) However, we can't deny that this car got attention. Our road test editor came bounding to my desk and declared: "You must include this - I was parking the car after the guys dropped it off, and after a little while I went back to the car, and a crowd had formed around it. I was alarmed - I thought someone had backed into our press car! Instead, they were admiring it, asking me what it was, where it came from. Four or five guys. I thought it worth mentioning."
Definitely. Daewoo sought out Italian fashionistas in order to give the entire line extra verve, and you can definitely tell that the style quotient has been boosted. The lines of the exterior are crisp and refined. The 2000 version of the Nubira sports large triangular headlights and jewel-like taillights, as well as body colored moldings and alloy wheels. Overall, our staff thought that it was a slick-looking car (although a lone voice of dissension said that the quarter view was a bit unbalanced and ungainly), much sharper than others in its class.
All Nubiras come with a 2.0-liter DOHC D-TEC engine that procures 129 horsepower at a high 5,400 revs and 136 foot-pounds of torque at 4,400 revs. A "Power" mode works to hold revs longer for automatic transmissions. Hardly a mighty powertrain, but neither is it a slug. We were zipping in and out of the San Fernando Valley (a.k.a. suburban hellhole) with its myriad of driving surfaces and conditions. Even with an automatic transmission the shifts were acceptably responsive, and the Nubira was able to respond to hills and passing maneuvers with aplomb. However, the cruise control needs improving - it couldn't maintain a set speed even when climbing a gentle incline, and when disabled, the accelerator pedal released with a distinct, odd "Click!" which discouraged us from trying it again.
Furthermore, when pressed, a raucous "GGGAAAAAA" sound emits from the engine, which was described by one poetic driver as a "Himalayan mountain goat in heat." We don't know what he's been doing with his spare time, but we'll take his word for it. It is intrusive on the driving environment, although in the torrential downpours to which Southern California has, of late, been prone, it was less noticeable. This was a major contention of the '99 Nubira, and Daewoo claims that improvements have been attempted with adjustments to the engine air intake system, but again, we'll take their word for it.
The standard ABS (on the CDX model), connected to an easy-to-modulate pedal, is responsive and provides good feedback. The skinny, 14-inch Hankook radial tires (P185/65R14), another source of complaints from Nubira drivers, make the car squeal when cornering and wander on grooved highways. The suspension has been improved for the 2000 model - the new rear stabilizer bar and firmer coil springs add to a smoother ride, and through the canyons of Malibu, body roll and wallow was kept to a tolerable amount. The reactive yet numb steering allows for spirited zigzagging through lugubrious traffic, but the whole car lacked a substantial, confidence-inspiring heft, although some may interpret that as being fleet-footed.
The cushy door panels made for a comfortable armrest for the left arm, but a center armrest to complete that La-Z-Boy lounge chair effect was sorely missed. The puny center console included little in the way of functionality - you could barely hold a couple of CDs in there. A shame, because the CDX comes standard with a CD player (with a mute button!) which actually sounds pretty good for this price point. Most of our drivers were able to find a suitable driving position thanks to the seat height adjuster, but the three rotary seat-positioning dials were tedious and painful to manipulate.
The interior is inoffensive, with its low-gloss plastic on the stalks and controls. Economy-class status is evidenced by a closer inspection, which reveals exposed screw heads. The cupholder, although it opens with much fanfare, is laughable in its flimsiness, and the placement leaves much to be desired - drink coffee and control the stereo? It's supposedly doable, you know. However, praise abounded for fit and finish, and the tight tolerances surpass those of some American counterparts.
You get a multitude of features in the CDX - automatic transmission, power windows, mirrors and locks, tilt wheel, cruise control, heated mirrors. Pretty darn good - if you can overlook the social stigma and your friends' newfound comedic talents that will arise when they find out that you're driving a Korean car. Therein lies the rub - quoth our features editor: "My roommate asked me last night what I was driving for the night. 'A Daewoo,' I replied. She laughed at me. This is what Daewoo has to go up against." Indeed, when the Daewoo brand is recognized, it is accompanied by pejorative derision, however unwarranted it may be.
