CHEVROLET NIVA test drive since 2002 SUV

Second -year -olds

Two years ago, we brought these cars in the mileage of Eurasia-2003. Then they spoke in detail about them a year after traveling to Vladivostok (ZR, 2004, No. 10). Cars were served in the editorial office for another year. Most mileage approaches 100 thousand km. It is enough to objectively evaluate reliability, to judge the perfection of structures and the quality of the components. So
The failed leader
The year passed relatively calmly. The daily city operation of Ford was interrupted by business trips to St. Petersburg, Voronezh, Dmitrov. The regime is quite regular, so we believe that middle -aged diseases began to crawl out early. After 60 thousand km, malfunctions fell. One of them simply struck: the steering wheel switch fell apart. The case may be atypical, but for some reason they were ready for the service, saying: the switches ended and will appear in two weeks later. It's nice that they did not deceive, but the price shocked 2630 rubles.
Focus dislike for domestic gasoline continues. A spare set of candles is necessary on the road in the same way as a jack and a cylinder key. But the candles are trifle. Unfortunately, the gas pump was also changed. The reason is the same gasoline. For 70 thousand km, the net of the gasoline had to be cleaned twice. So, the pump worked with increased load, which affected its resource.
The chassis also got anger: the rear shock absorbers and stabilizers racks demanded replacement. Alas, immunity to local conditions does not have a good car in general. The editorial office is already working for Ford focus of the second generation: will it be more long -lasting and unpretentious?
Vadim Kryuchkov, 40 years, driver's experience of 20 years. He loves to ride quickly, in the past he was engaged in ring races. He travels to Ford for three years.
Over the past year, I strengthened the opinion: Ford has good controllability and a living engine. At the same time, the reliability of individual components for a car of this class is unacceptable. And prices for spare parts and service do not comfort. For that kind of money, the car should honestly pass interservice mileage without a bitch and a bitch, at least up to 100120 thousand kilometers.

Ford Focus
Manufacturer: Ford motor company, Vsevolozhsk
Year of release: 2002
In operation while driving: since January 2003
Mileage at the time of the report: 82 thousand km
Previous publications in the journal: 2003, No. 3, 5, 11, 12; 2004, No. 1, 4, 10; 2005, No. 6

FROG TRAVELER
The Renault Symbol over the past year quietly and modestly wound more than half of the general mileage. Where just did not go! Ukraine, Lithuania, Belarus, Rostov, Azov, twice in Poland ... Not everything went smoothly, but there were no problems that violated plans. The most expensive, as expected, was the maintenance of 60 thousand km: in addition to changing oil and filters, it is planned to install a new timing belt. They also replaced the ball support assembly with the lever. After another 15 thousand km, one of the steering rods and a hub bearing came up. Prices were not too scared, and replacements for such a run are not criminal.
In the last report (ZR, 2004, No. 12), we made several unflattering comments regarding the reliability of the symbol. The subsequent operation improved the impression: the costs for the reporting period were minimal against the other cars, and Renault never complained to the gasoline, unlike Ford. Not a single extra visit to the service is what you expect from a modern car.
Igor Morzharetto, 44 \u200b\u200byears old, at the wheel of 15 years. Driving credo reliability and moderation.
For the third year I travel on a symbol and rejoice at the unpretentiousness and convenience of the car. Although there were troubles, but I want to forgive them for a prescription. The cost of maintenance and its quality are quite tolerant. True, one worm bites: the conditional resource of the car, judging by the operation of operation in the editorial office of the previous symbol, is about 120 thousand km. Then serious and expensive problems with the chassis may begin.

Renault Symbol
Manufacturer: Autoframos, Moscow
Year of release: 2003
In operation while driving: since July 2003
Mileage at the time of the report: 88 thousand km
Previous publications in the journal: 2003, No. 11, 12; 2004, No. 3, 6, 8, 10

Almost an excellent student
Hyunde emphasized the most long -range five. Of the 43.5 thousand km, about 70% he drove along the highway: to Petrozavodsk, St. Petersburg, Apatity, Kirovsk, Murmansk, Rostov-on-Don, Taganrog.
As they say, stability is a sign of class. For the second year, the car has shown itself reliable and unpretentious. The accent has a small interservice mileage of 10 thousand km. But at moderate service prices, this is quite tolerant. The shock absorbers are still relatively weak. With frequent distant trips of the rear racks, there are enough thousand for 30, the front live 4050 thousand km. In urban conditions, for which in general the car was created, these indicators can be safely multiplied by one and a half, or even two. Given the moderate price (a set of shock absorbers costs less than 10 thousand rubles) and the availability of spare parts, you can put up with this.
By August of this year, the effectiveness of the air conditioner fell noticeably. Diagnosis did not reveal obvious malfunctions, but it was necessary to refuel the system. The line is 60 thousand km for many cars. The time of ruin maintenance. The emphasis is no exception. However, replacing all belts and parts of liquids costs $ 400. At present, it is not very expensive. The initial doubts about the durability of the automatic gearbox have disappeared work like a clock. In general, the emphasis did not leave an unpleasant draft.
Anatoly Fomin, 34 years old, at the wheel of 16 years. He breaks on long trips and does not like to push in traffic jams. He drives very carefully, tries to fully evaluate the capabilities of the car.
I got used to the accent as a native, so I am ready to forgive a lot. The main thing is that he never forced to change plans because of his whims. The car is far from ideal, and by and large it can be made a complaint on road clearance, a resource of shock absorbers or, say, the weakened spring of the trunk castle. Nevertheless, the car does not irritate and inspires the belief that it will not fail at the wrong time.

