Test drive Ford Focus C-Max 2003-2007 Minivan

Disassembling puffy

Statistics argue that soon small single -collapses will capture 50% of the European car market and begin to massagely influence the supple minds of the guardians of strong cells of society. Because such cars are just for dad, mom and me in large numbers. And the main idea is a comfortable movement of family personalities in a common heap is also about the same. But how to choose the same Van, so that he is in mind, and in the heart, and pocket? Although in Russia there is no need to expect crazy demand for such transport, you need to find out the subject closer. So this is: Volkswagen Touran, Ford C-Max and Opel Zafira! Puffy, build! Let me dig into your mechanical linen?
Probably, calling them compactwenes is not entirely true. Great. But even to volumes, for example, Volkswagen Sharan, Ford Galaxy or Opel Sintra. It is understandable, because Touran is built on the basis of the fifth golf, C-Max is a slightly elongated future Focus II, and Zafira, respectively, the grown prototype of astrail. It turns out that they are in some special, extra-class niche, for which they have not yet come up with a human name. In the meantime, let them come up with compactives. For all the popularity of such cars in Europe, on Russian roads, they are still found infrequently. Our fellow tribesman, due to numerous national-monthly features, gives a fair preference to SUVs. But if the financial situation does not change in the near future, holders of average sustainable income are quite capable of buying something similar to Turan, Si-Max or Safip.
   
