Test drive Opel Vectra sedan 2002 - 2005 sedan
Reliable and tender
For a thousand kilometers, you can have time to love the new VectraMay Adam Orel AG will forgive me this liberty, but for me Vectra is, first of all, a machine, feminine. Okay tailtored, smart, caring. I can also say - peculiar, with my own, inherent in the advantages and disadvantages to it. Our meeting with her was not fleeting, as happens on official test drives. We met well, spending almost four days together, including Wi-Cend. We drove together about a thousand kilometers through autobahns and serpentines, in rainy, windy and sunny weather. I don't know how she is, but I was satisfied ...
Honestly, it was a long -standing idea - to combine pleasant with useful, take a new product for several days and go on a short trip to get fresh impressions - both from the car and the country. Having received the keys in Russelsheim, at the factory, which is described in the same newspaper issue, we made the first stop very close, in Wis Baden. They say that there is a casino here, and in it the hall of Dostoevsky. Fedor Mikhailovich played here at one time. But to visit the hall named after the master of Russian literature was never brought. Because, having barely managed to drink a cup of coffee, I saw how the person who came in shape arranges a penalty tall under the janitor. He did not accept any arguments, and with pleasure wrote out fines for parking in the wrong place of a good dozen car owners who parked their cars near the cafe. The decision to leave a beautiful, but inhospitable town was made immediately.
But the next day, in some way, I compensated for the fine thanks to the new Vectra, which, although it is already sold in Germany, is not yet familiar with everyone and not everywhere. It was in a glorious place on the picturesque bank of the Moselle River, which is about three hundred kilometers from Wiesbaden. The owner of the roadside cafe for a long time examined the car, asked for permission to look inside, then asked a few sensible questions and, finally, concluded: it is magnificent. And she costs her 23 thousand euros. (Actually, prices in Germany start at 20,250 euros, but a modification with a 2.2-liter engine, of course, is more expensive.) And when I was already finishing lunch, Vectra forced a couple more cars to stop, and as a result, their drivers and passengers were In the same cafe. Apparently, on this occasion, the owner solemnly announced that he was providing me with a 20 percent discount.
Discount for Vectra
The car really looked great on the river bank. Its rapid streamlined profile (dynamic resistance coefficient 0.28) was clearly indicated against the background of water. Compact wheeled arches, low thresholds, large door handles - all the faces of the sidewall played in the rays of the sun who looked out from behind the clouds. Designers said that they sought to create a car that radiates confidence and determination. They succeeded. Not too lowered in the front with a chrome strip, crossing the false radiator grille and with a huge Oresol emblem in the middle, large headlights (there was xenon in my car). The same chrome line from behind, along the lower edge of the trunk, the same large lights with the third feet signal mounted in the elegant bend of the upper part of the lid. All this looks harmonious and very solid. And the model itself, in comparison with the previous one, has become 101 mm long, 91 and above - by 35 mm. The wheelbase also lengthened by 63 mm. Of course, all this provides comfort for both front and rear passengers: everyone has enough space for both the legs and above their heads. By 51 liters increased and the volume of the trunk in the sedan, now it is 500 liters.
Looking ahead, I’ll say that Oresl is preparing three more versions of Vectra. Previously of others, already in the fall, a sports hatchback will appear under the GTS index with a 3.2-liter engine with a capacity of 211 hp, capable of dispersing the machine to a speed of 100 km/h in 7.5 seconds and develop 248 km/h. Then, next year, a capacious Oresl Vectra Wagon and, finally, luxurious Signum will enter the market.
External solidity is consistent with the interior - in terms of finishing, it is an order of magnitude higher than in the previous generation model. In the version of Elegance, which went to the test, comfortable seats were regulated in almost all directions using electric drives; very convenient (also adjustable) steering wheel; high -quality finishes, including wooden inserts; Luke, magnificent audio system, etc. However, I will say a few words about the equipment. In the meantime, back to discounts.
Vectra, by and large, will provide a discount on each of its owner. First of all, the matter is the design of the machine, which simplifies the repair as much as possible. For example, the front of the body consists of three parts, which can be changed separately. Suppose he took on a blow of any of the elements, it is easy to change it to a new one, without analyzing the entire front, like a constructor. In the West, this provides additional benefits for insurance. There, the factory guarantee is 2 years (so far - 1 year in Russia, the second is guaranteed by official dealers), and for the body everywhere - 12 years (from through corrosion). But the main thing is that the intervals of maintenance have been increased - up to 30 thousand kilometers for cars with gasoline engines and up to 50 thousand - with diesel engines. By the way, a special indicator on the instrument panel will remind you of the need to call on the service, and the on -board computer will give a signal, comparing a lot of data, and not just considering the resulting mileage - it can be more.
