Pros and cons of Chevrolet Niva, customer reviews. Reasonable minimum: disadvantages of a Chevrolet Niva with mileage Pros and cons of buying a car 2121

03.09.2019

Body

Enough for a long time the name "Niva" belonged to AvtoVAZ, and under it was produced compact SUV Soviet development. But the car was becoming obsolete, and in the late 80s, the development of its replacement began. The first concept was presented in 1998 during the Moscow international motor show. In the same year, small-scale assembly of this model began under the code name VAZ-2123 Niva.

So new car was produced until 2002, when AvtoVAZ, together with the company " General Motors"created the GM-AvtoVAZ enterprise, aimed at mass production of the model. As a result, the license for the compact SUV itself, as well as the rights to its name, were transferred to a joint project, and since 2004 the original Niva has been called 4 × 4. From the very beginning of production Chevrolet Niva» in its value exceeded old model almost twice and was a fairly serious competitor for Kia Sportage, which was produced in Kaliningrad.

Throughout the entire production period, the Chevrolet Niva has undergone only one major restyling in 2009. The appearance of the car has not changed much. So in 2017, the car will have another update that will allow the car to comply modern standards. Also in 2014, a new generation was introduced. However, so far almost nothing is known about him. But almost all the shortcomings of the produced car are known, which is facilitated by the reviews of the owners of the Niva Chevrolet.

Body

For the car, its own platform was developed, for its time (at the time of release) the car had quite attractive appearance. In modern realities, the exterior is certainly outdated. The restyling of 2009 did not help either, during which they changed the optics, as well as plastic parts body, leaving the hardware untouched. Describe appearance the car and all its configurations are not washed away, because everyone has long been familiar with it.

During the operation, all the flaws in the body structure were found. Iron begins to rot 6-7 years after the start of operation. Swelling of paint, as well as “saffron milk caps”, begin to appear from the junction of the gas tank hatch with the body, the roof with pillars, sills, arches and on the lower part of the trunk lid. The latter, moreover, is rubbed over time to iron at the point of contact with the sealant. Paint blistering can also be seen on the hood. The antenna also contributes to the formation of rust, the fastening bolt of which gradually weakens, opening access to water to the bare metal.

It is not advised to put a jack under the middle part of the car, since it is there that the spars are most vulnerable, and when lifting they can simply collapse. The lack of strength of their design also affects when cornering, as a result of which they creak, touching the protection. A rubber gasket inserted between the parts will help to temporarily eliminate extraneous sounds. rear doors because of bad work locks may begin to wedge over time. In order to open them in this case, you need to press on the upper corner of the door (the one closer to the trunk), and then try again. Completely the lock will break in 7 years, from corrosion. driver's door because of the most frequent use starts to flicker. External handles, regardless of the door, eventually begin to move away from the body due to loosening of the fasteners. Problem areas are also velvet, which begin to scratch the glass when the power windows are operating. The windows themselves, if they are electric, break after 6 or 7 years of operation.

Bumpers, especially after restyling, are quite fragile and cannot withstand strong blows. As a result, on the Chevrolet Niva, despite its cross-country ability, you should not meddle in the off-road. This threatens with chips and cracks on the outer plastic. Guides rear bumper fixed with rivets, which degrade and sag over time. As a result, a fairly wide gap is formed between the plastic and the trunk.

Salon and electrics

Inside, the car is a mixture of cheap Chevrolet models, designed for third world countries, and a VAZ car, starting from the 10th family. The torpedo is made of soft plastic, the dashboard is taken from dozens. The steering wheel is three-spoke and is adjustable only in height. Dashboard taken from ten. After restyling, a lot of compartments, pockets and glove compartments appeared in the cabin, which the owners of the previous generation lacked so much.

Like the body, the interior is full minor faults. After 30 thousand km, “crickets” start up in the car, which prefer to sing from different places, especially in the area of \u200b\u200bthe joints of the dashboard. From the hot sun, over time, the lid of the upper glove compartment begins to deform, which is why it warps, showing cracks and stubbornness when closed. Water may begin to seep through the aerial mentioned above, as well as through the steering shaft seal or stove.

Ergonomics remains at an average level, because there are few instruments on the center console. But even at the same time, the developers managed to “screw up” by placing the front row window switches on the center console, right behind the gear lever. The latter also has an inconvenient location, near the "lower". This causes problems when turned on at the same time. reversing and downshift. Torn anthers of levers can affect the appearance of cold drafts in the passenger compartment.

