Test drive Volkswagen Passat B6 2005 - 2010 sedan

How will it be in Russian?

These cars are united by not only a comparable price. In the coming years, they will most likely be released in Russia. What are the cars in Russian conditions? In search of answers to the training ground, Mikhail Gzovsky went. Photo: Alexander Batyr.
 
Nissan Teana
He made his debut in 2003 in Tokyo, sold in China under the name Tian Lai, in Australia as Maxima, in South Korea as Samsung SM7.
Engines: gasoline, 2.03.5 l (136245 hp).
Gearbox: 4-speed automatic, variator.
Configurations: Luxury, Luxury S, Luxury S-R, Premium, Premium S,
Premium s-r.
Price: 811 9381 204 938 rub.
($ 31 60046 900).
Ford Mondeo
Presented at the 2007 Geneva salon with Hatchback bodies, sedan, station wagon.
Engines: gasoline, 1.62.5 l (125220 hp), diesel 2.0 liters (130 hp).
Gearboxes: 5-, 6-speed mechanical and 6-speed automatic.
Ambiente, Trend, Ghia, Ghia X, Titanium, Titanium X.
Price: 615 000975 000 rub.
($ 24,00038,000).
Volkswagen Passat
He celebrated the premiere at the 2005 Geneva salon, a station wagon appeared a few months later.
Engines: gasoline, 1.63.2 l (115250 hp), diesel, 1.9 and 2.0 l (105170 hp).
Gearboxes: 5-, 6-speed mechanical and 6-speed automatic.
Complete: Trendline, Comfortline, Sportline, Highline.
Price: 664 9101 339 672 rub.
($ 25 90052 100).
Toyota Camry
The sixth generation of Kamri debuted in January 2006 in Detroit. In Russia, the car appeared on sale only two months later.
Engines: gasoline, 2.4 and 3.5 liters (167 and 277 hp).
Gearboxes: 5-speed mechanical, 5-, 6-speed automatic.
Complete: Comfort, Elegance, Prestige, Lux.
Price: 868 4001 208 600 rub.
($ 33 \u200b\u200b80047 000).
Peace is registered
Thean is an example of a point marketing policy. The model was designed specifically for the Chinese market. As it turned out, and Russia comes up! This is evidenced by sales. Yes, the design is hard to call it exquisite or original. The car is heavy, from whatever angle look. But this is exactly what attracts customers.
I open the door a similar picture. Monumental front panel made in the simplified style of infinity; Restrained dark colors of plastics and skin. Nothing here should cause irritation or distract. To begin with, I take a place on the back sofa. For some reason, looking at the car, you can imagine a middle-aged businessman or official who will not bother with management. The chic look of the seat does not deceive here very comfortably, only the inclination of the pillow is such that you gradually move forward during the trip. Touch!
Thean is removed from the anchor and is almost silently swimming along the highway of the landfill, perfectly imitating the Russian highway. The driver gradually increases the speed to 120, and the sensations practically do not change. The wind seems to go around the car, the engine is as if separated from the cabin with a lead wall and is listened only to when the kick downs is turned on, when the speed is above 4000. The tires are also barely audible and give themselves out only muffled slaps on irregularities. Impressions are complemented by lullary smoothness. Well, the rear passenger in Thean is grace. And while driving?
I drive the seat quickly helped electric drives. A large and solid look of the chair surprises with a too narrow back, and the legs hang on a rather long pillow. None of the experts complained about the uncomfortable location of the steering wheel, but in fairness: Thean is the only one of the four without adjusting the departure column. Strange, right, savings
The direct Thean is magnificent. Even on transcendent speeds of speeds, the steering wheel is absolutely calm, and this calm is transmitted to the driver. No swing, no vibrations on levers and pedals. But it is worth turning onto the mountain road, as the thean is transformed: frightening the rolls and screeching with tires, literally bursts into the turn. The steering wheel is not devoid of informativeness, but that the point of the rear axle is already sliding with might and main, and it is not easy to straighten the matter. And here, with a crunch (and late), a stabilization system comes in, depriving the driver of the opportunity to fully operate the gas pedal. The appearance did not deceive such disciplines not for Nissan. The owner needs only peace.
Blockbuster
If the creators of Mondeo set the task of making a car memorable, then they earned their prize. Everything in its appearance from the head optics, the profile to the shape of the rear lights allows you to identify Ford instantly. Marketers also noted, managing to raise a hype around the car long before it appeared in stores. Participation in the next series of Bondiana Casino Royal affected.
