The Lada Niva Travel, which is mentioned in the article, has been undergoing resource testing for almost five years. The car remains relevant, being in the top 10 most popular models in the Russian car market.
But this time it's not about long trips and impressions, but about repairs. The task was to bring the car to a near-ideal condition, eliminating all the "sores". After all, as the practice of operating Russian cars shows, "repair cannot be finished, it can only be suspended."
After last year's repair for 70,000 rubles, the car was operated in everyday mode for six months, but the annoying noises intensified, turning into an alarming crackle. In the fall, the owner decided to do the repair. The first check revealed that the coolant temperature needle was going into the red zone: the fan was not turning on.
Checking the fuses and relay block did not yield any results. The reason turned out to be unexpected: the expansion tank cracked and slowly lost coolant. The problem was solved simply - they added water, bought a new tank for 240 rubles and poured coolant, which allowed them to get to the service.
Further diagnostics revealed wear of suspension elements, drive development and the need to replace the clutch. Total costs for repair and maintenance amounted to almost 70,000 rubles: Valeo clutch disc - 10,476 rubles, torque arms - 1,280 rubles, ABS drives - 28,317 rubles, ball joints - 3,893 rubles, oil and filter change - 4,284 rubles, windshield - 21,000 rubles. Most components are easy to find in stores, but without catalogs you have to select "by trial and error".
Despite the age and expenses, the author's car is brought almost to the ideal: the engine, transmission and body are in excellent condition, the chassis is updated, the parking brake is working. "Niva Travel" is still versatile for the Russian outback - trips for business, forest, hunting, fishing. For short distances, driving is comfortable, but more than 100-200 km is already tiring. Limited visibility and the lack of an automatic transmission are compromises in order to maintain price and simplicity of design.
Since the purchase five years ago, the cost of the top version of "Niva Travel" has almost doubled - now it is 1.6-1.8 million rubles (~22,500 $).
The car remains unpretentious, repairable and in demand in its segment. For the outback, it is a reliable assistant, capable of passing where other cars are powerless, and potential owners are already looking at the new restyled version with a more powerful engine.