Test drive Audi A4 B8 since 2007 sedan

German three

Honestly, none of us, four and on this journey, we poisoned with wives, does not think of rest without movement and new impressions. To lie with eggplant at the best sea shore, we are capable of maximum three days, then we are irrepressibly pulling on the road. The fault of everything is likely, the profession as a line of life defines many ideas, behavior and events. We are used to being driving, moving, snatching something especially beautiful, unusual from the landscapes flickering outside the landscapes, which I want to return and how to consider it. We have infected our ladies such a driver for a long time, which turned out to be, in general, a simple matter. In a word, this time we decided to devote almost two weeks of Germany and several cities in neighboring countries. Taking advantage of, we will not hide the official position, and having gained three cars on a test drive in a total.
Passing notes
Since this section is addressed mainly to those who like to travel by cars, we will share with readers of some passing information, including practical properties. Muscovites, for example, hardly make sense to go to the airport in their own car, going on a trip lasting more than a week. Taxi, and, especially, public transport, will cost cheaper. Now, after all, the most affordable parking between Sheremetyevo-1 and Sheremetyevo-2 will cost 190 rubles per day. In Domodedovo, you will have to pay already 400 rubles, and Vnukovo total more than 500 rubles per day. While a paid guarded parking nearby will facilitate a wallet for 100 150 rubles per day and night. It is easy to calculate savings.
Why, can the reader ask, not go to Europe in his own car? You can, of course, if there is time, desire and money. In our opinion, it is easier (and in many respects is more profitable) to fly to the right city and rent a car directly at the airport. The price costs from 50 euros per day, the price depends, of course, on the class of the machine. Say, Mercedes E-class will cost 155 euros for the day of pleasure. But no one is in the way of renting a compact diesel car. In addition, if you rent a car for not one day, but for a week, or have Visa or Master Gold cards, then you can count on discounts.
However, we are already quite at the Munich airport, where in Audi Forum we are waiting for the beauty A4. However, for today she has a modest role so we are so we
they planned the trip to deliver us only to the BMW press parking, which is located twenty kilometers.
I. BMW and Bavaria
What is SAC
Here it is, the miraculous world's miraculous four -door Sports Activity Coup (SAC), as Bavarian masters themselves call this car. Wow! It breaks out in women at the sight of this huge and unusual car, from which it literally blows both solidity and sports. This cross between the SUV with a sportkup is based on the platform of the new X5. The X sixth and outwardly looks like it, but it still looks completely different. The front is much more aggressive due to the original bumper painted in the color of the body, slightly more powerful and convex in the central part of the hood and developed wheel arches in which huge 20-inch wheels with rubber of different dimensions on the front and rear axles were installed.
In the profile, X6 really looks like a compartment due to a roof falling to the stern and an elongated stern. Frankly, it is the food that brings us to some confusion, it looks still hard, although it does not turn from the designers of sports lightness and tightness, and even at their first performance in heavy weight, the tongue does not turn. One thing is indisputable: the car attracts close attention, including on the roads of Bavaria itself, and especially on parking lots, and here it is still a curiosity.
When it comes to the back of the X6, the matter, however, is not only in the individual tastes of the authors. When the girls were located behind, it never occurred to them to grumble perfectly! Two seats are separate, comfortable, and in addition they have good side support. They are not endowed with adjustments, but they have a heating system, and between them a wide armrest, cup holders, two compartments for small things. But when we were behind, the men were not small, we immediately felt the practical drawback of the trademark when you sit down, and especially when you get out, the head interferes. We have to perform something like an acrobatic study. In all other relationships, there is very well spacious behind, there are enough legs for legs, although of course you will not stretch them. It is possible to independently adjust the temperature of a small control unit of automatic climate control at the end of the central tunnel, next to the heating buttons. True, if the driver turned off the air conditioning, then it cannot be turned on from the rear place. The seats themselves can take shape, increasing the beneficial volume of the trunk from standard 570 to 1450 liters.
On the front seats is another matter! To climb inside and go out easily thanks to a wide and most importantly high door openings. Here in the passenger, of course, the chair can at least lie. The driver's seat is also endowed with a wide set of adjustments in huge ranges, so that a person of any physique will be able to choose a convenient landing. Naturally, the steering wheel moves both in height and in departure, and all manipulations are carried out using servo drives. The style of the interior as a whole is the same as in X5.
