Test Drive Renault Fluence since 2009 Sedan

Five days before the new year

During the photo session on the airluba DOSAAF, the airlock is blown by all winds, we felt polarists on the drifting in the ocean of the holiday ice ski workers.


First day: corporate
Imagine that you have an honor to be on the corporate part of the federal ministry. Not bad! It would be nice to order on such an event on a solid car. Who is in our company most serious? Of course, Volkswagen Jetta! If the Polo and Golf hatchbacks with the design of Walter and Silva seem, for my taste, boring, then Jette is such seriousness to face. In my yard, the White Sedan VW has settled in my yard, and for a long time I thought that it was Passat B7. And it turned out to be Jetta. My girl accepted VW at all for Audi. And this chocolate color is the last squeak of the season!

Rear is spacious, on the reserve of Jetta space among the test participants, only Renault Fluence is inferior. But only the German car rear passengers are relying such luxury such as the socket and blowing deflectors. And what is the trunk! A huge, correct form, with a wide opening, with a mesh on the right and a rubber band on the left, allowing to fix quite large items.

On the course of Jetta exactly the same as Golf, who visited us on the dough in the summer. Technically, the sedan differs from the hatchback in that it is 9 cm longer, and it has 7.5 cm wheeled base. So the smoothness of the jetta is even higher. The machine is not subject to a split, most of the long waves of asphalt are generally not reflected in the position of the body in space. The VW suspension is not called soft, but it punches infrequently. Only deep potholes with sharp edges shake the body and respond to blows in the suspension. In general, the controllability of Jetta, if different from Golf, only nuances. The car is slightly softer, slightly solid, slightly less sports. There is a slightly different mood that perfectly matches appearance. But only one who traveled to Golf can catch these differences.

Minuses are also well known. In the DRIVE mode, the box is too quickly moving to increased transmissions and then with a sharp acceleration too long selects the necessary transmission. In addition, pressing the VW gas pedal reacts with a delay: while the signal from the electronic gas pedal comes to the engine, while DSG is thinking until the turbine is promoted. Then jetta jumps forward. If you click on the gas, then in the floor, pre-transferring the DSG selector to the Sport position. Then the sedan pleases and juicy, and timely switching. Mid-Jetta does not tolerate. She is like a clerk who lived a boring, measured office life, but once a year on a corporate part of the full.

To ergonomics, the same claims as Golf: the temperature of the temperature control pens and direct groove DSG. But we note the know-how. Thus, the central armrest between the front seats is not regulated in altitude, nor in length, is far away, and its form is such that the hand clenches. And xenon, as on the real American, is not available even for surcharge. Another incomprehensible feature of invincible access. First, the key remains the same as on all Jetta, big and with a declaration. Secondly, the place for the engine start button as if they were looking for at the last moment. Its location in a row of plugs before the DSG lever seems a bit strange and not quite logical.

And more interior VW and scold for anything. Plastic is mild even at the knee level, the interior lighting after the abandon from the blue flavor pleases the optimal brightness and color, the seats are almost perfect. Almost only because the back is adjustable stepwise, and comfort will not be 100, but only 99.9 percent. The adjustment ranges are huge, the buttons are located optimally, the multimedia system is logical, the devices are easy to read. Interestingly, the instrument panel on Jetta is not like that of Golf. Tachometer and speedometer are deepened deep wells and divide the total area. Multimedia, on the one hand, pleased with the excellent work of the navigation system, which knows not only all the main highways of the country up to Central Siberia, but also in detail about the roads, for example, Krasnodar. From another Jetta, I could not recognize my iPod Nano either via USB or via AUX-input. Strong! But Nano is one of the most popular MP3 player models in the USA, on the main market of Jetta.

Of course, nothing is free. And with those money, which is worth the Jetta with us (and this is a car not with the most powerful engine), you can also watch in the side of the sedans class above. However, I am not sure that we compare we Jetta C Passat or Mondeo for the same money, the sedan would look like a whipper boy. But maybe in Russia there would still be more in demand by the American sedan with simple atmospheric engines, rigid plastic, slow can-bus and lesser price? Won and Polo Sedan is still inferior to its competitors from Hyundai and Renault but suggests something that Jetta will not have problems with demand. The machine that can be confused with Passat and Audi, may not be successful in Russia.


Day Two: Tubes
Fluence became the first for a long time the Renault sedan, whose appearance does not cause rejection. This is what the head of the brand in Russia Bruno Anselen says: we came up with a hatchback, so we always managed to make machines with this type of body. All attempts to create on their basis the sedan led to the appearance of freaks. Therefore, we immediately developed FLUENCE as a separate model, and not just Megane with the trunk. And, as they say, the result is on the face. Especially in Sportway version with sports kit and large beautiful wheels, which increases the price of a car by 40,000 rubles.

