Subaru Justy test drive since 2008 hatchback

Weekend

Subaru Justy 4wd. It is pleasant to stop his eyes on his laconic appearance. The design of calm lines and discreet solutions. It is hard to say about just that he is recognizable in the stream. Although, in truth, the Russians are simply not enough for the Russians. Subaru Justy 4WD cannot be called a constant all -wheel drive. This is rather a front -wheel drive car with a connected rear -wheel drive. A car for an expert. Anyone who bought Justy understands why he chose this particular model and when he may need all -wheel drive. True, the car is sufficiently hardy and permanent operation in all -wheel drive mode will withstand - in exchange for increased fuel consumption. But for a constant all -wheel drive mode, a machine with other characteristics is more suitable.

 

And the owner of Justy will ride it every day, as in an ordinary small city car, using only front -wheel drive. But now it comes to visit the cottage or edge of the forest in search of snowdrops, or the seasonal thaw threatens to destroy the dream of a long-forgotten hunting house, a sauna on the shore of a clean lake or the field tests of the setter+ 175-mm Subaru Justy will allow you to successfully force the puddle and overcome a small parapet . And the all -wheel drive included in difficult times implements all other advantages of the original design. A small city car will become a small SUV.

 

We took two models for the test. The first is the 5-door hatchback Subaru Justy 4wd 1.2 GL II with a 5-speed manual gearbox.

 

Designers showed great concern for passengers. The door opening angle is optimal. He opened, and at the end of the door the sticker: what size should there be, what pressure is permissible in them. Inside on the same door there are several stickers about all -wheel drive - how and what to turn on. On each of the four doors there is a lock button, and large pockets along the entire length. On the torpedo - an extensive shelf, a glove compartment of acceptable capacity, on the tunnel between the front seats numerous containers for a variety of trifles. The chair is very comfortable. Front - with headrests. The rear has even more solid lateral support than the front ones. The back of the rear sofa is divided in half and in a folded state forms an even and comfortable cargo platform. There are plenty of places for sitting in front. The feeling of space creates the lack of a familiar beard for the receiver and other additional equipment.

 

The transmission is located so deep that the floor turned out to be almost even and the gear lever looks somehow lonely on it. On top of the head of the lever red button 4wd. He drowned her with a light movement - all -wheel drive turned on. In this case, do not stop or choose some kind of special mode of movement. It took - pressed. After a couple of seconds, the drive will work.

 

The design of the devices has been worked out very soundly. A speedometer, tachometer, coolant temperature indicator and fuel level indicator are visual and well read. In the middle of the dashboard is a four -wheel drive icon. When it is turned on, on the diagram of the machine (top view), four wheels and the 4WD inscription are displayed in green. And no block of control lamps. The steering is informative and, despite the lack of an amplifier, is very light. The radius of the turn is only 4.9 m. The three -spoke steering wheel has the optimal diameter, it is pleasant to the touch and does not cover the devices. The left steering wheel lever controls the light, the right - wipers.

 

The pedals are very conveniently spaced. The effort on them is minimal.

 

The stove is good. Warm air begins to enter the salon for minutes one and a half minutes. Five minutes - and it becomes frankly hot. In addition, how to control the heater, is very intelligibly explained by iconograms.

 

The mirror in the cabin is ordinary, both external are spherical.

 

Justy luggage compartment opens with a cabin with a cabin or a key outside. There is also a comfortable, always clean handle in a recess over a license plate. Little trunk. It is wide, but shallow: here under the floor is waiting for a small -sized spare wheel (dock) and there is an independent rear suspension with a rigidly fixed gearbox and swinging semi -sun. All this is collected on a powerful subframe.

 

The front suspension is also attached to the subframe, on which there is also an engine protected from below with a small pallet. The longitudinal beam additionally protects the engine. By connecting a light body and two massive subframes, the designers received the optimal balance of weight and strength. In the front suspension, the traditional Macpherson system with the original reptile stability stabilizer was used. Nothing sticks out from below, everything is removed and protected.

 

Subaru Justy is equipped with a very interesting engine. At first glance, its working volume is small - 1.2 liters. But due to the small size of the motor compartment, the designers limited themselves to only 3 cylinders, for which this volume already seems huge. Any 3-cylinder engine is subject to strong vibration, so I had to install a balancer shaft. To increase power and torque, the engine is equipped with 3 valves per cylinder, but they are acted by only one distribution shaft. The carburetor has the observation window in the float chamber familiar to the older drivers. The engine is designed for high-octane gasoline, not lower than AI-95. This once again confirms that Subaru Justy is a city resident, not a rural worker.

 

The trip to Justy 1.2 GL II left a very pleasant impression. The suspension is short-term, in sporting stiff. A good ratio of power and weight and well -chosen gear ratio of transmission gives the car an enviable renunciation that is not always characteristic of small class cars. But high exchange rate stability gave special pleasure: you turn on 4x4 on a slippery road - and as if the cat had released claws. In addition, Subaru was shod in the Michelin 165/65 R13 MXL tires suitable for the season.

