Skoda Felicia 1995 test drive - 2001 -
"FELICE"
Appearing in the Russian market just three years ago, Czech Felicia became the most popular among foreign cars of its class. Moscow salons sell up to thirty cars a month. What is the secret to the success of this model, tried to figure it out As a survey of a dozen buyers showed, including people with an average income and representative offices of firms and institutions, Felicia immediately attracts its rational price and the best than domestic Lada and Samara, quality. It can be seen with the naked eye: a pretty car is well painted, interior details are made of pleasant material, they are perfectly fixed and neatly fitted to each other. Under the hood is also a complete order. It is very difficult to find sloppically laid. In a word, the Czechs learned to work, as is customary at the Folkswagen concern factories, part of which Skoda has become since 1991.
Outwardly, Felicia looks more modern than Samara. The station wagon option was especially successful, attracting a useful volume of the body and, by the way, so far that has no analogues in the family of front -wheel drive vases (the VAZ 2111 model on the basis of dozens of VAZ 2110 has not yet entered the sale). But truly pleasant surprises begin when you open the driver's door and sit in the salon.
On Felicia, the height of the roof and jambs of the doors is relatively more than in Samara, so it is more convenient to enter the salon and get out of it to the driver and passengers of Skoda. This is also facilitated by the fact that the seats pillows are located closer to the threshold - you do not have to bend and dive into the depths of the cabin, as well as wiped dirt from the threshold with trousers.
Compared to VAZ 2108, 2109, there is more the distance from the lower edge of the steering wheel to the back and the seat pillow, significantly more spacious above the head.
As for passengers in the back seat, for them a higher roof creates additional comfort. The distance between the back of the front seat and the rear pillow (200-357 mm in extreme positions) provides passengers with a very convenient landing, which is especially valuable during long travel.
By the way, the rear seat can be folded for transporting a long cargo, however, the laying order differs from Vazovsky: the back lies on the pillow, which is then thrown forward. It is easy to turn the car into a van by dismantling the rear seat (in Samara it is much more difficult to do.)
It should be noted, however, that the volume of the Felicia trunk (0.27 m3) due to the relatively short posterior body of the body is small (VAZ 2108 - 0.33 m3). The location of the upper shelf allows you to transport higher objects, and the lower edge of the rear door, reaching the bumper, saves strength during loading them.
Felicia has a very small force on the clutch pedal compared to Samara (the drive is also cable here), and its move is noticeably smaller. The manipulation of the gear lever for accuracy of inclusion and the moves of both machines are almost the same. However, the inclusion scheme adopted for Felicia does not allow an erroneous choice of rear stroke instead of the first transmission, familiar to the inexperienced owners of Samara.
The modern in shape panel of the instruments is functional and pleases the eye with the texture of plastic. And here is a plus compared to vases. On the shield of the LX execution devices next to the speedometer is a clock.
In the modification of GLX, their place has been occupied by a tachometer since this year. But the car that we are going to test is the cheapest, so you are not surprised at the absence of the console between the seats (the gear lever literally sticks out of the floor), nor unrequited in width (1: 2) with the rear seat.
Felicia, intended for the Russian consumer, is different than for European countries: reinforced springs and shock absorbers in the suspension, electric heating and glass cleaner, a 55 A.Ch battery (not 42, as on the basic model). Without this set, the car is not supplied to Russia for official dealers.
As for the power system, a 1300 cm3 engine is offered a choice of three varantants: carburetor, central injection and distributed (it has been placed since 1997).
Pretty old in design, but the reduced engine 1300 - with aluminum block and cylinder head, which has retained the lower distribution shaft and the bar drive of the upper valves. Its capacities (40 kW/54 hp) are quite an unpretentious motorist - in terms of speed indicators, Felicia is practically not inferior to Samara with an engine of the same volume, and surpasses it in terms of elasticity of operation. The 75-horsepower felicia with the Volkswagen motor (1.6 l) is almost three thousand dollars more expensive.
The engine is easy to start, and you do not need to cover the air damper with your hand - the automatic starting device of the carburetor Pirburg is operating (produced in the Czech Republic under the license). This quality is notable, especially valuable in winter conditions. Felicia was well adapted to the Russian winter.
