Civilization switch test: Sid Meier’s Civilization VI for Switch Reviews

«American» stands out not only in city traffic. We selected our opponents for the test especially meticulously. Indeed, formally, the «Caliber» has slightly outgrown the C-class models, but in terms of the cabin it is clearly close to them. Ground clearance is like that of another SUV, but all-wheel drive is only for Americans. A strange car … Readers’ responses to the material about the presentation of «Caliber» helped (ZR, 2006, No. 6). It was those who were looking at the C-class models that were interested in the car. To heighten interest, we brought together borderline models: a three-door Volkswagen Golf and a five-seater van Ford Focus S-Max.

«DODGE-CALIBER»

Looking at such a monumental car, you expect, if not luxurious, but solid interior trim, rich equipment. Meanwhile, the details of the bright interior seem to come from different cars, and maybe even eras. Rough plastic is too hard, resonant for light tapping. Under the «plywood» cover of the upper glove box there are black heads of self-tapping screws. What car are they from? Well, obviously not from this one, where the leather is on the seats and the steering wheel.

Seating is spacious and relaxed. The seat is comfortable. But in order to raise the backrest, for some reason you need to pull it towards yourself while holding the lever on the left. Is a rotary knob too expensive for a 22,000 greenback car?

Why are the buttons for turning on the air conditioner and heating the glass so tiny and nestled close to the fan handle? The right stalk switch is clearly overloaded. Headlights, fog lights — of course, adjusting the brightness of the instrument cluster — all right, but also a ring for turning on the ceiling lights in this company — in my opinion, too much. By the way, to splash water on the windshield, you don’t have to pull the handle, but push it away from you. Be original, so in everything!

Do you like the current Chrysler design with heavy sidewalls and low windows? I, in principle, do not mind either … But the fee for it is mediocre visibility. There is also little to see in the interior mirror. But the side ones are excellent. The side passengers on the rear sofa will also become victims of the design, if there is a third one between them. Heads will inevitably hit the ceiling under the spectacularly sloping roof. However, five of these cars rarely drive. In addition to group travel, Caliber does not have a small trunk, not at all the height of the car.

On the move, the Dodge Caliber is no less controversial. Engine power is enough. With a quiet ride, there is no need to think about how the variator works there. However, it is worth pressing the pedal to the floor — the tachometer needle flatteringly jumps to the 6000 mark, but the car, having already roared, thinks for a couple of seconds and only then rushes to overtake. You can speed up a little faster by going through the virtual gears manually. But here some habit is needed: it is better not to press the pedal to the floor, but to keep it at 3000-4000 rpm.

Caliber sails quite comfortably on flat roads. True, even here sometimes you need to steer, turning the steering wheel at too noticeable angles. As soon as you go onto a more undulating track, the Dodge shows cargo habits at all: it sways in all directions, you have to constantly work on the steering wheel. It leans noticeably in corners, trying to get out of the trajectory. The only plus of the «American» is that you should not be afraid of high waves and grooves: under the exhaust line — 195 mm, under the engine — all 210! You can go to the dacha without fear . .. But he is still not a summer resident: he is cramped for his family and belongings. Rather, its element is the highways of the extreme West, where there are no intersections, you don’t need to get out to overtake on the oncoming one or refuel the car into the trajectory after the next road wave. A paradox: just for America, a car is made with all-wheel drive … Who are you, Mr. Dodge?

VOLKSWAGEN GOLF

A round yellow lemon can’t compete with a big five-door car? And here it is not! Behind the wheel, it’s not at all crowded, the entrance is no less convenient. True, the landing in the Golf is quite low, and besides, you have to overcome the developed sidewall of the seat in the Sportline configuration. However, this only bothers the rather obese.

Of course, climbing back is not very convenient. But having taken on this work, you find that the three of you are not bad there: there is enough space for your knees, your heads do not rest against the ceiling. Still, the front seat would return to its original position. The fact that it needs to be re-adjusted by putting the passengers back is strange for such a well-thought-out car as a whole. But the trunk behind the backs of passengers is more spacious and comfortable in shape than in the Dodge.

The dynamics of the 2-litre Volkswagen are excellent. Especially if you move the automatic transmission lever to the S (sport) position. Then the “automatic” changes gears faster than usual and does not shift to sixth. There is no need to switch to manual mode.

