Buying a 2003 Lada Niva 1.7i

Since I was very young, I had always liked to explore new places. Growing up I never got over that urge. “Where does this road lead to?” – have you ever asked yourself that question? Well, I always do; many times a day.

I wasn’t really looking into buying a car to be honest. I have been commuting to work on a bike – and a motorbike before that – for many years. What made me decide to become this car’s owner was the need to explore unpaved places together with my significant other, and our dog. Another catalyst towards this decision was its capability to take us on spots where we can set up our telescope away from the city’s light pollution, which basically translates to mountain roads. Last but not least it was dirt cheap to buy (second hand), plus its spare parts cost next to nothing compared to other cars.

Don’t be fooled though; this is not a vehicle for everyone, or everyday. Capable as it may be, it also comes with its downsides. First of all, it’s rough. “How rough?” I hear you say? Approximately the kind of rough you would get from a car without any form of suspension. For its defense, however, the seats are surprisingly quite comfy, especially for their age, making up for the harsh drive.

On every revolution of the wheels the whole of the car rattles and shakes vigorously. It is definitely not the car you would want to drive to the office everyday, or be stuck in a traffic jam in it. The first time I pressed the clutch pedal of a normal car right after I had been driving the Niva for three days in a row, I almost put a hole in the car chassis by the force I instinctively put after getting used to the Niva’s stiffness.

What might be a deal breaker for most a possible owner, is the fact there is no power steering. No assistance, at all. There is also no return to center of the steering wheel, after you’ve made a turn. And the interior… oh the interior! Think of any average car of the 1970s, and you’ve got it pretty close. In a word, it feels basic. It isn’t necessarily that (for instance there is an air conditioner in this thing), but the overall feeling you get is that: basic.

But I like it! Despite its permanent four-wheel-drive, and the fact that ear plugs don’t sound like a bad idea at all, it manages to put a smile on your face, even if you are cruising with 80 km/h – not far from its top speed.

Best of all, as soon as its wheels no longer touch the tarmac, it transforms to the car you can not live without! Its steering wheel lightens to the point you could easily steer it using only your pinky finger, and the suspension reminds you it has always been living next to your wheels and is now working overtime to take you over all and every obstacle that comes in your way.

It proves in action it has not been a coincidence that the Niva has remained essentially unchanged since the day it was initially launched circa 1977 in the former Soviet Russia. It was designed to do one thing, and excel in it; be driven from point A to point B in places like the Ural Mountains and/or Siberia, unsupported, and trouble free. It even survived an expedition in the Antartica, at the Bellingshausen station for 15 years (!!!) without major damages. And it finished the Paris-Dakar race in third position with minor modifications in the early 1980s, when other manufacturers did not finish at all.

Furthermore, the fact that it is rock-strong, and dirt-cheap at the same time, means that you can drive it off the road caring not if you bump or dent it some way. In fact, when I bought it it had already had a few minor dents and scratches all over it, from the use it had seen from its previous two owners. Needless to say I didn’t even bother for any of it, as it was mostly cosmetic. It’s hard to believe you would not care to scratch a 4×4 that would have set you back more thatn 10.000€/$ to purchase.

What mattered to me, was that it was in a shipshape condition, and it had very low mileage for its age; little less than 65.000 km on the clock. What mattered the most, was the fact that taking it for a spin prior to deciding to buy it, it instantly put a smile on my face, like it would do many times in the days that followed. Another big plus of it is you can literally take it apart with just basic tools you have probably sitting around in your kitchen; a Philips screw driver, and a couple of combination wrenches is all you need to take 80% of the car apart.

You can’t really compare it to anything else if you haven’t experienced anything like it, because it feels like nothing you already know. Apart from the similarities with other cars (four wheels, a steering wheel, a couple of windows and a roof, it is not really a car, but a king. A Tsar, an emperor on wheels, ruling over mud holes, small and large rocks, mountain tops, and everything off-road.

I am so happy I became the proud owner of a VAZ21214, and I look forward to driving it off the paved road repeatedly and extensively. I am already making plans for future trips also.

Yes, that’s right! Trips. On a Lada Niva. Sign me up!

Read more about the Lada Niva in Wikipedia. (link)