Test Drive Renault Laguna since 2007 Hatchback

All photos Renault Laguna since 2007

Mazda 6 against Renault Laguna: question of ideology

Both of them with their face, however, the faces are very different. Despite almost the same prices, one is quite popular, the second in a deep shadow. Maybe it's about the characters that vary greatly? But which one is better, depends on what ideology is closer to you.
The simplest Mazda6 with a 1.8-liter engine can be bought for 831,000 rubles, Renault Laguna starts with 719,500, however, with a 1.6 liter motor. If we compare with similar configuration, such as Mazda6 2.0 Sport and Renault Laguna 2.0t Privilege with automata, then prices are no longer so strong, but Laguna is still a bit cheaper, while its upgrade motor is more powerful Mazdovsky. But the main differences are not in motors, but in the style of life, which is preached by the rivals. Their characters are so different that it seems to be difficult to find a person for whom the choice between two of these machines will become a problem.
In the town
Mazda6, and even in the Sport configuration, which was on our test, Ortre as a razor. They say about such that it is worth getting to the steering wheel, and it turns, and if we put a lace gas on the gas pedal, this is enough for the car to break from place. With the controls, you need to turn gently and smoothly, then riding will be fast and comfortable. Any maneuvers are made without difficulty, the car easily follows the most intricate trajectories, and the driver does not need to apply almost no effort for this. But from all this magnificence, as usual, the smoothness of the stroke suffers. Before lying police, you need to drop speed up to a minimum, joints, potholes and hatches are also well felt, in a word, Mazda6 the car is honest, about the road tells everything as it is. The work of the 5-speed automaton is flawless, except that one day, when it was necessary to quickly turn left from the secondary road to the main way, and even in the rise, with a sharp acceleration there was a hitch. In response to pressing the gas pedal, the car has advanced a few meters forward, after which the motor as if he chokes, the car almost stopped and only then began to accelerate. Both on the right, and on the left side of the main road drove the car, which is why the hemissecond hitch seemed very long. In the following times in a similar situation, I preferred a little rapid speed in advance, while holding the car with a brake, after which it was touched by just letting the left pedal.
Laguna behaves quite differently. This is no razor, it is very calm, maybe even a little Vallaja. But it allows you to give a damn if not on the lying cops, then there are no tram tracks on the hatches, small, they do not exist for fantastically energy intensive. Of course, you should not forget about a higher tire profile, also smoothing all the trifles. By the way, the calm Laguna does not mean slowness at all. The six-speed automatic cuts quite quickly, the drive pedal pedal either is not so sensitive, but not slow, and the upgrade motor disperses the French car even faster than the opponent of its atmospheric. And the brakes are quite adequate and informative, which you will not always meet in the French. But the visibility of Laguna worse. Wine to all the desire of French designers to make the body as safe as possible: thick racks create decent dead zones in which not only a pedestrian can be hidden, but also a car. In urban conditions, Renault, the accuracy and sharpness of Mazda meets much more comfortable movement, but is inferior in visibility. Perhaps a draw.

Outside the city
Mazda6 is good on a smooth asphalt. Then noise in the cabin is a bit, and she keeps the straight line confidently, and it will not leave the turns. But on the gauze reacts quite actively, on a broken asphalt you need to be extremely attentive, so as not to fly into the pothole and not damage the drunks into low-profile rubber discs. The same can be said about the gravel road: on a low profile you need to go with asphalt carefully. During overtops of the motor power, it turns out to be enough; The machine does not tupit, but if it takes a quickly quick maneuver, it is better to turn down in advance in manual mode. However, sharp reactions may be tired of tiring those who are not used to such strict behavior of the car.
Go to the long road at Renault Laguna is a pleasure. It is indifferent to how smooth under the wheels asphalt, she perceives the tracks absolutely indifferent, in the cabin in most movement modes quietly, only at the speed of 100 km there is a low-frequency buzz from tires, apparently, somewhere there is a resonance, and noise insulation is not able to cope with it. . However, the buzz is mesmer and unobtrusive, but against the background of a blatant picture in the cabin, even he is noticeable. Due to the higher tire profile, it is possible to fear the choice, which on our roads a lot, and much more boldly move around the gravel and dirt roads that in the country trips a certain plus. The motor with an excellent burden on low and medium speeds in a pair with a 6-speed automata allows you to make overtakes much bolder than on Mazda, which is also worth writing Renault to the asset. The only minus is less space for the feet of the rear passengers, which will not be too much alive and children who have nowhere to give the feet if they sit in the orphanage. Over the city, a more powerful and tracked motor, as well as an energy-intensive suspension and a relatively high tire profile provide Renault Laguna, a noticeable advantage over the rival on a French car ride around the country roads is more pleasant and more convenient.
Controllability
This is one of the trumps Mazda. The manufacturer who positions its cars as emotional, giving pleasure from driving, is simply obliged to tune the chassis so that it is not easy for nothing to find faith, and so that the face breaks out in a silly satisfied smile. Zoom zoom same! And Mazdovtsy are trying in might and. According to some, they even bend the stick, making the car as sharp and sensitive that he tires, drawing the driver and not letting him relax. This should be answered that they themselves are not zoom zoom and let them lie at home on the sofa. If you drive the car as I taught me, who prepared two dozen masters of sports, that is, to imagine that behind his back to the edges of the sulfuric acid bucket and it is necessary to go so smoothly, so as not to spill, then the speed will come, Mazda, and really deliver the sea Pleasure. On winding roads, you can go exactly and quickly, without frightening the bottlenecks and counterprokes on thin, being absolutely sure that the car will go there where you lead it. Moreover, even if irregularities come across in turn, it does not rearrange on them, it only slightly jumps towards all four wheels. In general, Mazda for those who understand that the less ride the steering wheel, the faster you are going, you just need to be able to join this steering wheel.
And in Laguna, the storm does not happen, zoom zoom for her only annoying noise. The driver's face can also break into a smile, but not at all because it is surprisingly easily able to circle around the circle to pass turns, lightly chirk wings on the bumps. She is not as ostra like Mazda, the feedback of the steering is not so good, so that you can build a turn path right away, there is always a small backlog, and often you have a little bit after the arc. No, this is not a problem, but after Mazda is no longer. And did not really like the balance between the front and rear axles. It would seem that the more energy-intensive suspension should allow to pass turns with irregularities at a higher speed, but, alas, where the front axle holds at the road. Cancelled, the back on Coldin jumps outwards, the car rearranges, and it is necessary to adjust the trajectory. So in the running turns, you need to be attentively, however, in almost all versions, the stabilization system is proposed as standard equipment in most cases does not slip off.
In general, on the controllability of Mazda noticeably superior to the opponent, which is not surprising anyone.

