1987 Lada Samara 1300 review from Norway
"Inexpensive, but far from 'cheap'.."
What things have gone wrong with the car?
Rusted quickly underneath, mainly due to heavily salted roads during the winter in Norway.
Otherwise, absolutely nothing.
General comments?
The car was excellent in cold weather, and started without any problems whatsoever, even after being parked outdoors in temperatures below -20 centigrades for over a week with no motor heater or anything.
On wet, slippery winter roads, and on snow and ice, it stuck to the road like glue - as long as you had good tires.
If you're lucky, an old Samara will be a total bargain. The Russians have no choice; their cars must be reliable in winter, and a good Samara never quits.
I lost mine due to an accident, in which I was luckily not hurt, and I'll get another again anytime, even though I now drive a Renault.
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1987 - Samara 1300 1.3 petrol carb Plenty of rattles, but indestructible! |
| Would you buy another car from this manufacturer? | Yes |
| Year of manufacture | 1987 |
| First year of ownership | 2001 |
| Most recent year of ownership | 2002 |
| Engine and transmission | Manual |
| Performance marks | 8 / 10 |
| Reliability marks | 9 / 10 |
| Comfort marks | 7 / 10 |
| Dealer Service marks | |
| Running Costs (higher is cheaper) | 7 / 10 |
| Overall marks (average of all marks) | |
| Distance when acquired | 203000 kilometres |
| Most recent distance | 235000 kilometres |
| Previous car | Volkswagen Golf |
| Date of Entry | 19th February, 2003 |