In terms of accelerating dynamics, Felicia and Samara with a 1300 cubic engine are almost equivalent. However, having got out of the city where the car behaved very briskly, I felt at a speed of about 100 km/h a clear lack of power - here our domestic counterpart would clearly burst forward. And how is Felicia with controllability? I must say right away: those who love more sports riding, the steering of front -wheel drive vases will have more to taste. So, the number of revolutions from the stop to the stop in Samara is 3.2, Felicia is 3.7. But the ease of control of the felicia suggests the presence of a steering hydraulger. However, it is not there, but in this parameter, especially important for female drivers, the car gives a competitor to the lawyer.
At a speed of 90 km/h in the Skodovsky salon is quiet, there is no creaking of plastic parts of the upholstery and the instrument panel. The sound of the engine significantly increases only after reaching 100 km/h. In the city of stitches on the asphalt and other small potholes of small size, Felicia with two people passes less loud than Samara. A noticeably softer suspension, on the one hand, cannot but like it, and on the other, it suddenly manifests itself in the irregularities that Samara would not feel.
The main reason for the alarm behind the wheel of Felicia was not to come across a well -protruding hatch of a well or just a large stone. Clearance (lower point of the car to the road), measured under the gearbox, at Skoda - only 110 mm. So the installation of protection that is not included in the Russian package is a matter of paramount importance.
But what about anti -corrosion treatment? - readers will be interested. It is just not worth doing. The factory coating of the bottom, thresholds and wheeled arches with a playsol is so durable that even after a run of 70 thousand km (after three -year operation) it looks like new.
The brake system of the Czech car works excellently. The front mechanisms have non -preferenced discs, like our vases, a diagonal drive, an amplifier of the brakes, a negative shoulder of the front wheels - all this set of now standard requirements for safe braking has Felicia.
Separately about tires. They are soundless, 165/70R13, supplied by Barum (Czech Republic) and Matador (Slovakia). Their walk on Russian roads is on average - about 60 thousand km, which corresponds to the durability of tire analogues of leading world manufacturers.
After the run, I call in one of the workshops where Felicia is served. I am interested in: how do her fit maintenance and repair evaluate its fitness? It turns out that if the car was bought from an official dealer, in addition to the mandatory replacement of nodes that failed in the warranty period, TO-1 after 1.5 thousand km is also made here for free. Access to the power unit in the engine compartment is evaluated perfectly. It is a pity that the designers did not really take care of his mud. The factory defect is the unsuccessful placement of the sparkling system (the right headlight, where water falls on it) - the mechanics on the service eliminate themselves, transferring the device above, to the mudguard (in some car dealerships this operation is included in pre -sale preparation). Mechanics noted the high quality of assembly and installation works performed on the conveyor. All parts and units are fixed reliably, but the screws and nuts, however, can be easily unscrewed if necessary.
The operating experience of ten cars before a run of about 70 thousand km showed the following. The wear resistance of the brake pads is excellent - the front requires replacement after 30 thousand km, the rear ones with a 70 thousandth mileage are still quite suitable. The parking brake is reliable and does not require frequent adjustment (by the way, from the inside of the cabin, between the front seats). As a drawback, it is worth noting the increased noise of the chain drive of the lower camshaft after 50 thousand km. This is caused by the absence of a chain tensioner. The noise indicates that the chain stretched and violated the phases of gas distribution. As a result, powerful indicators worsened. It is difficult to replace the elongated chain without removing the power unit, and the cost of this work in the car service is quite high.
In general, Felicia is evaluated as a very reliable and trouble -free car, the design of which the plant improves, taking into account Russian experience. For example, often falling off after salty winter baths, the contacts of the back of the back of the rear stroke are now replaced by a reliable terminal connection on the gearbox crankcase.
General result: Felicia, of course, costs the money that is paid for it. Sometimes they ask why she does not have air conditioning, electric windows and many more, which is included in the standard equipment, for example, Korean cars. The answer is simple: our customers are given the opportunity to make the cheapest option. If there is money, you can buy Felicia with a Volkswagen engine with a volume of 1.6 liters. Soon the family will be diesel. One thing is clear - the car won a good reputation due to the high quality of manufacture, reliability, more modern than that of Russian, appearance, thought out ergonomics. And it is not a sin to pay for this.
Felicia pendants: a - back; B - front.
Vyacheslav Mamedov.
Source: The magazine "Driving"