Ergonomics and Comfort
Mazda's chassis configured to excellent handling puts it in the comfort nomination in a deliberately losing position. It is impossible to say that the Japanese car is uncomfortable, in the end, the suspension is by no means sharing, but still shook the saddles is quite noticeable. Low profile tires and rigid silent blocks make the car reactions faster and more accurate, but transmit more noise and vibrations on the body. According to the ergonomics of the driver's seat, the comments are a bit: not really liked the seat itself, it is harsh, and on the irregularities there is a feeling that it is not the biggest weight, it is possible to flush to the frame.
The visibility is not bad, except because of the high feed when maneuvering the reverse movement is visible less than I would like, but in the test car it is filled with parking sensors. Rear from the place for the legs is enough, but the head of the passenger with the growth above 185 cm will be strengthened into the ceiling. And it is strange that behind the head restraints at such high passengers are not calculated.
How good was Mazda on handling, so good Laguna in terms of comfort. The car is simply sailing over the road, conscientiously protecting the inhabitants of the salon from irregularities, while there is no vertical routing. The seats in moderation are soft, but not amorphous, driver's seat adjustments and steering wheels are enough for the wheel to be good to human practically any complex. That's just a hard plastic rally, for some reason secured to the left above the driver's door, and during the passage, for example, the tram paths a dealer driver all the time applied on his head. Whether it is my car, the first thing would unscrew it and threw it out, because they could attach it in the center, next to the lighting flappon. And the driver of an impressive complex will be strengthened by the shoulder in the middle body of the body, it because of the safety concern is very thick. On the rear seats, the place for the head is as much as in Mazda, but the legs are noticeably closer. And it is not so convenient to climb because of the same middle rack and a powerful threshold that makes the body five-star when crash test. But the head restraint has a range of adjustment that satisfies any passenger above average. The visibility has already been said, but repeat: the developed power structure of the body somewhat limits it, and it is a small minus. Despite a number of small comments, in this nomination, Laguna is noticeably ahead of the opponent, and, it seems, not only her. Few classmates will be able to offer more comfortable and smooth movement.
Practicality and convenience
Both car hatchbacks with a standard set of cabin transformation capabilities. The backs of the rear seats are divided into unequal parts and can be folded both together and separately. But Mazda has a smaller part of the back is on the right, and Renault on the left. So, __ Longs will be more convenient to transport in Mazda, because you can also fold the front seat and use the entire length of the cabin. At the same time, two passengers can fit on the most rear sofa.
Renault in such a situation will be back only for one. Mazda still has a noticeably more trunk: 510 VDA liters vs. 450 in the rival. That is why in this nomination the Japanese car turns out to be ahead of French.
conclusions
I like the excitement and young Mazda6. This car is really with character, with a mood, it allows you to feel yourself more sporting, energetic, advanced. But, recreated in Laguna, I suddenly realized that I would not like to be relaxed to me, just go to work or home, thinking not about how I am perfectly pressed the trajectory of the next turn, but, for example, about dinner or how It is better to write an article. In the end, you can simply just listen to good music, and the hell with her with a plug. And sports, extreme, adrenaline is enough at work, why still spend the forces on the process of delivering yourself to the service and back, it is better to devote these hours and a half to rest and reflections.
In general, the whole question is how to refer to the driving of the car: as a way to get pleasure or how to relax and not spend the forces that will be useful for more important cases. And it is quite obvious which car for what ideology is better adapted. That's just alarming the skin-wounded skin on the Mazda6 seat and disappointing statistics of the German TUV service for the reliability of the previous Laguna.