As for the electrics, then the Chevy Niva has its own trump card. Repeatedly, the owners noticed how the car turned on the ignition without a key. To do this, just turn on the dimensions and dipped beam. The fact is that the designers provided the button for turning on the light with a plus, which is also connected to the ignition. In addition to these "tricks", there are several more negative aspects electricians:

The fuel level sensor fails after 60 thousand km.
The coolant temperature sensor has the same resource. In addition, its performance is reduced if, in addition to it, other devices are working.
The standard key fobs responsible for the operation of the central lock are poorly soldered. As a result, they have a short service life.
When bad contact V mounting block heater fuses blown rear window and oven fan.
If you do not fully insert the lamp into one of the dimensions, this will lead to melting of the reflector of the block headlight, as well as burning the cartridge.
The regular generator does not hold a charge well and kills the battery, therefore, after purchase, it is recommended to replace it with a more powerful one, designed for 115 A.

Engines

Throughout the release, the car was supplied with a single VAZ 2123 engine, which was based on injection model installed on the classic Niva. In technical terms, these engines are almost completely identical: the power was 80 hp, and the volume was 1.7 liters. The difference consists only in changing the location of the mounts, both the unit itself inside the body and the attachments.

Even for a light Chevrolet Niva this motor was rather weak, and the car was reluctant to pick up acceleration even for its time. In addition, the unit has almost all the diseases of VAZ engines, including noise, oil consumption, as well as a tendency to vibration and extraneous noise. In addition to them, the chain has quite weak system tension, which at one point may allow her to jump to the prong. After that, in the worst case, you will have to pull out the "honey mushrooms" from the head of the block. As a result, the engine resource is quite small and amounts to only 150 thousand km. Even at the plant itself, they don’t really believe in this motor, and they set a resource of 80 thousand km.

But apart from mass production, about a thousand cars with the prefix "FAM-1" were produced. They differed in that under their hood was a more powerful, 122-horsepower unit from Opel - Z18XER. Its volume was 1.8 liters. The motor pulled the Niva well both on asphalt and off-road. Of course, he also had his shortcomings, but they happened less often, and were less felt, compared to the Russian counterpart.

The main drawback was the lack of hydraulic lifters, which is why every 100 thousand km it is necessary to adjust the valves. The thermostat on the Z18XER is no better than on the VAZ, and often breaks down before the declared mileage. The same can be said about the ignition module. The last problem of a massive nature is an oil leak observed from the oil cooler. This is a fairly common thing, which is not particularly surprising. In addition, there is no need to worry, because repairs will cost mere pennies. And despite the majority of malfunctions, the device has a resource almost twice as long as that of the VAZ, which ranges from 200 to 250 thousand km. But in order for the engine to serve its term without complaints, it needs a careful attitude: timely maintenance and use only quality oils and fuel.

Transmission

Like the native VAZ engine, the Chevrolet Niva gearbox is also full of surprises. From the outside, this is a standard five-speed mechanics. But it’s worth trying to shift gears, and you can immediately feel the backlash coming from spline connections. And the older the car, the more play. In addition, the device constantly buzzes in motion and creates additional vibrations that are perfectly transmitted to the lever when trying to shift at 2500 or 3000 thousand rpm. To fix the latter, you will have to replace the fork, as well as some bearings. After 100 or 120 thousand km, the box begins to “deflate”, and you will have to make an effort to switch. After the onset of this disease, you can safely expect especially loud howls in third gear.

The backstage of the mechanism requires adjustment from time to time. Otherwise, a fifth or reverse gear. Another “sore” place was the boot of the clutch slave cylinder, which can tear or crack even on a new car.

In addition to the usual gearbox, Niva also has a razdatka, which will have to be adjusted to work. In order not to “kill” the gears of the mechanism ahead of time, you need to independently select the moment when the revolutions are synchronized, and only after that turn on the clutch lock. Front gear starts to howl after 130 thousand km, and after another ten thousand, the old CV joint will need to be replaced.

Suspension

The suspension of the car is quite good and, in tandem with a fairly high ground clearance, it helps to easily overcome difficult obstacles. Changes in its design depend on the year of manufacture and the operation presented, however, the problems for almost all types of suspensions are similar. Troubles begin after overcoming 60 thousand km, when the rear of the suspension begins extraneous knocks, which are clearly audible when driving over bumps. The reason for this is tired rubber bands. rear links. Visually, they will seem intact, but here inner part they will be heavily worn.

Silent blocks last up to 80 or 100 thousand km, and after the appearance of a characteristic knock, a broach can be made, after which they will be able to drive several tens of thousands more. Ball, on average, go 60 thousand km. wheel bearings they have not the most successful design, because of which they need a tightening every 30 thousand km. And this is provided that they go about 90 thousand km.

