Toyota Camry test drive since 2011 sedan

NEVEVKLIDOVA Geometry

E-class and D-class, atmospheric and two turbo engines, a classic automatic transmission and a couple of robots with two clutches, a Japanese machine created for America, and a German duet is their comparison with each other? Oddly enough, this is the case when parallel lines still intersect.


Ford Mondeo
In the English political culture, the term mondeo-man is popular, which indicates a representative of the middle class aged 35 to 45, having a stable income, their own house and tended to vote for conservatives so that it does not lose all this. In relation to Russia, it is more correct to talk about Camry-Man, and Ford is more likely the choice of younger ones, because, whatever one may say, and the Mondeo car is much more sports and dynamic than Toyota. The muscular appearance, a powerful turbo engine, electronically driven suspension, excellent controllability for no reason among the familiar owners of Mondeo are not even thirty.

Indeed, handling is close to the reference. On the steering wheel is just such an effort, which should be, the rolls are small, the car willingly screws into the turn. But this is on a good road and in standard suspension mode. Our machine was equipped with electronically controlled shock absorbers, which allow you to change the nature of controllability. In Comfort mode, buildup appears, and unpleasant blows are transmitted on Sport on sharp joints at the body. However, the buildup is very small and does not interfere at city speeds. More upset PowerShift. I don’t know who traveled to this car to me, but the robot seemed to be crazy: it would not work smoothly, the box constantly twitched, switched to lowers with a minimum increase in fuel supply, I was uncomfortable. It is good that after a couple of days PowerShift came to his senses and softened, but his character still remained closer to DSG VW than to the Toyota machine.

The main disappointment was the engine. Firstly, he did not pull the declared 200 liters. With. Even less powerful Toyota felt faster. Secondly, the lack of traction below was not compensated by the pickup when connecting the turbine, like Passat. Thirdly, after a couple of days of dough, after several consecutive accelerations to the floor on the panel, the inscription was lit: engine malfunction. The cure occurred after the engine was turned off and re -launched, but I did not risk it sharply. So Ecoboost this time did not please me. It is possible that in the press park the car was filled with low-quality fuel, which is why the control electronics was crazy. Previously, the new generation turbo engines from Ford did not disappoint me.

Ergonomics at a height. There are not many buttons, and they are located successfully. The central armrest, although it is not regulated by departure, is located so right that you do not regret it. The steering wheel of optimal shape and thickness, the buttons are perfect, and the skin is pleasant to the touch. Unless the screed is fat. Seats at first glance are good for everyone. In fact, they have a terrible profile: the chair seems to be pushed you, even if you remove the lumbar back to the minimum. Oddly enough, I was able to get comfortable to get a job, but the rest complained about iniligence. And what the quality of the materials here! Premium brands, the skin of the same brand as Jaguar/Land Rover, will be envied by such plasticity, music with juicy bass will appeal to blues and fans of rock. The sensations are indeed premium!

And now about obvious punctures. Unlike the rear passengers of Camry, who feel like real VIP-pi-sons, guests of the rear sofa Mondeo are more on taxi customers: there are a lot of legs, but there are only no elements of a beautiful life for 12 volts. But the landing behind is optimal not too vertical, but not like in a deck chair, there is enough space for both legs and head. The trunk is also disappointed, which, despite the enormous size, is inconvenient to use. The thing is that the sedan has too narrow the trunk of the trunk. Any more or less large box will not enter. Hatchback will help to get out of the situation, but cars with this type of body in St. Petersburg are not produced, so they cost more than a similar sedan. Of the little things, it is necessary to note the handle on the driver's door, which makes it difficult to access the mirrors and electric windows control keys. Why it is impossible to remove this pen from one door, as was done by VW Jetta, who won the test in our past, it is not clear. Well, the main disappointment for me personally was the inability to listen to music with my iPod. The most annoying thing is that the car saw the player, read all the tags, saw all the playlists, began to lose the music, but the sound from the speakers did not pour! In the summer it was already with Fiesta, but in December there were no such problems with Focus. Mystery!
 

But there is a voice control, which is also supplemented by prompts on the central display. So you don’t even need to learn these English phrases, you can just read them. Speaking of displays. There are two of them here on the central console, and the other between the speedometer and the tachometer. Moreover, each of them has its own menu and its own control unit of five buttons on the left and right knitting needles of the steering wheel, respectively. Using the display on the tidy, you can control almost all the functions of the car, so the screen at the console can be completely given to the passenger. It is a pity that the menu is somewhat confused. For example, remembering the radio station by pressing one button will not be possible, you need to plow the substitution. In the cold, the central display did not immediately come to his senses and at first slowed down, without reacting to the touch of his fingers. And this is another argument in favor of the active use of the device.

Alexander Shiryaev, 53 years old, manager

I have a previous generation mondeo, and I have been looking at the new Ford for a long time. I liked the engine alive, quiet enough. Good soundproofing, pleasant LED lightning of the salon, beautiful upsor upholstery.

