Test Drive Opel Astra Sedan 1998 - 2008 Sedan

Astra revealed

Car for those who love the sky
 
This Ai number turned out to be truly spring. To admit, and time for his preparation we conducted, as if waking up from the winter hibernation. I would still, because at our disposal there were two convertible under the brands of BMW and Opel. And if the first is a car, let's say, not for everyone, the second is fully accessible to the wide segments of the population. Moving on Astra Cabrio along the capital of our Motherland - still cold, did not warm up, I seemed to pull out the smiles of drivers, invariably paying attention to the convertible, unambiguously caused them only good feelings. And how I smiled girls! Spring, in one word
 
Business in expression
 
Yes, Italians know a lot in design. After all, the Cup on the basis of the Opel Astra of the last generation was built by the famous Atelier Bertone, as indicated by the nameplates on the rear wings of the car, and this car produces on appethens. And the convertible, in turn, was created on the basis of this one modification. So it is not surprising that his appearance carries southern expression.
 
In general, as Western sociologists found out, buyers of open cars first of all pay attention to appearance. Not to say that Astra Cabrio is an outstanding machine out of the point of view of external design, but it looks so lanno, which attracts a look. The attached line of the raised plated roof is not much different from the coupe, but there is no central stand. It turns out an aquarium with a large area of \u200b\u200bglazing. You go, and everyone is watching you. And, I repeat, smile. Especially the ladies who find in this model apparently something special. And it does not matter that the test Astra Cabrio was painted in a blue color - it seems like a male kel. To the hell prejudice! Personally I would take exactly such a car. Well, maybe still thought about red. Banal gray metallic, from which in Moscow dim, tired. The convertible must be bright as summer landscape. And still look at the sports, so that others understand that a man behind his steering wheel leads a fashionable and healthy lifestyle. This Opel does not take away. The body is richly decorated with designer elements that give the car a very rapid look. For example, protruding wheel arches of the correct geometric shape; slightly inflated, like muscles after classes on simulators, sides; A little smaller front headlights on the hood. Sports? Unquestioned.
 
Electronics replaced metal
 
Species in the appearance of the cabriolet add and short skes. However, they are relevant for both - located almost in the corners of the body of the wheel make it possible to feel calm in extreme situations on the road, when necessary, for example, to dodge an unexpected obstacle. Steering knuckle aside, and Astra Cabrio spores a row. Of course, it makes it not so dramatically and reliably, as a compartment with a rigid roof, but also unnecessary softness does not bother. And all because the designers intentionally strengthened it to ensure an acceptable level of security. A weight gain at 80 kg actually went only for the benefit. Additional kilograms are double steel pipes (stuffed alone and filled with foamed plastic), hidden inside the thick frame of the windshield, reinforced edges of the floor stiffness, inserts into thresholds, safety arcs that are firing in the rear when tipping signs. Finally, the soft roof itself with a good tent of the electric motors.
 
These elements of passive security are complemented by a complete set of electronic systems. For example, the pedals of the clutch and brakes in the case of a frontal collision automatically fly from their loops and thereby do not wound the legs. Also, the standard equipment includes front and side inflatable pillows, seat belt pretensioners. Plus ABS of the last generation, anti-test system, ESP and so on. In general, engineers tried to maximize the absence of one of the power elements, namely the rigid roof.
 
So in the movement of the loss of stiffness is almost not felt, but in Ughab, I drove on the sink in the very center of the city, having missed through some kind of promona, where the asphalt changed, it seems even during the time of underdeveloped socialism. Dying through the hectares of holes, trenches and driving on the blind snow, I heard behind yourself some strange sketches and light crunch. What's happened? He stopped on a flat site, he wrote to all his weight on the trunk - no, it seems that it is not a suspension and not rack. Only after some time it came to me that the body panels came to life, which were slightly bent after the body and rub away from each other. By the way, only then I remembered that in fact I was going on the cabriolet and, in principle, I can open the roof. The fact is that her cloth top is very well coped with the external noise and provides thermal insulation, giving birth to the feeling that you are in a conventional car. Well, if the car herself hinted, then the roof is a one! The awning on Opel Astra Cabrio is equipped with an electro-hydraulic drive already in the basic configuration. Pressing the button on the central console leads to the fact that after 30 seconds you see over your head clean the sky, and on the sides are only raised glasses that do not let the side wind. In addition, you can order a remote opening system of the roof from the key fob. By the way, it is possible to do this operation only standing in place, and tightening the handbrake firmly. Otherwise, hear the unpleasant sound of a buzzer warning that you forget to do it.
 
The wind is not afraid
 
Riding with open top did not coordinate even in March day. Rather, on the contrary - added sharpness in sensations. The respectful 2.2 liter engine of the 147-strong engine of 2.2 liters began to compete more clearly, I understood the whistle of the tires when it was worth release the gas pedal. At the same time, do not say that winds walked around the cabin. So, the air slightly tremble hair, nothing more. It is with closed glasses and installed protective screen behind the first row of seats. In addition, the climate control system automatically passed into a special mode, guiding warm air to the legs and the zone of the elbow. If you fully open the windows and remove the screen, it becomes cold already 30 km / h.
 
Despite the fact that the closed top is in the trunk, the volume of the cargo compartment managed to maintain at quite acceptable for this type of car level - 330 liters. At least it is no less than on the BMW 6-series converter, which is two classes above. By the way, in a separate coffee, the screen is stored, which fights turbulent flows, seeking to blow the driver from the car.
 
Despite the external compactness, the Astra Cabrio wheelbase is 260 cm. This means that four people will place inside the cabin without any problems. Of course, the foot seats in the back row will be smaller, but quite enough for a man of medium height. As it should be, in the rear sofa there is a decent size of a hatch in the trunk. Thanks to him, Opel allows you to simultaneously carry two pairs of skis and snowboard.
 
With a closed roof, the convertible can boast a very good aerodynamics. The coefficient of resistance to the incoming airflow of CX is only 0.30. Not too spoils the picture and the lowered took it, which worsens this indicator to 0.32. Moreover, when creating a car, the opolevtsy went not the easiest way. Instead of admitting a couple of additional spoilers to the body, they completely reworked the forms of sending to the front and the bottom, and the trunk lid gave an intricate shape with a slightly handed up the rear edge. All these decisions left the face of the machine quite organic and at the same time significantly increased the clamping force acting on the rear axle.
 
Finally, if you express the overall impression of Opel Astra Cabrio literally in a nutshell, I will say the following: a cool car. Forgive my expressiveness in judgments, but it can not be different, because it comes from the country where it is not accepted to hide emotions (for nothing that the German name is wearing). In Russia, the prices of the car begin with a mark of $ 28 460. Warranty - 2 years or 100,000 km of run. Cabriolets-competitors of golf class, officially supplied to the Russian market, I do not remember something and I will not remember
 
Sergey Ilyinsky
 
Brief specifications Opel Astra Cabrio
Engine volume, cube. See: 2198.
Number of valves on the cylinder: 4
Power, l. With. For rpm: 147/5800
Max. Torque, nm / at about about. Min.: 203/4000
Acceleration up to 100 km / h, s.: 9.5
Maximum speed, km / h: 216
Middle fuel consumption l. / 100 km.: 8.7
Volume of fuel tank, l .: 52
Dimensions, mm.: 4267x1709x1390
 

A source: Newspaper "Car Izvestia" [№6 (52), 2004]