Hi Veeky Forums. I want to buy an off-road car which I will also use for inter-city travels

Hi Veeky Forums. I want to buy an off-road car which I will also use for inter-city travels.
I have to decide between a Lada Niva (2006) and a 2011 Grand vitara. Now, obviously Lada Niva is cheaper, but the GV has much better equipment.
Thing is, from what I hear Niva is a more durable car, and this is going to be my first car so I might not pay great attention to my driving, especially outdoors, neither do I want to pay attention.
So, what would you suggest?

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The niva isn't durable, it's a fucking miserable underpowered shitbox.
After learning the ropes though, it's extremely easy to repair and maintain, because it's so ancient in design and simplistic.

It also can be somewhat off road capable but nit with stock wheels and that 1.7 engine is anemic as shit.
The car alao is much more comfortable off road than on as it's fucking abysmal on road.

>seriously considering a 70's relic from Soviet Russia over a modern car with modern amenities and design

Get the Suzuki, you won't regret it.

Suzuki. I'd buy the niva though if it wasn't a DD. It'd be cool to have a hunk of soviet shit that looks cool here in the states.

I guess I will go with Suzuki. Father has to give a bit more money then.

What does DD mean by the way?

lurk moar newfag

daily driver

Niva is slightly better than a Grand Vitara off-road but is absolute dogshit on a highway, and is actually LESS reliable. Its only advantages are price and ease of modding.

If you want a (relatively) capable Russian 4x4, get a Patriot with an Iveco diesel engine. If you want a "hunk of soviet shit that looks cool in the states", get an UAZ 469, or if you're feeling particularly communist, find one of the elusive GAZ M72s.

Buy the Niva. You will appreciate any other vehicle you have after that.

>Father has to give a bit more money then.

Or else you'll dump your piss jugs on everything he loves again?

right, thanks
Well, I am not an american and Niva is definitely not a car that's considered cool here. I like the way it looks though.
How is it less reliable by the way? Wouldn't Vitara require a more gentle driving?
ha
Nah, it wouldn't change much for him, but of course he would prefer to spend less on me and more on himself. He made his own money so he can't give it up too easily.

Oh, and also forgot to mention that Niva has fuck all for safety - no airbags, no crumple zones, no traction control (ABS only on 2011 and newer models), etc. It's irrelevant if you're trudging through mud in bumfuck nowhere, but it's a terrible pick for a beginner on a public road.

>How is it less reliable by the way?
The engineering is sturdy, but VAZ has notoriously subpar QC on their cheap models. A friend's colleague once stalled while driving out of the dealership in his brand new Niva and had to wait a week for the car to be repaired, and then had two more breakdowns in the next month alone.
Yes, unlike a Grand Vitara, you can repair a Niva in a cave with a box of scraps, but do you really want this hassle?

fuck safety, we die like men. Historic on the fury road.

yeah, this is actually my greatest concern about niva. At first I thought airbags were a legal necessity, so I didn't even pay attention if the car had it or not. Apparently it isn't.
I see what you mean, but you misunderstood me. I meant the body of the car. What I am asking is, if i hit a thick sapling or a high stone in the side, which car would take the damage better?
But you are right about the last sentence, I don't really understand repair and don't think I can bother with it myself.

Always pick the beetle.

I actually drove a niva "мeдвeдь" pickup for work. The car dealership traded it for outdoor ads, and then I traded outdoor ads with a gas station chain in exchange for fuel which I wrote off on the niva.
What a shitbox it was. We even took it offroading a couple of times and beat it to half death on muddy forest trails. With good tires it can be a fairly decent offroader but don't count on it. Also I need to add that it's a military grade pussy repellant.
If you want a russian 4x4 get a hunter or patriot. The hunter is a rickety piece of shit but if you invest in the maintenance it's a VERY decent rugged offroader. Most importantly you're not afraid to slay it offroad because you know it was built to take a beating.

>if i hit a thick sapling or a high stone in the side, which car would take the damage better?

One that has better bumper guards or aftermarket metal bumpers bolted on.

The Hunter also has an amusing habit of turning into a miniature Auschwitz if you're trying to ford more than a foot of water.

never heard of this issue. do you have any links?

off-road-drive.ru/archive/1/Brod_cherez_reku_Stiks

just open the window lol

you're not gonna go heavy offroading stock in any case. If you're gonna invest the hunter is also your best bet. You can get military axles, diff locks from a btr60, air diff locks, e diff locks, etc.

witnessed