In search of amenities and beauty
I must say that for a long time, going on trips to Europe, we have not book rooms in hotels in advance. What provides additional freedom and mobility liked some village stopped for the night, arose the place immediately went further. You will never be left without an overnight stay in Europe. Moreover, in small towns, prices are usually lower, and the level of comfort and service is quite at the level.
On the first day of stay in Bavaria, we decided in advance to moor on the shore of the picturesque alpine Lake Tagard, forty kilometers from Munich. While we were looking for a suitable hotel, we went around the pleasure of the lake around. Finally, we stopped at a small private hotel in the town of Bad Wiza (for some reason, travel agencies call it Wissue).
And in the morning of the next day, they went to one of the most beautiful castles in the world under the difficult to pronounce the name Neuschwanstein (or Neposhvanstein) literally a new swan cliff. By the way, Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky was so fascinated by them that, as historians say, it was here that the composer had the idea of \u200b\u200bthe ballet Swan Lake. And Walt Disney embodied his appearance in the famous Snow White and seven gnomes. Perhaps we are now a little sorry that first of all we should still talk about cars and everything that is connected with them. Therefore, we will not tell the story of how this castle cost the throne to Ludwig II Bavarian, but we will move on to the engines for the BMW X6.
In total, four engines are offered two gasoline and two diesel. In Russia, only three are not represented by the most powerful turbodiesel under the 35D index, which we have tried. But it is very likely that he will soon appear in our country. It is about a 6-cylinder in row diesel with adjustable double turbocharging and a direct-generation Common-Rail Direct Fuel system. With a volume of three liters, he develops 286 forces and gives out a torque of 580 Newton meters. Moreover, the maximum moment is available from 1750 revolutions. This provides excellent accelerating dynamics X6 gains 100 km/h in just 6.9 seconds, and is able to carry you at a speed of 236 km/h. True, we would not say that he is quiet, like a cat's tread; It is rather a lion whose roar is heard not only from the outside, but breaks into medium and high speeds. Which, however, does not interfere with the timbre at all pleasant and tunes in a sports way.
An aggregated motor with a 6-speed automatic transmission, which works very smoothly. Even with rapid acceleration, the switching points upward are not noticeable at all, and at the same time we did not note special delay with reactions to the supply and discharge of gas. Naturally, the automatic transmission adapts to the driving style, has a sports mode of operation and allows you to manually change the transmission with a jaostik or steering wheel switches.
The most important driver under the right foot is always such a reserve of traction that you can allow yourself any movement mode. For the distribution of the moment, the intellectual system of all -wheel drive XDRive is responsible, and in addition, for the first time in the world, according to the manufacturer, the Dynamic Performance Control (DPC) system claims. We will not go into technical details, but briefly, this means that the computer constantly monitors the behavior of the car, changing the distribution of the moment between the axes and each specific wheel, adjusting the stiffness of the shock absorbers under the conditions of movement so that there are no body rolls, but and on a broken road did not shake too much. All this works, frankly, very good. We fully appreciated this when we returned to the base in Bad Vais after a one-day tour to Viskirhen (there is an amazingly bright temple in which the wooden sculpture of Christ is stored on the face of this image of the Savior at one time), Garmish-Parthenkirhen and Innsbruck . On a narrow winding road along Lake Achaenzee, we were found by the heavy rain. And the DPC, which pairs with the third -generation DSC stabilization system, fully coped with the task, especially not forcing to strain at the wheel, and preventing the slippers or slipping of the body into the ski. Although the asphalt was quite slippery, and we moved quickly enough.
