2002 Daewoo Lanos Review
2002 Daewoo Lanos Review
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Used Lanos for sale
Appraise This CarDaewoo Lanos types
- Sedan
- Hatchback
See Edmunds pricing data
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Edmunds' Expert Review
by the Edmunds Experts
Pros
- Snazzy styling, cheap sticker prices, fun in turns.
Cons
- Daewoo's impending death in U.S. market, unproven reliability, whiny engine, cheap interior materials, ABS isn't available.
What’s new
A new Comfort Package for the S Hatchback and S Sedan includes air conditioning and power steering, while the Convenience Package adds power windows, power locks and a power passenger-side exterior mirror.
Edmunds says
Daewoo's new owner, General Motors, has no plans for the brand in the U.S. market -- as such, supplies to dealerships have been cut off. Although provisions will be made to honor owners' warranty claims, we'd urge you to steer clear of this situation and check out a Hyundai Accent or Kia Rio instead.
Cost to DriveCost to drive estimates for the 2002 Daewoo Lanos S 2dr Hatchback (1.6L 4cyl 5M) and comparison vehicles are based on 15,000 miles per year (with a mix of 55% city and 45% highway driving) and energy estimates of $3.80 per gallon for regular unleaded in Pennsylvania.
Monthly estimates based on costs in Pennsylvania
$179/mo for Lanos S
Lanos S
vs
$192/mo
Avg. Compact Car
Vehicle overview
The Lanos is Korean automaker Daewoo's most affordable model in the U.S market, and like other Daewoos, it has been a tough sell to American consumers. Before you consider buying one, you should know that General Motors purchased Daewoo Motor Co. in 2001, but the U.S. sales arm, Daewoo Motor America, was not part of the deal. This means that Daewoo dealerships in the U.S. will be running out of supply by the summer of 2002 (Daewoo Motor America should continue to honor current owners' warranty claims until GM sets up a trust fund of sorts). Our advice? Save yourself a headache and head over to the Hyundai or Kia dealership instead.
Available as a three-door hatchback or a four-door sedan, the subcompact Lanos is about the size of a Hyundai Accent. That means small. Because the Lanos is such a tiny car, anyone over 6 feet tall should not bother trying to find a comfortable seating position. But the price matches the car's size, and for that nominal fee, you get suspension tuning from Porsche and styling from ItalDesign.
Every Lanos is powered by a 1.6-liter DOHC 16-valve four-cylinder engine that makes 105 horsepower at 5,800 rpm and 106 pound-feet of torque at 3,400 rpm. A five-speed manual transmission is standard, but buyers may choose an optional four-speed automatic. As you would expect, acceleration is rather leisurely; 0 to 60 takes 11 seconds with the manual gearbox and 12.5 seconds with the automatic. Fuel economy is rated at 25 mpg city/35 mpg highway with the manual and 22/32 with the automatic. Refinement is not a strong point for the Lanos, as the engine thrashes at higher rpm. Manual transmission drivers will note the absence of a tachometer.
All models are equipped with an independent MacPherson-strut front suspension and a semi-independent rear. Stiff tuning makes the Lanos fun when driven enthusiastically around corners. Thank you, Porsche.
The model lineup includes the base S Hatchback and S Sedan and the better-equipped Sport hatchback. The base cars come with a driver seat height adjuster, a 100-watt cassette stereo with four speakers, a 60/40-split folding rear seat, and 14-inch wheels and tires. You can add the Comfort Package, which includes power steering and air conditioning, and the Convenience Package, which includes power controls for the windows, door locks and passenger-side exterior mirror. A 140-watt stereo with a CD and cassette player is available as a separate option.
The Sport hatchback comes standard with all of the above features, including the deluxe stereo. Exclusive features include red leather upholstery, a red leather-wrapped steering wheel, faux aluminum interior trim, alloy wheels, a rear spoiler and body-color side skirts and molding. What's missing from this sporty package is more power.
If you scrutinize a Lanos, you'll note that the build quality is quite good and that the paint positively shimmers. But some of the interior materials -- the dash, in particular -- look and feel low-grade. Safety features don't go beyond the basics; you get the requisite front airbags, seatbelt pre-tensioners, child-seat tether anchors, and that's it. Of course, you'll encounter these issues with the Lanos' similarly priced competitors, the Accent and the Kia Rio. But these cars also come with industry-leading warranties and are backed by a financially stable parent company.