 

The second participant in the dough was Subaru Justy 4 WD 1.2 S II with a 3-door body. The angle of opening of the doors is slightly smaller. There is a washer of the front headlights. On the instrument panel there is a modest unit of control lamps. The on -wheel drive button is also on the lever, but a little shifted in such a way that it can be turned on with a thumb. Front seats with electric heating. A special praise deserves the penetration scheme into the back seat. Having opened the door, you need to press a large key, and the seat will move forward, opening access back. The rear passenger to get out of the car, you need to press the conveniently located pedal - the back of the seat will easily lean back. Despite the small size, behind the Justy can be quite conveniently settled. The seats themselves are good, there is a space above your head, a little space for the legs, finally, there is an ashtray. And what is very rare in 3vdver cars of a small class - the rear side windows open. True, neoshiroko, but the influx of fresh air is guaranteed.

 

The main difference between two models is a transmission. Instead of a mechanical checkpoint, this Subaru Justy 1.2 S II has ECVT - Electro Continuosly Variable Transmission, which is called a transmission with a continuous change in torque in Russian. The presence of ECVT is evidenced by inscriptions on all doors and the abbreviation on the lever. In such a small and inexpensive car, such a complex system is a rarity.

 

Acceleration occurs in the maximum use mode of torque in the range to 3500 rpm. Having not received a command from the gas pedal to further increase in speed, electronics reduces speed to 2000 rpm. - The engine converts into the smallest fuel consumption mode. There are no jerks, only smooth movement forward. Review of gas pressing is instant, there is no thoughtful automata characteristic of some automatic machines. If you need to accelerate rapidly, a sharp press on the pedal gives the command not to lose speed after 3500 rpm, and the engine goes into maximum power revolutions. Acceleration is still smooth, only more intensively. The sensation is very unusual, since the car remains just as compliant and supple. The engine works quietly, without a tear and does not hint at all that it is time to let go of the pedal. 5000 vol./Min. Justy is typing instantly and demonstrates complete readiness to move in this mode further.

 

Unlike a car with an ordinary automatic machine, a car equipped with ECVT, in position D, you should not hold the brake - it is calm in place. The instruction insists that the control of the gear selector is the same as the usual machine gun. For example, you can turn on the engine only in the P or N position. But the experiment showed that this can be done with any position of the lever, including with the forbidden D.

 

If you do not require just sports victories, then, regardless of the type of transmission, you will receive the pleasure of driving behind this machine, and enjoy the advantages of all -wheel drive, and save on operating expenses, and in a conversation with friends will be proudly thrown: when I am on my Subaru+.

 

Strange box

CVT ECVT

Remember what was the most difficult when you first got behind the wheel? Well, of course, learn to handle the gearbox. Not only do you need to steer, but also switch speeds, and squeeze the clutch each time. Over time, of course, automatism appears, but for many, especially for women, it still remains a mystery why this box is needed at all.

 

Unfortunately, you cannot do without it. The engine provides the desired power only in a rather narrow range of speed, and to transmit torque, depending on the speed of the car, you have to turn on a combination of gears.

 

For those who have not mastered the lever of a mechanical box or fundamentally do not want to branch their feet, came up with an automatic box in which the driver is not chosen, but the machine gun - a hydrotransformer. The design is quite massive and complex, but it provides comfort. Automatic boxes in the USA and Japan are especially popular, and they prefer mechanical in Europe. The disadvantage of both of them is that switching occurs stepped, and engine capabilities are not used in an ideal way.

 

Meanwhile, more than 100 years ago, the car experienced a fundamentally different design of the torque transmission device. The idea is extremely simple: the leading and driven shafts are connected by the belt. The shafts are conical, the tops of the cones are directed in opposite directions. When moving the belt along the shafts, the gear ratio changes smoothly. This idea did not find practical application until the 80s until the Van Doorn company, with the participation of FIAT, was not able to create a workable design of the transmission with a smooth transmission of torque - CVT (Continously Variable Transmission).

 

Such a transmission is used on the Subaru Justy 4WD 1.2 S II car. The creators added to its name the word Electro - ECVT, since it uses electromagnetic clutches. In the transmission, 2 pulleys are the leader and the driven, each of which is rigidly fixed on its own shaft. The pulleys are connected by the belt, and their lateral parts are made mobile. When the sidewalls move, the belt is squeezed upward, to a larger diameter, when they are parted - it goes down to the smaller one. The gear ratio changes smoothly and in a very wide range, which is almost 30% more than in a 5-speed mechanical gearbox.

 

The main secret of the transmission is in the design of the drive belt. It is 2 steel flexible guide tapes, between which several hundred trapezoidal plates are clamped, individually selected for each belt. The composition of steel Van Doorn holds secretly and does not sell licenses for the belt.
 
 

 

Source: Motor magazine [No. 1/1996]