Real disadvantages of Lada XRay: 3 years of testing revealed the disadvantages of the model

Production of the Lada XRay at AvtoVAZ began on December 15, 2015, and sales began on February 14, 2016 at 120 dealers in 56 cities. During 2016-2018 the car was mercilessly tested by many car owners and based on their reviews we can talk about the pros and cons of Xray.

Almost three years that have passed since the start of sales have allowed the owners of the purchased cars to test them in a variety of operating conditions, and this testing not only confirmed the declared ones, but also revealed shortcomings that the concern is working on already during the production process.

From the many different reviews from car enthusiasts, we will select the negative ones, consider their reasoning and group them into areas:

• Body;
• Trunk;
• Salon;
• Engine;
• Optics;
• Transmission;
• Brake system.

Body

Lada Xray was expected since 2012, moreover, as a crossover, but, 3 years later, to the disappointment of those expecting the presentation, it still resembled a small hatchback with increased ground clearance to 195 mm and only front-wheel drive.

The spectacular profile of the sides of the Lada X Ray, the embossing of the doors and wings has a downside - the difficulty of restoring oval contours on these body parts after damage.

There are no roof rails on the XRay roof, so it is not possible to install a roof rack on top, other than a rare universal one from the 60s, and the price of foreign-made luggage boxes is several tens of thousands of rubles.

The hood in the open position is fixed low - by a short strut, which makes access to the engine compartment inconvenient - you have to bend over.

The body sills are not protected by any coating underneath, and as a result of the abrasive effect of gravel flying from under the wheels (common to a crossover), they quickly begin to corrode.

The volume of the Lada XRay fuel tank is small for a crossover - only 50 liters. In addition, the gas tank is equipped with a primitive metal inlet neck without drainage or any protective linings. The hatch cover, behind which the neck is located, is disproportionately large, does not have any locking device and opens freely from the outside without driver intervention.

The side mirrors of the Lada XRay, given the height of the car, are small, so they are not only visually disproportionate to the body, but also have little information. At the same time, the amplitude of mirror adjustments (the travel of the adjusting lever) is clearly insufficient, since tall drivers who move the seat far back have to manually install the mirror element into a comfortable position through the lowered window of the driver's door.

The protection of the engine compartment from below needs improvement, since the engine becomes very dirty even after a short off-road drive.

The doors of the Lada XRay do not have fixed positions after opening, which is inconvenient when there is wind or the car is stopped on a slope.

XRay glass, both side and windshield, has low abrasion resistance. After a few months of use, scratches appear on the windshield from the operation of the windshield wipers, and on the side ones - from lifting and lowering.

The X-Ray engine compartment seals, even though they are installed even in the front part, do not cope with their task of protecting the engine from dust from above. The reason for this is an unsuccessful cross-section profile and insufficiently elastic manufacturing material.

We summarize reviews from car owners Part 2

The Lada XRAY passenger hatchback was introduced on the domestic market more than 5 years ago. The car has earned quite a lot of popularity due to its ease of maintenance and a completely new unusual design.

Interested buyers can compare actual ownership facts with factory information and, based on the data obtained, draw certain conclusions regarding the car model.

For Lada Xray, the price, equipment, characteristics and reviews are indicated based on market indicators. The list of reviews discusses the most popular modifications of cars with 1.6-1.8 liter engines.

[divider]
Vladimir from Samara

Equipment: petrol 1.6 manual

The car was purchased about 3 months ago. The factory equipment includes the installation of a 1.6 engine with manual mechanics and 5 speeds.

An individual set of options includes air conditioning and front airbags. Over the past month the car has driven 800 km. At the same time, part of the route was covered outside the city limits. The 106 l/s engine is quite enough for intense acceleration in case of overtaking.

In the city, the 16-valve engine combined with a manual gearbox provides maximum driving comfort at low speeds. There were no issues with the transmission during this period of operation. The suspension handles any unevenness with very rare breakdowns in deep holes. General positive impressions can be expressed in several points:

1. Informative steering.
2. Soft suspension in any driving mode.
3. Fairly good sound insulation.
4. Spacious luggage compartment.
5. Dynamic acceleration.
6. Quiet engine operation.
7. High-quality interior trim.

