Skoda Felicia 1995 test drive - 2001 -
Only a year later ...
Exactly a year ago, two new cars appeared under the windows of the editorial office - white ninety -third and cherry felicia. Since then, we are closely monitoring their lives (ZR, 1998, No. 6.9; 1999, No. 3). Today we summarize the results of the year. BODY. We have already written that the paintwork of Felicia really does not like processing with small pebbles, which are pleasant on our roads. The whole muzzle of the car in the chips, however, has never been struck by the thick coating to the metal. And even after a serious winter boot of corrosion, it was not possible to detect on the back of the Skoda. By the way, both cars in the name of the purity of the experiment were not processed by anticoros.
The paint on Samara is more standing to mechanical influences, but any damage turns into a focus of corrosion. Red spots appeared on the frame of the windshield, the front edges of the rear doors, on the fifth door. The loops are rusty - the doors open and close tight.
From other troubles, we note that both bumpers were raining, and the front was stronger. The door locks are constantly spinning and dangling. And the front ones were in turn. I had to disassemble, lubricate, develop.
ENGINE. Skoda in his youth (mileage about 7000 km) made us a carburetor epic. At first, the motor refused to hold idle speeds, and then at all blocked - the fuel entered only the second chamber. Services fought for a long time with a carburetor. The matter ended with the fact that the device was removed and completely dismantled. No dirt was found in his bowels (sinned for clogging of the channels), but ... Since then, the carburetor has been working like a clock.
The new nine, as usual, suffered from jerks and failures during acceleration. Further, everything is according to a familiar scenario: removing the carburetor, disassembly, adjustment ... The result is thirty thousand without comments. Even the emission is normal.
Recently, a light knock that looks like a knock of a valve has been heard from under the hood 21093. It is strange, because the gaps in the gas distribution mechanism have just been adjusted during the next TO.
CHASSIS. In Samara, under warranty, the front racks were replaced, which from the first day did not depreciate anything and knocked loudly. At the next (30,000 km), the right ball support had to be replaced. The backlash appeared in it, despite the fact that the turpentine was intact and lubrication was enough.
Skoda, according to subjective sensations, decreased the effectiveness of shock absorbers, although crime has not yet been observed: the car does not jump on the road. Nevertheless, there is a suspicion that the replacement of the racks is just around the corner.
Brakes. The front pads on the nine were replaced with the 22nd thousand. Her opponent is still working relatives and, as we believe, ten thousand are still passing. In the winter-spring slush in the rear drums of Samara, a characteristic crunch was heard during braking. And the most unpleasant: it is worth putting pressure on the pedal harder, as the rear pads sharply and unexpectedly grab tightly.
Electrical equipment. Felicia had to twice change the cracked glass of foggy. Once they replaced the headlight assembly, after which they decided to abandon such costs - expensive. There were no traces of stones at broken glasses, and the drills do not fly so aimed. Apparently, the blame of the glasses is to blame. During the next then, on Skoda, a distributor cover and high -voltage wires were replaced (under warranty). The nests in the lid and the tips of the wires were very oxidized. Once the car did not want to start - the starter was inactive due to the oxidation of the contact. In general, the Russian slurry penetrates under the hood of an imported car more actively than he would like.
Although Samara looks no better. In the spring, the nine began to stall regularly - at the most inopportune moment, the ignition cut off. Sinned for alarm. After its inspection, experts rejected our accusations. Then they discovered the acidic mass of the switch. Cleaned, but the tricks with the disappearing spark continue. It seems that a serious audit of the wiring is coming.
SALON. Here, the domestic technique distinguished itself in full: doors upholstery fall off, pistons and screws fall out of everywhere, plastic overlays from the seats flew off, the handle of the glass and the rear views adjusted the luggage mirrors broke down. All this makes unimaginable sounds - creaks, cracks and groans. The finish was never the strength of our cars and, it seems, will not be.
Felicia, succumbing to bad influence, also began to make sounds from the left door. But the jumped upholstone of the upholstery was enlightened with his fist, and she calmed down.
...AND SO ON. During the sink, the windshield burst in the nine, Amalgam began to bargain from the left external mirror. The wipers are barely euthered, the cleaning sector has decreased. Skoda in heavy rain passes moisture into the salon. A few drops of water appears under the feet of the front passenger. Most likely, the windshield is undergoing. The leak is not strong, but we did not expect such lead from a foreign car. The native wipers did not immediately want to function normally, and they were replaced by the champions. Fuel consumption in Felicia is stable - 8.4 l/100 km. Samara's appetite has grown noticeably in winter - almost nine liters per hundred. Winter tires of increased size brought their contribution to this.