The weak points in the front suspension can be called rubber-metal hinges of the right upper arm. They are located too close to the engine exhaust system, as a result of which they become very hot and can be deformed. Another weak point could be shock absorbers. To avoid breakage on off-road, when replacing shock absorbers, it is not recommended to perform broach while the vehicle is in suspension.

Outcome

Up to 60 thousand km, the Chevrolet Niva is a good economy class foreign car, designed both for city trips and for getting out of the city to the garden or nature. After passing this limit, the car becomes a typical representative of AvtoVAZ with weekly breakdowns and extraneous sounds. The car did not manage to get rid of almost a single drawback of the models that preceded it, even after small restyling. At the same time, all the disadvantages described above are not very significant and will allow you to fix things yourself or get to the service.

For several years now, a new release has been expected, new generation Chevrolet Niva. This time the car looks quite modern. Yes and latest models cars assembled at AvtoVAZ (regardless of the brand), although a little, but pulled up their quality. Therefore, we can only hope that the new generation will be able to become at least a little better than its predecessor, which, to be honest, has long been retired.

Domestic motorists ask: is it worth buying a Chevrolet Niva for trips to loved ones and long distance? How much is an SUV and can it surpass in something, for example, Renault Duster? This article will help you make the right choice.

Is it worth buying a Chevrolet Niva if you live in the city? Rather yes than no. This full SUV(below you will find out why this is so), which will help diversify boring city life. On it you can overcome any slopes and rises, drive a deep rut and a depression.

The main advantages of the Chevrolet Niva

Have domestic SUV a few quite weighty arguments that make it a desirable car when buying:

Energy-intensive suspension and all-wheel drive need no introduction. This means that you can go on a comfortable and safe journey even to another city, even to your grandmother in the village, where there is still no normal road and travel on any expensive sedan problematic.
System forced blocking differential plus a reduction gear make driving a car many times more comfortable. This is especially true for serious off-road.
The Chevrolet Niva has short overhangs and decent approach/departure angles (up to 37 and 35 degrees, respectively). Storming obstacles is much easier if your car has a wheel clearance of 220 mm, the ramp is raised by 24 degrees. What to say regular cars can not boast of such characteristics.
The level of safety in Niva Chevrolet is not a "five", but a solid "four". For example, there are ABS and airbags not only for the driver, but also front passenger. The seat belts have load limiting and comfort pretensioners.
And a little more about technical stuffing auto. He has drive shafts, the hinges have the same angular velocities. What does it mean? Driving becomes much more comfortable in any speed range.

What else attracts the new Niva, which has remained an “old and good” VAZ inside, but outwardly looks like a foreign car? Probably an incredibly low price compared to other SUVs, economy, amazing cross-country ability and availability of spare parts. Repairing a Chevrolet Niva is not a problem at all, given the low cost of components.

The main disadvantages of the Chevrolet Niva

How can a product not have cons? So our Chevrolet Niva found a few, albeit minor, but still flaws. Here they are:

Low engine power. When a car weighs almost 1500 kg and tries to overcome a snowdrift with a power of 80 horses under the hood, this is quite sad.
Acceleration to 100 kilometers in 19 seconds completely spoils such a cloudless first impression. It’s scary to overtake cars on the track - some kind of slowness and uncertainty of the car is felt.
Decent fuel consumption. If on a straight road every 100 kilometers Chevrolet Niva consumes 9 liters of gasoline, then in city traffic jams it “eats” all 14 liters.
Outdated design. Still, today's appearance " new Niva looks frankly old, if not ancient.

Summarize. Should I buy for racing, delivering goods around the city, riding with friends in nightclubs? We say an iron "no". And the appearance of the car is boring, especially among young people. But if you often have to drive off-road, the price plays important role, but you are not going anywhere in a hurry, in terms of quality and current cost, this is one of the most attractive cars On the market.

Chevrolet Niva is a fairly popular car for Russian off-road. This car will drive both on asphalt and on country roads. The car has its pros and cons.

Pros and cons of a car, and why women do not like it

Unpretentiousness to the road, patency;
Spacious interior, the stove heats up well in winter;
4WD car By affordable price;
Fuel consumption 9-11 liters;
More suitable for those who go fishing, hunting. You can drive to the village;

Now for the cons, and there are quite a few:

Weak engine for such a machine;
Constantly something breaks, and this is noted by almost all owners;
Dolvono high flow fuel in the city;
Small trunk, which, by the way, is a minus for the hunter;
Sucks dust into the cabin;
Noisy and vibrating on the road, not suitable for transporting children;
Buzzing at speed;
Weak grip, weak brakes;
It is impossible to sleep in the car, there is simply nowhere.