In red shades, the car looks more stylish and individual. However, almost all the advantages also have their disadvantages. First of all, it is necessary to highlight:

1. Not enough space on the back seat . Even with a fairly significant movement of the front seats to the rear panel, tall passengers are not comfortable. The Lada automaker designs cars in old traditions. 2. Incorrect operation of the central lock . Failures and problems with opening doors often occur. The problem is corrected in the service center by supplying additional power to the blocking system.

General conclusions and evaluation

The products of the domestic plant, despite their new appearance, are not free from a large number of minor problems that will gradually appear during daily operation. However, for that kind of money this car can be considered the best in the segment.[divider]

Ilya from Khabarovsk

Equipment: 1.8 manual

The car was actually purchased by luck at one of the local dealerships. With a total ownership period of 7 months, it can be noted that the 1.8 engine with MT is really powerful and unpretentious to domestic fuel.

With the recommended gasoline for refueling grade 95, it is quite possible to drive 92. A power of 122 l/s is enough to drive at a cruising speed of 120 km/h with a consumption of 5.6 liters according to the on-board computer.

What I liked most about the car:

1. Powerful and economical engine. Provides good dynamics at any speed.
2. Short travel clutch pedal. An excellent option for those who like fast shifts.
3. Spacious and cozy interior with comfortable front seats for passengers.
4. An economical and unpretentious car for city use.
5. There are no rolls or drifts when cornering.
6. Bright rear lighting and beautiful headlights.
7. Good soundproofing package. A very big plus for a car of this class.

During the fairly short time of owning the car, no major disadvantages were identified. The car is perfect for women and men who have little driving experience.[divider]

Dmitry from Bryansk

Equipment: 1.8 automatic

Tenure period: 1.2 years. During the period of operation, not a single breakdown was detected, which is quite a big plus for a domestic brand. The car fully meets family requirements.

The appearance, interior trim and technical content allow you to be both an exemplary family man and a hot young guy who prefers dynamics and drive.

The package includes a 5-speed robot and a full range of electronic options. The main advantage is the air conditioning with the ability to finely adjust. For the climate of Krasnodar in the summer season, this option is considered the most relevant.

General advantages of the machine:

1. Inexpensive service in any service.
2. Availability of air conditioning and automatic climate control.
3. Good engine with plenty of power.
4. Comfortable interior with convenient location of all options.
5. The machine operates smoothly.
6. Reliability of the car during long journeys.

Despite all the advantages, during the year of operation the car presented many surprises that puzzled even dealer service specialists. First of all, it is worth highlighting:

1. Ineffective operation of the power steering in a parking lot.
2. Problems with the engine cooling temperature sensor.
3. The thoughtfulness of the box at the start in the summer heat.
4. Small selection of body colors upon purchase.

In the middle price category in this configuration there are practically no worthy competitors that would meet the requirements. Therefore, based on the listed advantages, we can conclude that the Lada X-Ray is a good domestic car.

[divider]

Mikhail from Omsk

Equipment: 1.8 MT Exclusive

I purchased this vehicle without any prior evaluation or analysis from a local dealer. The 1.8 MT package includes the following options: heated all seats, multifunction steering wheel, cooled storage compartment, powerful multimedia.

The advantages of 2 months of ownership include:

1. Reliable air conditioner.
2. Dynamic engine up to 140 km/h.
3. Big and beautiful wheels.
4. Spectacular body color.
5. Clear gear shifting.

Among the minuses, one drawback was identified in the form of a trunk lock, which cannot be closed without a strong bang.[divider]

Maxim from Tver

Equipment: 1.6 Optima manual

I saved money for a long time to purchase a personal car. However, over the entire period there was no decent option in the new car segment. The appearance of the Lada Khrey made it possible to resolve the transport issue in a few days.

The car is in a fairly budget configuration with a 1.6 internal combustion engine with 106 horsepower and a manual transmission. Over the 8 months of ownership, the hatchback has proven itself on the positive side, namely, I liked the performance of the suspension and steering.

The car swallows all the bumps on domestic roads smoothly and without unnecessary shaking. The steering wheel is very informative even with a high rubber profile. Khrey also surprised with the quality of sound insulation.