Moscow, New Year's Eve and Snowfall. If these ingredients are mixed together, the mixture will be explosive. It is in such conditions that I had to go home on Fluence. And, frankly, I was happy for this perspective. As the Frenchman relies, the car takes his smoothness. The stepless variator, soft suspension, comfortable soft seat, steering wheel, at low speeds deepered by any feedback, what else is needed in traffic jams? We need a driver, because in Renault by the standards of the class for it a very large stock of space, and on the windows even blinds. The central tunnel of the French sedan is practically not noticeable, so you can comfortably sit in the threesome. Lidges Fluence and acoustic comfort, because with a smooth ride, the variator simply does not allow the engine to go to high speed. But if you have to click on the gas in serious, the turnover will hang on close to the maximum. Here is a cacho, I will tell you! It is good that Fluence does not provoke on such accelerations.

And how in turns? Before Jetta, although the general principles of setting the steering amplifier are similar. Looking ahead, I note that only Chevrolet Cruze has a different enforcement algorithm. The steering wheel is empty in the okoloneal zone, but already with a deviation of 20 degrees, the force increases sharply. The difference is that the Fluence difference has more efforts than Jetta, it is through an empty steering wheel. The silver sedan confidently goes in a straight line, only swinging on the waves, willingly overtaken in turn, and first with a small demolition, but then the rear suspension turns into operation, and the behavior of the car becomes neutral. And still do not want to act. Not in order to drive, this machine was created. Sign from the soft seat, the car itself swings, the engine is roaring why all this? Where do we hurry in this city traffic jams? It is much better to include the Patrician Caas with a presented to me at one time at the presentation of the new megane disk of French music and roll home.

About the magnetol Fluence I want to talk separately. On the one hand, it sounds very good for an inexpensive device. On the other hand, she is the main ergonomic puncture of the car. The radio tape recorder is completely overlapping the gear lever, the volume control button is right at hand drivers, but, first, it is not available to the passenger, secondly, the driver is full of buttons on the steering wheel! The location of the buttons is connected and no logic. And to get used to the fact that the volume is regulated by no big killers in the center, but a small regulator in the corner, I could not. In general, Fluence is enough French things. Well, here's who came up with placing the heating regulator of seats from the end of these seats? To see them, you need to open the door! Moreover, they do not have a fixed position, therefore, to the touch to choose the heating intensity is impossible. But the plastic is so soft that, closing the eyes and relying exclusively on the tactile sensations, you can take Fluence for the machine class higher.

In general, Renault is a very cozy car, its creators deliberately paid a lot of attention to improving comfort, and not excessive manageability. Climate control here has three automatic modes of operation: AUTO (automatic), Soft (soft and silent) and fast (for fast ventilating salon after parking in the sun). Compartments for small things have arrived at 23 liters. And invincible access is organized in Renault better than in the other premium cars. And now it is not necessary to insert the card into the slot, as it was before: came up to the car, pressed the button on the handle, sat down, pressed the START button and shoved myself! And due to the fact that the electronic key is made in the form of a card, it is convenient to wear it in the pocket of the shirt or in the purse. Fluence is perfect for a taxi, a fleet-fleet machine, for age buyers or just for those who have grown Logan.

Three day: photo session
Permanent thaws turned Moscow into the kingdom of dirt, water and gray snow, so it was possible to open the cars normally only outside the city. We were sheltered by the park Dracino, which is under the Serpukhov, so I had to make a small march-throw on the roads of the Moscow region. My partner on the trip was the Ford Focus 3. In the summer, Focus I really liked, and the only one, but the weighing argument against the novelty was the lack of dynamics of the machine with a 1.6 liter engine. The more interesting for me was a meeting with a two-liter machine. Maybe 150 liters. with. And the Powershift robot will cure Ford from powerlessness?

Well, that's another thing! Now I recognize in the newcomer of the devices of the first and second generations. Now the magnificent chassis got a worthy accompanist! On the countrywood all the time I wanted to light. And it's not easy to quickly rush, overtaking by the thread neighbors, like on Hyundai Elantra, and attack the turns, enjoying the juicy effort on the steering wheel, the rear suspension, screwing the sedan in any turn, excellent brake tuning. Focus is not just good, it is great. If before Ford and inferior in something sweet pair of Golf / Jetta, then those times in the past. And on the smoothness of the Focus move and hits Jetta! Of course, this is not soaring over the dear Fluence, but also breakdowns like a German car, he does not allow. Disadvantages? The steering wheel could be a little more warm. However, the current settings are better combined with a slightly calmer character of the new car.

