Test drive Opel Meriva 2003 - 2005 Minivan

Fresh small

In the automobile world, a massive priority change. Gasoline engines give way to diesel, it is now fashionable to travel on a large SUV along the flat city streets, and a small sedan and hatchback have appeared an alternative in the form of various kinds of minibuses. Opel Meriva from among ambitious beginners.


It is not clear why now to buy cars like Corsa, if you can get much more for almost the same money?


A frivolous blue metallic novelty is very to the face. Rounded body contours, large height, small overhangs, buttons-coats with decorative caps in deep arches and wide-open eyes (a more friendly version of the two-story lighting technology of the new Vectra) make a machine similar to God's cow. No aggression, pretense of solidity or sporting. The image of the car is fully consistent with its content. To be easy to handle, unpretentious, try to please each passenger as the main features of the character of Meriva.


We open a fairly large front door for a car and sit in the driver's seat without any problems. Meriva is much more spacious than it might seem outside. The design is designed in the new company style of Opel. It seems that when developing the salon, inspiration and imagination, a secondary role was assigned, and the main brain played the main thing. The front panel’s contours, the door pads, handles and buttons are all functionally, correctly and seems to be familiar for a long time, so, having left the car, it is very difficult to recall the details of the interior later.


The finishing materials are issued in Meriva a budget model, even on the central console, hard plastic is used. However, the assembly quality is very decent, and the appearance of a motley plastic kingdom as a whole is a kind of moderate solidity. Passengers will not feel the panels on the road and complain about their cheapness!


You will see a little more landing between the passenger and mini-owl at the wheel than in some sedan, but still you will not get panoramas, as in a real minibus or SUV. The review back is somewhat clamped, but large side mirrors save. The driver's seat has a set of standard mechanical adjustments, the position of the steering wheel changes only in the vertical plane. This is enough to achieve a competent landing. But the orthopedic seat did not like it. To completely lean back, you have to significantly bend, repeating its profile. However, only suffering from the spinal curvature can worry about this.


The steering wheel, despite its plastic essence, is convenient, but the gearbox lever, located traditionally below, between the seats, can already be considered archaic. It would be better if he was on the tide of the central console as in Civic or Focus C-Max. A good unit control unit is an ergonomically very successful thing. The engineers of the company abandoned the wisdom of the turnover management system (must be due to its high cost), which those who dealt with Vectra and Signum models were very disapproving.


As on all almost models of the company, Meriva uses a modification of the Flex Space system, so we get a number of very useful opportunities. For example, the back row of seats. Nominally, it is designed for three adult passengers. However, we recall that Meriva is built on the basis of Corsa. Therefore, the three of them are better not to sit closely, but the two will be unexpectedly (for such a small car) is spacious. The rear seats are pushed by the spaces for the legs, there are enough space in the width so that two passengers do not touch each other's shoulders, and the head of even a very tall person is unlikely to fall into the ceiling.


Meriva freight capabilities inspire the transportation of the piano. In the base, the machine, as it turned out, is not much inferior to the older sister Zafira: 2630 mm versus 2694 mm. With folded rear and front passenger chairs, there is an extensive free space inside. The loading of overall objects is also promoted by the huge fifth door, which, however, did not have an inner handle. The rear seats are added up separately by the possibilities of transforming the cabin. Rough A la Tu-154 plastic tables are built in the backs of the front seats, but there are no armrests additionally.


The machine provided for the test was equipped with a novelty from Opel by the Twin Audio device. The bottom line is that those sitting from behind with the help of headphones can listen to music different from the one that the driver chose. Everyone is satisfied.


Having flashed with red lights of control indicators, the car starts up, but quietly in the cabin. You need to listen very well to catch the engine voice on idle. And so his work is given only by a small vibration on the lever of the checkpoint. With an increase in speed, a small motor can no longer remain quietly, and at high speeds, it howls, even overlapping aerodynamic noises and the rumble of tires disappears all desire to twist. However, this is not necessary. The ECOTEC 1.6 16V engine has a pronounced middle characteristic begins to cheerfully take about 2000 and take up to 4,500 revolutions. Even if there are five adults in the cabin, the car accelerates quite well. On the highway, it was possible to put the arrow on the mark of 160 km/h, then acceleration occurred as if in slow -off shooting, demanding a lot of time and place.


The suspension of a small Meriva provides comfort in motion, easily swallowing most of the domestic road charms. The straight car holds confidently. In corners, the situation is as follows. Strong rolls of reckoning for comfort at first beat off the hunt to aggressively attack turns, as if recalling the purpose of the car. However, after some time you notice that these rolls get along well with a fairly clear prescription of the trajectory, even there is a desire to a little fuck.


The severity of the steering is at the level for the layman. Well, the distinct minus of the suspension manifested itself on the highway characteristic of Russia. At a speed in the region of 120 km/h, road waves of medium length throw a light machine like a ball of a pendant is not able to work out such a load. You have to drop speed or get paper bags for passengers.


I liked the work of the brake system. The pedal is informative, ABS acts correctly. In general, the character of Meriva can be evaluated as a very flexible driver of any qualifications of the village and went. It is unlikely that anyone will use small Opel in racing disciplines, and for more or less dynamic movement around the city there are enough capabilities.


Now a little statistics. The list of power units for Meriva opens a 1.6 l 16V engine with a capacity of 87 hp, followed by the Ecotec motor of the same working volume, it is more powerful 100 hp. The top version is equipped with a 1.8 Ecotec engine (125 hp), it is with it that the machine develops the maximum speed of 192 km/h. Naturally, it was not without diesel modifications. There are two power units equipped with turbocharged 1.7 DTI (75 hp) and a completely new 1.7 CDTI (100 hp) with the Common Rail system and direct fuel injection. The latest diesel, like all engines, meets the ecological norms of Euro 4, and will spend about 5.5 liters of fuel per 100 kilometers. Gearboxes are five -speed mechanics and automatic Easytronic.


Buyers will be offered three types of machine configuration: Essentia, Enjoy and Cosmo. The list of options includes an audio system (with a CD changer), a navigation system with a base on a DVD-disk and Autovision orientation system, climatic installation, xenon headlights, a built-in GSM telephone and a parking system.


Returning to the issue posed at the beginning of this article, Meriva or Corsa? Note that there is every reason to solve it in favor of the first. In terms of consumer qualities, it leaves far behind even the most advanced hatchbacks. As a counterweight, we get less honed running qualities. But is it so important when it comes to a family vehicle?

 
Leonty Tyutelev
 

Source: Motor magazine [November 2003]