Dynamics The main task of our test is to evaluate the practicality and fitness of cars for family matters, so we did not particularly pick up the engine selection. We got Zafira in the maximum configuration (except the skin) with a 147-horsepower engine of 2.2 liters and even with an automatic machine, Touran is already almost a tradition with a 1.9 liter turbodiesel with a capacity of 100 liters. With. with mechanics, and Focus C-Max with its only 120-horsepower engine of 1.8 liters (a 2-liter engine is promised later). The conditions, at first glance, are not at all equal. But, oddly enough, all three individuals turned out to be quite worthy competitors. Honestly, we were even pleased with the gun with a machine gun. There were never complaints about his surprisingly clear and comfortable work, and an instant response to the gas pedal and powerful, impressive acceleration cannot help but give pleasure. Do not have time to say once and already hisses the wind in the seals.
At first, I did not remember that under the hood of Turan Tourbodiesel. Only five minutes later. Having managed to rejoice at the delightful fifth gear of 6-speed mechanics during this time, I finally drew attention to the trembling of the clutch pedal under the foot and the scale of the tachometer, marked only to 6,000 revolutions. Then I remembered, a kettle. I would not say that Turan is bullets. But it accelerates and goes very well, not in an iot, not inferior to most foreign participants in the Moscow movement. Moreover, it should not even try to twist over 4,500 revolutions. Because the Turanovsky diesel shows all its advantages in the range from 1,500. And that is why I admired the universal fifth gear, in which, in principle, you can move around the city, as on a machine gun. That is, of course, it is impossible to move with the fifth, but switching from the second to the fifth, it is easily worried. And everything is conveniently lever lies comfortably in the hand, the programs do not need to feel. Only with switching down I experienced some difficulties with the sixth a couple of times instead of the fifth to the third, and with the fifth instead of the fourth to the second.
C-Max outside, as well as inside, is very attractive. It is immediately obvious that he is the youngest, but carefully planned and long -awaited child from the entire trinity. The circulation is huge, but you will look like manual work. It was located in the driver's seat oh, how good, how convenient, spacious! He put one hand on the lever of the box, the second on a pleasant thick lamb, groped for the clutch with his left foot and realized that he was born for C-Max! Bliss! And go, in theory, should be great ... should ... no, no! Everything is in order, an elastic set of speed, interconnected and understandable work of the box The moves are small and everything is clear. But something is missing. As if someone holds from behind and does not let it go. By the way, about 1.8 liter engines. And not only Fordovsky, but also Opelian, Mercedes, French ... They became tasteless, or something, all world car manufacturers. Tolerant as distilled water. It seems like he swallowed moisture and after a minute he forgot that he drank. Neither salty nor sweet. No. Neither syrup to you, nor lemon, nor, at least, vinegar.
Ergonomics in the back of the seven adjustments of the driver's seat. Seven! And he closed the door behind him, twisted and twisted, butting himself comfortably could not be accommodated. For about fifteen minutes he sat behind the wheel, adjusted the armrest under his right hand, fixed the steering column in the right position, turned on the electric heating of the schedule, climate control on the warm blowing of the glass, looking and life improved. Torpedo is a little old -fashioned, in front of the eyes the usual Astrovsky roundness in a metal rim. Everything is familiar, up to the average consumer sound of the audio system. The handbrake lay somewhere deep in the bowels, try, fumble it under the armrest. But the side -out -of -the -thelerts are huge, the wipers work to meet each other, clean the entire working surface of the windshield clean cleanly. A small suede inside the glove compartment. A huge seven -seater salon. The seats of the second, full-fledged three-seater row, fold, lay out, move, move, turn, turn into tables in short, transformed in all directions. And from behind, two more seats are laid out as needed. Moreover, sitting on them there, at the back is very convenient even to a full -fledged adult, which is a huge rarity. Usually, unexpected fellow travelers are transported on the bench and their life there, in a twisted state, does not seem at all with honey. And here it even seems very. At the wheel of the Safira, I had to spend many hours without time. And no fatigue, no aches in the bones. Very convenient device. And all some kind of cozy dedicated. The classic of the genre, what to say there!
Turan is also the idea of \u200b\u200ba seven -seater. The salon is transformed through the Volkswagen FLEX 7 system in almost all directions. Spacious slightly harsh seats, which, by the way, reduces the load on the spine. Two rear additional chairs are most miraculously advanced from the absolutely flat sex, and sitting behind is quite comfortable. And pockets, and boxes, and also pockets and more boxes. But unlike Safira, the third row of seats is installed in Turan in an optional manner. And what a panel in it! Soft plastic for gray skin. The plastic is expensive with metal inserts. Buttons, circles, scales are all clear, smoothly working. And the bump of the lever box is so weighty, large. The control display is liquid crystalline, the lighting of the devices is caustic and purple, the landing is almost vertical, the gas pedal is flooring, like on adult buses. The wipers, as well as on the back of the oncoming trajectory, but the purest is always the triangle on which their efforts are united. A powerful separate climate control blows on a frontal one so selflessly that dirty stains on the glass instantly dry out, and all the unclean wetness, carried out by brushes to the front sloping rack, flows into the side glasses with the oncoming wind, leaving unpleasant sections on them. God forbid, a little lower the glass is dripping all the upholstery. Knowing these in general insignificant nuances greatly facilitates and brightens life inside the tour, as well as attracts the wonderful sound of its audio system.
C-Max frankly loses in sizes to hundred-graders. Ahead of a teenager, well -groomed and without acne. The back row of seats transformed in all four sides is good in itself, but an adult risks on the bumps to be a pepper -bearing head against a roof very mowed towards the stern. Therefore, it is best to move the seats right and right, back and forth, up and down, establishing comfort for children of life, place them there, climb the driver’s place and move in the right direction, openly enjoy the impeccable ergonomics of the surrounding space. Firstly, landing here is absolutely a passenger, steering column and chair are adjusted to any desire. Secondly, in Si-Max there is an excellent review. It’s only difficult to look back, however, there are wonderful side mirrors for this. Thirdly, the front panel, built by an unusual way of expensive plastic, pleases the gaze. In a wide influx of language, crawling to the central console, it was convenient to control almost everyone, and a little lower, on a small ledge, bordered under aluminum, like a computer joystick proudly rises a stylish lever of the box. Large scales of the devices are pleasantly shaded by a rather deep visor, and, again, great, their readings are visible at almost any position of the steering wheel. And in the window on the instrument panel, a liquid crystal display, capable of informing the driver in pure Russian, has not yet happened!
Our front -wheel drive trinity in this genre, frankly, found controllability. Focus C-Max is controlled simply perfectly. In any weather conditions, he is extremely granted on the road, there are no unnecessary movements and slurred reactions, there is no hidden expectation of at least some incident. A complex, stealing rear multi -link suspension plays one of the leading roles in a play with many high -speed turns, helping to drive them correctly and quickly, but without much risk. At the same time, C-Max is perhaps a little harsh for a family car. Although, for high -quality and gambling, this is rather a plus than a minus. Turan, surprisingly, is similar to C-Max Suspension setting. In terms of stiffness, obvious overkill. Or, more precisely, a shortage. Any hit in a decent pit is fraught with untimely returning the rod of the rear shock absorber to its original position. Either its length is not enough, or return reactions are slowed down. But, although Touran tends to fall in the direction of turning, the reaction for the discharge of gas is predictable and understandable. Almost always in these cases, electronic stabilization systems help the driver. So, if you avoid incorrect roads and extreme provocations, then moving on the tourist is more than pleasant and extremely comfortable.
Here the ambush is not turned off ESP. She strangles the engine, not allowing him to experiment once again. And I would like. Because this is the most correctly configured car in the classroom. The suspension at first glance may seem softer than we would like. But during the operation, it turns out that it is calculated perfectly minor irregularities almost imperceptibly for passengers, conscientiously concealing significant ones. Moreover, it is drawn to travel sideways on it or in some other way, but, firstly, it does not allow ESP to indulge, and secondly, decent people do not hooligate on a family car. By the way, it is not a sin to repeat: the Opelians for some reason be silent for the application of the hands of Porsche specialists to the chassis and steering systems of the Software. However, maybe they are right to scream about it once again, when it is clear that the SAFIRA is controlled perfectly.
In our case, the potential buyer must firmly determine the parameters of the desired all three of our cars, although classmates, but according to the total advantages and disadvantages identified during the test, are designed for a strictly individual circle of users. Say, if a person is moderately conservative, thorough, and not in his rules to change habits, then he, of course, will choose a proven background due to its age and by virtue of greater knowledge. It is nice to carry people in it, and it is easy to load something voluminous and it is controlled at the same time very well. And such a strangeness, the longer Zafira is produced, the more you are convinced of the isolation of this car from the entire OPEL lineup. She, without any reservations, is not only one of the best creations of the Adamo-Opel team, she, in all respects, the true classic of the genre. A liberal-minded act of an accountist, having thought three hundred times, will finally stop his choice on the tourist, he still does not know if he will come in handy the third row of seats, but he loves when the car is assembled impeccably, without a single crooked shovchik and gap. And also a significant argument with impressive volumes and the enviable practicality of the transformer salon, an economical diesel, which really consumes a little more than seven liters of diesel fuel per 100 km of the city cycle, a real find. Now, if the price for the car in the basic configuration was not so high ...
C-MAX car for young parents, to which the total spiritual volume of all family members is much more important than the internal volume of their new car. Dad is purposeful, and his eternal style of dynamics and perfection, mom is concentrated, children from the diapers love a computer and skiing. C-Max is for them. In the cabin, you can even talk in a whisper at a speed of more than 120. Find such a low -noise, masking, but roomy car even today is a big problem. Unless some kind of limousine of the highest class. But this is already a different level, other values \u200b\u200band other money. Therefore, a formal dock, instead of a full-fledged spare, is a trifle that should not be paid attention to.