All these and other reviews are given by those people who regularly ride the Niva. Moreover, reviews are given by men who have previously used other equipment. Although the Chevrolet Niva website in Russia claims that for Russian off-road better car No, after the reviews it is doubtful.

Do we take it or not?

If there is nothing else to choose, or there is not enough money for another car, then of course you can take a car, but if you have a good foreign car, it is better to stop at the last one. That's why women can't stand this car, because it reminds them of a version of a noisy jeep, when it is no longer realistic to hear anything in the cabin while the engine is running. The only plus, in their opinion, is a high landing, which allows the driver to see everything on the road, well, perhaps that's all. After a foreign car, the car does not seem comfortable, it is not stable when cornering, and many people tip over on it. There is no tightness of the cabin, the convenience of landing in chairs too. Therefore, to decide whether to buy a Niva or not, of course, you need to decide individually, but it’s better to take Renault for almost the same money. Although fishermen and hunters like to argue that it is Niva that suits them better. Sometimes these cars are taken as service cars, due to the fact that they are quite easy to repair, spare parts are always available.

This article is an assessment of the car Lada 4x4 (Lada Niva 4x4) from the point of view of car owners, the advantages and disadvantages of the model are considered. Dana general characteristics auto, touched on the topic of equipment. We hope you will be interested.

Model Lada Niva- unique in its kind passenger car cross-country ability, he became the first mass SUV in the world that does not have frame structure, with independent front suspension on springs.

The VAZ car is known in other countries under other names (Bognor Diva, Lada Cossack / Bushman / Sport, etc.), since 2006 the model has been renamed Lada 4x4.

IN mass production compact SUV VAZ-2121 was launched in April 1977 in the Soviet Union, and in 1978 it was recognized the best car in its class, and received a gold award.

Currently, the model is produced in three- and five-door versions, there is also a luxury modification.

On automotive market Russian VAZ has existed for about forty years, and still has not lost its relevance, has worldwide recognition.

The appearance of the VAZ SUV has not changed much over the years, only in 1994, when the updated version VAZ-21213, was upgraded rear end bodywork:

another tailgate appeared;
became completely different rear lights(previously rear optics was borrowed from the VAZ-2106 model);
later, more modern side mirrors were installed on the car.

The three-door Lada 4x4 of 2016 is a compact SUV with an always-on all-wheel drive, with blocking center differential and downshift.

The interior, compared to the first release of the VAZ-2121 in 1994, has also undergone changes, and the cabin has been updated:

seats;
instrument panel with combination ( dashboard- first from VAZ-2107, later - from 2114);
steering wheel (also from the "seven").

Lada is not particularly comfortable, and there is not much space for passengers in the back.

The steering column switches are "penny", remained the same, it is inconvenient to turn on the turn signal on the go.

The shift lever is located close to the instrument panel, to shift gears, you have to reach forward.

The side mirrors are large mechanical adjustment, the electric drive is not provided even in the "Lux" configuration.

The ceiling lining is the same, oilcloth, like on all VAZ classics, there are no mirrors on the sun visors.

The spare wheel has a rather original location, it is located under the hood, but it was there on the first 2121 models.

Aggregates

If in the early releases of Lada were installed carbureted engines 1.6 and 1.7 liters, then the engine for the Niva 4x4 is now injection, with distributed fuel injection.

Only one type is provided on a 3-door SUV power unit- it's 81-strong gasoline ICE 1.7 liters (eight valves).

The engine of the VAZ-21214 model allows the car to accelerate to 100 km / h in 17 seconds, reach top speed 142 km/h

The fuel consumption declared by the manufacturer per 100 km is:

on the highway - 8.3 l;
in mixed mode - 9.9 l;
in urban operation - 12.1 liters.

The gasoline refilled in the tank is AI-95, the engine complies with Euro-4 environmental standards.

All-wheel drive vaz car equipped with a five-speed manual transmission, and there is also only one type of transmission, there are no other options.

All four wheels are constantly driving, the axles in this scheme are not disabled.

With a lever transfer box you can turn on step-down, neutral and top gear, and using the other lever, lock the center differential.

Complete set

The new Lada 4x4 of 2016 is produced in only two trim levels - these are "Standard" and "Lux".

As before, the car does not differ in richness of equipment, in basic version additional options Hardly ever.