Nevertheless, the feeling that you are driving a car and at the same time as if you play some kind of computer game, from time to time arose. To a large extent due to the presence of a system of active steering Active Steering. We have already talked about him more than once, telling, including that this system is being improved. We do not argue, in the city its advantages are obvious only one and a half turns from the edge to the edge, and the wheels have already turned from one extreme position to another. And at high speeds, on direct German autobahns there were no problems. However, on the winding serpentines, when the special control accuracy and the clear sense of what exactly the wheels are currently turned to, Active Steering did not help, but interfered. It seems that at the entrance to the turn of the rotation angle is enough, but somewhere in the middle of the turn it turns out that there is no, and you have to argue with the steering wheel, literally groping the correct trajectory. And naturally active control forced to strain when they had to squeeze out in a narrow two -meter corridor of the left of two lanes, which usually leave road workers for movement during repair. In general, it is already good that Active Steering can be excluded from the configuration, in return for two and a half thousand euros of other, more useful options. Obviously, thanks to such innovations, the minimum price for which you can purchase the X6 model in Russia is 2,543,400 rubles.
Everyone in conclusion of the conversation about the BMW X6 should pay tribute to him this very high -quality, powerful and fast car, which gave us many pleasant minutes, and never failed. Therefore, a few days later we parted with him with understandable sadness.
II. Audi A4: Throw to the West
Exquisite and practical
She patiently waited for us in foreign territory, not at all lost against the backdrop of competitors passing by. Yes, Walter de Silva knows his job: A4, especially in front, looks defiantly spectacular. What are the front headlights of Xenon-Plus with cilia of 14 white LEDs that attract attention at any time of the day. The front overhang compared to the previous generation model is significantly reduced, the hood and the wheelbase stretched greatly, and the large wheels and clearly expressed wheel arches emphasize the design idea of \u200b\u200bconcentrated energy. Despite the growing overall dimensions, the length increased by 117 mm, the width of almost 50 new A4 has become more sports and bright, which fully reflects the nature of the brand.
A stylish back with beveled headlights enhances the dynamic picture. But at the same time, the sedan is highly practical. Looking ahead, let's say that on the way back, after all the shopping, the trunk took one huge suitcase, one medium, one small, and another impressive box and bag. Well, all four riders, of course. Because 430 liters for the luggage in A4 are honest: the volume does not eat the arches of the wheels, the floor is even. We could not allow ourselves to fold the rear seats, increasing the capacity of the compation to 962 liters, for a clear reason, we could not.
The most remarkable was that even after a huge X6, none of us felt himself especially constrained in the A4 salon. Yes, here, of course, is not so spacious. But, perhaps, no less comfortable. As already mentioned, in its third A4 generation, A4 has become larger. The wheelbase increased to 2808 mm, which means that a rather decent space of 908 mm long is allocated for the legs of the rear passengers, the increase was 36 mm. And the salon has become spacious. If there are two behind, the attack of claustrophobia does not threaten them to do their place above their heads and in the shoulders enough, like light from the windows. Plus, sitting from behind, they got the opportunity to independently adjust the air temperature. Naturally, there is a armrest and two cup holders.
How to drive? The instrument shield and the organization of the driver's seat are exactly like in the A5 compartment. The arrows of the tachometer and speedometer look down, between them the monitor of the on -board computer perished. It is controlled by keys in the end of the steering wheel switch. The central console is turned 8 degrees to the left and forms a visually one with a dashboard. In the standard configuration, the model is equipped with a 6.5-inch monochrome display in the upper part of the console, which is located very well, there are no glare even in sunny weather. Information about the audio system and climate control can be displayed on it, as well as the adjusting opportunities from the CAR menu, in which the future owner himself can configure a variety of functions. Large switches and keys to the audio system with the MMI company control unit are located successfully in the reach. If the car is equipped with a navigation system, and recently this option is available in Russia, then a full -fledged MMI multimedia interface has already been built into the central tunnel. 15 large keys and volume controls are grouped around the central rotary-tread button. With their help, various systems are set up. Moreover, in this case, all the information will be displayed on the color screen with a diagonal of 7 inches. For those who appreciate a good sound, the company offers an audio system from Bang & Olufsen. It consists of a special sound processor, an amplifier with a capacity of 505 W and ten active channels with 14 speakers. It was such an audio system that we tested in Germany was equipped with a sedan, which is why the trip was especially pleasant.
However, we will return to the driver's place and note that the seats are extremely successfully profiled and endowed with all the necessary adjustments. They have developed lateral support and with the finding of the correct and convenient planting problems do not arise. Therefore, the 400-kilometer throw to the West, from Munich to the French Strasbourg, planned on the Audi A4 2.7 TDI, did not tire none of us.
