Test drive Land Rover Discovery 1994 - 1999 SUV

Fashion vagaries, or SUVs on asphalt

Fashion is insidious. And not only in clothes. Cars, as it turned out, are also subject to its whims, and blindly following the momentary trends can lead to a serious conflict between concepts prestigious and practical ...
... In recent years, part of the motorists quietly went crazy with all -wheel drive cars. No, not from the squat roads 4x4, but from real, sometimes very bulky all -terrain vehicles. At the same time, their initially utilitarian appointment was often forgotten. What off -road, pits and potholes are there! The main thing is the style on the verge of kich, a demonstration of an active lifestyle, sports! This is now in fashion. Let us estimate how much true jeeps are produced today - gross army cans. One, two ... the fingers of two hands are enough for the account. The rest under the pressure of consumers were noticeably prettier in appearance, added in speed and comfort. So, in our opinion, an off -road breed has degenerated (according to the spelling accepted in the ZR, an all -round, but here, at the request of the authors, an exception was made) and an asphalt all -terrain vehicles for everyday city trips appeared. Alas, you will not go far on wide road tires.
Fans of all -wheel drives may reasonably object - that the tribute is a tribute abroad, in Russia - an urgent need. God with her, with impassable mud. Large wheels, powerful chassis, frame design, high landing will not even be superfluous on relatively even metropolitan streets, and there is no need to talk about the roads of the hinterland. Well, if there is a demand and supply, we, suppressing the skepticism to the city crooks, decided to try on the skin of the asphalt jeep on ourselves.
 
