Test Drive Citroen C5 Tourer Since 2008 Universal

Universals with pritenzy on originality

Cars with a body wagon are a very specific product, especially when it comes to our market. And the higher the class of this stationery and its retail price, the narrow the market niche becomes the narrow, in which this model is positioned.
 
Now it is easier with this: universals, especially belonging to the medium or highest average class, became the subject of worshiping a special category of buyers, the number of which grows day by day. Today, in fashion, an active lifestyle, and such stylish models of universal, like BMW 3-Series Touring or Lexus IS200 Sportcross, very well combine both the prestige of an expensive car, and a high degree of functionality. The shedany sheds are gradually surrendered under Natios more unusual and at the same time practical models. Even sports cars could no longer withstand: Audi released real fighters on the roads in the form of their top models RS6 and RS4, and both, you need to notice, are issued with a universal body. And in the rest of the sectors of the saraga market, gradually occupy more and higher places in the sales ranking. Look at how many loud prime ministers have held in recent years - Renault Vel Satis (although it looks like a hatchback, but still), Mercedes-Benz E-Class T-Modell, Saab 9-5 Wagon, etc. In general, the case of universal grows and grow up!
 
But this is - they have, in the European market, where even the car is quite expensive, in most cases already really stopped being luxury and finally turned into a functional thing, very convenient in everyday life (for example, microwave oven or mobile phone). We have a completely different alignment - a new car, especially the middle class model, is not available to everyone, so it is still the subject of prestige and luxury. And it's quite normal that the buyer of this new car of the middle class wants his car to or at least looked very prestigious - and he acquires a sedan. Black. With leather interior, climate and electric package.
 
On the functionality of the purchase at this moment, few people think about, everyone looks, as it looks like, drives and how well a car is equipped. And what to functionality, so most buyers are quite fair to believe that the large trunk of the wagon or hatchback is never useful to them. Indeed, not every day you buy a new washing machine or a large TV, which will not enter the trunk of the sedan. And if you have to ever do it, you can order delivery to the house.
 
Nevertheless, large universals are also in demand, and very stable. Some models are altogether find their consumer only in the form of a wagon, and many other share of versions with such a type of body in total sales reaches sometimes 50-60%. And in the future, this trend will only develop - the emergence of new, very unusual models of hatchbacks and universal should provoke increased demand for them. If only because modern models whose debut has already been held, either will be held soon, they really became an order of magnitude universal. Can you imagine that the manufacturer makes new stamps specifically for a five-door version and invests money in re-equipment? Nevertheless, it is so. Opel, for example, just as created a new Signum hatchback, made on the basis of the Vectra model - lengthened the wheelbase and turned out, so the middle class car in an unusual representative of the business class. And this is just one of the innovations of the nearest future ...
 
In the meantime, new models of incredibly stylish and functional hatchbacks and universal are not represented, we decided to compare two cars of the middle class with the body of the universal. Also very outstanding and interesting. So, Meet: Nissan Primera Station Wagon and Citroen C5 Break.
 
Design
 
Both cars, and Nissan, and Citroen are the most interesting examples of modern automotive design. And completely different, almost opposite directions. The new Primera is technocracy, a child of the eyelids of computers, mobile phones and an ubiquitous electronics. Straight sharp lines in combination with convex body panels, slightly seasoned with large lighting with transparent windows - the car is more like a conceptual development, rather than on a serial model, for a year and a half in production. Especially effective in this sense of the PRIMERA hatchback - he has the rear lights very interesting, by the way, forms, slightly protrude above the body of the body - an unusual stylistic solution. An even more unusual solution is to use the reverse camera in the serial vehicle, which turns on every time the driver uses the reverse. In this case, the image transmitted by the camera is projected into a black and white screen located on the center console. Interestingly, all this equipment is standard for Nissan Primera - for the camera and the screen do not need to pay extra.
 
Although Citroen in terms of design and quieter, it does not prevent him from being interesting. First, the French have always been strong in this area, and secondly, it is C5 that is one of the most remarkable Citroen models. The car is produced in the form of a hatchback and wagon, and each of these types of body is interesting in its own way. The hatchback is like a big fish, and the wagon ... He is definitely not similar to the fish, and besides very elegance. Massive, however, an rarely beautiful: vertical strips of the rear lights, attaching the roof line. Interestingly, the universals of the French are traditionally obtained much better and more interesting, it is enough to recall at least the notorious Citroen XM Break or Xantia-Universal.
 
Naturally, Citroen C5 is equipped with a special hydropryvatic suspension Hydractive III - with its help you can change the ground clearance and adjust the stiffness of the suspension. The rear suspension is self-regulating - when loading the trunk, the compressor adds pressure, and the rear of the car does not seek under weight weight. And the third generation highractive can fight the bodies of the body, which he successfully does throughout the entire path. At the braking, the car does not peck the front of the front, and in the tense high-speed turns is almost flat. As for the possibility of changing the road lumen, it is rather for the pro forma, and this effect works only when the machine is a little squatting at high speed. It decreases the clearance, the center of gravity decreases and the smoothness of the stroke increases, so the car is smaller on the irregularities.
 
But to increase the passability of the car by increasing the road list ultimately do not recommend: to drive on the front-wheel drive car on the jeep trial's highway, you can still not be born, but to damage the bottom or cut off something is quite likely. So consider hydrodent in Citroen as a free bonus, and not as a defining factor. Especially since the Hydractive III, as in the case of the reversing camera in Nissan, you do not need to pay extra - it is an element of the C5 design and comes in all versions.
 