The performance of the suspension and steering for this class is perhaps the standard. The obedient «German» answers the slightest fluctuations of the steering wheel quickly and clearly. But you remember this nice feature dashingly on not too smooth roads. A very rigid suspension transmits information about each bump not only to the body, but also through the sports seat to the driver. By the way, the chair provides a comfortable, correct, but too strict fit. Perhaps I would not choose this for long trips, especially on Russian roads.

Good brakes. In fact, all those tested showed very good results in this area. But on a Volkswagen, deceleration is easier to control than on a Dodge or Ford: the car responds to the pedal exactly as expected.

At first glance, climate control is an advantage over a «primitive» air conditioner. But on compact cars, at an outside temperature of about +25 ° C, a deliberate “cold” must be set in the cabin — 18 degrees, otherwise the inside will be approximately the same as outside. This applies to both Volkswagen and Ford. Therefore, I would be quite satisfied with a cheaper air conditioner.

Still, the class that includes the Volkswagen Golf is still called by its name for a reason. However, to the question whether the advantages correspond to a price that exceeds the cost of many classmates, I think not everyone will answer in the affirmative.

FORD FOCUS S-MAX

That’s really space! And if you fold the seats — an airfield! The middle part of the sofa can be turned into a table or removed, and the side parts can be moved apart. True, I would sacrifice a fraction of the volume for the sake of a full-size spare wheel. This is not an obsession. I just have a good idea of ​​what it’s like to change a wheel two hundred kilometers from civilization, which, for goodness sake, is beyond repair. Even if this happens once every few years, the memory and respect for a normal spare tire will remain for a long time.

In the back seat is not bad for three, only the ceiling is low. By the way, here is an example of the fact that the established stamps, say, “mini-van is tall”, are not always and not quite correct. And yet, Ford honestly deserved a higher rating — for the transformation of the cabin. The front is cozy, comfortable, even somehow at home. Good seats, understandable from the first seconds of the controls. It’s nice that the on-board computer communicates in Russian.

From such a car you expect a leisurely, like a bus impressiveness. However, the C-Max with a 2-liter engine is a frisky and assembled, quite a passenger car. The motor allows you to «not part» with gears. But by turning on a lower gear, you can make a very rapid overtaking. By the way, it is better not to call the shifting process work — the gears are switched on easily and clearly.

There are practically no buildups even on wavy (to put it mildly!) roads, as well as rolls when cornering. The designers did a great job on the suspension and steering. Reactions to the steering wheel are not as sleepy as the Dodge, but not as sharp as the Volkswagen. That’s right, because this «Focus» is not a sports coupe … Although there is a common feature: the ground clearance of 120 mm under the protection of the engine for a family van is very small!

And yet, the Ford Focus S-Max is perhaps the most balanced of the three test subjects, a universal car. Including in terms of price.

ON DIFFERENT CORES

So, who are you, Mr. Dodge? We have not found an exhaustive answer. It is only obvious that the newcomer is a representative of another world, not quite familiar to us. The one in which they drive smoothly and measuredly along wide, straight highways, McDonald’s is considered a restaurant, children’s action movies are considered serious cinema and even speak a slightly different, not quite English language.

In my opinion, for all the differences, «Volkswagen» and «Ford» express themselves much more clearly. Fans of overseas culture, lifestyle and cars, of course, have the right to disagree with this.

Sergey Kanunnikov:

“Cars that do not fit into the usual framework and laws — not only verified by numbers, but even more so unwritten, will never be transferred and will find adherents. It is only important that the latter are clearly aware of the advantages and disadvantages of the former. ”

Dodge Caliber — AMERICAN NOT ONLY IN APPEARANCE, BUT ALSO IN CHARACTER. HE LIKES SMOOTH, WIDE HIGHWAYS OR… RUGS THAT ARE OVERCOME VERY SLOWLY.

Overall score 7.3

+ Expressive, original appearance, very high ground clearance.

— Very mediocre visibility, small trunk, sluggish steering, tendency to roll.

Volkswagen Golf — THE IMPLEMENTATION OF THE GERMAN CAR: FAST, EFFICIENT, BUT GOODLY FINISHED, OBLIGATORY AND… EXPENSIVE.

Overall rating 8.1

+ Excellent handling, good dynamics, excellent brakes, spacious interior.

— Harsh suspension, uncomfortable shifting of the front seats, high price.

Ford Focus C-Max — A BALANCED FAMILY CAR EQUALLY CONVENIENT FOR TRAVEL AND THE CITY.

Overall rating 8.1

+ Cozy, comfortable interior, huge trunk, high-torque engine.