What will we go to?
Grand Cheroki and Mitsubishi Pajero - we have already passed. Let's see what else uses a certain contingent of our compatriots. Huge tractor-like Toyota-Lendkryuzer VX. Will go! The semi -legendary Cameltrophic Landrover Discovery is also not bad. Short -Blabic Nissan Terrarano -II is far from the worst representative of his class.
Let's start in order, with Toyota. The first impression: well, this car is healthy! Despite the rounded shapes and abundance of chrome decorative elements, it looks rude and courageous. The power unit is matching the appearance - a 4.5 -liter gasoline six with a capacity of 205 liters. With. Twisting - like another truck. In general, more than a solid apparatus. The filling was made in full - three rows of seats, a high -quality light finish, a spectacular set of additional equipment. One thing was puzzled in the process of acquaintance with the salon - in a huge car, in essence, there is not much space. The driver in tall slightly above the average feels somewhat clamped, propagates the knees of the rear passengers with the back of his seat. It’s not too convenient to climb back - the car is high, and at first it is not easy to adapt to the footboard. In general, sensations from the internal volume are less impressive than from appearance. But what kind of pleasure to press the servo buttons, twist the stereo system control handles, and configure the climatic installation. Everything buzzes, sinks and rises, sounds and warms. Here, hefty Toyota will give a head start to many cars. Although, as it seemed to us, the controls of all this charm are somewhat chaotic.
Okay, settled, now it's time for the road. Let the engine. In the cabin, it is quite quiet, but even for a very muffled roar and light vibration, it is clear that under the hood is an unit of a solid volume, and not some kind of high -speed buzzer. We translate the machine gun selector - and go.
The car, although large, is very fast. True, this is best noticeable against the background of the machine remaining behind the flow. Toyota does not create a subjective sensation of bribe. The solid dimensions, an automatic gearbox, and a very light steering wheel with a hydraulic wiper are affected. There are no sharp features in character. And it’s not necessary, tea is not a racing formula, but for a large SUV, dynamic qualities, we repeat, impressive.
With an increase in revolutions, the motor is heard stronger, but in general, soundproofing with its task is quite coping, noise is unnecessary. But the suspension of the Cruiser is harsh - the all -terrain vehicle is still, although with a claim for gorgevity. At the junctions, potholes, tram tracks, paving stones shakes, and quite noticeably. I had to get used to the dimensions of the car. A huge hood, in front of which a chrome bars of a kangaroo, somehow does not provoke an active taxiing in a tight stream of cars. Probably confidence comes over time. A person, as you know, gets used to everything. There are boys, who have already mastered the city slalom on Landkryuiser.
The short-busy Nissan Terrano-II turned out to be the exact opposite of Toyota. Despite the much more modest external dimensions, inside it feels not much less than a hook. At least, a person behind the wheel feels about the same, that is, quite constrained. But since the machine itself is not heroic addition, this is not so acute. Equipped Nissan easier. The adjustment of the seats is manual, there is no air conditioner, the gearbox is mechanical, modest finishing materials. Although the body is two -door, passengers passengers are convenient. The front seat moves forward until it stops and throws back. A person of even fair dimensions will easily climb into the opened opening.
A four -cylinder gasoline engine with a volume of 2.4 liters is an evil and norovistan unit. If it is properly sprinkled ... In general, after Toyota, the car seemed very lively and mobile. Although these are again subjective sensations. The motor quickly gains momentum and voices its work well, a manual gearbox with fairly clear switching, acute steering. Here Nissan is not to occupy - very nimble everywhere. He rushes along the alleys, easily sticks his nose into ruptures of the automobile flow, spins in the city with a wolf and at the same time does not particularly tire the driver. But you have to pay for everything. The short base, of course, has disadvantages. Who is familiar with the Niva, knows how she loves to swing back and forth. Terrano behaves about the same. He jumps on irregularities and pecks when braking is very noticeable. But in general - a compact, light, pleasant machine.
Now we will arrange the little Camel Trophy along the streets of the city. The Landrover Discovery with a gasoline 3.9-liter engine and a complete set of various equipment-how did the native brother of the famous yellow-bureau jeep.
This car successfully combines the features of an uncouth SUV and a rich exquisite sedan. High body, sweeping shapes, powerful motor, expensive finish, mass of all sorts of different convenient and useful things. In terms of prestigious elements, he is a direct competitor to Toyota, but also inside and outside looks more stiff. A kind of London dandy against the adjustable village guy. In a word - a breed.
There is a lot of air in the tall salon, but again hopes for complete space did not come true. Although the Landrover is the complications of his Japanese counterparts, he is still far from ideal. The steering wheel is pressed to the left, to the door. The lower seat pillow is surprisingly short, although, having flooded it back, the driver’s sliding to the pedals manages to prevent.
Go! The engine works very quietly, the automatic box switches softly, the steering wheel is light - in general, everything that was worth expecting from the Englishman. The suspension puzzled. Mindful of the purpose of the car, you expect to get at least some all-terrain rigidity. But no! The car is surprisingly comfortable - swallows any pits and potholes, almost does not shake passengers at all. The reverse side of the coin is the frightening rolls of the body. When the high discovery bursts into the turn at good speed, the sensations are quite sharp. Even when passing small irregularities, it happens that the machine, like a ship, is transferred from board to board.
Although it is difficult to call a rover baby, in the city hustle and bustle it does not seem to be the same awkward truck as Toyota. The dimensions of the all -wheel drive do not cause negative emotions in the driver. You get used to them quickly, and visibility forward, backward and the sides are just excellent. It turned out that, despite the halo of the conqueror of the pampas, prairies and swamps, in the usual road conditions, Discovery tested us with the most passenger features from the entire presented trinity.
 
