LADA Vesta SW vs LADA Largus – which station wagon is more practical?

Not so long ago, when the mass consciousness of the consumer was not completely infected with the virus of addiction to crossovers, a person who wanted to have a new car for all occasions could buy a station wagon. And not just buy, but pre-select from one and a half dozen models. About fifteen years ago, before buying a Peugeot 307 SW with a wonderful panoramic roof, I broke my head, tormented by the choice! Opel, Ford, Skoda, VW, Renault, Audi, KIA… Almost every manufacturer offered station wagon models.


Now it's not like that anymore. Station wagons, like minivans before, are almost swept away from the market by the global invasion of crossovers.
What if you don't need a crossover? If you want a wagon? It seems that the fingers of one hand are enough to list all the sentences. And the more stringent the selection criteria, the poorer the choice.
And in the segment of budget station wagons, there is nothing to choose from at all. Either LADA or… LADA. Vesta SW or Largus. And, well, yes, there is another inexpensive station wagon. And this is LADA again. This time - Granta. But, despite the fact that, formally, all three cars belong to the same class, the Grant is still noticeably more compact and will not be able to compete on equal terms. But Largus and Vesta are close in size, so we can compare them.



And even then, at first glance, what to choose between them? If the budget is very limited - Largus, if there is more money - Vesta. But wait, let's compare these cars more responsibly, maybe not everything is so simple?

Appearance

The Vesta platform is AvtoVAZ's own development. The car, although it belongs to class B, is already approaching the size of a golf class.

• ★ Length - 4410 mm
• ★ Width - 1764 mm
• ★ Height - 1508 mm
• ★ Wheelbase - 2635 mm
• ★ Ground clearance - 178 mm
• ★ Curb weight - 1350 kg
  

The appearance of Vesta was created under the guidance of the legendary Steve Mattin and, admittedly, this is the best thing that left the gates of AvtoVAZ. Moreover, although the station wagon was created as a derivative of the sedan, it looks more interesting. And this rarely happens in auto design. For the exterior, Vesta SW deservedly gets the top five, and without any discounts and concessions.



"Largus", although it is called "Lada", is nothing more than the "Renault Logan" of the first generation and is built on the French B0 platform. The only thing is that for the construction of a station wagon it was slightly stretched. The dimensions of the Largus are almost identical to the Vesta.

• ★ Length - 4488 mm
• ★ Width - 1735 mm
• ★ Height - 1628 mm
• ★ Wheelbase - 2905 mm
• ★ Ground clearance - 172 mm
• ★ Curb weight - 1370 kg
  

Please note that with almost equal sizes, the wheelbase of the Largus is almost 30 cm longer than the West one! What advantages will the Volga-French machine derive from this?



Calling Largus a beautiful language does not turn. It looks more like outdated. And boring. Yes, last year's restyling, which transformed the muzzle in the spirit of "a la Steve", added bright colors, but the ears of the twenty-year-old "Logan" stick out too clearly. And against the backdrop of the fast-paced Vesta, the descendant of the French sedan looks dull and simple.

Powertrains

Both cars have two 1,6-liter engines in their arsenal. In the case of Logan, these are variations of the VAZ engine: 8-valve with a capacity of 90 hp. With. and 16-valve for 106 liters. With.



The same 106-horsepower engine can also be installed on the Vesta. But as an alternative, he is offered a Nissan engine with a capacity of 116 liters. With. AvtoVAZ also has a 1,8-liter unit that produces 122 hp. s., but it is installed on the Vesta SW only in the Cross version, and now we are only looking at “ordinary” station wagons.



With a VAZ engine, the buyer in any case receives a 5-speed manual gearbox. So "Largus" has no alternative three-pedal. But Vesta, paired with a Japanese engine, gets a Japanese V-belt variator. This bunch has long been tested on many Nissan models, has proven itself well and does not cause headaches to the owner.

Interior

Salon "Vesta" is nice and quite modern. Yes, the plastic around is hard, but in this class you won’t scare anyone like that. But the landing is comfortable, the steering wheel is adjustable in a wide range, both in tilt angle and in reach. At "Largus" the steering wheel is adjustable only in height.