Thanks to the point illumination of the cabin with all the colors of the rainbow to choose from, you can choose the mood itself. Want to chant chosen red, you want to rolling on the autobahn blue or green. By the way, about the autobahn. Cruise control in Focus is active, so in a long road you can relax and only hold the steering wheel. And do not be afraid that the sedan on the old focus habit is suddenly jumping away to the third-generation car ripple from this disease is delighted.

As for the ergonomics, the Ford turned out to be in a somewhat more winning position than during the first test I was already familiar with the work of its systems, the location of the buttons, these functions of the activating, with the hectares of its menu. If, during the first meeting, it seemed to me that the center console was overloaded with the buttons, that not all buttons on the steering wheel are conveniently located that in the backs of the menu, which in two LCD displays can be missed, then when re-encountered problems no longer arose. No. So it will not be in everyday use. Ford finally entered the level of VW and in terms of ergonomics. From the explicit deficiencies, it can be noted except that too pressing head restraints and an armrest, which, if you put forward forward, threatens to overturn drinks in the cup holders. By the way, Ford multimediasystem perfectly understood with my player, I saw all the playlists and read all Russian-speaking tags. The only puncture is a trunk. Small, inaccurately trimmed, with a lid deprived of a handle. And this is a car applying to the title of folk!

But I remember another. Focus became the first car, with whom it is nice to talk! Our car was equipped with a voice governance function that really worked. And the car just a couple of times could not disassemble my voice and radio instead of the frequency of 91.2 included at 91.0. And how comfortable on underground parking! When the windows and mirrors of the rear view began to fiercely fogged, it was worth only to pronounce the glimate, Defrosting ON, and the car began to head off. At the same time, the hands continued to turn the steering wheel and change the KP modes. Voice control allows you to change the temperature, fan speed, turn on the heating of glasses, choose a radio frequency, track or playlist. At the same time, if you do not choose any function, the polite lady will pronounce possible options for the team. Even if you do not know English, then the necessary words Focus will teach you to say yourself. Then I learned that in recent years this option was also available for the past generation machine. Moreover, even those cars in which it was not initially not originally can be retained with this option. Moreover, both official dealers and any garage is so simple this process.

I think you already understood that I liked Ford. Only here the design of the sedan personally scares me. Not combined, in my opinion, feed with the front. Hatchback, and even better wagon here is my choice.


Fourth Day: Mkadburring
I recently wrote about the new Hyundai Elantra, but then it was about the car with automatic transmission. Now I had a car with mechanics in my hands and in a simpler configuration. Even the automatic Elantra seemed a very sporty machinery, so from the sedan with the MCP I expected a perky in a cheerful character, and in my expectations I did not deceive. Some thought disappeared, and the wheels are sometimes started even when switching from the second transfer to the third! However, then the case is more likely in disgusting tires, and not in power. As for the box itself,, frankly, it cannot be called exemplary. It seems that the lever is not long, and the transfers are turned on clearly, but there is some toyness in the switching, as if you click the advanced steering wheel lever for computer games Logitech G25.

Lack of 1.6 l engine thrust is not only taking when trying to be too smoothly moving on small speeds. The car begins to shake the whole body as soon as the turns fall to 1200. Therefore, in the traffic jam on the second, it is better not to switch at all. Actually up to 4000 rpm. Sleepy engine, but if you unwind the motor, then you don't want to stop only time to join the transfer so as not to fall out of the revolutions. The rapid ride contributes to the energy-intensive suspension. Turns can be safely attacking, without fear of shaking on irregularities. On small irregularities. If under the wheels are potholes or bare oaks of the overpass, the Elantra starts playing Solaris. The sedan begins to swing and changes the trajectory. And sometimes the trajectory is distributed in breadth, and sometimes, on the contrary, twisted. Unpleasantly! It is good that the stabilization system is guarded, and if the speed is reduced to the prescribed rules, the problems will disappear.

Nevertheless, it is calmly going to Elantra. It hurts a mischievous design, and this Oldskaya Motor, who has a whole life on top, and this poured steering wheel feel, many Elantra owners will regularly exceed the speed and play checkers and most of the owners of these machines will be young. Especially among the practicality of Hyundai problems: the trunk can only be opened from the key fob or out of the cabin, the roof presses the rear passengers on the head, and the passengers themselves slide with the short seat cushion. Do not like mature customers and excessive noise. In general, many cars designed for the American market sin are bad insulation, but here it is still multiplied by noisy tires. This is not the first time when Hyundai-Kia cars are not the best winter tires from the Korean manufacturers. As a result of the car, in the starts, the wheels are blocked when braking, noisy, and sometimes they begin to slide.

