Test drive Opel Astra Sedan 1998 - 2008 Sedan

Fifth point

In Russia, there is a stereotype according to which German cars are undeniably better than Japanese. Not everything is so simple that the comparison of Opel Astra and Nissan Almera proved.
In the Russian market in the small middle class car, two representatives of the giants of the world auto industry literally came together in the forehead. German Opel Astra and Japanese Nissan Almera. And everyone can be called a typical representative of his class of his nation.
 
Body physics. Beauty is a subjective concept. The feminine-rounded, almost completely devoid of sharp faces and flat swelling surfaces of Almera can bring someone to tenderness. The machine is dominated by the elements of bio-design, which are very typical of the mass products of the eastern auto industry, not to say that it is ugly, but causes a feeling of some kind of ash and uncertainty.
Astra traces typically German severity and self -esteem. Smooth and streamlined forms are combined with sharp faces. And the on -board line - with a low hood and a high, sharply chopped trunk - gives the silhouette an energetic arrow. If you look closely, Astra resembles a sports compartment of Calibra of past years. And no playful bends, on the contrary, are business style and restrained. Like overalls from Hugo Boss.
 
Features of mentality. To get into Astra, you need to overcome the double locking of the central lock, twice pressing the remote control button. This is included in the basic configuration. Almera has a remote control of the central castle - an option, but it has its own peculiarity. First, only the driver's door opens, and only then everyone else.
Inside, national features are expressed even more clearly. Astra salon is a classic example of a conservative German style. Monolithic, sloping the block of torpedo with a vertical, to the floor, front console. Dark, mainly black color of plastic elements, high -quality dark velor on seats and in the upholstery of the doors. Monumentally, solid, calm, but somewhat old -fashioned and gloomy. However, comfortable.
In the almera salon a different atmosphere reigns. Pretty pretentious, in the spirit of fashion of the late 90s, torpedo. It consists of two rounded parts of different shades with a growth in the form of a hemisphere - the front console. Bright and smooth, with a pale pattern of Almera's upholstery does not make an impression, rather gives it cheapness. Only on the more expensive version of Luxe, according to the avenues, the fabric is already approaching the quality to Opelian.
Light tones of the upholstery and plastic panels of ALMERA visually increase the space, and the machine seems more spacious than a competitor. But this is an illusion, in fact, the Astra salon is larger. Even the rear passengers are more convenient and spacious there.
In terms of ergonomics of the front seats, Almera replays its German rival, despite the fact that Astra in the basic version is equipped with a vertical adjustment of the driver's seat. The backs of the rear seats in both cars can be folded in a ratio of 40:60. Astra has a third, children's head restraint and a leap armor, behind which there is also a hatch in the luggage compartment.
The seats folding procedure are more convenient in Almera - the headrests receded in the backs save them to extract them. And much more niches, drawers and cavities for small objects.
 
General and private. The main devices and controls, albeit differ in appearance and location, are equally simple and convenient. The undoubted advantage of Astra is a two -position adjustment of the steering column - along the angle of inclination and departure. As for the steering wheel itself, then in both cases everything is fine: the correct diameter, not slippery and very convenient. A large information display in the upper part of the Astra front console can be attributed to the advantages. However, Almera, who is in the same place, is also not celebrated. In the minus of Astra, you can record the heating of the seats: it is powerful, with several positions of the degree of heating, however, the basic heating area is located, as it were, softer, closer in the knees than to the main object of heating. While Almera, the heater, albeit simpler and weaker, but the heating zone is located in a more relevant place.
The standard equipment of the German and the Japanese is approximately the same. These are electric mirrors, front windows, air conditioning and power steering. At least one driver's pillow. As a maximum - four, which in Almera are also supplemented by a system of active head restraints. The presence of a standard radio involves driving control. In Astra, it is not implemented in the best way: the keys must be pressed from the inside of the steering wheel, from the bottom up. But as for the ventilation system (in both machines it is equipped with a microfilter), Astra has a very useful advantage: when the flow of hot air goes to the windshield and to the legs, then fresh cool air comes from the central deflectors in the direction of the driver's face.
 
Final dispute. In terms of their characteristics, both motors are very close, and due to a fairly high moment at average speeds, the difference in power is almost imperceptible. The Astra engine is installed on the hydraulities, the suspension is mounted on the subframe. Therefore, all vibrations and vibrations are very effective. Almera vibration protection is also very good, but compared to Astra loses. The difference is small, but noticeable. In terms of soundproofing, Astra is absolutely leading. However, the engine in Almera is softer and silent, especially at high speeds.
Both steering are informative, with good feedback, but at the same time the steering wheel is more acute and easier: it reacts to it more nervously. Astra in this regard is heavier, but more pleasant. What is partly explained by the special design of the hydraulic wrap - the pump is driven by an electric motor and is not associated with engine speeds. The exchange rate stability in both cases does not raise questions. However, there is still a difference: in motion at speed in a straight line and in protracted gentle roundings in Almera, the connection with the road, as they sometimes say, is empty. In Astra in similar situations, the connection with the road is more stable. Thanks to the rear suspension with the steering effect, high -speed turns on the German are simply with pleasure. Almera in a similar situation causes some tension. On a flat road, both cars are very comfortable. But on the irregularities that the Astra suspension successfully swallows, the Japanese thoroughly shakes. At a sharp start, Almera better holds the straightness of movement, tangible side jerks are transmitted to Astra to the steering wheel, which is why you have to apply some effort to keep the car on a straight line. By the sensitivity of the brakes of Almera in front - it is worth literally stroke the brake pedal, and the car is ready to stand as if dug. Astra requires a little greater effort when pressing, but in informational, the pedal is better.
The legal question begs: which of them comes out the winner? In general - a combat draw. We, all other things being equal, liked Astra more. The strict elegant appearance of the sedan with elements of a sports style, the solidity and convenience of the interior, maneuverability and dynamism on the road - all these properties make Astra relevant for vigorous and business people, who at the same time a business card and a means of receiving pleasure. Almera, in our opinion, in terms of the sum of its qualities, is more suitable for the role of a budget family, second or accelerated office car.
Text Andrey Timofeev, photo Alexey Ilyin
       
Cars are provided by Trinity Motors, (095) 796-9646, and Jenser, (095) 786-2060. Insurance is carried out by Ingosstrakh, (095) 956-5555.
       
On Nissan Almera in Russia, dealers provide a 3-year-old panneuroic guarantee of the manufacturer with a run limit of 100 thousand km. On Opel Astra - one year without limiting a run. However, some dealers provide their own guarantee for the second year. Interior runs in cars are identical - 15 thousand km. The list of work performed for that is also almost the same, but prices vary: Norm/hour for Nissan Almera costs on average $ 50, $ 30 (maintenance) and $ 40 (repair) for Opel Astra. At prices for original consumables, Astra is also more budgetary. The mandatory program, provided for every 15 thousand for Almera, is estimated an average of $ 180, and for Astra - $ 130. For every 30 thousand run to this program, new types of work are added, which increases the price by about 2-2.5 times. Specific numbers can fluctuate depending on the service center, but their ratio as a whole remains unchanged. However, in terms of Russian entanglement with a network of authorized service centers, Nissan significantly overtook Opel. As of March 2001, there are already 27 of them, of which 13 are in Moscow. The owners of the new Opel have to be content with only three authorized technical centers in Moscow and eight in the regions. However, the Opel brand is very widespread in the secondary market, as well as the repair and maintenance services of these machines in the post -warranty period.
 
 

A source: "Autopilot"