AZCentral.com's view

Daewoo who? For most people, that is the question when it comes to South Korea’s least-known automaker.

At least on these shores. In its home country, Daewoo Group is one of the giants of manufacturing and finance, its automotive division only part of a domain that includes shipbuilding, appliances, electronics, credit cards and construction.

In Arizona, however, mention that you’re driving a Daewoo Leganza and you’re likely to get a blank stare. That or a huge laugh.

Really, Daewoo Leganza is a name that doesn’t exactly roll off the tongue. Most people say it the way W.C. Fields might have said it. Besides, Leganza sounds like some kind of leafy vegetable.

What Leganza is, however, is a nice, conservative, midsize sedan with an attractive, roomy interior that’s loaded with features. It also drives quite well. Nothing spectacular, but certainly a lot of car for the money.

The bottom line is really the story here. Totally dressed out, with a decent interior, full power accessories, a good stereo, leather seating, modular 16-inch wheels with performance tires, sunroof, automatic transmission, climate control and a nice paint job, the Leganza still hits less than $19,000.

Daewoo’s job is to get the word out. The Korean automaker has had a hard time breaking into the American market for various reasons, primarily because of quality concerns about South Korean cars, notably the first generation of Hyundais. They sold like hotcakes, until owners discovered that they were highly self-destructive.

Now, South Korean companies have established more of a U.S. presence with Hyundai pretty much redeemed and Kia rapidly selling its cute Sportage minisport-utility vehicle, among other things. Financially, they’re still in the hopper, but at least their cars work well.

For Daewoo, establishing a dealer network has been elusive, with many false starts and disappointments. At one point, the company was trying to enlist college students to sell cars through word of mouth.

The company is still targeting young buyers, offering a creative loan program and guaranteed resale value to college students.

As for the Leganza, it feels like a good driver, although I did have a few concerns. For instance, just as I was beginning to like this car, I had one lame experience: closing the electric sunroof, I was startled by a loud “crack!” as a plastic piece broke off and landed on my head.

Probably just a fluke in the test car, but it did give me pause. There were some chintzy bits in an otherwise handsome interior, including screws that showed in the armrests and a flimsy feel to the console and cupholders.

Leganza is the flagship of a trio of Daewoo cars, with the Lanos at the budget end of the scale starting at $8,000, and Nubira – an all-wheel-drive four-door hatchback – in the middle.

Leganza’s styling is elegant, well-proportioned and enhanced with a chrome grille that mimics the company logo. Smart stuff when build ing a brand image.

A four-cylinder is the only engine available for Leganza, which could present a problem as it tries to break into the mainstream of a midsize market dominated by powerful V-6s. The Daewoo engine is a decent performer, particularly smooth and quiet in freeway cruising, but displaying a four-banger’s harshness under acceleration. For 131 horsepower, pickup is brisk.

The Leganza seems solid and well-built, with decent cornering ability and good brakes – disc on all four wheels and with standard antilock. The steering is responsive and fairly precise.

In purely subjective terms, you won’t mistake the Leganza’s driveability for that of a Honda Accord or a Toyota Camry, although it seems like a reasonable compromise considering the price. Another consideration is that Daewoo has no track record for reliability in the United States, so it’s also a gamble on how well it holds up.

Perhaps because of lingering quality concerns, all Daewoos come wit h three-yea r, 36,000-mile roadside assistance, a major perk usually reserved for luxury vehicles, and free scheduled maintenance (including oil changes) and a bumper-to-bumper warranty for the same time period. There’s also a 6-year, 50,000-mile powertrain warranty.

Daewoo is unique among automakers in the United States, with all its dealerships owned by the corporation. The first and only dealership in Arizona is Daewoo of Tempe, which opened in August.

By all rights, Daewoo should be a decent seller, offering a fairly sophisticated product for less than you’d expect. The Leganza is one of those “champagne taste/beer budget” cars that might be inexpensive to own but won’t feel cheap to you or your passengers.

2000 Daewoo Leganza

Vehicle type: Five-passenger, four-door sedan, front-wheel drive. Base price: $18,660. Price as tested: $18,985. Engine: 2.2-liter inline-4, 131 hp at 5,200 rpm, 147 lb-ft of torque at 2,800 rpm. Transmission: 4-speed automatic. Curb weight: 3,086 pounds. Wheelbase: 105.1 inches. EPA mileage: 20 city, 28 highway.