Toyota Rav 4, Suzuki Grand Vitara: From each – according to his ability
SUV “now in vogue. Agree, the relatively small size, versatile interior, four-wheel drive and, finally, decent ground clearance make such machines perhaps the most suitable for our breadth and lifestyle.
Two-generation Toyota RAV4 has always been at the forefront of this class. Suzuki-Grand Vitara was especially appreciated by those who occasionally moved out of the asphalt. Now on sale model of the new generation.
Has the balance of power changed?
The appearance of the “Grand Vitara” in two words: strict but elegant. No matter which way you come up, not a single extra element: a green “suit” sits on the units, like a uniform on a trimmed officer. And if you put a number of RAV4? The blue dress is fashioned in the latest fashion, the eyelashes of the headlights are skillfully combined … The bride and groom, and only that!
The dimensions of the car are almost the same. Suzuki is slightly longer, narrower and lower, but the difference is negligible. Inside “Toyota” only a bit more spacious in the elbows. The feeling of space in it emphasizes plastic: in the “Grand Vitara” it is coal black and very hard. Even flashy inserts under aluminum do not help, the machine is perceived too prim. There are almost no complaints about ergonomics, except that the seat cushion could be longer, and the lateral support – more. Huge instruments, hidden in three wells, read well. Perhaps only a review through the salon mirror leaves much to be desired. As if having recollected themselves, the designers decided to atone for the blame with huge external mirrors, in which you can not see unless you see yourself.
“Welcome to the RAV” – this inscription on the trip computer “Toyota” is responsible for turning the key in the ignition. “It may be ice on the road” is the next reminder on the screen. I wonder how I guessed, we haven’t moved yet … Oh, yes! The panel also displays the temperature overboard. Perhaps the greeting and reminders do not have much benefit. But when a Japanese car turns to you in Russian, it’s very nice!
The materials in the Toyota cabin are slightly, but better: the plastic is hard too, but it looks more elegant – the color is not so “radical”. A drawer for small things sheltered above the main “glove compartment”, covered with a curtain, as if at a breadbasket. This “cache” opens and closes by pressing a button, and the bottom is covered with a soft “carpet”. Little things again, but pleasant again!
Behind the wheel “Rafik” liked more, although the seat is soft. But lateral support is more noticeable here, and a wide range of adjustments will allow both a fragile girl and a tall man to sit comfortably.
While a number of colleagues, you need to use it. Putting the front seat under my 180 cm, three of us jump back. In the Grandee, subjectively there is more space over the heads of the side passengers, but there is almost no stock left for the knees. In “Toyota” – cozier. The tunnel on the floor protrudes only a couple of centimeters, almost equalizing the rights of the average passenger with neighbors. In addition, the second-row seats can be moved backward, which significantly adds comfort (of course, at the expense of the trunk).
Both cars allow you to transform the configuration of the cabin. Parts of the back sofa in “Toyota” can not only move, but also change the angle of the backs or fold them. Under the floor are a pair of deep comfortable niches for tools and small things. In the “Suzuki” “underground” is much smaller, and the rear seats are fixed.
To decide the outcome of the “battle of the trunk,” measured their volumes in the five-seater configuration. They match up to a liter!
In the town
That was what Chevrolet-Niva should have been! This thought haunted me when it was time to start the engine. The engine in the “Suzuki” at idle – is heard, on the gear lever come small vibrations. As soon as I touched the pedals, I felt their masculine character: they are rather heavy, of course, by passenger standards. In addition, in motion (for some reason, especially in second gear), the work of the transmission is slightly audible. However, everything works well and smoothly. Acceleration is rather sluggish. Motor 140 forces is clearly not for those who like to escape from the stream. Strangely enough, with even performance and unwillingness to “spin”, the “bottoms” of the motor are also very mediocre: at a speed of 70 km / h in the fourth gear, Suzuki carries two adults in a small incline almost without acceleration – even with a fully open throttle.
Our copy is without a stabilization system, so you can easily feel the nuances of controllability. “Grand Vitara” willingly dives into a turn, while body roll is small. If you overdo it with the speed of entering the turn, the car begins to smoothly slide to the outer edge of the turn, but easily returns to a predetermined path, you should correct the course with the steering wheel and the accelerator pedal. At a speed of over 90 km / h, the Grand Vitara becomes noisy: the wind is whistling outside the window, the engine is buzzing, but tires are the most annoying. In fairness: test car shod in studded Cooper Discoverer. Passing the icy and snowy areas at cruising speed, the Suzuki pretty much shakes the riders, and the suspension is transmitted to the body by annoying vibrations.