WHO IS WHO
Having talked with cars that are not unlike each other, we will display our small rating. Note that we will talk about everyday driving in the city, along highways and a suburban highway. Offasses are the topic of a separate conversation, and today we do not deliberately touch on.
Toyota-Lendkryuzer is related to cars with a high level of decoration, rich equipment, ease of control, good speed and dynamic characteristics. But this does not save - in the city she is still cramped. To drive every day an empty and voracious mastodon is an activity for an amateur. By the way, Toyota is not cheap. The high -class sedan for the same price will be no less prestigious, but much more comfortable. You can’t get anywhere - there is an all -terrible rudeness in the suspension of the Japanese all -wheel drive. True, this is not noticeable on the ideal coating, but why on good asphalt huge wheels and other attributes of the 4x4 style? Landkryuzer, despite all its outer gloss, is temporarily packed to load and drive off the road into impassable dirt.
Nissan Terrano-II, perhaps, is really the most city of Trinity. He does not claim to be particularly sophisticated, but cheaper than others and at the same time fast, light, maneuverable. The reckoning for an all -terrain entrance is again far from perfect comfort, a rigid suspension. But in general, Nissan is a rather successful example of a universal car. A sort of field, made at the modern technical level. The truck does not resemble the truck at all on the asphalt, but at the same time it’s not scary to move out with the highway on it. The owner of Nissan will probably agree to hang out on him for five days a week in city traffic jams, so that on weekends to go on vacation somewhere away from roads and human bustle.
Discovery frankly puzzled. On it, too, I wanted to get into the mud as soon as possible, but not because the car asks there like Toyota. On the contrary, I want to make sure her ability to overcome at least some obstacles. The vaunted lander seemed like a beast so homemade, manual and soundless that it is not easy to believe in his off -road exploits in his off -road exploits. Quiet, soft on the go, very comfortable - looks like an impressive overseas limousine, only a lot of grown up and even stood on tiptoe. In short, with deep ruts, clay, with heated, richly equipped Discovery does not fit at all. And what about asphalt? We will answer the question with a question. Why is it expensive and good, in general, a car on a street parquet needed a complex off-road transmission?
 
We will argue
Why not? From the side of the opponents to the authors, critical arrows have probably already flew for a long time. Indeed, from the point of view of the avid jeeper, they preach a terrible heresy.
Let's try to figure it out calmly. What does a modern non -vegetable all -terrain vehicle, shod in road tires, are expensive and chic? Increased clearance, large wheels, all -wheel drive, which can be useful not only on off -road, reliable, most often frame, design, powerful suspension, voluminous interior and considerable carrying capacity. Now the disadvantages: high price, complex and expensive maintenance, increased fuel consumption, far from the best adaptability to driving in urban tightness. And also problems with storage, mining the garage of the corresponding dimensions, protection against theft.
Let us go through the fire of criticism on the strongest sides of the SUVs stated above. Who needs a large road clearance in the city? Yes, holes are found here. But, overwhelming your heart, remember how often you had to pass concrete blocks between the wheels. Large tires are not bad, less likely to damage them on the same pits. An hour of reckoning will get when it is time to fork out with new ones or replace the pierced wheel with a reserve on their own. Full -wheel drive will help on a slippery road, but it is better to have it not on a roller of a high carriage, but on a squat asphalt machine. The large volume of the salon, as it turned out, often - only an illusion. It is advisable not to discuss the reliability of the chassis without facts. But the fact that the branched transmission of SUVs includes new expensive and complex units that can also break is really a fact.
To the one who really wants a jeep not for hunting, fishing or traveling to bear corners, but just like that, we give a simple calculation. For the price of Toyota or Landroover, you can purchase a good light car and a small everywhere. Even relatively inexpensive Nissan can be exchanged for imported - not the cheapest, notice - a passenger car and a field.
Oh yes, we completely lost sight of another consideration justifying the appearance of bulky all -wheel drive on city streets - this is fashionable and prestigious. As it is customary to say today is cool. Alas, you can’t stand against such a good argument. So they returned to the beginning of reasoning: many choose gloss to the detriment of practicality. Blindly following fashion have done its job. All -terrain vehicles are becoming less utilitarian, the road clearance is reduced, the wheels are added in width, the carpets on the floor are more and fenger, the skin on the seats is getting lighter and softer. Towards them moved on the basis of cars - all -wheel drive appears on the most expensive models, the diameter and width of the wheels increase, the road clearance grows. The brightest example is Subaru Outbek. Where, interesting to know, these two branches will cross?
The editors thank the Helsinki-internal-brib core for the cars provided. Information about the sale - in the rubric of dealers.
Nissan Terrano -II is an SUV that became an alternate. A good example of a universal car.
Toyota-Lendkryuzer, despite the external gloss, remained a truck in a tuxedo.
Landrover Discovery - essentially a car in the style of 4x4.
 
Vadim Kryuchkov,
Igor Solidov
 
 

A source: The magazine "Driving"