Hyundai Accent
Manufacturer: Tagaz, Taganrog
Year of release: 2003
In operation while driving: since May 2003
Mileage at the time of the report: 94.5 thousand km
Previous publications in the journal: 2003, No. 6, 11, 12; 2004, No. 1, 3, 10; 2005, No. 4

The middle is half
Kia Rio drove 32.5 thousand km in a year, having visited Murmansk, Riga, Pitsunde. The car has never stood out with a guarantee with chassis or operational features. It is record for classmates both in terms of time and in mileage (see table). True, it does not apply to much. In the warranty (on the 70th thousand), we replaced the mass air flow sensor, which costs about 3,000 rubles. Everything else was paid. On the 50th thousand, the bearings of the front hubs ended and the brake discs led. The discs were injected, the bearings were replaced. After 10 thousand km, one of the bearings was replaced repeatedly, and at the same time the adhesion assembly, all the belts and the turpentine boot. Such malfunctions seemed unsalual for a car with not very large mileage. But most of all I did not like the prices: almost a thousand US dollars to restore combat readiness with a mileage of 60 thousand km. A little expensive for a car of this class!
Yuri Nechetov, 44 years old, 24 of them driving. A driver with extensive experience of long travel.
For two years of life together, Rio did not arise a special love for Rio. In some ways, I like the car, in some ways. The motor seems to be frozen and painful, but very noisy. The suspension is energy -intensive, but perhaps too hard. You can get used to it, but when problems with reliability are added, eliminated at a fair amount of price, there is no need to talk about special sympathy.

Kia Rio
Manufacturer: Autotor, Kaliningrad
Year of release: 2003
In operation while driving: since July 2003
Mileage at the time of the report: 72, 5 thousand km
Previous publications in the journal: 2003, No. 11, 12; 2004, No. 1, 3, 10

With a cross and faith
The biography of this car resembles reports from the front. The last 34 thousand km, passed in a year, cost a heap of time, nerves and money. Three times (!) The generator refused, the wiper, wipers broke, the wiring shorted, the ignition unit and many, still small malfunctions failed. The reliability rating in our eyes fell to almost zero, and any trip in the field resembles a roulette game.
More recently, on the 93rd thousand mileage, another maintenance occurred. Since over the past 10 thousand km of relatively calm operation, a wagon and a small cart of all kinds of Bryaks and leaks have accumulated, they decided to eliminate them in one fell swoop. For three days, servicemen changed the seals, ball supports, rods of the rear axle, other pieces of iron and elastic bands. In particular, they updated the cracked fifth gear lid and its heavily worn gears. It was then that it began! Not only was the planned itself with a small repair of transmission and pendants cost 46,000 (yes! Forty -six thousand!) Rub., Not even half a thousand kilometers passed, as transfers began to fly out at the most interesting moment, for example, during overtaking. Repeated appeal to the work of the box only slightly improved the situation. While the programs are turned on for a long time? And at the time of preparation of the article, a new joy: the hose connecting the thermostat and temperature sensor burst. It seems to be a trifle of a segment with a match box long, and the car got up again, pouring three antifreeze on the road. Unfortunately, that this malfunction is far from the last, the confidence is almost complete
Alexander Budkin, 32 years, driver's experience of 9 years. A big fan of hunting and fishing and, of course, cars that can drive not only along the highway.
The design of the car is conceived very well. But the execution is such that in a very short time from the bestseller of sales, Chevrolet Niva turned into a car for reckless and rich people. Repair costs for 96 thousand km are measured in thousands of dollars, which makes the purchase of the car simply ruin.

Chevrolet-Niva
Manufacturer: GM-Autons, Togliatti
Year of release: 2002
In operation while driving: Since December 2002
Mileage at the time of the report: 96 thousand km
Previous publications in the journal: 2003, No. 2, 4, 6, 8, 11, 12; 2004, No. 1, 5, 10

Accounts
When summing up with the main criteria, we take the average cost of 1 km of run, as well as the cost of repair and gasoline. We will not discount reliability, warranty capabilities, cost and frequency of service. The second year of operation was more indicative: the mileage grew.
At the end of the year, Renault Symbol turned out to be the cheapest in operation, unpretentious and reliable. The main cost of gasoline expenses. On the heels of Renault, Hyunde accent attacks. If not for the fuss with the shock absorbers, he would argue for the championship. In the third place of Kia Rio, the car is not outstanding, but honest. Ford Focus could claim the podium, since its repairs/gasoline ratio are slightly better than that of Rio. But the total cost of operation is noticeably higher. The outsider is the same. The cost of operation of Chevrolet-Nova is approaching expensive thoroughbred cars, and only 40% of the costs went to a fairly rise in price gasoline, and the rest for patting holes.
When choosing a team for a trip through the whole country, we included the most interesting, new cars for Russian buyers. The choice was not mistaken, but the old people will soon go to rest, giving way to young new promising models. We hope more reliable and economical.
Kochetov Andrey
 

A source: The magazine "Driving"