Skoda Octavia I test drive - 2010 -

Hatch Grand Back

In the relatively young class of family hatchbacks, the previous Skoda Octavia burst with a clear claim to leadership. The new Octavia has yet grown up in size and, by and large, only the Sitroen fifth door, made at the same time with glass, and relatively short, by modern Volkswagen, is distinguished from the sedan.
But everything is known in comparison. Therefore, the well -known and very popular real real hatchbacks Nissan Almera and Toyota Corolla were taken to the test. Everything with motors is not higher than 1.8 liters, but with a large set of useful options.

Who is what
Nissan almera

The price of a tested car is $ 21 080
Max. Power 116 l. With. at 5600 vol./min
Max. speed 173 km/h
Acceleration 0-100 km/h 12.8 s
 
Skoda Octavia New

The price of a tested car is $ 24,200*
Max. Power 102 l. With. at 5600 vol./min
Max. speed 184 km/h
Acceleration 0-100 km/h 15.9 s
*Price in version with an automaton $ 26 900
 
Toyota Corolla New

The price of a tested car is $ 21,600
Max. Power 110 liters. With. at 6000 vol./min
Max. Speed \u200b\u200b175 km/h
Acceleration 0-100 km/h 11.8 s

Both of our Japanese are proven comrades. The part of the trunk of Almera and Corolla obtained by cutting off the Golf's closer relatives than built on his Skoda trolley. A huge volume of not just a trunk, but the luggage compartment, in addition to delight from the number of objects placed in it, involuntarily makes us think about how all this iron from luggages behind the rear wheels on provocative movements for provocative movements with the steering wheel. And what else distinguishes Skoda from cars ending right behind the rear window.
 
DYNAMICS
In principle, the family prefix does not have a stritreting, but it also happens that the steppe father of the family under the approving views of the children and the appropriate protests of the wife no, and the apparatus beloved by the household will disperse the apparatus over the permitted speed. This is most willing to do Corolla, and this is no coincidence. You can not expect 1600 cubes of racing agricultural cubes from the engine, however, despite the smaller engine volume, the VVT-M technology adjusting the phase of gas distribution and the height of the valve lifting and successfully selected gear rates bring Toyota to the leaders. The motor is very elastic, the craving from the bottoms is excellent. The machine quickly and softly sorting through the transmission, without defying the tachometer arrow far from the average position. Only the gas pedal seemed strange, which should be squeezed in almost two legs to turn on the kick dowan. The decent dynamics of Toyota is reinforced by a quiet engine.
 
Nissan Almera will only lag behind a little bit. With a calm ride, her motor sounds quieter and the box works softer. Nissan has a very predicted kick-Dawn. It does not require heroic efforts of the right leg, but responds with a noticeable a lifting of the motor.
 
The first touch from the place on Skoda Octavia revealed a small traction of the engine on the bottom. With a mechanical box, any error in gas operating and clutch either leads to a strong slip, or the motor stalls.
 
The machine radically changes the start of the start, shooting this problem. He also adds to acceleration to a hundred extra 3.6 seconds. Having overcome the line of 2.5 thousand revolutions, the motor wakes up and then demonstrates remarkable abuse. And that it is especially cool in the cabin.
 
The discharge of gas in Octavia is accompanied by a smooth reduction in revolutions. It is clear otherwise not to fit into rigid economists, but the left arrow to the number 10 crawls for a very long and slowly long time.
Electronics, designed to strangle acceleration on a slippery road at the whole trinity, works excellently, and here we did not feel much difference.
 
The best brakes and the most adequate ABS in Octavia. The Czech German bites both the snow and into the asphalt with such intensity that passengers hang on belts with any careless brake press. At the same time, the operation of the automation on slippery coating is verified by national pedantry, which allows jewelry to dose the force on the pedals.
Nissan and Toyota demonstrated effective and easy braking, but in the intricacies of the settings they lost a little more severe Skoda.
 
Skoda Octavia and Nissan Almera more or less fit into the control figures for fuel consumption. Toyota also showed a non -child’s appetite, which is strange, given the small volume and modern engine design.
CONTROLLABILITY
If you are over thirty, you have already known all the charms of extremely on the road and want to comfortably, measuredly and economically from point A to point B feel free to choose Nissan almera. This car will not make you shake on irregularities, it very clearly prescribes turns and at the same time almost does not roll. The movements of her steering wheel cause quick, but not too sharp reactions. Even on very large potholes, which are full on our roads, Nissan does not shudder with the whole body, but only squats slightly, swallowing them. This is a kind of golden mean.
 
Toyota Corolla has a slightly different character. Everything is tougher and stricter here. The steering wheel looks more sporty, and its movements cause more sharp reactions. Having provoked in a sense the sports style of driving, Corolla suddenly shows wayward. The electric power amplifier leaves the driver a little information about zero, and about the possible sliding of the wheels. Moreover, the sharper you have to work as a steering wheel, the more it is noticeable. There are no dangerous consequences, but in the roar of Schumacher at the wheel of Toyota you will look clearly unconvincing.
 
