Test drive Opel Frontera Stagger 1998 - 2004 SUV

$19.000

Right, tired of being an eternal petitioner and passenger, gathering fishing kilometers for a thousand kilometers from the capital. Friends are good, and the company has established, but he himself is more familiar. And yet - the cottage. There are only some one and a half kilometers from the Moscow asphalt, but you are completely exhausted by the car.
Aesthetics and practicality
The thought of a jeep has long drilled the brain. But I did not want to part with my beloved BMW. Everything was decided by a meeting with an old friend from Kaliningrad. A month later, at the entrance, having been with Kangurin, with huge eyes - additional headlights, gleaming with steep black polished sides, a long -awaited jeep was next to BMW. Opel Frontera, 1992 production with a mileage of about 60 thousand kilometers.
Why exactly this one? The main factor was the considerations of aesthetics. The question, of course, is controversial and largely depends on concrete tastes, but we must pay tribute - you cannot refuse to the frontier in a peculiar beauty.
The fruit of love isuzu and GM born in 1991, combining the elegant body design, the design of the ISUZU Rodeo suspension and the Opel engine, Frontera became a completely independent car with a characteristic appearance of a solid jeep. The impression is strengthened by the massive Kangurin, quite capable of protecting headlights and hoods from non -weed trees or small animals, which sometimes are so inappropriately trying to run around the forest road, additional headlights and thorough steps, which, among other things, play the role of additional lateral protection.
The interior decoration is simple and practical. Without delights, everything is extremely functional. Easy plastic, dense, not dirty seats. There are no many options, but this does not interfere at all, only the absence of heating seats causes discomfort - winter is long
The location and device of the governing bodies are difficult to evaluate unequivocally: in general, everything is in place, there is nothing missing or superfluous, but some of them require addiction - the external lighting button and control of the wiper in the models until 1995 are placed vertically on both sides of the instrument panel. It is possible to press them without a miss, without taking their eyes off the road, only if it is properly taught in driving schools, the position of the hands on the steering wheel: the left - for eleven, the right - for fourteen hours. At the same time, the ability to build a kid from the fingers does not prevent the ability to build.
The seats are hard, only with two adjustments, but very convenient, which is especially important on the long journey. A spacious interior, a significant space for the legs and the steering wheel adjustment allow you to choose the most convenient position for a person of almost any dimensions. Unless some inconvenience in the way creates a clutch pedal that is too close to the side wall - nowhere to put the leg, especially in massive shoes.
Simple workhorse
A 125-horsepower 2.4-liter engine on a large frame car weighing two and a half tons does not at all demonstrate the miracles of the dynamics, but this aspect was not much important. The second car was originally assigned the role of a reliable unpretentious workhorse, the main task of which is to deliver the owner to the house near Moscow in any season, as well as for a weekly fishing in a forest with a boat on a trailer. In 1995, a 16-valve volume of 2.2 liters with improved characteristics was replaced by this motor, which added the front-up front, but the former was fully coping with its main task. There is no problem towing a trailer with a boat in the summer or a couple of snowmobiles in winter. And without a trailer, this motor freely accelerates the car to 140 km/h.
The spring rear suspension allows you to solidly boot: everything that is needed for a long journey and multi -day fishing or hunting fits. The rear seat that is folding in parts creates a very impressive volume, where there will always be a place for a permanent companion - a favorite and faithful dog. The rear opening opens in two planes separately, which is not very convenient, since the half of the rear door, thrown down down, is pretty difficult to access the trunk even of a tall person. On the other hand, it helps to immerse a large hunting trophy. The modernization of 1995 also affected the suspension - the springs were replaced by the springs, which undoubtedly added softness and smoothness, but negatively affected the carrying capacity.
Fronter off -road abilities often cause ironic grins. In fact, they are no better and no worse than many analogues. The transmission is arranged according to the classical scheme: a connected four -wheel drive with automatic bushings of locking free stroke in the front wheels, with a decrease and a self -locking differential in the rear bridge. This design does not allow to drive with all -wheel drive on solid and dry coverage, but it has proven itself well on impassability. The annual practice of operation shows that, perhaps, you should not experience the front -line at events like Arctic or Ladog Trophy, but in relatively difficult conditions this car manifests itself not worse. Steamed in appropriate rubber, he slowly but surely crawled even the most seemingly dead places, except that sometimes a lack of power was felt.
And no problem!
A year and twenty thousand kilometers of all-season operation in Russia did not reveal any specific negative features and weaknesses. There were difficulties with the power system, but their main reason is the quality of domestic gasoline. This is treated, as a rule, with a simple replacement of the fuel filter, although in some cases after 80-90 thousand mileage, a gas pump is replaced. Distant of the block of overall lights does not withstand frosts. Sometimes there are problems associated with the leature of the cooling system for the first years of release. But there is no lack in spare parts, there is everything on sale, or on order - within 3-4 days. Prices are relatively low, and in addition, there are a lot of parts for the body and the chassis are interchangeable with ISUZU Rodeo. The reliability and durability of Opelian engines, the presence of a large number of specialists in their repair and maintenance, as well as the simplicity of the suspension design, make the front -line a very practical and inexpensive car. A solid appearance inspires respect to many other participants in the movement, and in the infamous circles of the frontier is not in particular demand, which provides its owner with a much more calm life than the owners of many classmates.
One way or another, but with the acquisition of this car, all the problems related to traveling to the cottage at any time of the year and in any weather disappeared, and the thoughts about how much it will cost to put this road in order. And fishing with hunting - there would be only time.
Opel Frontera 2.4i'1993
Working volume (cubic meter) 2410
Power (L.S. at about./Min.) 125 (4800)
Maximum speed (km/h) 153
Acceleration to 100 km/h (sec.) No data
Fuel consumption l/100 km
90 km/h 8.7
120 km/h 11.7
city cycle 13.3
Prices for used Opel Frontera various modifications
Year of issue Moscow Kaliningrad
1992 $ 16-18.5 thousand $ 15-16 thousand.
1993 $ 17.5-23 thousand -
1994 $ 18-23 thousand $ 17.5-19 thousand.
1995-96 $ 19-24 thousand $ 20-21 thousand.
The cost of spare parts and consumables
brake pads per./ass. about $ 50/80
oil filter $ 5-6
air filter $ 20-23
fuel filter $ 14-16
spark plugs (K-T) $ 15-20
dimensions block with a turn indicator $ 40
fuel pump from $ 120
shock absorbers per. from $ 100
 
Andrey Timofeev,
Stepan Rybakov (photo)

 

Source: "Autopilot"