1989 Lada Niva cossack from Russia - Comments

Burst tires.

Snow clogged radiator.

Bust rear suspension.

Blown carb.

All my falt for doing 89 mph round siberia!

Lada were always good I have owned a samara a riva and now the niva.

The staff are fery freindly and generous with the vodka!

The car is very tough and dependable it once took a smack up the back from a volga the volga was totalled, I got a smashed reversing light, it was cracked anyway.

The car is very good on the snow so it is great were I live, ikurtsk siberia.

The heating plant pumps out enough heat to melt metal so its very warm.

The steering is in just the right place, the gearbox is slick and the seats are nice.

I only coused major damage once, I messed up on a jump at 85 mph!

This car is great for rallying, and there isn't many coppers in siberia.

She isn't a birdpuller, but so what?

Its very roomy so all my familly me, katrina, tanya and boris can fit in and we are all, how to say, tubby.

Would you consider this car to be a safe family car for children of any age?

It's safe enough for my child of 6 years old, and it don't run on high speeds (mine max. 110 Km/h) so it's a matter of common sense!

Is the Lada Niva safe? It is probably one of the safest vehicles on the road! Why? Because the car is literally over engineered for strength and durability. The steel body panels are twice as thick as other cars and the bumper bars are extremely solid. Several years ago, a V.W. Transporter van careered into the front side of my 1992 Niva, whilst it was stationary. The van was travelling at approx. 60-70 km. per hr. The result was that the whole front of the V.W. was totally demolished and the van was a write-off. The Niva only sustained minor damage to the front mud-guard- it was pushed in approx. 10cms.- and the front wheel was slightly buckled. I drove the Niva home, whilst the wrecked van had to be towed away! People at the scene of the incident were absolutely amazed at the minimal damage sustained by the Niva. As many other owners will tell you, the Niva is built like a tank and is indestructible!

I accidentally ran into this site and started to read the comments. Just to clear out something, this "Siberian" guy from "Irkutsk, Siberia" if a fake Russian. I can assure you, he is absolutely not. I doubt it matters, but he is an english speaker and he faked grammar errors - I really don't know why. The cliche collection of names like "Katrina, Boris" etc. - buddy, we would either call her Katya or Katerina, but not by german name Katrina, the other name Boris is not as popular in Russia as you think it is, and the words like "heating plant", "slick", "I messed up", "took a smack up" etc. are NOT something you can learn at school when you learn a foreign language - we learned english at school, but it took me 3 or 4 years in US to pick up expressions like that and this is not a part of normal english learning course anywhere in non-english speaking countries. So, next time you'll want to pretend you're not who you actually are and will want others to believe it - adopt the vacabulary of average West Virginian.

As for NIVA - my dad had one a while ago, had to fix it now and than, but it only missed a roof-mounted cannon to become a real tank and we rightfully trusted that thing to take us home down what we called "roads", LOL. Thank you, good luck. Sergey Bunakov.

Good comment, Sergey. However, I agree that it really does not matter whether the reviewer is from Russia or not. The main thing is that his review was entertaining, informative and unbiased. And I agree with you that all the mighty Niva needs is a roof mounted cannon to complete its image. Cheers!

My Lada Niva is a 1988 model auto. My problem is how can I find some parts of this automobile?My front windows don't like new Lada's windows .Unfortunately, for always, doesn't possible that

repair or restore of every part. Do exist old Lada parts (especially accesories) anywhere of the world?In Russia, for example?

Yes, there are plenty of Lada parts available for your Niva. In Russia, contact www.LadaParts.ru They are based in St.Petersburg. Cheers!

I am considering buying a '92 Lada Niva, 1.7L.

Its been sitting in a factory backstreet for over a year with a faded for sale sign.

The owner started it up, it blew some sooty grey smoke for a minute. But we did not drive it.

Its green colour, and considering how long its been outside waiting, its in very good condition although it is now 1 month out of registration. (12-Oct-2005)

I currently own a Nissan Exa coupe and I'm damn fed up with its unreliability and ridiculous running costs.

So basically I'm calling on Lada owners and enthusiasts to help me find out if this is a good buy, What do I look for with common problems in older Nivas?

I do like the lada. Its so rugged and simple. But what about parts in Australia? Help please.

The Niva you refer to is 1.6L not 1.7L. The 1.7 Niva was introduced into Australia in mid 1995, and has a revised tail-gate (with vertical tailights) and completely different interior and seats. As with any 13 year old car, it is a good idea to get a mechanic to look over it. Being a 4 wheel drive, it may have had a hard life. Check transmission- e.g. gears are easy to engage and 5th gear does not jump out- may indicate worn teeth, bearings, or loose nut on output shaft. Check for oil leaks- seals may need changing. Check front suspension- split C.V. rubber boots? Worn ball-joints? Obviously check condition of brakes, clutch, radiator and all rubber hoses as well as all fluid levels. Some Nivas have a bit of rust- check wheel arches, bottom of doors and tailgate- superficial rust however, is not a problem. Check that all lights- tail, indicator etc. are working;- if some are not- no big deal- may just need new globes, or may need contact points to be dressed (polished with fine sandpaper). As far as parts go- they are plentiful! I use Lada Parts Australasia PTY LTD. phone 1800 243 245. They are in Caboolture, Queensland. Their service is excellent. I own the 1997 Niva Bushman featured elsewhere on this survey, and highly recommend these vehicles- not just for their toughness and reliability, but also for their strength and safety. Cheers.

I own a 1988 Lada Samara Hatchback, now some people call them sedans but it's obvious it is a hatchback when you see it.

I have found that owning a Samara is one of life's privileges coz it is not like your everyday Ford, Holden, Toyota etc. They have a certain appeal which I believe only other Lada owners can recognize and appreciate.

I live in a tiny country town on the Darling Downs in Qld, Australia and at times have found the need to travel from home to Brisbane and back in one day; I would like to take this chance to mention that this is roughly a 440km round trip and I myself have found that on a full tank of 98ron octane rating unleaded petrol, I can leave Cecil Plains, arrive in Brisbane and get back to Cecil plains again on a full tank of said petrol. Pretty reasonable effort there by the Russians in regards to fuel economy from a car that I believe was never given a fair chance when it was released onto the Australian market all those years ago.

For parts, service, etc, I can't fault Lada Parts Australasia based at Caboolture not to mention Brett at what was formerly LADA Autosport, 21/115 Dollis Street, Rocklea in Queensland (07) 32743969, Fax (07) 32753332.

(n.b) the previous comments were the opinion of the writer and received no gratuities from either the manufacturer or its agencies which have been mentioned.

I love all these people who own Landcruisers (Troopies), which are big useless 4x4s, that rubbish Nivas. We have owned 4. Our latest is a 1997 Cossack with a 1.7 litre fuel injection. Not for long, we are about to put a 4.2 litre Holden V8 in, then let all these people have a go at the Nivas. They will go places the bigger 4x4s couldn't with the 4 cylinders in them, so a small V8 should make them unstoppable.