Praise to the motor and autobahns
No, at first we will still pay tribute to German roads. Here we rush at a speed of two hundred km per hour, and even our wives, usually very sensitive to the pace of movement (I feel the stomach!), They do not mind. They got used to it, and the canvas on this segment is straight and smooth, there are very few cars in three lanes in one direction, and in the cabin quietly. The quality of asphalt, of course, is not the same everywhere, but, as a rule, excellent. Because it is tirelessly supported in proper condition, and the tracks are repaired and expanded constantly. Germany, who has not yet knows, is almost the only country in the world where there are no high -speed limitations of flying as you yourself as you can and how your iron horse allows you at all on autobahns (more precisely, in many sections of autobahns). At the same time, accident rate in Germany is lower than in neighboring countries. And accidents happen more often not on high -speed tracks, but in cities and on secondary roads. Last year, 4949 people were 7% less in Germany in Germany than a year earlier. If you take all the countries of the European Union, then the total number of dead is 39,200 people. In Russia, more than 35 thousand people died over the year. But it must be borne in mind that 490 million people live in the EU, and in Russia 140 million, and there are six times more cars. By the way, you will not see police officers on autobahns.
However, we will return to the roads, and now it's time to remember the car. As the reader could already guess, we have been chosen for the trip to the diesel versions of cars for a trip. They are more profitable. And the point is not only and not so much in the price of diesel fuel: diesel fuel in Germany costs about 1 euro 40 cents per liter, it is not much cheaper than gasoline. The point is the economy of modern diesel units. A 2.7 -liter Audi motor consumes an average of only 6.6 liters per 100 km of run. And we responsibly declare that this is one of the best, if not the best turbodiesel that we had to try in business. Firstly, he is surprisingly quiet, you do not feel any vibrations either on the ACP handle or on the steering wheel. Secondly, the engine gives the car with magnificent dynamic qualities issuing 190 hp. And the maximum torque of 400 nm, it is able to disperse A4 to 100 km/h in 7.7 seconds, and guarantee the maximum speed of 226 km/h.
Therefore, both on the highway and on the winding roads at the wheel of this version of A4 you feel very confident, despite the fact that the motor is aggregated exclusively with an automaton, or rather with a stranded multitronic variator. It is unnecessary to say that A4 accelerates like a trolleybus, without the slightest jerk. On the highway, the car made it easy to maintain a speed of 200 km/h, even at full load and no need, and under the right foot there was always the necessary supply of traction, for example, for overtaking. By the way, they must say that when the first acquaintance with the model in Moscow, one of us noted some instability in the behavior of the machine at a straightforward movement at high speed. Either it was a feature of the tested gasoline version or a particular car, or he scoured for some other reasons, but nothing of the kind was observed in Germany. Despite the fact that A4 had a drive to the front wheels, on the highway she behaved with the confidence of a heavy limousine and pleased with the smoothness of the move.
Here we will allow ourselves the next lyrical digression, as you count you entered Strasbourg.
Where are the roads
In the capital of the United Europe, it was warm, clean and beautiful. The impression was somewhat spoiled, however, an expensive restaurant with bad cuisine, which, alas, also happens in France (but, by the way, this is a rare case in Germany). Imagine: you order a branded fuagra, and you are served a cold liver from a neighboring supermarket and barely fried toasts. You want the meat on the grill, and it is fried in a frying pan (apologizing, though), and in addition, the resulting dish suggests that some cows are dying of old age
But, as if in compensation, we did not have time to get from the restaurant to the square in front of the main temple of Strasbourg (it is simply magnificent), as the light music performance began. Mozart, Wagner, skillfully illuminated openwork stone arches, it was something amazing (until the end of August, alas). And everyone was clearly visible and audible to everyone, and no one demanded money for a performance. Perhaps the mayor of the city is not in vain paying a salary
And in the morning we were waiting for another throw in the vicinity of Frankfurt, so that the next day Andrei would take the Astra GTC at the Opel factory in Russelsheim, and did not deny himself anything in the next six days. So for a while we divided into two crews, and went in different directions.