But the lumbar emphasis of the driver’s chair is very inconvenient for me: the impression is from some medieval torture device. The second unacceptable, even offensive quality trunk. This is not a trunk, but a gearbox for climbing. I did not like the box some kind of twitching, not wanting to measure the car measuredly. And if we talk about a car worth 1.5 million rubles, then trifles are important. For example, an armrest, which, by definition, should be under the elbow, and not somewhere below,

 
Toyota Camry
Camry Star. She has many strengths, but much more important is the unsinkable reputation that no scandals can shake. Camry we have a symbol of reliability, quality and comfort. Camry in modern Russia plays the same role that the Volga once played in the USSR, an indicator of prosperity and prosperity. Camry is a successfully developing small business, promotion in military or civil service.

If the German couple, like Dieter, is sick with Thomas Anders, are blind from one dough, then Camry is another breed. It was created for huge American expanses, bad roads, large -sized people, for a country where the car is primarily comfort. Toyota was created so that you can live in it. A soft, almost home chair, a steering wheel that drives away at the opening of the door, giant cup holders who can accommodate even a liter container, a huge central box, in which it seems that you can settle medium sizes of a little dog, a cruise control of the Japanese were guided by completely different needs of completely different customers. And as sales show, Russians are much closer to almost half a million Americans, annually choosing Camry with their new car than it seems.

The new generation car was to increase the success of the predecessors who became real symbols of the emerging middle class. And the Japanese did everything to save old customers and attract new ones. What was the old Camry inferior to competitors? Let's go through the points. The rear passengers received less services and comfort than in Teana; The quality of the decoration materials could not be compared with Passat, and the buildup and strong rolls made Toyota more like a crossover than a European sedan. What we have now: the rear passengers have a music control unit and a climate (it is now 3-zone), the adjustment of the back of the back has become electric, the front panel was sheathed, the plastic has become softer, and the suspension is tougher. Almost Lexus!

By the way, now Camry is ready to listen to teams in Russian! And I still praised the Ford voice control to the Germans, there is someone to equal. In general, the Russification here is total: all levels of the menu, hints of navigation and, as already mentioned, voice control. The position of the Queen of the market is obliged!

But the effort on the steering wheel was not, and no. And it cannot be said that the steering wheel is completely empty. No, there is some kind of effort, but the steering is not pleasing with informativeness. Perhaps only in the near -Stolium zone the effort is adequate. But, as is appropriate to Toyota, Camry has an enviable course stability. Whatever the road surface, you can safely let the steering wheel, and the car will not even move. I pleasantly surprised the traction engine so much that at first I decided that under the hood V6. Subjectively, the car is perceived as more dynamic than more powerful Mondeo. Unfortunately, the brakes cannot support the perirable mood of the motor. The pedal is soft, slowing is not intense enough, and it is not easy to control it. As a result, it is difficult to slow down smoothly, the braking distance is longer than you expect, and passengers are scared. Another minus of Toyota is insufficient smoothness. And it surprises! On the gentle waves of Camry, a model for imitation, but on irregularities with sharp edges, is tangible to the vibration of unsaved masses, and an unpleasant trembling passes along the bottom. This was not there before, but comfort has always been the main advantage of a large Toyota.
 

It is good that the Japanese sedan did not lose its advantages for which customers loved him. Soft front chairs create home comfort, the machine for smoothness will give a hundred points forward to any robot, moreover, there is no doubt in its reliability, and there are even more pockets for the little things. Due to the fact that the back of the front seats is now soft, and under the seats you can put your legs, the Japanese machine will not yield to Mondeo in real comfort, although nominally the distance from the backs to the knees is smaller. The trunk, albeit less than that of the predecessor, but the trunk of the trunk is large, and it is correct shape. In addition, the entire missing volume went into place for the drives of the back of the back of the back sofa, which is excusable.

Ekaterina Suetina, 23 years old, student

Our family live in two generations, so acquaintance with the new car was especially interesting. I am glad that the Japanese did not turn Camry into a starship, as many are doing now. It is solid, and in front resembles Lexus. The interior has become less feminine, less homely. It looks like an office, and male. And the color of the tree is somehow unnatural, it is clear that it is fake. Why do manufacturers sculpt this artificial tree even? But the skin is not only soft, but also my favorite color. Small detail: Safety belts are now the same beige as the seats. I really liked the steering wheel, which is easy to twist. In addition, he seemed to become smaller. The central box lost a comfortable shelf, but became longer and deeper. All because the box immediately behind the box, on the contrary, became smaller. Sorry, I always scored him with something.

 
VW Passat
In the appearance of the car from Wolfsburg there is neither monumentality of Camry, nor the splendor of the forms of Mondeo. Outside, Volkswagen reminded me of a wolf: a fried body, a harsh look of a small eye-far, chrome grin of the radiator grilles severely, restrained, very German. Inside, Passat continues to delight lovers of the notorious Ordnings of not a single extra detail, no extracts, all in the case. But the brown color of the skin and plastic still gives out a creative nature in our hero. Or is it a desire for premium? If so, then it, unfortunately, is not supported by the quality of materials. The plastic is hard everywhere, even in the upper part of the panel, the edge of the visor above the dashboard is completely reinforced concrete, and the hours are staggering on the console.