In addition, it is not required throughout the entire service life of the machine to change the working fluid in an automatic transmission, cooling - in the engine and air conditioning, you do not need to serve the battery and clutch. The service life of the ignition candles is 8 years or 120,000 km of the run, the gas distribution mechanism (timing) - 4 years or 60,000, the ventilation filter of the salon is 2 years, the brake fluid will last the same.
In move
What is the glorious valley of the Moselle River in addition to vineyards on steep mountain slopes and, accordingly, white, slightly sweet wine? Old locks, which are mostly led to winding paths. This is where the steering, brakes, and numerous electronic systems can be fully evaluated.
At my disposal, as already mentioned, there was a Vectra with a 2.2 liter engine and a 5-speed mechanical gearbox (an adaptive automatic box with the possibility of self-selection of gears is also proposed, and soon a 6-speed CVTronic variator will appear). I go to the serpentine. Before a steep rise, behind which a turn follows, I promote the motor, knowing that it does not live a full life of up to 2.5 thousand revolutions. In addition, the programs are stretched, which, in general, is convenient when moving on straight lines, or in the city, but requires a completely different algorithm for the transition from one speed to another on the descents, climbs and on turns. The main thing here is that the arrow of the tachometer never drops below the mark of 3-3.5 thousand rpm. The gearbox in a short lever, meanwhile, is a pleasure: the moves are short, the programs are turned on clearly, you will not confuse, and the clutch pedal equipped with a hydraulic drive is not difficult and informative enough. Eh, here we would frolic on a powerful version of GTS! However, Vectra successfully copes with this engine with this engine.
In steep turns, the car is barely noticeable, but still rolled - tribute, but behaves as a whole impeccably, almost perfectly passing one arc after another. Several circumstances contribute to this. Firstly, perfectly configured pendants. Secondly, the hardness of the body, increased by 74%in comparison with the previous model. Finally, the steering that deserves individual words.
The steering wheel itself lies confidently, you don’t have to get used to it. The electro -hydraulic amplifier seems to be made by my order: when parking, the steering wheel is lightest, and with the slightest movement, even at an average speed, it becomes very tangible. Although it is village not only depending on speed, but also on the corner of rotation. And if all this is folded when passing turns, we can talk about insufficient rotation. Which, rather a plus than a minus. Here, on the serpentine, Vectra resisted excessive violence in corners, guaranteeing a clear idea of \u200b\u200bwhat is happening between the wheels and asphalt, but nevertheless meekly obeyed my requirements.
The only thing she did not want to do was to go into skidding. Here it is all about the latest stabilization system of ESR RLUS, which tried to fame and at some moments branded not one, but at once three wheels. You can’t turn it off. However, she behaves quite in the world, is extremely delicate, and, in general, does not interfere. In addition, it can be deceived! I did this when it suddenly rushed, and a special sensor activated the wipers. On slippery coating, none of the similar systems existing in the world can guarantee from skidding. This is what I used. More precisely, the mamps when ESR did not have time to understand that the car was already moving sideways, and did not activate its capabilities. I will not tell how I did this, so as not to introduce the reader into the temptation, but I will say one thing: in the end, I managed to go through the turns with preliminary skidding. The main thing here is to feel when electronics begins to intervene and reproduce its actions. In general, an entertaining game.
I was so carried away that I did not notice how I stopped pouring rain, and because of the clouds, the particularly bright sun suddenly looked out. It is good that the front anthracite panel did not give reflections. But behind the glasses I reached out, distracted from the road, and here you are - a group of cyclists suddenly appeared ahead. Once again, I had to pay tribute to magnificent brakes with all the systems laid by modern standards - ABS, EVD (distribution of brake efforts) and a double -powered system that makes its work much more effective in emergency situations. By the way, there is also a SVS (control of the passage of turns) and the TS RLUS (anti -circus) system. Well, for completeness, special sensors monitor tire pressure.