However, I will continue, already in the first person, about Audi A4. The smoothness of the course, by the way, was not affected by the fact that the car, which had left two sledges, became easier. And not the last role in this, I think, is played by the increased wheelbase, new pendants and the Audi Drive Select system, it is able to change the characteristics of the engine, the variator algorithm, control of control and the rigidity of shock absorbers automatically or at the request of the driver. The keys on the central console allow you to select the Comfort, Auto or Dynamic mode. If the A4 has an MMI control system on board, as it was in our case, then the fourth mode of Individual appears at the disposal of the driver. It allows you to experiment at least around the clock, combining options from 24 installation capabilities. Frankly, I did not want to spend time on this, and there are enough standard premises.
In Comfort mode, the car is capable of lulling a person suffering from insomnia: steering like a fluff, responses to work with an accelerator is sluggish, shock absorbers are soft, the automatic transmission is maximally smooth and absolutely invisibly switches from one range to another. Dynamic’s completely different matter: the steering wheel is in the way it becomes heavy, the pendants are elastic, the car becomes responsive and sensitively reacts to the work of the accelerator pedal. In Auto mode, the computer independently adapts to the individual driving style, and it turns out quite well for him. I hope the reader will understand me: after several experiments, I stopped in this mode, and never regretted that. In the end, this is also a vacation yes, until I forgot: prices for a new A4 in Russia begin from a mark of 1,151,500 rubles. And I, perhaps, will tell you a little more about the journey.
After parting in Rüsselsheim, we headed to the city of Trir, glorious not at all that Karl Marx was born here. And he attracts with ancient temples, cozy squares and also what stands on the Mosel River and from a stone's throw to Luxembourg. Of course, the next day after arriving in Trir, we headed to the neighboring dwarf state. And even the spouse, who was saying about the couple of peace of rest, was very pleased with the tour. Because in Luxembourg there is not only a picturesque ravine, original sculptures and monuments, as well as delightful confectionery. In one of them, we spent an hour, and I could not help but remember the poet’s words: Oh, Paradise Earth! Oh, palate! Oh language!
And the vineyards along the river? In Germany, I will report to you, reader, make good white wine, and mediocre red. So, there is an excellent Moselle it is only white. And it is able to bring the spiritual mood in complete harmony with some fabulously beautiful coastal town like Kocham, or even with a hot evening koblinets for some natural reason, in these places, the warmest point of Germany is located. Indeed, the on -board computer on the day of our arrival in Koblenz showed 36 degrees Celsius.
However, soon we cooled slightly, having moved to the shores of Papa Rhine, again near Frankfurt, to the cute town of Rydesheim. It is remarkable not only by the Museum of Wine (here is an excellent Rhine Rining, ladies and gentlemen!), Cable road and a castle, but mainly and above all by his restaurants with live music. Perhaps this is the most cheerful resort town of what I have seen in Germany.
And a couple of days later, we again drove into Rüsselsheim for our second couple, during the separation of the time to visit Amsterdam. So I convey the word to the co -author.
III. Opel Astra GTC and the city of bicycles
Strictly north
A 470-kilometer throw from the suburbs of Frankfurt to the capital of Holland took away from us not too much time, taking into account one stop for lunch, about four hours. Because three hundred kilometers were rode along Germany, where for most of the free I emphasized this autobahn there were no speed restrictions. As information to reflection, I will add that financing for the construction and maintenance of German roads, depending on their classification, is clearly delimited between federal and land authorities. Autobas contains the federal budget. Last year, about two hundred kilometers of such highways were built, one kilometer of a 6-row car car costs an average of 15 million euros.
Now about the car on which I have made the way. This is a well -known Opel Astra GTC compartment in Russia, but with a 1.9 -liter turbodiesel with a capacity of 150 hp. If someone tells you that the diesel for this car is weak not believed. Aggregated with 6-speed mechanics, this engine made it very briskly accelerate and without problems maintain a cruising speed of 180-200 km/h. According to the passport, the maximum speed of the car is 210 km/h, but, to be honest, I put the speedometer arrow a couple of times on an extreme mark of 240. However, most likely this is a simple speedometer error.