Main advantages:

1. Good acceleration and traction.
2. Economy (consumption in the city when driving economically is no more than 8 liters).
3. Efficient interior heating.
4. Soft suspension.
5. High-quality acoustics.
6. High ground clearance.

Cons in the car:

1. Lack of hydraulic hood supports.
2. Small trunk.
3. Weak high beam.

I'm happy with the new car. After all, for that kind of money it is almost impossible to find a new car with good equipment. The car forgives any driver mistakes.

Tags: owner reviews

Trunk

The volume of the standard trunk of the Lada XRay is 361 liters - a decent figure, but still not enough for a crossover. In addition, there are other complaints about the trunk.

The body opening for the trunk lid is small and, moreover, due to the design of the rear lights, it is narrowed in width in the upper half. This imposes restrictions when loading oversized luggage.

The dimensions of the trunk lid glass do not provide sufficient visibility from the rear panorama from the cabin, so the manufacturer equipped the car with a parking sensor system and a rear view camera.

The floor in the luggage compartment is two-layer, the top layer is a removable false floor with eyelets at the corners for securing luggage. The strength of the raised floor is not designed for the transportation of heavy objects - under the influence of a load concentrated on a small area, it bends, and the close arrangement of the fastening eyes creates inconvenience when tying slings to them.

Under the raised floor there is a second bottom covered with a sheet of cardboard with a fleecy fabric trim. The distance between the trunk floors is 10-12 cm over its entire area, and the purpose of this space is uncertain. In addition, the material of the second floor is not waterproof.

Optics

A serious drawback of equipping the Lada XRay with optics is the lensless block headlights, although they are already divided into low and high beam.

The fog lights do not have a beveled reflector that allows illumination of the roadside, and are installed too deep in the bumper sockets - dirt and snow from the road accumulate in these sockets along the way, and weak fog lamps (not LED) aggravate the poor lighting situation.

Attempts to independently adjust these headlights do not improve the situation.

The red fog lamp, installed in the center of the lower part of the rear bumper, due to the aerodynamic features of the Lada X-Ray, is covered in a layer of snow from the road in winter, and the engine exhaust only aggravates the situation.

Advantages and disadvantages of Xray

The time has come to talk about all the advantages and disadvantages of the Lada that I noticed.

When I was changing more powerful light bulbs on the car, I drove into the dark to check how they would shine. I turned off the car and left the lights on. While I was watching, five minutes passed and suddenly... the light went off. In a panic, I think - the lamps have burned out, or the battery is dead, but no, I started it - everything is fine. It turns out that if you arrive and forget to turn off the lights, they turn off on their own five minutes after you turn off the engine! It's comfortable.

Salon

The interior of the Lada X-Ray is a bit cramped for a crossover, especially in the rear. The comfortable seats are decorated with a high-quality, non-staining and pleasant-to-touch fabric, but even moving the front seats not completely back makes it uncomfortable for the passengers sitting behind them.

Moreover, there is no light above the rear passengers, and there is nowhere for them to put drinks - there is only one cup holder for 3 seats, and the pockets in the backs of the front seats are of small capacity.

Plastic interior trim - door cards, front panel look attractive, but are very hard to the touch and noisy on contact.

The upholstery material is low-quality carpet, not dense enough, and rubber mats for this model are not cheap - 3 thousand rubles.

In the first batches of Lada XRay that came off the AvtoVAZ assembly line, the backlighting of the instruments on the control panel was turned on manually; after modification by the manufacturer, the instruments are constantly illuminated, but there is still no indication of the coolant temperature.

There is no reach adjustment for the steering wheel, only height adjustment.

The location of the window lifters is unfortunate - you have to use them with your hand bent backwards.

The width of the A-pillar trim covers impairs visibility from the driver's seat; hidden areas could be smaller.

The noise insulation of the wheel arches leaves much to be desired - every pebble can be heard from under the wheel.

The display size of the standard head unit is large, but its information content is low - at a time, not counting the amount of fuel in the tank, only one parameter is displayed.

The process of mastering the Lada X Ray assault rifle

I had never driven a car with AMT before, this time had come and I needed to learn something new. Besides, there is no way out, since this is now my Lada X-ray, with which I will have to cooperate for at least 10 years.

