Test drive Kia Spectra 2004 - 2009 sedan
The steppe aperitif
It seems that the production of rarities is the favorite pastime of our auto industry. It is difficult to calm nostalgia, looking at the modernized Volga, designer delights are not able to hide the features of the ancestor GAZ-24 forty years ago ...
A dozen, of course, is younger, but she also managed to get her eyes. Meanwhile, the hand of the money giving for them does not imprison cars and their production continues! But Izhavto decided to break at once with the heritage of the past in return for his ode and its modifications, he began assembling the Korean Kia Spectrum. So, our team participating in long -term operational tests (VAZ 21104, GAZ 31105, KIA Spectrum) in the collection. The first stage is summer. And in order to fully evaluate the consumer qualities of the machine, the summer should be hot, dusty and slightly broken, intensive movement, and daily distillations are long and exhausting.
PRACTICE
The route with a length of 5,000 km along the roads of the Middle Strip Russia, the steppes of the Volga region, the salt marshes of Kalmykia and the mountains of the Caucasus seemed to us quite suitable.
Volga. The unhurried thoroughness of gas in the modernization of its products makes it possible to study the features of the car of more than one generation of owners. Alas, to this Volga, the remarks are mainly the same that they have been pursuing the car for several years. As before, the middle class sedan competes with the vacuum cleaner. After half an hour drive along the country, even with closed windows, all the surface free from passengers are covered with an even layer of dust. It is especially assembled near the doors seals. How does she get there, or rather, why are such seals needed? Or maybe their quality corresponds to the car class? I do not think that this task is technically insoluble. But the dust is half a bastard. With closed windows (and even more so with a working heater), the salon is filled with a caustic plastic smell. They could not sniff out, except that over time, the eyes stopped watery.
Like the previous editorial Volga, this one at certain speeds scurries along the road. The specialists of the plant assure (see the answers in this issue of ZR) that such a feature is in one way or another inherent in all the Volga and is due to the design of the suspension and aerodynamics. Lukovy, however! After all, exactly the same defect on our previous Volga (the one that was sold in Vladivostok) corrected very simply replaced the full -time regular shock absorbers with Gabriel from birth.
Still, a significant part of the trunk is occupied by a reserve grille. For a family car, the disadvantage is significant, especially on long vacation trips. In mileage, we took a narrow reconciliation, winning in free space. However, loaded with two dozens of Astrakhan watermelons, the Volga Zagov sagged until the asphalt with splashes. Despite the fact that there are only two people in the car and at least hits. Here you have a vaunted carrying capacity And finally, in order to end the shortcomings: the adjustment of the back of the back, the lumbar emphasis of the driver's seat and both front seat belts, are not fixed in the locks, stopped working. The locks were rearranged from the rear seat, and the back adjustments had to be compensated by the flexibility of their own spine.
The tip of the thrust of constipation in the right front door from the heat is finally softened and does not hold at all. I was soon tired of opening the door only from the inside, so the tip, so that he doesn’t jump in the future, was recorded with wire.
Well, the noise of the squeezed bearing, brushes, smearing the dirt on the glass, and the flipped steam valve of the cooling system, which led to the bloating of the expansion tank, is unlikely to sleep in the heat.
At the same time, the Volga is quite comfortable on long trips. Effectively and moderately noisily, the steering hydraulic power steering works, the fractional irregularities of the road do not cause shaking of the body, a powerful engine easily throws the car on the attack when overtaking and without visible stress supports any speed, up to the most reasonable, speed. I pleasantly surprised the relative economy given the very high pace of movement, the consumption of 10 l/100 km seems to us quite acceptable.
Only annoying flaws spoil the impression, and even the best price/mass of the car cannot justify them.
TEN
The law of steadily growth in labor productivity at a vase seems to be interpreted in their own way. The price of the car over the years of its production increased by almost two (!) Times, which can not be said about technical perfection and consumer qualities. It is unlikely that a sports stop-signal on the lid of the trunk, the steering mechanism with a variable gear ratio and the new toad so significantly increased the complexity of the manufacture of the machine. However, the price is determined by demand. While taking the price is growing, it means that everything is in order. Ruble voting is the most objective. However, not without reason for the track record, dozens are much smaller than Volgovsky. Of the shortcomings, but rather the features of the machine, a heavy muscle steering wheel, which creaks the column plastic, which is clouding, uncomfortable for the long movement, the gas lever, which requires addiction to distinguish the inclusion of the first and posterior gear, and the weak sound insulation of the salon. Dust in the car is slightly smaller than in the Volga, but you can’t call it a sealed salon. Crushing steering wheel switches, a simple interior, tightness and minor assembly defects have long been known to everyone. But the asset is very moderate (6.9 liters per 100 km in our run) fuel consumption, good dynamics, controllability and exchange rate stability. In addition, the broadest prevalence of a dozen in Russia contributed to the creation of a developed network of all kinds of service stations, car services and the market of spare parts. Traveling on this car (here we do not take into account the Far East), the owner will be able to receive the necessary technical assistance almost everywhere, which, you see, a considerable dignity of this brand.