The interior does not leave indifferent: it will seem to be too elegant and playful, but many will exclaim: finally, at least someone made an original salon! There is something to catch on the eye from the aluminum decor of the console and doors (in the configuration of Titanium) to a unique combination of devices.
After some time, the visual effect retreats, I begin to notice other features. To adjust the tilt of the driver's seat (with a complaint to sports!) It is extremely inconvenient to lay your hand into the gap between the chair and the door. Nobody managed to open an ashtray the ashtray the first time. She did not want to move back in response to pressing: they tried to pick up an uncomfortable pen from the bottom to no avail. Only a poke in the upper part leads to a result: heals a finger
Managing Mondeo, he saw a comic picture in the rear -view mirror: three passengers from behind resembled Chinese blades, synchronously shaking their heads from side to side. Passengers also noted significantly higher than Nissan noise, mainly from tires. In fast straight lines, Mondeo seems to be able to help the driver, barely noticeably steering. You are not going to change the course, and the steering wheel deviates slightly from the zero mark: the chassis and body seem to live separately from each other. Strange sensation.
The situation changed radically, it was worth going on the verge. The only serious claim is too easy the steering wheel spoils mutual understanding. But this can be forgiven for an willing dangling into turns for the discharge of gas and unobtrusive, but timely work of stabilization systems.
By the time of the Mondeo test, there was no automatic transmission yet, we were content with five -speed mechanics. Such a Ford on accelerated dynamics turned out to be no worse than the Thean, in whose arsenal 28 hp Arsenal. more. In the city, the motor is not very convenient for only 3000 rpm. Intensive accelerations revealed fuzzy inclusion of the third gear with quick work by a lever.
When I left the cinema, after watching the casino piano, the audience violently discussed the new adventures of agent 007. Many were sad along the pier Brosnan, someone recalled Sean Connery. I liked the film he is modern, dynamic, does not fly out of my head the next day, is remembered like Mondeo.
European school
They say that Europeans and Asians are building cars in a completely different way. Asians first plant on an imaginary driver’s chair and furnish the space around him, covering everything with a body. Europeans draw a body, then roll up the chassis under it and only then place a person inside and surround it with a salon. Of course, this is a joke, but it has a share of truth. You remember this, sitting down in a Volkswagen.
At the first moment, from the driver's seat, it seems that he was mistaken in the class, which was torn almost at the glass, the front panel; A rather narrow salon is a Passat or Jetta?! The body is squeezed by rollers of lateral support, hands fall on a simple, optimal cross -section of the steering wheel, eyes run along the informative scales the first, strongest impression has been achieved!
I let the motor, taking off the key-key in the panel, and touch it. I immediately feel how tougher of competitors there is a Volkswagen, passing each joint of the asphalt canvas on the steering wheel and shuddering squeamishly on the bumps. With the growth of speed, the course becomes smoother, but the noise increases the mirrors, the tires sound ...
But at 140 km/h the steering wheel is accurate and intuitive, and there is no nervousness at all. And what will happen on a mountain road? And here the Passat demonstrates an exemplary bearing. It seems that he is a third lighter than the Thean and five kilometers per hour faster in the stiletto is than Mondeo. Finally, in your hands is just the steering wheel that you are waiting for! Tight, informative in any mode and allows you to set a trajectory with an accuracy of a millimeter.
I really liked the six -speed automatic (it allows you to switch with steering wheel petals, however, it switches to the next gear in addition to the driver's desire) in combination with the gas pedal algorithm. You feel the moment of turning on the kik-doward unconditionally thanks to the step through which you need to be closed with the pedal. Alas, all these advantages are not ready to fully realize a two -liter engine. In the sprint, the Passat is inferior even to the least powerful in Mondeo.
Please slow down! The rear passengers were prayed after the next setting on the serpentine. The environment of this car is good asphalt. He was taught to ride excellently, but in terms of vibrations, passengers in the Volkswagen get most of all.
AVERAGE