— Low ground clearance, «docking» in a car for travel is nonsense.

Test Dodge Caliber, Ford Focus C-Max, Volkswagen Golf. Divided by an ocean

Testing frontier models: a three-door Volkswagen Golf, a five-seater van Ford Focus S-Max and a Dodge Caliber hatchback

Test Dodge Caliber, Ford Focus C-Max, Volkswagen Golf. Divided by an Ocean

Really Serious Business: Test Drive a Terex TR100 Mining Truck

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Driving giants like the 100-tonne Terex dump truck is not much less thrilling than driving some hot boxer coupe down the North Loop. Yes, the speeds are low, but the suppliers of adrenaline are different here: for example, multi-ton unsprung masses and the complete absence of a mechanical connection between the steering wheel and the wheels.

Business scale

A mining truck is not designed for the driver to enjoy. It is not intended to please the owner with contours, temperament and brilliance. You will not find in it exciting curves and a silhouette that rivals a falling jack in swiftness. By the way, you will not find a jack either, they bring it if necessary (it is rolling, it weighs 200-300 kg). Yes, the hand of the designer smoothes the corners on the dump truck, but only slightly, because the industrial design must be as technologically advanced and absolutely functional as possible.

Today, dump trucks with a carrying capacity of 60 and 100 tons are most in demand and widespread in the world. In the Fatherland, for now, most of the vehicles with a carrying capacity of 30-45 tons are Belarusian-made, but they are being gradually replaced — both by the new products of the BelAZ plant, and by other brands — Caterpillar, Komatsu, Liebherr, Hitachi and Terex.

Parking is a big deal. For a larger dump truck, it is necessary to expand technological roads. The entire infrastructure associated with the maintenance and repair of the dump truck is being increased. The tire industry is growing in size and price. Tires are the most wear parts and they cost a lot, and with an increase in size, the price increases geometrically. In addition, larger sizes are often in short supply.

But that’s not all. All equipment in the quarry is combined with each other in size. The body of the dump truck must accommodate a multiple of the buckets of the excavator or loader. Three or four buckets are considered optimal. In general, as you understand, you can’t just take and buy one dump truck instead of another. This is a huge, multi-million dollar investment. Well, what’s the business, so are the cars.

Forms and content

The indication of a carrying capacity of 100 tons is cunning, since these 100 are “premature” American tons, corresponding to 91 metric ton. The dump truck itself weighs 68 metric tons with a length of 10.8 m, a width of mirrors of 5.9 m and a height of 4.8 m. It does not fit into any road dimensions, and it is delivered to the place of work disassembled. That is, it is completely assembled at the factory, tested, then the wheels, body and cab are removed, and in such a disparate form they are sent to the new owner. On-site assembly and commissioning is carried out by a specially trained team of the dealer or the manufacturer.

The biggest parts are the frame and body. The frame is a welded structure similar to a trapezoid: in front, where the engine is installed, it is wide, and narrow in the back between the wheels. The frame must withstand titanic loads, so all its components are made of high-strength steels, and in shape it is not very similar to a car frame.

It is non-separable, all its parts are tightly welded to each other. Closed spars of rectangular section consist of two parts — thinner in front, and more powerful in the back, where the maximum load is. The front bumper is the same shape as the spars and is welded to them. At the rear, the spars are connected by two thick cylindrical cross members, which simultaneously act as torsion bars to resist torsional loads.

The front part is decorated with a “rectangle with rounded edges”, which is nothing more than the front axle. It gives rigidity to the frame, and the bodies of nitrogen-oil shock absorbers are also installed on it — the dump truck has an independent front suspension.

The rear suspension is dependent and consists of a pair of nitrogen-oil shock absorbers, an A-shaped subframe and a transverse stabilizer. The rear cross member of the frame carries lighting devices: direction indicators, brake lights, reverse signal, and a rear view camera.

In the front part, between the spars, there is a 12-cylinder V-shaped Cummins diesel engine with a volume of 38. 8 liters. At 2,100 rpm, this monster produces 1,033 hp. With. (770 kW) useful power. The engine is started by two starters, and each starter starts a pair of batteries.

By the way, in Russia, exhaust toxicity standards are adopted only for road vehicles, and off-road vehicles, which include mining dump trucks, are not regulated at all in this aspect — Tier 0 happily reigns here. Manufacturers, including Terex Trucks, produce off-road vehicles in the configuration Tier 4 for markets with strict emission regulations (EU, US and Japan) and Tier 2 or Tier 3 for countries with liberal regulation — Russia, the Middle East, Asia, Africa and Latin America. Naturally, Tier 4 is more expensive both in terms of initial costs and in operation. Therefore, the inattention of our legislator to the toxicity of SUVs can be regarded as a blessing.