Toyota copes well with obstacles, but passengers are sometimes greatly shaking. It is especially noticeable in an empty car for the body periodically simply repeats the entire relief of the road section. A couple of times, with a neat congress from the curb, the front racks made a distinct sound boom.
 
Of course, the golf habits were expected from Skoda Octavia, and they were fully discovered, but with some amendments. Of course, she ruffles perfectly. A sharp and clear steering wheel with zero and an increase in force in a bend. It is difficult to abrupt or undergoing a shortcut. To sharp movements, especially in the turn, reacts with adequate resistance, which seemed to me more than on the usual Volkswagen Golf. In addition, the rear suspension is different here. It is tougher and practically excludes the rolls and swinging. You can make a skeleton with a tail of revenge only by very hard. Even with decent loading, she practices five points.
 
There is also the flip side of this five. The suspension designed for smooth European asphalt is insufficiently comfortable on native roads. Already the second lying policeman will force you to reduce the speed to the set twenty, or even lower. In addition, any short bulge met at the course causes a loud metal blow during the end of the end of the shock absorbers of all the wheels.
ERGONOMICS
In terms of the material of the torpedo and the quality of the interior decoration, all our competitors showed a high level and care for passenger comfort. Therefore, we will find the search for significant differences.
The most convenient steering wheel can rightfully be proud of Octavia. Everything is good in it, even the tape recorders are highlighted. But in order to press them, you need to remove the hand from the steering wheel, they are tight and move not along the axis of the column.
 
The Toyota Corolla steering wheel lost quite a bit to the previous one, but the receiver buttons are more affordable for him and they can be found to the touch.
The Nissan steering wheel is thin, and the sound control panel is very peculiar.
 
The seats of Octavia and the Corolla can be placed next to one reservation. Both have an extensive range of adjustments in all directions, but the Skodovskaya seat is too tumble in the upper position. For all the freedom, the Toyota chair did not allow the end to comfortably get a job.
 
Nissan is inferior to competitors in terms of lateral support and all kinds of undergrounds, but it wins in the convenience and ease of use of adjustments. Almera has low but extremely convenient landing.
 
About which of the Japanese is better, more modern and clearer than the instrument shield can be argued. I personally liked the Toyota Corolla cockpit more, like all the torpedo with the console as a whole and aesthetically, and with the simplicity of searching for the necessary buttons and functions.
 
Nissan was surprised by the difficulty of obtaining organs by climate. It is impossible to do this procedure without visual feedback.
 
Getting behind the wheel of the basic version of the very beautiful Skoda Octavia outside, you inevitably notice the dominance of almost one -color plastic wherever the eye falls. Monumental forms, correct and ergonomically very well-well-developed controls are lost under the onslaught of expensive, but dull gray material.
 
At night, when all this is perfectly illuminated by even green light, the picture improves significantly.
 
The gear shift handle does not fall into the palm of your palm in any way, as do not try to wrap it up. Sharp edges of the side cheeks cause a constant and ineffective search for the correct grip.
 
All this can be attributed to the nit -picks, but our Japanese friends do not suffer from anything like that.
Of the other minuses, a bad view back and the absence of the rear wiper, as well as such a strange thing as a strong trembling of the front armrest when moving at any speed. The autopsy showed that the engine is somehow transmitted to the armrest. Such a massager makes him remove his hand immediately after the start of movement.

CONCLUSION
Of course, despite the announced annoying disadvantages, the youngest and fashionable Skoda Octavia will take a leading position both in terms of impressions and in price. The most expensive of the trinity of the family hatchback rightfully conquered a place in the market thanks to an unprecedented spacious salon and trunk. Nissan Almera and Toyota Corolla as vivid representatives of mod lawmakers in the class of real hatchbacks will make Skoda healthy competition. They will especially please those drivers who are ready to sacrifice a capacity in favor of the swiftness of the silhouette or convenience in parking.
DID NOT LIKE
Nissan almera

The muffler is far from the ground, a strongly protruding back, but it will not be difficult to rest on the curb
Toyota Corolla

It is not easy to get the key to the castle larva. A thin and long sting with difficulty finds a place for himself
Skoda Octavia

Frequent risks and small numbers make it possible to clearly display the speed
 
LIKED
 
Nissan almera

The hook on the beard is a simple recipe against a bag dangling on the cabin with purchases for dinner. Note!
Toyota Corolla

Two-story, adjustable, moderately hard and moderately soft boxing. Five plus!
Skoda Octavia

Open the hood? Not even a problem for ladies! Convenient firing hook and pen, and a stop. Everyone would be so!
 
Text Evgeny Khapov photo Leonid Deduh
 
 

Source: Cars