Test drive Volkswagen Golf V 5 doors 2003 - 2008 hatchback

Basic values

They're alike. Very similar. But you do not immediately recognize them in the profile. This is the generation of the 21st century. Modern forms, lack of defiant elements, verified ideal silhouettes. And it is not so important which of them is a Japanese, who German is all steadily striving for a certain average denominator. Another ten to twenty years will pass, and the world auto industry will begin to release a single model of Class C. And there will be neither Judea nor Hellenes. But while the differences remained ...
In the classroom with the toughest competition, if only because it accounts for most of the release of world automakers. And also due to the fact that the delta (profit) received here from sale is much less than in classes with large sizes. And after all, it is important, on this front you will not be too much and you will not understand the mass consumer of neither too cool avant -garde, nor too nostalgic retro, nor special deviations in forms and proportions. For any sharp changes, statistics indicators may worsen, measured at least hundreds of thousands per year. And it is precisely the desire to appeal to everyone that is steadily leading to the averaging of all qualities and characteristics, as well as the desire to maximize the costs, gives rise to a logical result: models from a variety of nurseries are gradually led to a single common denominator.
Our three hatchs of the same sizes and layouts with engines of close volumes and power. But if the Nissan Almera and Toyota Corolla direct competitors in the time of appearance, price and potential clientele, then the third participant in the dough stands apart. This is the founder of the Volkswagen Golf class of the last, fifth generation. It is more expensive by a third and in this indicator goes beyond the genre. But does golf have the right to jump out of the niche occupied, taking into account his name?!
Now, with other close parameters, hatch-beki is more expensive than sedan. The four -door often turns out to be the dream of Cinderella, the first foreign car for the family spoiled by the Vazov masterpieces. And a short body with five doors, more common in cramped Europe (as if in Moscow is spacious!), We have a sign of a refined taste of the owner, not too constrained in the means to choose the most budget car. The once more metal -intensive sedans were more valuable, but now the hatch looks cooler, evaluated above and is often made better than the sedan. Well, the expensive golf very consistently follows this concept. But for fair assessments, it is necessary to be impartial, and therefore for the time being we will not look into the price lists or the emblems of manufacturers.

DYNAMICS
In fairness, I will say all three cars behave unusually briskly and gain speed much more vigorously than you expect from a modest one hundred and a small horses supplemented by an automaton. But our task is to find three differences, and not to look for the general.
The longest in the ALMERA market. But she does not have an engine of 1600 cm3, like competitors. But the power is 116 liters. With. Exceeds Toyotovskaya by six forces, and Golfovskaya by one. That is why the dynamic indicators of the entire trinity are approximately equal. But subjectively Nissan behaves more lively. In part, this impression arises from the howl of the engine with an increase in gas. After 4,000 revolutions, the motor begins to vote, as if it slipping the clutch, and the next transmission to the automatic transmission does not switch, even if the pedal is squeezed to the floor. You have to noticeably let go of the foot to switch to a higher gear. The switching itself occurs quickly, but without shocks in the transmission. The exceptionally soft operation of the automatic box even suggests that the variator is used in the transmission, as, say, in a related example. You can even calculate the Almer automatic machine with the standard of combination of comfort and the clarity of switching. And the reverse process, that is, braking by the engine, is also very energetic here: it is worth removing the leg from the accelerator pedal, as soon the box will flow down and begin to significantly slow down the running car.
Toyota is more restrained by the response to a set of gas occurs with a minimum, but quite noticeable delay. And another remark of an overly soft pedal. Because of this, it is not easy to dose the volume of fuel that you intend to burn for the desired acceleration. But the acoustics here are at a height and the motor buzzing is barely audible. But pulls evenly and responsive! The Corolla has very sensitive brakes. It is enough just to press the pedal slightly, as the car begins to slow down quickly. And at the same time, there are no clicks, departures from the trajectory and other negative reactions!
But where the brake system corresponds to the spirit of the new century, it is on VW. In the case of an emergency decrease in speed, the built -in Brake Assist system saves. If you come to suddenly transfer the leg from gas to the brake, then be prepared for the fact that Golf V will read your panic movement as an order for an immediate stop. And then you will feel that the car dramatically settles on all four wheels. True, this does not mean at all that you are forced to action that you did not order: it is also electronics that reacts to the driver’s actions almost instantly. And in the end it may turn out that the brakes are bitten. But after a two -day race, addiction is produced. The electronic gas pedal also allows you to accurately dose the desired opening of the damper. If you keep it close to the maximum, then the new FSI engine with direct injuries shows just miracles. And if you accelerate on the floor, then sometimes it even seems that you were given a much more powerful car than 1.6/115 liters. With. But it is only desirable to adhere to the high -speed zone. And if you wish to stay at the level of three to four thousand, you notice how the burden disappears and accelerations begin to only correspond to the average expected from the golf class.