The Lanos might seem attractive if you're low on funds and desperate for fresh wheels, but there are better choices in this price range -- if not an Accent or a Rio, then a larger, gently used car from one of the Japanese manufacturers.
Consumer reviews
Read what other owners think about the Used 2002 Daewoo Lanos.
5 star(53%)
4 star(34%)
3 star(9%)
2 star(1%)
1 star(3%)
53 reviews
Trending topics in reviews
Most helpful consumer reviews
5 out of 5 stars
The best first car!
Abbey, 12/27/2015
2001 Daewoo Lanos Sport 2dr Hatchback (1.6L 4cyl 5M)
These cars are a rare sighting these days and I often wonder if I am driving the only Daewoo left on the road. My grandmother gave me this car about 4.5 years ago because she was afraid of not being able to get parts. The car was in perfect shape with only 39k miles. I have since driven this car very hard, I commute an hour to school in all weather (western NY winters!) and put a lot of … miles on it. I may [non-permissible content removed] from everyone who sees it but I truly love this car! For being 15 years old Margaret needs minimal repairs and gets me where I need to go. It will truly be a sad day when I have to get a new vehicle.
4 out of 5 stars
GREAT SMALL CAR
cristian, 09/05/2015
2002 Daewoo Lanos S 4dr Sedan (1.6L 4cyl 5M)
Every one talks bad about the car since brand is not well known, but if go in to detail youll see this daewoo stopped production on 2002 but the car itself (machine under chasis) continue to be produce under different makes and model names. This is way people would say (You will never find parts for that car) and when you go online youll find that engine search like amazon or Google … would say this car fits several parts from different makes, so guess what!!! you have more parts than any one car out there. now, when it comes to cheap yes, is a cheap and reliable car, dont complain about this car saying how crappy [non-permissible content removed] it is, is true is cheap, but thats what you're paying, dont compare it to a bmw or fancy one, as far I myself I've one bought this year and got clear was a cheap standar car, no bad or excellent at all, but it turned out to be a very good reliable car, super smooth to drive not as hard as the volskwagen jetta I've had before and being a better make, but this one comes out ahead on comfort, overall I'm happy with this car, is just what I was looking for and what I need.
5 out of 5 stars
LoveALanos
MyLanos, 09/08/2010
2001 Daewoo Lanos S 4dr Sedan (1.6L 4cyl 4A)
I was interested in a hyundai excel until i test drove the daewoo lanos and fell in love. It is a great little car, and the only thing i have replaced in the 4 years i have had it is the battery.I am glad i went with daewoo now as a friend bought the hyundai excel and has had nothing but probs with it.The daewoo lanos is better on fuel, has less road noise, and is actually faster, and to … top it all off our family of four fit perfectly in it. Greatest purchase i ever made.Even the hubby(ford ute man) loves to drive it and i have trouble getting the keys back off him! The only problem i have found is the headlights arent that great, even after putting better globes in but all up,i love my lanos
4.75 out of 5 stars
Don't Give Up
dk1706, 07/27/2004
2002 Daewoo Lanos Sport 2dr Hatchback (1.6L 4cyl 5M)
The car is excellent! I was also
thinking twice on how on earth am I
going to get parts for Daewoo since
they are no longer in the US. Then the
Chevy Aveo comes out and the Suzuki
Reno in the US, which are rebadged,
Daewoo Kalos and the Daewoo Lecetti in
europe also the Reno is called the
Chevy Optra in Canada. The Chevy Aveo
has a 1.6L engine the same as the
Lanos. … This solves engine parts
problems.
We have a limited number of reviews for the 2002 Daewoo Lanos, so we've included reviews for other years of the Lanos since its last redesign.
2002 Lanos Highlights
Sedan
Base MSRP Excludes Destination Fee | $10,099 |
---|---|
Engine Type | Gas |
Combined MPG | 25 MPG |
Cost to Drive | $179/month |
Seating | 5 seats |
Drivetrain | front wheel drive |
Warranty | 3 years / 36,000 miles |
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