Tires. Skoda for the winter shoes in the non-navigated tires of the M-232 partner 175/70 R13 produced by the Moscow tire factory. Our rubber has established itself from the best side, because it allows you to confidently move around the rolled snow and in porridge of talus snow, it makes no noisy and, which was unexpected, completely unhealthy in appearance, it grinds perfectly in loose snow - Felicia will rather sit on a low belly, what to block.
The English hissed Sterling 185/70 R13 left the winter for nine. Its main plus is patency in loose snow. There are much more minuses: noise, gasoline consumption and, most importantly, intensive thorns. There are almost no left by spring. And what else can you demand from ... cheap naval tire? After all, Sterling is restored tires. Conclusion: If there are no funds for proven tires from the eminent foreign manufacturer, it is better to choose domestic ones. Fortunately, there are enough offers from our factories today.
Warranty, service. We conducted car maintenance at the service station of Divers Motors. Skoda went there for a guarantee. We have no complaints about the quality of work. Nobody tried to write off the warranty malfunctions for improper operation, however, we did not download the rights about the bent wheel of the wheel or broken headlight.
Gagarin-Lada, a branded technical center Gagarin-Lada was engaged in the warranty repair of our ninety-third. Well, what to say here? To replace the rumbling front racks under the guarantee, I had to walk around the authorities for a couple of days, and then wait a few months until the scarce details appear in stock.
It is much easier and faster to buy ill -fated racks in a neighboring store and install on the nearest garage service, and not bother busy people from a guarantee. Many VAZ owners, having talked with an unobtrusive service, do so - they take care of time and health, but not money.
The second time we turned to a guarantee for a different reason, not at all a guarantee: it was necessary to repair the storm of Samara that suffered in the accident. At first we made a calculation, then we repaired the car for a long time and stubbornly and eventually demanded a fair amount of surcharge - they say, during the repair the price increased. The work took more than a month. But the most interesting: painted details over the three winter months have been overwhelmed! So expensive and long, in relation to Gagarin Lada, does not mean good at all.
The first results. A year for a car is not age, and thirty -five thousand is not a run. But still you can try to draw some conclusions.
Nine did not become a revelation for us: a completely working car, if you treat it as a utilitarian vehicle, not pay attention to gross manufacturing, wretched finishes and independently remove numerous, albeit small flaws. The imported school is also not sinless - there were still minor breakdowns. The general culture of the manufacture of a Czech car is much higher - neat painting and assembly of the body, a cozy, pleasantly trimmed salon, a minimum of factory marriage.
The content of Felicia throughout the first year turned out to be somewhat cheaper than Samara. The difference is especially noticeable if you correlate the cost of operation at today's price of cars. Nine today costs $ 3800, Skoda - $ 6900. The branded service of a cheap Russian machine is disadvantageous!
Samara allows you to save not only on the purchase, but also on the maintenance, if you serve and repair it yourself or use the services of an inexpensive master. By the way, Skoda is also a very simple car, maintenance and repair of it is quite possible for anyone who can cope with the same nine. This will save you from spending on repairs, but you can’t get anywhere from the purchase of spare parts. And the price for them for Skoda is sometimes three or more times above Samara. Prices for consumables for Skoda (filters, pads) are not much higher than for the same high -quality details for our car.
NEXT TIME
We will drive a skeleton on off -road. This is not her element, but there is a suspicion that she is not as helpless there as it is commonly believed.
Let's try to sell cars to evaluate the secondary price and demand in the secondary market.
We will carry out the most common repair work to compare the complexity and complexity of the repair.
Work for the year
VAZ 21093: replacement of windshield, installing the rear view mirror, adding oil (1 liter), replacing brake pads, replacing the ball support, adjustment of the tickling (three times), repairing the corburetor, replacing the bracket stretching.
Skoda-Felicia: replacement of wipers, replacing the fog light and glass to it.
Warranty work
VAZ 21093: repair of a seat belt lock, adjusting the door locks, replacing the front suspension racks, repairing the hydraulic tank of the headlights.
Skoda-Felicia: carburetor repair, replacement of the distributor cover, high-voltage wires, wiper relay.
Igor Solidov. Photo by the author
Source: The magazine "Driving"