Before winter operation, the exhaust tract is switched to body heating so that the cargo does not freeze to the metal. The bucket-shaped body with a capacity of 60 m³ is welded from hardox 400 or Hardox 450 wear-resistant sheet steel. The bucket surfaces are reinforced with hollow stiffening ribs, through which exhaust gases pass. For unloading, the body is lifted by two two-stage hydraulic cylinders.

The engine is aggregated with an Allison H8610AR automatic planetary gearbox. The box is five-range, with a torque converter and a hydraulic retarder, that is, it is very simple to drive a dump truck, despite its size.

How about stopping this elephant? To do this, there is a fully hydraulic service brake system with separate circuits for the front and rear wheels and driven by a gearbox. Front dry disc brakes, rear brakes multi-disc in an oil bath with forced cooling. When the parking brake is applied, the rear service brakes are applied.

The cabin fully meets the requirements of manufacturability and is a steel box with glass, two seats for the driver and instructor, and controls. The cabin has two entrances — the main one on the right and the emergency one on the left. The plastic parts of the interior are made with high quality and do not frighten with either shapes or burrs. The display mounted on the front panel displays the image from the rear view camera. For a car of this size, a camera is a must-have accessory.

The main controls, in general, are familiar: a steering wheel, an automatic transmission selector, a body lift lever, a retarder switch and two pedals — gas and brake. The third pedal from the left is just a footrest. By the way, the steering is fully hydraulic, without a gearbox. By turning the steering wheel, the driver simply switches the spool in the hydraulic system.

In valleys and hills

Is it easy to feel the dimensions of such a giant car? It turned out not so difficult. All corners of the «hood» are clearly visible, plus a system of mirrors. The driver has a more difficult task, which takes a long time to get used to. Due to the short wheelbase, quarries are prone to longitudinal buildup, and the driver brings the ability to extinguish it with the gas pedal to automatism. Heavy dump trucks can instantly turn any haul road into a washboard, so maintaining roads in a passable state is an important part of quarry operation, for which the heaviest motor graders are used.

The transmission is calculated for a full load, and the dump truck runs smoothly only with a full body. While empty, the box automation thinks for a long time whether it is worth it to switch or another time, the speed has time to fall, and the dump truck twitches.

The steering wheel of a small diameter rotates easily, effortlessly, like in a car, about 2.5-3 turns in each direction.

In terms of information content, the steering wheel is the same as on any construction machine with full hydraulic steering — for example, as on a large front loader. That is… none. In fact, this is not a problem, and in a minute you forget about the information content, as well as about other stupidities of urban civilization. It is also necessary to work with the brakes with the utmost care, otherwise it is easy to leave the cab through the wind window.

Little adrenaline

True connoisseurs of the genre of «super-heavy» test drives, of course, could not help but be upset by the fact that the test program did not include driving on real career technological serpentines and was limited to a test site for dump trucks that left the assembly line. In a career, the feeling of riding, and even with a good load, cannot be compared with anything at all. It’s hard to call it driving pleasure, but … it’s worth it.

A few words about the manufacturer

The Scottish plant Terex Trucks produces four sizes of mining trucks — 40, 70, 60 and 100 tons — and three sizes of articulated dump trucks — 25, 30 and 40 tons. Since 2014, the plant has been part of the Volvo Construction Equipment structure, producing products under the Terex brand in branded white color, promoting through the Volvo CE dealer network and serving in its service network. In a word, they did well.

Volvo CE acted with Terex Trucks in the same way that Volvo Trucks did with Renault Trucks in its time — it divided it by price niches: Volvo is a real premium, Terex is also a quality product, but a little cheaper. At the same time, mining trucks complement the Volvo line, since this type of equipment is not available, and Terex articulated trucks serve as a more affordable alternative to the most expensive Volvo articulated trucks in the world.

Terex Corporation entered the Russian market with mining trucks in 2008 and has delivered about a hundred of them over the past years. The reviews are generally positive, and today Ferronordic Machines, the official dealer of Terex Trucks in the Russian Federation, focuses on the promotion of mining dump trucks of the most popular sizes of 60 and 100 tons, that is, the TR60 and TR100 models.

We thank the company «Ferronordic Machines» for their help in preparing the material.

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