But to ergonomics, as is the case with all VW, the claims are minimal. Convenient all -Folkswagen steering wheel, perfectly read all -ofolkswagen devices, a reference driver’s seat, an optimal landing, a large compartment for trifles in the central tunnel, deep cup holders, space and comfort from the back. Let there are no luxurys that are present in Camry, but Passat is the only one in the trio equipped with curtains on the side and rear windows. Moreover, the latter is also with an electric drive. Unfortunately, the three of them on this couch do not ride, a hefty central tunnel interferes with. What to do, this VW is all -wheel drive and even increased cross -country ability (about the Alltrack version in our nearest issue). Despite the fact that the climate control here is only two-zone, individual air ducts are at the services of the rear passengers.

I didn’t like exactly the same as Polo Sedan, Golf and Jetta in Passat: a direct groove DSG and a too small rate of temperature regulator. Like Jetta, she upset the shape of the armrest from which the hand slides. The location of the keys responsible for the ventilation of the seats was surprised. If the heating is turned on by the buttons on the central console, then the ventilation on the end panel of the chair! It seems that the developers were looking for a place for them at the last moment. Like Jetta, on Passat I don't like the location of the engine start button next to the DSG lever. Personally, I am uncomfortable to reach there. But to all this you can get used to it, these are not some kind of granular miscalculations, and just in the main ergonomics is ideal.

The trunk is both large, and its shape is correct, and the opening is sufficient to load something voluminous. And in the corners of the net and elastic band. Lepota! It is a pity that the loading height is great, but this is already a nit -picking. And what is Passat an interesting and cool option! You approach a closed car, take a foot under the bumper and the trunk opens. But on our car it was not. From the experience of driving on CC, I can say that it works only when the car is closed, and if you have already unlocked the doors, then the trunk will have to be opened with your hands, even if they are busy. The trunk lid is also equipped with an electric drive.

Almost perfect and everything else. Rather, not even perfect, but balanced. Both Camry and Mondeo now and then have some imbalance in the settings of the steering/suspension and engine/box, respectively. And Passat has everything logical and correct. The steering wheel is not so sharp and spent with an effort as Mondeo, and at zero is completely empty, but unlike Camry, this does not interfere. You always know what is happening with the front wheels. A couple of TSI and DSG, as always, is on top, and the faster you go, the more their talents are revealed. A two -liter turbo engine does not allow me to doubt each of its 210 liters for a second. With. Sometimes it seems that the goals in this herd are even more declared. It is almost impossible to touch without slipping in winter. Even if the first meters of the wheels and hold on to the asphalt tightly, then when connecting the turbine, the avalanche of traction will certainly tear them into a random rotation. Moreover, Passat began to slip even at overtaking at a speed of 80 km/h. Still, after all, DSG instantly falls from the sixth gear to the third, or even to the second, the revolutions take off, and the muzzle begins to drag to the side from the excess of traction. Eh, how you want to try all this on dry asphalt!


One trouble: in traffic jams you literally feel how a high -tech robot destroys itself. The clutch is skipped, vibrations run around the body, the turns jump in the end to somehow alleviate the suffering of the DSG, you have to let go of the running car and accelerate to speeds when the clutch is closed, then to slow down. Interestingly, PowerShift does not scare in traffic jams, it just pulls. And in general, it is impossible to roll around the city with such a motor.

Good and suspension. And again, thanks to the balance of qualities. It does not miss irregularities, as is often the case with Toyota and Ford, if the shock absorbers are clamped in a Sport mode, but no swifts are swinging like all in the same Ford in comfort. At the same time, there are naturally not tangible rolls. In general, VW, as often happens, can be taken as a sample.

On the go, Passat is even more like a wolf who came out to hunt. Fast, agile, assembled, he is the only one who knocks down to dashing. If in Camry you want to slowly roll, and in Mondeo calm is replaced by explosions of activity in corners, then VW is kept in good shape. I can’t even imagine someone to choose it for driving with the driver!

Kirill Bakurov, 25 years old, realtor

It all started with the fact that I was driving Passat B6 of my friend and fell in love! The car and I instantly became one. Therefore, I bought myself Passat, already B7. Ergonomics is on top, everything is where necessary. In addition to the high -quality materials of the interior decoration, Passat balves first -class handling.

The machine on the highway shows itself simply gorgeous, overtaking a fairy tale. If you get up for some prior, you want to go to double overtaking. Power allows! 850 km from Moscow to Saratov, where I live, overcome easily, the back and legs are in an adequate state after that. I have already traveled 15,000 km and so far no complaints. During the operation, I got used to the DSG and I can’t now imagine how I would ride on the mechanics.

 
SUMMARY

So, the points are calculated, and a draw was the winner! Passat and Camry divided the victory. Moreover, VW showed itself well in sled disciplines, and Toyota played its own thanks to comfort and luxurious equipment. But the price of Camry ends where Passat is just beginning! But Mondeo lagged behind, and lagged behind quite strongly. The reason for this is an uncomfortable seat, the trunk, which cannot be pulled up, and the motor, which, as it seemed, did not give out all its power. But, I choose a car for yourself, I would choose the Ford. It is the youth, and its character can be changed by pressing the button!
 

Source: Cars