At the Russian press conference of Ford, where they announced the plans for Mondeo production in Russia, the words flashed among economic indicators and forecasts: we conceived Mondeo as a direct competitor to Toyota-Kamri.
From twenty steps, the side of the car, standing side by side, raised doubts about this statement. Toyota is not at all like Ford: outwardly, she seems more massive and, moreover, friendly. Inside is also the earth and the sky! This does not mean that one car is worse than the other. As often happens, the color of the salon greatly affects perception. Camry beige finish in combination with a massive front panel creates an atmosphere of lightness and at the same time security.
Sitting in Toyota is most convenient for the wide openings of doors and seats without pronounced, as that of the Thean, and even more so the passat, side support. At the first moment, a slight disappointment covers. Against the background of the stylish minimalism of the Thean, the brightness of Mondeo and the sophistication of the Passat is too ordinary here. But gradually you begin to mark the little things that create a pleasant aura. These are convenient, almost home chairs, and large visual devices, and a steering wheel with climate control keys.
The disharmony brings a rather noisy motor against the other machines a motor, whose specific timbre resembles a sewing machine (not without reason on the emblem of the company I needle ear!). But soon you get used to it and stop noticing how the planes setting up on your cottages.
The brightest line of Camrei is the reference softness to act. Only in it do you realize that the term smoothness of the course comes from the verb swim. At any speed and with almost any relief under the wheels of Toyota, he continues to go, as if on a rubber coating. Probably, in order not to cause the driver, the temptation to engage in slalom, the steering gave an amorphous character: you intuitively understand what angle to turn the steering wheel, but you absolutely do not feel resistance. So, you can go to intuition for quite some time, the benefit of inclinations either to early skidding or demolition. Nevertheless, it is better to postpone experiments with a snake, content with the fact that Camrei is good in a set of speed and elasticity. This is also insisted by an unlotted stabilization system, the work of which is so neat that it can not be noticed at all. It turns out Ford and Toyota Antipodes.
Black to the left, white to the right, the photographer commands, building a title frame. But really! Cars were divided into two camps: black are more suitable for active drivers; But the whites will perfectly cope with the role of a comfortable limousine.
Mikhail GZOVSKY: Close seemingly cars turned out to be oriented towards an absolutely different audience. You travel mostly alone, take a closer look at the Passat and Mondeo. Thana and Kamri will especially like those who are usually placed behind. Toyota’s victory was not obvious to us before the score. The significant advantage of Kamri is outstanding smoothness. But the strongest side of the model is the absence of weaknesses.
Nissan Teana is far from ideal in sled disciplines. The mission of this car to ensure the rest of the rear seat passengers.
General estimate 8.0
+ Good smoothness, magnificent sound insulation, charismatic interior.
- A thoughtful machine, a tendency to drift, an unconstracted back of the rear seat, lack of adjustment of the steering wheel by departure.
Ford mondeo car with character and good sleds. Rejoice at the serpentine, but tires with shaking on the highway.
General assessment 8.1
+ Good accelerated dynamics, reliable behavior in corners, a spacious interior, understandable brakes.
- A shaking suspension, a fairly loud noise, mediocre visibility, plastic creaks.
Volkswagen Passat strict in everything from interior design to sled manners. He loves good roads and who know a lot about management.
General assessment 8.3
+ Honed controllability, fast work of the gearbox, informative steering wheel, high quality finishes, convenient trunk, the availability of protection of the motor compartment.
- A hard suspension, a narrow salon, an insufficiently acceptable engine, an uncomfortable landing on both rows of seats.
Toyota Camry captivates with simple but effective solutions: a spacious salon, lightness and predictability in management, friendly design.
General assessment 8.4
+ Magnificent smoothness of the course, good dynamics, fast work of the box, good work of the stabilization system, the expanse in the rear seat.
- insufficiently informative steering wheel, limiting the volume of the trunk of the lid loop.
   
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

 
 
 

Source: The magazine "Driving"