I would like to say right away that the power gap on an automatic with one clutch is guaranteed, and nothing can be done about it. I accepted this fact and gradually began to get used to it. Initially, the Lada xRay manufacturer promised 26 algorithms for working with AMT.

Engine

Equipping the Lada X Ray with HR16DE engines (1.6 liters, 110 hp), despite its reliability and efficiency, has been discontinued since June 2016. The Nissan engine is installed only in the “XRay” anniversary series modification, limited in quantity; all other cars are equipped with domestic VAZ-21129 and VAZ-21179 engines. Let's look at the disadvantages inherent in both of these internal combustion engines.

The dense layout of the space under the hood, due to the irrational arrangement of the air ducts, makes it difficult to access the engine for routine maintenance, especially keeping it clean, as discussed in the “body” section.

The service life of both engines is 200 thousand km, which is not enough for a crossover. The gas distribution mechanism (GRM) drive is a belt drive, which is significantly inferior in reliability to a chain drive.

It is recommended to replace the timing belt after 180 thousand kilometers, while on the VAZ-21179 this operation is complicated - there are no usual marks on the pulleys, so the camshafts must be removed, and they are secured with a special tool.

If the timing belt breaks, the standard pistons of both engines, due to their configuration, bend the valves, and replacing the pistons with tuning ones deprives the car of warranty service.

The VAZ-21129 and VAZ-21179 engines are quite noisy, and only additional layers of sound insulation in the engine compartment reduce the noise level in the cabin.

What is the difference between a robot (AMT), a variator and a hydraulic automatic

When discussing different types of transmissions online, the robot and CVT (more of a robot) are often referred to as fake automatic transmissions, pseudo-automatic transmissions, etc. Let us clarify in simple words.

An automatic transmission is one that does not require the driver to depress the clutch and change gears. There are two pedals, not three, like a manual one.

AMT box for Lada X-Ray

Thus, all three types are automatic. Yes, the robot is a manual transmission, which was equipped with an ECU and actuators, but after that it became automatic in its main function - to free a person from actuating the clutch and changing gears. But the technical solution to the automation problem is different.

A classic hydraulic automatic transmission (this is what is commonly called an automatic transmission) transmits torque and changes the gear ratio using a torque converter and several planetary gears.

The variator also has a torque converter that performs clutch functions. The box smoothly, steplessly changes the gear ratio using a friction mechanism. As such, there is no gear shifting.

A robotic transmission is a manual gearbox assembled with a clutch, equipped with actuators for gear shifting and clutch release, as well as an electronic control unit (ECU) and sensors.

Transmission

The Lada XRay is equipped with two transmission options: mechanical and 5-band robotic transmission type AMT of the VAZ-21827 series.

There are no objective complaints about the manual transmission, but there are complaints about the “robot”:

• according to the operating rules, a robotic automatic transmission does not need to be warmed up, but in practice, driving without warming up is accompanied by jerks;
• when standing in a traffic jam for a long time, you need to switch to “neutral”;
• the VAZ-21179 engine in combination with this transmission ensures acceleration of the car to 100 km/h in at least 10.2 seconds;
• quick overtaking on the highway is only possible when the gearbox is switched to manual mode.

Suspension

The Lada Xrey suspension is assembled from components from the manufacturer Renault and adapted to operating conditions on Russian roads.

The first impression is that it is a bit harsh, but this assessment becomes an advantage after you are convinced of the stable operation of the suspension, regardless of the profile and type of road surface - it confidently “eats” unevenness and does not break through in potholes.

Brake system

On the Lada XRay, depending on the configuration, wheels are installed on R-15 or R-16 rims. Regardless of the size of the wheels, the brakes are disc in front and drum in the rear, the efficiency of which is much lower.

The list of shortcomings will probably be added to by car enthusiasts over time. Some of them will be taken into account by the manufacturer and eliminated, while others will be considered consistent with the declared class of the car. However, we can say with confidence that the list of advantages of this car is many times greater than the number of disadvantages, and after improvement it will become an even more desirable acquisition for a wide range of car enthusiasts.