Daewoo has yet to prove its reliability in the long term, and its basic three-year/36,000 warranty isn't as generous as its countryman Hyundai's ten-year/100,000-mile coverage. No crash-test scores are available, and considering the precipitous drop in the predicted resale value alone, you would be better advised to purchase a Honda Civic or a Ford Focus for similar amounts of money. However, according to some of the posts in our Town Hall, most seemed satisfied with their purchase, and defend their possession with alacrity.
All things considered, the Nubira is not a dope-ass ride (as the kids say it), nor is it the pile of doo-doo that previous Korean cars turned out to be. Although this class segment has some pretty stiff and well-established competitors, the Nubira, with lots of bang for the buck, is definitely worth a look. Daewoo very well could be a contenda.
Daewoo, as one of its marketing strategies, recruited college students at 400 universities nationwide in order to expose their product to the audience that the Nubira was designed for, the first-time car buyer with a lean coffer but possessing a penchant for style and a willingness to eschew the ordinary choices for something a little different, something anti-establishment.
In return, the recruits received a $400 commission for every referral that resulted in a sale, as well as the use of the car, which they could have purchased for a discounted price after their term. We couldn't decide if this was better or worse than standing on a street corner trying to attempt to garner an audience for the test screening of the latest Pauly Shore movie. Did it work? Nope. Daewoo has scaled back this operation, and the dying embers exist only in Boston, to be discontinued sometime in spring.
Daewoo had hoped that this strategy would increase brand recognition (how many people know of Daewoo, let alone say it correctly? It's not DAHI-woo, it's DAY-woo, for all you folks out there who also pronounce "nuclear" "nucular") and get potential customers behind the wheels of cars they may not have previously considered. The whole college thing was about as successful as Kevin Costner's career of the past five years, but it does raise an interesting question - what's a car company gotta do to get some respect around here?
The answer may lie in - drum roll, please - well-built cars! And according to sales figures as of February 2000, this novel approach may just be working. Launching with just 15 company-owned retail stores in September 1998, the company embarked on an aggressive growth and marketing plan (some components of which were good for a few chortles) which resulted in impressive sales growth. Amidst Daewoo Corporation's financial woes and speculation as to who will purchase the controlling stake in the motor division - Ford, DaimlerChrysler, Italy's Fiat, Hyundai and General Motors are all suitors - the sales figures of this rather inconspicuous brand have steadily grown.
Daewoo buyers can now shop in more than 300 showrooms in 45 states. By year-end 2000, the company anticipates 450 retail outlets throughout the country. Did these recruits have to lie like a rug to their trusted compatriots in order to get their hot little hands on the commission money? At least in the case of the '99 Nubira, which we thought was a pretty good car, their noses didn't grow too long. We did our own road test on the restyled 2000 Daewoo Nubira to further investigate.
First, let us open with the always contentious debate of styling. Our CDX model came to us in Galaxy White - "it's refrigerator white," griped one driver, while another shot back "it looks clean." (personal view - it was a nice palate cleanser after all the funky-colored cars we've been testing - sort of a vehicular sorbet, if you will.) However, we can't deny that this car got attention. Our road test editor came bounding to my desk and declared: "You must include this - I was parking the car after the guys dropped it off, and after a little while I went back to the car, and a crowd had formed around it. I was alarmed - I thought someone had backed into our press car! Instead, they were admiring it, asking me what it was, where it came from. Four or five guys. I thought it worth mentioning."
Definitely. Daewoo sought out Italian fashionistas in order to give the entire line extra verve, and you can definitely tell that the style quotient has been boosted. The lines of the exterior are crisp and refined. The 2000 version of the Nubira sports large triangular headlights and jewel-like taillights, as well as body colored moldings and alloy wheels. Overall, our staff thought that it was a slick-looking car (although a lone voice of dissension said that the quarter view was a bit unbalanced and ungainly), much sharper than others in its class.