Kia spectra
By the end of our journey, the first enthusiasm for driving a Russian -made foreign car has subsided, and now we can take a coldly look at what Izhavto offers for $ 12,200 instead of a mentioned, three times more folk odes. For considerable in general money, the requirements for the car must be appropriate. Comfort, ergonomics, the thoughtfulness of design solutions, the quality of components, and the general consumer impression of a car, morally outdated and discontinued in Korea, is apparently unattainable for our original automobile industry. It makes no sense to tell once again how the foreign car differs from any domestic classmate. Fundamentally only the impressions of the owner. In short, our cars are made for sale, and they are for the buyer. But this spectrum is one of the first to be collected in Izhevsk: did this not affect the quality of the car? In general, it seems to be not, but roughness is noticeable. When the wheel is right, the steering wheel looks a little to the left. A little, five degrees, and this does not affect the ride. Probably, when adjusting, the convergence was adjusted with the traction of one wheel, so the steering wheel left. However, it looks sloppy.
Our spectrum, as befits a foreign car, is equipped with a power steering and air conditioning, therefore it is much more pleasant to ride it. Comfort costs on average to the extra two liters of gasoline per 100 kilometers, and in this expedition the consumption was 9.1 liters per hundred. But by the end of the hot dusty day, the driver of the spectra is fresh like a cucumber, while in the top ten and the Volga the plague and salted, as if dragging cement in leaky bags. The tightness of the body is worthy of the highest assessment of the dust does not penetrate through the door seal, and the seal of the opening remains clean even after several hours of movement along the dusty steppe.
The declared 101 horsepower apparently corresponds to reality, only to collect them together manages in a rather narrow range of high speeds. Up to three thousand, the car is sluggish: to move in the hill, the motor needs to be spurred properly. And since the dynamics of the engine promotion, even at idle speed, is not very frisky, you have to hold the car with a handbrake.
Otherwise, if you maintain the motor in good shape, there are no complaints about dynamics. However, we will not now draw categorical conclusions about the successful or not the project of the juice and Kia our gun of gunpowder did not smell, while the flight is normal, it would not be frightened!
In terms of operating costs, it is still the leader of a dozen. The economical engine would have already been freed from the burden of the hydraulic power steering and, especially, the air conditioning compressor. It is also important that the car does not sprinkle: buying oil and filter planned costs. But soon the picture may change. The steering wheel creaks, the front suspension taps The Volga failed a worthless gasoline pump and immodest oil appetite, now, however, returned to normal. Yes, and the fuel large car requires a lot of truth, in return gives relative comfort and a sense of safety. In the future, we also look without much optimism inevitable replacement of the rear shock absorbers will cost a lot. And there, you see, something else will come up.
Kia workhorse. A rather ingenuous car is always in good condition and ready to work. Excessive fuel consumption tribute to comfort. After all, the air conditioner in the heat spends up to 2 liters of fuel per 100 kilometers! Despite the parquet appearance, the car has not yet given reason to doubt the reliability. Although the main kilometers are still ahead.
Volga GAZ 31105
Manufacturer: OJSC GAZ
Year of release: 2005
In operation while driving: since March 2005
Mileage at the time of the report: 14 500 km
Previous publications in the journal: 2005, No. 7
VAZ 21104 Manufacturer: AvtoVAZ
Year of release: 2004
In operation at the wheel: since December 2004
Mileage at the time of the report: 23 900 km
Previous publications in the journal: 2005, No. 4
Kia Spectra
Manufacturer: Izhavto
Year of release: 2005
In operation while driving: since July 2005
Mileage at the time of the report: 12 100 km
Previous publications in the journal: 2005, No. 9
Evgeny Borisenkov
Source: The magazine "Driving"