You can still unsubage Elantra for cutting eyes blue lighting, plastic of different textures on the front panel, unsuccessfully located handbrake and adjustable only in height of the steering wheel. But an interesting story came out with the steering wheel. Despite the fact that it is regulated only in the same plane, nor I nor Denis Halfin experienced any problems. Not in every car with all the adjustments can be pressed with such comfort! Good car, sorry that dear.


Fifth Day: Jubilee
Chevrolet Cruze in this company is a bit alien. The American car is cheaper than the rest, it is simpler technically and positioned as more budget. Therefore, I was originally tuned to the blue sedan condescendingly. Chevrolet is a fancy mix from GM units of different generations. The platform here is the same as Astra J, but the rear suspension is simplified without a WATT mechanism. The engines are at all old good Ecotec, which were put on Astra H. Here is the old 5-speed KP, the same fog lights and turning repeaters, as on the old aster, but new steering levers. In short, Koreans, and the GM Dat division answered for the development of Cruze, tried to make the car cheaper, but if possible, no worse than competitors.

And they succeeded! Cruze does not really require anyone to refine. He has a stylish exterior and interior design, a spacious salon, a large trunk, almost perfect ergonomics, and handling and dynamics at a completely decent level. Of course, the Chevrolet's ride manners lacks the VW and Ford gloss, the car is not so solid as Renault, and not such a sports, like Hyundai, but it is in no way kid. Moreover, progress compared to Astra H, not to mention Lacetti, is obvious. Chevrolet from the point of view of manageability is underlined safely: the car confidently holds the road on a straight line, ignores the ruts, in the turn it is cordial because of the roll, and when the speed is exceeded, it slides the front axle to the outside. All this is much more like the previous Astra than on Lacetti! Only settings of the steering amplifier are grieved: not only that the steering wheel is empty in zero, like other test participants, so effort as the angle increases the wheel turns. Therefore, I do not want to hurry. Yes, it will not work out, even if you want!

On the test Cruze stood my longtime familiar z18xer engine. At one time, the letter R was received after modernization in 2006, when power increased from 125 to 140 liters. with. Only here it became available for almost the cutoff, so most of these horses will never see. Our car was also released in Korea, so its engine meets EURO 5 standards, which, as you understand, the dynamism does not add. The nature of the motor really has changed: a certain likeness of picking up 3,500 revolutions came to ride more interesting!

The main disadvantages of Cruze, in addition to not the best in the world of the motor, are too long the moves of the KP lever and the unfortunate temperature controller of the air conditioner. High and large people like Anton Borisenko and Halfin managed to unscrew the temperature at a minimum, after which there was a real fortune in the cabin. Interestingly, I did not have such problems, although I was below Anton only 7 cm (186 against 193).

A pleasant feature of our Cruze was a special execution of the anniversary series. Such a Chevrolet is different from the usual other bumpers, the spoiler on the lid of the trunk, chrome-plated edging of the fog, overlays on the thresholds, special blue and blue fabric inserts on the seats and the front panel. The price of such cars: 688 200 rubles for a sedan with a motor 1.6 l and 722 400 rubles. for 1.8 liters. Hurry, the number of cars is limited!


SUMMARY

Ranger cars will help estimates. They are subjective and competent only within the framework of this particular comparative test. 10 points for the quality of the interior of Jetta do not put her in short with Maybach, simply against the rest of the golf class is a benchmark. So, VW won on the points, which was not a surprise. The car is like never close to the ideal. But what about Focus, which I praised so? Look at the points, Focus lost VW mainly because of the small and sloppy trimmed trunk!

Renault breathes in the back of Focus and only slightly loses VW! And all because the French made a bet on comfort, in which the Fluence in this test is no equal. Ergonomic punctures and lack of dynamics were prevented by final triumph.

Hyundai second from the end, and that's what I did not expect. Elantra loses due to the inconvenience of the rear passengers, less qualitative materials of the interior and low acoustic comfort. But at the same time Korean is such that he wants to forgive many shortcomings. What is the reason? In design? Naughty moral? Most likely, yes, although it is unusual to talk about the Korean car. Chevrolet took the last place, but it is not cheaper as much worse. Honest car for your money.


 

A source: Cars