All Nubiras come with a 2.0-liter DOHC D-TEC engine that procures 129 horsepower at a high 5,400 revs and 136 foot-pounds of torque at 4,400 revs. A "Power" mode works to hold revs longer for automatic transmissions. Hardly a mighty powertrain, but neither is it a slug. We were zipping in and out of the San Fernando Valley (a.k.a. suburban hellhole) with its myriad of driving surfaces and conditions. Even with an automatic transmission the shifts were acceptably responsive, and the Nubira was able to respond to hills and passing maneuvers with aplomb. However, the cruise control needs improving - it couldn't maintain a set speed even when climbing a gentle incline, and when disabled, the accelerator pedal released with a distinct, odd "Click!" which discouraged us from trying it again.
Furthermore, when pressed, a raucous "GGGAAAAAA" sound emits from the engine, which was described by one poetic driver as a "Himalayan mountain goat in heat." We don't know what he's been doing with his spare time, but we'll take his word for it. It is intrusive on the driving environment, although in the torrential downpours to which Southern California has, of late, been prone, it was less noticeable. This was a major contention of the '99 Nubira, and Daewoo claims that improvements have been attempted with adjustments to the engine air intake system, but again, we'll take their word for it.
The standard ABS (on the CDX model), connected to an easy-to-modulate pedal, is responsive and provides good feedback. The skinny, 14-inch Hankook radial tires (P185/65R14), another source of complaints from Nubira drivers, make the car squeal when cornering and wander on grooved highways. The suspension has been improved for the 2000 model - the new rear stabilizer bar and firmer coil springs add to a smoother ride, and through the canyons of Malibu, body roll and wallow was kept to a tolerable amount. The reactive yet numb steering allows for spirited zigzagging through lugubrious traffic, but the whole car lacked a substantial, confidence-inspiring heft, although some may interpret that as being fleet-footed.
The cushy door panels made for a comfortable armrest for the left arm, but a center armrest to complete that La-Z-Boy lounge chair effect was sorely missed. The puny center console included little in the way of functionality - you could barely hold a couple of CDs in there. A shame, because the CDX comes standard with a CD player (with a mute button!) which actually sounds pretty good for this price point. Most of our drivers were able to find a suitable driving position thanks to the seat height adjuster, but the three rotary seat-positioning dials were tedious and painful to manipulate.
The interior is inoffensive, with its low-gloss plastic on the stalks and controls. Economy-class status is evidenced by a closer inspection, which reveals exposed screw heads. The cupholder, although it opens with much fanfare, is laughable in its flimsiness, and the placement leaves much to be desired - drink coffee and control the stereo? It's supposedly doable, you know. However, praise abounded for fit and finish, and the tight tolerances surpass those of some American counterparts.
You get a multitude of features in the CDX - automatic transmission, power windows, mirrors and locks, tilt wheel, cruise control, heated mirrors. Pretty darn good - if you can overlook the social stigma and your friends' newfound comedic talents that will arise when they find out that you're driving a Korean car. Therein lies the rub - quoth our features editor: "My roommate asked me last night what I was driving for the night. 'A Daewoo,' I replied. She laughed at me. This is what Daewoo has to go up against." Indeed, when the Daewoo brand is recognized, it is accompanied by pejorative derision, however unwarranted it may be.
Daewoo has yet to prove its reliability in the long term, and its basic three-year/36,000 warranty isn't as generous as its countryman Hyundai's ten-year/100,000-mile coverage. No crash-test scores are available, and considering the precipitous drop in the predicted resale value alone, you would be better advised to purchase a Honda Civic or a Ford Focus for similar amounts of money. However, according to some of the posts in our Town Hall, most seemed satisfied with their purchase, and defend their possession with alacrity.
All things considered, the Nubira is not a dope-ass ride (as the kids say it), nor is it the pile of doo-doo that previous Korean cars turned out to be. Although this class segment has some pretty stiff and well-established competitors, the Nubira, with lots of bang for the buck, is definitely worth a look. Daewoo very well could be a contenda.
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