The descendant of "Logan" is recognizable inside. The same miserable center console with a reverse slope, the same hard plastic "in a circle", the same round deflectors. However, restyling also benefited the interiors of the Largus. The power window buttons have finally moved to the doors, although on the rear doors they are cut exactly under the passengers' elbows - erroneous pressings are inevitable. Human handrails appeared on the door cards of the front doors. True, such a privilege is not provided for rear passengers, only savage recesses, familiar from the first Logans.



The front seats of the Vesta cannot be called an ergonomic masterpiece, but they distribute the load better than in the Largus, and the profile is more successful. In addition, the heating in the SW is three-stage, unlike the more utilitarian Largus.
Speaking of heating. Both cars are generously stuffed with "warm" options. Heated seats of the first and second rows, mirrors, windshield - yes, not for all trim levels, but available for both station wagons. But Vesta, in addition to this, also knows how to heat the steering wheel.



Rear passengers are also more comfortable in Vesta. They have more legroom and a central armrest. And this would be strange, given that the wheelbase of the Largus is 27 cm longer. Where did the extra centimeters go? To the third row of seats!



"Largus" is the only station wagon in the class with a seven-seat configuration. The gallery, however, is not too spacious, and it is not easy to get there. An adult, but on a long journey you will not envy. Is it possible to send the children there, if you don’t think about how, from their backs to the back door, only a dozen and a half centimeters and there was a collision from behind ...

Equipment

It is clear that the level of equipment depends on the configuration and directly affects the price. But potentially both cars are not poorly packed. And Vesta is still richer. There is full-fledged climate control, while in Logan there is a simple air conditioner. The mirrors, for nothing, are the same on both cars, but on the SW they have an electric folding drive. Power windows "Logan" are deprived of automatic mode.

trunk

Traveling with seven people in Largus is like flying with a low-cost airline - crowded and without luggage. Because only 135 liters remain behind the third row of seats - even hand luggage may not be enough. Therefore, if we are serious about the trunk, then the rear seats need to be thrown away. And then there will be enough space for luggage behind the second row - 560 liters. True, apart from the volume, there is nothing to boast of "Largus". No decent finishes, no organizers, just a pair of mesh on the sides, and a pocket in the swing door. There is not even a curtain to hide luggage from prying eyes.



Whether business "Vesta"! Obviously, the designers had an epiphany when they came up with the luggage compartment of the SW. Even more expensive foreign cars of a higher class cannot boast of such a competent organization of the internal space. Unless Skoda, with its “simply clever” philosophy, can compete. So, even despite the volume of 480 l, which is not outstanding for a station wagon, Vesta also wins in this nomination. In addition, 480 liters is the volume under the curtain, which, by the way, is here. And if you load it under the roof, it will fit much more.

On the go

Even if you try on cars with the same 106-horsepower engines, Vesta rides an order of magnitude better. It has already been noted many times that the West chassis is perhaps the best in the budget class. The balance of handling and ride is almost perfect here. Plus excellent power consumption.



What about Largus? The ancient B0 platform has not undergone practically any changes in two decades, and its only advantage can be called good smoothness, omnivorousness and time-tested survivability. Which, you see, in our conditions is more important to someone than exquisite handling. But, do not forget that the exchange rate stability system (ESP), basic for Vesta, is not available for Largus for any money.



In terms of brakes, "Largus", with its drums at the back, also loses to its completely "disc" opponent.
In the acceleration dynamics, Vesta is ahead due to the presence of a more powerful engine with a CVT.

Price

This is where Largus is able to recoup. Its price tag in the simplest configuration starts from 829 thousand rubles. But, even if it is stuffed with all possible options, the price will get to the mark of 1,1 million rubles.
Vesta SW is more expensive. The minimum price today is 955 thousand rubles. Almost a million for the basic package! And the maximum crosses the mark of 1,3 million. Can it be a consolation that foreign competitors are even more expensive?
And let's not forget that the prices indicated are the recommendations of the manufacturer. And how much dealers will throw - this, as is now the case, must be compared.

Summing up

It would seem, for whatever you take, "Vesta" is better. Yes, objectively, this is a modern, comfortable and, by the way, safer car. And better equipped. But does everyone need it? After all, Largus can accommodate more passengers. Or carry more cargo. And it costs less.



Personally, it seems to me that Larus is preferable only for those to whom its seven-seat capacity is fundamentally important. Because if you set out to save money, then I would take a closer look ... at the LADA Granta station wagon, which costs from 625 thousand rubles.
In all other cases, I would prefer Vesta. At least because she's beautiful.