CONTROLLABILITY
The most pronounced front-wheel drive specifics in Nissan. Like an arrow with a heavy tip, a car with a heavy muzzle clings perfectly with loaded front wheels even for a wet and slippery coating. But it turns reluctantly that you have to slightly stimulate it by breaking off the gas in order to drive to the desired trajectory. But, having made this initial throw, Almera comes into mutual contact with the driver. And then it can move in the right direction with sufficient accuracy. But in the case of maneuvers in a limited space, in parking or turning, the machine can disappoint you due to the insufficient angle of rotation of the front wheels.
Two opposite qualities get along in Almer. On the one hand, it is much tougher than analogues, and not only two today. A short -flowing suspension does not allow you to tear off the legs from the coating even with serious lateral overloads. But on the uneven road, Almera makes a reduction in the pace, shaking the soul from riders. And at the same time, in the literal sense of the word, the car is at such a high level that it is not inclined to cling to the thresholds or the bottom, even when crossing tall borders and impressive country irregularities.
Toyota has more proportional weighting along the axes and it does not have such a pronounced insufficient controllability. True, the work of the queens of the Corolla is somewhat slurred, cotton. There are no obvious breakdowns, no rolls, but there is not enough information content, and it is not clear whether your car liked how you overcome tram tracks or not. The steering, equipped with an electric power, does not accurately transfers the forces attached through the steering wheel to the wheels. At first you twist the steering wheel easily and quickly, and through one turning, the efforts suddenly increase. And the road is not at all the reason. But if you renounce large corners, then with small steering shoes the result is almost jewelry. From all this, we can conclude that remarkable accuracy of the steering of Corolla would like to see with a different, more adequate amplifier.
Toyota holds leadership in vain. Here is the largest glazing area and a high landing of the driver for the ceiling. And even the rear mirror in the SOL version, which we are considering today, electricchrome, darkening when direct rays hit.
When you transplant behind the wheel of a German car, you understand what so much money is requested for. But for this you need to love and be able to ride only then you can appreciate the magnificent qualities of Volkswagen. You are located behind the wheel of the fifth golf and you understand that the asceticism of the interior decoration is not a shortage of designers, but only a special psychological technique, with the help of which the attention of the driver can be transferred from the beauty of the surroundings to the main functions. Indeed, the car for $ 30,000 will steer perfectly. A unambiguous, clearly expressed zero, to which the bagel strives stubbornly, but easy. Adequate to the turn of the steering wheel changes in the direction of movement are comparable only to the aircraft traffic. And at the same time, it cannot be said that the steering wheel is too sharp, requiring the verification of movements and extreme caution from the driver. Volks also manifests itself in sharp turns, on stop. The cranes of the body are minimal, and the tenacious is excellent. Undoubtedly, expensive tires and a low center of gravity helped to achieve such results.
But the folk car is quite a bourgeois cling to the off-road obstacles both in bumper and the bottom. Therefore, it is better not to move off the asphalt.
Ergonomics
Here, of course, it would be better to look at the pictures, or even live cars in car dealerships, but you can say a few words. Firstly, the quality of the Nissan and Toyota decoration is much nicer than the eye, ear and hand than the hard, semi-ermanian plastic Golf V. And there can be no two opinions. If in both Japanese machines the back of the front seats are comfortable and high, with a pronounced support in the shoulder zone, then in the German standard, with all the external prettiness of the saddle, neither I nor other accomplices of the test post could find the optimal position. Before the automatic transmission selector in the golf are two oblique struts supposedly to increase rigidity, as in sports cars. In fact, this is complete props. But it seems that between the spacers you can quit something like a pack of cigarettes or notebook. You should not do this, because this item will soon fly under your feet through the holes under these very scarves, and then it may have to be removed during movement. And this is not at all safe.
From the point of view of the convenience of landing Toyota and Volkswagen will be more interesting at the expense of pens for natural grip. Golf has over -panoramic external mirrors, and objects along their edges are distorted to complete inability.
The steering wheel of the queen is not only more convenient for all in the cross section and arrangement of the knitting needles, but also moves on to itself, which allows you to take a convenient position. I dwell on this because before on this model the column was not regulated by departure, which prevented all citizens from driving comfortably above 170 cm. Maybe therefore Corolla was perceived as a female car? But in the configuration of SOL and with a five -door body, the car has become quite male.
And finally, about the musical properties of experimental. In obvious leaders here Almera. Her low, chest voice caresses the rumor of a music lover. The radio radio radio tape recorders sound worse. And Golf does not even have a driving music from the steering wheel ...
   
  
Nissan almera
   
Toyota Corolla
   
Volkswagen Golf v
   
 
Text Vladimir Smirnov photo Alexander Nozdrin
 

Source: Cars