VAZ 2131: owner reviews and specifications

2024 Author: Erin Ralphs | [email protected]. Last modified: 2024-02-19 11:41

VAZ 2131 is a well-known off-road vehicle of the domestic manufacturer Lada Niva. Reviews of the VAZ 2131 indicate that it has a lot of similarities with the new version of the Chevrolet Niva, but at the same time, they are not at all the same. "Lada Niva" is popular among buyers who want to buy an inexpensive and reliable SUV.

Today, domestic "Soviet-type" cars are not very popular due to their simple appearance, interior arrangement, and operating characteristics. On the other hand, such cars are affordable for most of the population who cannot afford to buy a foreign car or a domestic luxury car. This article will present owners' reviews of the VAZ 2131, the pros and cons of this car.

History of LADA “Niva”

Lada 4x4 ("Lada Niva") is a Soviet car (later became Russian) small SUV with a load-bearing body and four-wheel drive.

The production of this car began on April 5, 1977 and is goingstill. Until 2006, the car had the name VAZ-2121 Niva, but today it bears the name LADA 4x4. There are three factories that assemble this car: in Togliatti, LuAZ in Ukraine and in Ust-Kamenogorsk (Kazakhstan).

The car is a bestseller, both in the domestic market and in the export market. Enjoyed great success in Germany and the UK, where it was produced with a right-hand drive. In general, about a hundred countries have been sold.

General characteristics of LADA 4X4 “Niva”

Small SUV "Niva" has a load-bearing body, four-wheel drive, it can be of two types: 3-door (hatchback), 5-door (station wagon). You can often find pickups or convertibles made in a tuning studio on the roads, as the owners write about in their reviews of the VAZ 2131.

The following are the basic characteristics of this car:

• Gearbox 4-speed mechanical type. VAZ 2131 already has a 5-speed.
• The car has a high level of cross-country ability due to decent ground clearance (220 mm), relatively small body overhangs, as well as a relatively short meter wheelbase (2, 2).

In October 2016, a new model LADA 4×4 Urban appeared. The car was equipped with a bearing that needs to be constantly adjusted. The steering knuckle has been upgraded, in addition, the car received an independent mounting of the front axle gearbox and gas-filled shock absorbers.

As far as security is concerned, then according to thecrash tests "Niva" at a speed of 64 km / h received a score of 0 points out of 16 possible. In the event of an impact, both the driver and passengers will undoubtedly suffer and suffer serious injuries due to the rather poor quality of the dashboard and glove compartment, as well as the steering wheel protruding too much.

One of the most serious issues was the strongest deformation of the spars. However, a significant plus is that the body itself is quite durable. In general, this car is more suitable for off-road driving, and not around the city or highways - such a conclusion can be drawn from reviews of the VAZ 2131.

LADA 4X4 Niva: fuel consumption

Initially, the manufacturer declares the maximum fuel consumption per hundred kilometers - 11 liters. However, often all the data given out by him is purely theoretical, and in practice everything turns out to be completely different.

Very often the owners of "Niv" are faced with completely different figures. Information on the forums, where there are heated discussions among fans of this car, provides feedback on the VAZ 2131 and its fuel consumption, from which real figures are visible that exceed the declared ones.

It is clear that consumption depends on many factors: driving style, traffic jams, off-road mode, but it still turns out that the manufacturer initially embellishes the characteristics of the car a little, misleading the buyer.

LADA 4X4 Niva: owner reviews

"Niva" in the domestic car market is quite popular due to its cross-country ability, low price of spare parts and the entire car. Because of thisshe has a fairly large audience of fans and owners who create various forums where they write reviews about the car.

Owners are divided. Car enthusiasts highlight the following benefits:

• strong body;
• great transmission;
• availability of spare parts and ease of replacement of any components and assemblies;
• high cross;
• large spacious interior;
• spacious trunk;
• high clearance.

As for the shortcomings, all owners note unreasonably high gas mileage, poor car dynamics, rear end collapse when cornering, high corrosion of the body, not very comfortable seats, an outdated dashboard, a rather weak engine, noise.

Based on all this, we can conclude that this car is an average SUV, a budget option for those who need transport for off-road driving. It is not very convenient to move around the city, but you can get used to everything.