20th Jan 2006, 12:13

For all their bad cars, the Russians spent a ton of money on the military. So maybe the Niva is like the Hummer, a repurposed military vehicle.

20th Jan 2006, 15:30

The Russians did make some very impressive military equipment that was simple and durable, without the maintenance requirements or complexity of corresponding American equipment (e.g. the MiG 29 compared to the F-16). However, their military technology never seemed to cross over into the civilian world for consumer offerings. They made very durable army trucks, but with no market economy, there was no incentive to offer the more durable product to consumers. After all, in the Soviet system, they allocated State resources to produce the best army truck in defense of the motherland, but it was a waste of resources to build a personal vehicle just so somebody could drive around like a kulak or rich peasant--the very idea that Stalin worked to destroy by starving the peasantry. Offering better products to those with more money is completely against the entire idea of the old Communist ideology. So now after the collapse of that system, those domestic industries will have to catch up.

20th Jan 2006, 17:39

Most Russian military equipment was junk also. They had a quantity not quality approach.

Did you see the first gulf war. The Iraqis had all of the Russians best stuff.

20th Jan 2006, 20:37

Their munitions work well, but the equipment?

Comparing the Mig 29 and F-16 is not quite fair either. The F-16 is at least 20 years older in design. Even the oldest design F-16 had far superior electronics.

I'm sure the little Russian car is capable off road, but "eat the Hummer for breakfast" is not realistic.

If you drive off road much or pay attention to off road reporting, it becomes quite obvious that the H2 is a very capable off road vehicle.

Why would the Lada Niva commenter feel they have to put down the Hummer? I went to see their reviews and until this whole thing got brought up, theirs was a love fest. The only comments were from owners to owners, or those interested in the vehicle. Repair topics and advice were common and discussed by each other.

I think that this Hummer site would be the same, except for all the hate being spewed here.

Why do all these haters attack this vehicle with such intensity? If that is you, ask yourself why.

The Hummer drivers don't seem to be going around attacking other makes.

I have read reviews of all the 4x4's on this website. No other vehicles are enduring this type of abuse from non-owners.

Still curious why.

20th Jan 2006, 23:07

O.K., let`s have some peace and sanity prevail. The Russian Niva and the American Hummer are both capable off-roaders in their own ways. Let`s stop the unnecessary insults and the nasty one-liners- they`re hostile and unproductive- and one sparks off the other. No one likes to be called a 'goofball'.

Readers might be interested to know that G.M. and Lada joined forces several years ago, and manufactured the new "Chevy Niva"- currently on the market in Europe. It is a budget 4x4- similar in size to the Toyota RAV-4. G.M. input has been positive for the Niva- which has been well received. The new Niva retains the strength and ruggedness of the previous 2121 model- G.M. has added sophistication and much up-dated technology.

20th Jan 2006, 23:13

I think the point of the F-16 v. MiG 29 comparison was just to illustrate that in the West, we put the emphasis on technology. The Soviets didn't have access to that, so they put emphasis on durability and simplicity. Two different approaches to the same problem of keeping military equipment operating in the field. They both have advantages and drawbacks. That is the allegory to this Hummer v. Lada tempest in a teapot. If you want a real debate on 4x4's, the Rubicon also needs to be considered. And come to think of it, when you get into the real brutal stuff of bouncing off rocks and knocking over trees, a 1965 International Harvester Scout or a 1954 Dodge Power Wagon starts looking pretty good, too. I saw a guy in a 1964 Power Wagon mounted on 2 1/2 ton military axles drive through a swamp knocking down 6-inch diameter trees. Do you really want to do that with your Hummer, Rubicon, or Lada? So let's have a little acceptance that there are some other vehicles out there that are pretty good at their thing, too.

21st Jan 2006, 07:17

Let's do have some peace and sanity here.

Let us also understand that the first 4 of 5 comments posted here, were attacks on Hummers by non-owners. 8 of 13 comments were negative (by non-owners) before the Lada was made fun of.

The Lada owner stated that it would eat the Hummer for breakfast.

Before the "goofball" comment, Hummer owners were called; idiots, egotistical, and megalomaniacs that need to get their fix".

There should be peace on this site, but even if all Hummer owners and enthusiasts kept silent, there probably will not be.

Nobody was calling for Peace and Sanity until someone retaliated against the Lada.