Of all the bells and whistles, we can only note:

security door bars;
attachment for placing a child seat;
immobilizer.

The rims on the car are steel, stamped, R16, a full-size spare wheel is placed under the hood.

Athermal film is installed on the glasses from the factory, the seat upholstery is fabric, in any modification a power steering is provided.

You can buy Lada 4x4 in car dealerships of the Russian Federation from 465.7 thousand rubles, and it should be noted that, given the poor configuration, the car in 2016 is not cheap.

Lada Niva in Luxe version is additionally equipped with ABS systems, EBA and EBD, heated front seats are provided here.

Behind additional fee it is proposed to purchase the option package 017, where the buyer will receive a car with air conditioning, but there will be no seat heating in it.

Pros and cons of Lada 4 by 4

According to car owners, the main advantages of Lada 4x4 are:

High permeability;
Relatively good reliability;
Relatively good sound insulation;
Optimal price-quality ratio;
Warm stove;
Comfortable seats.

The compact SUV has exceptional cross-country ability, and this is the most important quality that is highly appreciated by car owners.

You can park in a car in winter in any snowdrift, you don’t have to be afraid that Lada will stall. Of course, you shouldn’t get into the swamp on the Niva, and you shouldn’t compete with UAZs, but the car is not afraid of dirt.

The engine of the VAZ is reliable and unpretentious, it starts well in cold weather, it does not eat much oil.

All spare parts and consumables are inexpensive, there are also no problems with repair and maintenance, many drivers repair cars with their own hands.

For hunting or fishing Niva - great option, compared to UAZ, it consumes gasoline much more economically, and if it stalls in impassable mud, it is much easier to pull it out with a tug than an Ulyanovsk all-terrain vehicle.

In the first place among the shortcomings of the machine is poor build quality, on paintwork chips appear, rust comes out, explosive plastic.

Often the electronics are “buggy”, the sensors refuse to work, the regular ones on the car do not really shine.

Vibration is also Niva's "signature disease", and it mainly appears due to a poorly centered transfer case and defective cardan shafts.

Niva 4x4 reviews

Alexey, 29 years old, Moscow.

I have a house in the village, so you can’t drive up to it on a primer in a passenger car in the mud. For trips to the village, I bought a Lada 4x4 at a car dealership, took a car in 2013.

I am glad that I made the right choice, even in waist-deep snow the car drives, to be honest, I did not expect it.

For 60 t. Km I only changed engine oil and pads, the fuel pump failed once.

Comfort, of course, is not enough, but driving performance on top for countryside- that's it.

Vladimir, 56 years old, Tomsk.

My impression of Niva is not very good, and most annoying rigid suspension. I used to go to the carburetor 21213, so it was much softer.

For some reason, shock absorbers from Chevy were stuck on the Lada 4x4, and now it jumps along the road, and in winter, until it warms up, it becomes generally oak.

The stove screams heart-rendingly, the car pulls not very well and is not suitable for the city, I only drive it to hunt.

Of the pluses - only a responsive power steering, but no reliability, which was the Niva in Soviet time, so slop and remained, even worse.

Grigory, 38 years old, Krasnoyarsk.

Our winter is frosty, snow usually piles up a lot. But my swallow drives off-road even on bald tires, starts at minus 35, and Last year I don’t even have it for the winter.

Gasoline consumption does not exceed 12 liters, although I drive in harsh conditions.

Of the shortcomings, I noticed an oil smudge in the area of \u200b\u200bthe chain tensioner, and even the radiator fogs up a little. The rest - some positive emotions!

Sergey, 37 years old, Kursk.

This is my second Niva, before that it was 21213. A lot of electronics were added in the new Lada, but as long as it didn’t fail, it didn’t cause any trouble.

But you need to look under the car at least twice a month, something always unscrews, or even falls off.

Spare parts must be bought original, all "left" parts do not last long. I fill in the 95th gasoline, on the ninety-second it pulls worse, detonation appears.

We draw a conclusion

Based on all the comments of car owners, we can conclude that the Lada 4x4 is quite reliable and practical car, although not very comfortable, it also requires constant attention and care.

For rural areas and heavy off-road, Lada Niva is an excellent option, but you need to calculate the capabilities of the car, and in order for the SUV to break down less often, purchase parts of the original production.

Lada 4x4 is legendary SUV domestic production. The model has been mass-produced since 1977 and is famous for its performance characteristics. Since 2004, Niva has been produced under the Lada 4x4 brand.

Let's note the pros and cons of this model in this article.