The next day, so it turned out, was dedicated mainly to the famous German autobahns, by which I got to one wonderful place near Stuttgart. On this Sunday day, the navigation system (what a convenient thing!) We had to work hard, prompting the ways of traffic jams. Then I fully appreciated the convenience of controlling the system using buttons on the steering wheel - they allowed me to conduct a dialogue with GRS, practically not being distracted from the road. This circumstance on high -speed highways in the absence of (good!) Any restrictions is very important. Vectra honestly worked out the declared speed - 216 km/h. Moreover, at high speeds, the car is not lost and does not require steering to restore communication with the road. And in the cabin surprisingly quiet, only a light rustle of rubber is heard.
At the same time, the Wectra female nature appeared on the highway. The fact is that many buttons and switches are sensory, respond to the slightest touch, and require, we can say, gentle treatment. In most cases, this is an undoubted plus. But just not with the indicator of turns. The lever, of course, is in place (in general, the salon is ergonomic, everything is familiar). You touch it from above - the signal of the left turn is included, from below - the right. And if you really turn - no problems, the signal with the reverse movement of the steering wheel will turn off. But with rebuilding, especially at decent speed - this is a headache. Perhaps I am too rude for such a thin nature, but I managed to transfer the lever to a neutral position only once out of ten once. It looked like this: you turn on the left turn, rebuilt, if you want to show that you finished the maneuver, and translate (so it seems) with a light touch of the lever into a neutral position - n, no!
The right turn indicator is turned on right away. Again an attempt - and again the bulbs on the left begin to blink. Honestly, I did not adequate to the end. Therefore, personally, if I bought Vectra, then as an option (if there is such) I would have ordered the old good mechanical system for switching the indicators of turns. On a long trip, I sadly noted that in Germany there are more and more sites where the speed is limited. In this case, I fully used a cruise control. In the meantime, the car was driving itself, experimented with music or with a hatch. The latter has a special visor, which, even at good speed, protects the salon from gusts of wind - is very pleasant. Your will, reader, but only a specially trained lady can show such a touching care for the driver.
Or here is another example - the RARK Rilot system. In tight underground garages, she, like a true woman, is frightened much earlier than the driver. And when he starts to be baked, you should not pay attention yet. Only when the signal becomes continuous - you might think about whether you drove up too close to the obstacle. And another 20 centimeters will remain in reserve. Of course, this can not be attributed to the disadvantages. As well as the inability to use in full all the adjustment of the seat at speeds over 5 km/h. Their range is very wide, and you can not notice how you will drive away from the governing bodies to an unattainable distance.
On the other hand, it cannot be said that the governing bodies are overloaded with information. So, three rotating handles of a separate climate control system are not indicated at all. But to get used to them easier than the lung: the left sets the microclimate for the driver, the right - for the passenger, and, by pressing the large average, you can adjust the directions of air flows, the scheme of which will immediately appear on the display. The air conditioner, by the way, works efficiently, cooling at the same time a roomy glove, where it is convenient to place soft drinks. In the cabin, it should be noted, a lot of all kinds of drawers, pockets and recesses. Therefore, it took me a lot of time to find all my little things, returning the car. What else? Convenient armrests and cup holders. Automatic (!) A curtain that protects from sunlight on the rear window and curtains on the windows of the rear doors. The doors themselves became more, so sitting on the rear seats (with heated!) It is convenient.
In general, on Monday morning, I parted with Vectra, as with a good acquaintance, whom I managed to get used to. However, very soon, in July, the official presentation of this model in Russia was promised.
Prospects
Medium -sized nuts from Oresl have always been popular. Three generations of ASSON found 4.4 million buyers. The two previous generations of Vectra dispersed 4.5 million units. There is every reason to believe that the new model will be able to fix and develop this success. Because the car turned out to be solid, endowed with all the qualities of a modern car, in some way even ahead of time. In addition, very soon a large selection of both types of bodies and engines will be offered (new diesel and gasoline with a boost should be added to them) and transmission.
Of course, this market segment is quite closely: here Ford Mondeo, VW Rassat, and the new Renault Laguna. Each model has its own charm, it is undoubtedly in Vectra. As for the Russian market, according to the director of marketing and public relations, General Motors CIS Alexander Moynov, the sales of the new Vectra is planned to start in August. The buyer will be offered machines with engines of 1.8 and 2.2 liters, with various types of checkpoints. Prices have not yet been determined, but approximately will fluctuate from 18 to 25 thousand dollars, depending on the configuration.
All cars that will enter the salons of Russian official dealers will be equipped with a package for bad roads - with reinforced shock absorbers, springs, and transverse stability beams. It is funny that this package is almost identical to the one that is installed on cars for the German police - they must be able to jump, drive without prejudice through borders ...
Oleg Osipov