HOW DO THEY LOOK
Nikita Rozanov
Outside: if you literally translate from English minivan, it turns out that our test is three mini-furgies, minivagon or minibus ... some kind of nonsense. Get looking, because these are just pretty and cozy family wagons of increased capacity and, I would add, increased and more comfortable planting. It is this feature of the layout that forms the brightest features of the architecture of their bodies. The design is moderately corporate with basic models: Ford Focus, Opel Astra and VW Golf V, respectively. True, the style of the tested is less emotional than that of donors, but this is also supposed to be a business and practical station wagon in status. The restraint of feelings is especially noticeable in the appearance of VW, whose appearance can be compared with a strict cool lady with a pointer in her hands. Ford's most playful design. Opel, as always, confidently occupies the position of a strong middle peasant. From the face, thanks to a large proprietary emblem in the center of the radiator cladding, each of the cars is recognizable. But if you close it, then determine at first sight what the model is in front of you is difficult. Silhouettes are more characteristic, but remain within the framework of the class image. The S-MAX has the most dynamic profile (reinforced with a significant inclination of the fifth door), which brings the utilitarianism of the station wagon to the sacrifice of the style. In the back of the Ford, also in the leaders and thanks to the lifted lighting technology, both Focus brother and just a more modern car resemble.
Inside: Bus genes are most obvious in the architecture of the C-MAX instrument panel: the console sticks out a characteristic chin that is not related to the overlay of the floor tunnel. But for some reason, these associations come up and confidence in the superiority of this decision over the other two. Zafira, a very passenger architecture and plastic panel, and Touran is frankly dreary in comparison with them. The shape of the panels of the doors upholstery is organic and solid in all cars, with the exception of VW, where it is not clear where the silver lining with the acceleration comes from where the panel flies into the corner of the panel, which can cause only bewilderment. The rudders, with the exception of Opel, the four -spokes and thanks to chubby pillows look very modern, and Ford is also very stylish.
Summary: each of the cars is a reasonable choice of those who prefer functionalism and utilitarianism to all other components of a good car. In each of them, the corporate design is combined with the original style, the variety of which fully meets the tastes of various consumers.
 
Text Nikolay Ushanov photo Alexander Nozdrin
 

 

Source: Cars