Equipment
 
For an objective assessment of the degree of equipment, we took the basic versions of cars. However, the test versions had completely different equipment. And full-time equipment is visually demonstrated than a car is equipped, and for which you have to pay.
 
And in principle to pay extra: both models fully justify their high cost and have a rather extensive list of equipment. So, in the database, both models have frontal airbags in the number of two pieces (Citroen has also side aires and curtains to protect the head), ABS and a system of emergency brake assist. There is also a hydraulicel, immobilizer, adjustable in height and departure steering column, as well as the air conditioning system - in C5 air conditioning, and Primera has climate control. Both models are painted in metallic, equipped with a CD player, a central lock with Du, electric and electrical heating of outer mirrors and have an on-board computer.
 
Next begins the small priority of Nissan, as it is equipped with a cooler. It has EBD, belt pretensioners painted in the body color of the bumper, the external temperature sensor and the electric drive of all windows. What does Citroen offer? ASR anti-sovietary system, ceiling airbag, power steering power steering, fog lights, rear window shutters and athermic glasses. However, we assume that in this round draw - both models are well equipped, and, in fact, order some additional equipment no meaning.
 
Comfort
 
The middle class is also famous for the level of comfort, it almost reaches the business class models, significantly surpassing various smallness and golf class models. A large wheelbase, a spacious salon, a rich list of standard equipment - all this causes a relatively high price, and an advanced level of comfort. But it turned out that both wagons who visited us on the dough are not distinguished by a very smooth move: the suspensions in both cases seemed a bit harsh. Nissan has a sports elastic suspension, and Citroen, despite the imposing body swaying, on irregularities, also works unusually hard. Moreover, the special difference in the suspension stiffness is not observed in any of its provided modes of its operation, differences are manifested at the level of the nuances. If in the lowest position the suspension simply transmits blows onto the body, then the fare of the same obstacle in the highlight is accompanied by the sorting of the body.
 
On the Nissan and Citroen highway behave very similarly: a stable straightforward movement, a clear adherence to the driver teams and a smooth move. If the road is good, without brightly pronounced defects, then the smoothness of the course simply admires: the cars only mildly sway, lulling their passengers. It is especially good Citroen, who squats at speed, and its move becomes even softer - in this mode, it is really possible not to be tired of overcome a thousand kilometers.
 
But Nissan was not so comfortable in the track mode - the universal was pleased with unexpected aerodynamic noises, well distinguishable against the background of other sounds. The new Primera was generally a rather noisy car, at the speed of about 100-120 km / h, the operation of the motor is well heard, and the wind sits from somewhere from the area of \u200b\u200bthe rear-view mirrors and suits near the rear door. It is strange - judging by the appearance, with aerodynamics, the devil should have been all right.
 
The playground in Borovo also did not reveal special talents from Nissan Primera - the car rulits somehow completely uninteresting. Gas - access to a wider trajectory, reset - smooth movement to a smaller radius. It should be noted that the rolls are minimal - apparently, for it you need to say thanks to harsh suspension. But for such a stounted steering steering, I want to say something not quite pleasant: I have not seen more incomprehensible in your reactions. First, the steering wheel is quite empty and completely non-informative - on the highway or in a speed turning from it will not wait any information regarding the clutch coefficient with the road. And secondly, with high-speed maneuvering, it turned out to be very heavy, and to such an extent that it is also important to remember the UAZ control skills with small interception of the steering wheel. Usually, if the hydraulic plot lacks performance, the steering wheel can bite with a quick rotation - quickly cooling it into one direction, when turning to the opposite, it is necessary to deal with the resistance of the hydraulic agent - it still leads the steering wheel there. But in this case, everything turned out to be incomprehensible: PRIMERA steering simply becomes blunt and heavy with a quick rotation, and we could not find this logical explanation.
 
Citroen C5 turned out to be a little better, but especially the driver of the suspension and the steering control was also not going to please us. Maybe this is a feature of the settings of the version with the body of a wagon, but a harsh suspension and non-informative, but a very lightweight steering wheel completely killed the desire to chase this car. It was nice to move leisurely, but all sorts of slipping there were only negative emotions. True, it should be noted that despite the reluctance of the car to lick the turns at high speed, its behavior in such modes did not deserve any reproaches - everything is reliably and stable. And even more so: all reactions to the driver's actions, as it were, stretched in time, so there is always time to correct piloting errors.
 
RESULTS
 
Both cars are definitely good and as models of the middle class, and as universals. Comfortable, spacious, well-equipped, with a pleasant external and very revolutionary inner design. But, like all other cars, our experimental has their drawbacks. Both were a bit stiff on our roads, despite the fact that the Citroen installed his pneumatic suspension - a lack of comfort is felt on Colds and Persians. Again, in its high speed behavior, these two fairly powerful and high-speed models have shown themselves in the best way - Citroen was surprised by an empty steering wheel, and Nissan - aerodynamic noises arising at the speed of over 90 km / h. Although it is impossible to call the most global disadvantage.
 
As for the overall rating for both models, we turned out to be very difficult to identify the winner in this comparative test. If only because Citroen and Nissan are not completely similar to each other, despite the same type of body. Nissan Primera is just a good modern car, fashionable and very advanced in terms of electronics and design. And Citroen C5 is a real bourgeois, a leisurely, a bit of the impoverished and very stylish. So, when choosing a new middle class wagon, it is unlikely that someone will choose between these two models - consumer groups, it is necessary to think, Citroen and Nissan will be completely different ...
 

A source: "Autogase"