Be that as it may, but at high speeds, Astra GTC demonstrates tenacity and stability. Therefore, even a wife, usually not suffering races on small evil cars, this time generously allowed me: two hundred, but not a kilometer more! Otherwise, I will tell you this, I tell you, the best characteristic for ASTRA GTC, which not many cars were awarded at all. Moreover, when already in Holland, where a limit of 130 km/h operates on highways, I rode at a speed of about 140 km/h, my spouse began to indignant: that we are so valid? It was more fun in Germany. Alas, I answered, here it is impossible. What was said about Holland, local drivers, police and cameras (and the warnings about the radars on the road here hang almost everywhere and without fail), I will probably drop it. Better about the brakes and steering settings, which is all in order with Astra GTC. After driving literally a hundred kilometers, you become a single whole with a car. Naturally, there are no problems with the correct landing behind the wheel due to the numerous adjustments of the seat and the steering column.
But the most remarkable thing is that even with mine, by no means an economical driving style, Astra GTC consumed only seven liters of diesel fuel per hundred km of run. Needless to say, the trip cost us only eighty euros, which, I note, is much less than the price of one railway ticket. Not least that is why rental offices feel great in Europe. Moreover, if you take the car, and the trip is so that it is more profitable for you not to return it to the same place where you were taken, or you want to change the model during the trip in most decent rental firms, this does not raise any questions. True, this probability is desirable to speak with the manager will be cheaper in advance. And yet, just in case, the rental rules undertake to take a car with a full tank, and the fine for their violations is serious.
Where to stand
A few words about a city that is difficult not to fall in love with, although bicycles love here and do not like cars. Standing over Amsterdam at least a day or two, and you will understand why about six million tourists come here daily, with a population of the city itself, one and a half million people. This is perhaps the most democratic metropolis of Europe, and the point, of course, is not in the accessibility of light drugs or entertainment, but in the goodwill of people that you feel literally at every step. Well, he is beautiful, of course, there is something to see here.
But the traveler in the car inevitably arises the question of where to leave the car while admiring the beauty or eating the entertainment of the Dutch capital? Arriving here, we immediately parked Opel in the place. An inexperienced person will either fly into a fine of 300 to 700 euros, or will pay for a parking in the center decent money. Say, next to the central station of 38 euros per day, and for parking under the hotel of Krasnopolski 42. Therefore, it is best to leave the car at one of the many parking lots near the city. This is not the first time here, and I know that the most profitable place near the Slotterik station. 6 euros per day, plus a free train ticket, and this is one stop to the city center. Or you can get a tram ticket, which must be used and presented to the controller when you pick up the car. Here you have a small recipe for saving most cars in the parking lot with Dutch or German numbers.
Instead of epilogue
We catch ourselves thinking that we have not agreed on something important and useful. Maybe that the German autobahns have no intersections anywhere? Or that their length is 12 thousand kilometers, and almost 660 thousand km of all roads? This is about the same as in all the vast Russia. Comparing the territories of our countries is perhaps unnecessary.
Actually, we traveled these two weeks on German roads, but nevertheless we thought about Russian. That's just the Russian national program for the development of roads, due to the lack of which we annually lose a lot of money, was born. The project provides, according to the first information, by the increase in the length of public highways by 2025 by almost 45% to 845 thousand kilometers. So, the average density of roads in Russia is 20 times less than in the USA or in the same Germany.
And further. The density of roads in Russia today is 5.3 kilometers per thousand inhabitants, while in the USA there are 13 kilometers per thousand, and in France 15 km. In addition, the configuration of the road network itself is extremely unsuccessful, it has a radial structure, which significantly lengthens many transportation routes. And as a result, the share of the transport component in the cost of products in Russia reaches 15-20%, which is 2-3 times more than in the most developed countries of the world. In other words, Russia's roads do not just need more, but much more. And at all times, the state was engaged in this in any country, investing budget money in asphalt.
As on other trips in Europe, we have repeatedly caught ourselves on amazing thought here, we were driving at home, at ease. Although at home, in Moscow, we know exactly what we are not facing, our citizens should travel as much as possible, adopting, including the rules of behavior behind the wheel.

 

Source: Magazine Automobile Izvestia [September 2008]