Niva Legend VS Suzuki Jimny - comparison of two legendary SUVs

Real off-road vehicles are not very suitable for everyday use. This is a rather specific technique, which is more suitable for the role of the second, and even the third car in the family.


Unfortunately, the realities do not allow many to keep several cars. Yes, and buying a large and powerful SUV is not always affordable.

In some cases, it's not even about the price - the old Jeep Grand Cherokee can be taken inexpensively. It just has to be serviced and refueled, and this is expensive for the budget.


What to do if you want to conquer off-road and drive something economical? There is a way out - the purchase of compact "rogues". In Russia, two models are suitable for this role - VAZ-2121, aka Lada Niva Legend or Suzuki Jimny.

Pricing

Not to say that both cars, despite the similarity, are equivalent in value. "Niva" is available to almost every working Russian, of course, talking about a used car. Suzuki Jimny is more of a toy for wealthy people, even a used one.

The old VAZ-2121 can be purchased from 65 thousand rubles. Of course, there are copies on sale that are half the price, but you won’t look at them without tears. At the same time, such cars move independently and are able to deliver their new owners off-road. Of course, whether they will return from there is another question.


The new Lada Niva Legend can be purchased from 657 rubles. Is it worth spending that kind of money on an obsolete morally and technically car? As a rule, everyone decides this issue for himself.


By the way, it is recommended to choose used "Soviet" VAZ-2121, produced before 1988, on the market. Their advantages:

✅ High build quality
✅ Simplicity and reliability
✅ More thorough bodywork
✅ Ability to find a car "from grandfather"

As for the Suzuki Jimny, this car on the used market costs from 500 thousand rubles. Talk about the model of the third, most popular generation in Russia.


For the new "Dzhimnik" they ask from 3,15 million rubles. The price, of course, is “space”. It turns out that the Japanese SUV should exceed the domestic "Niva" five times? Of course, the conversation is not only about cross-country ability, but about a combination of different qualities, including comfort in the cabin and movement in the city and on the highway. Let's go through the points.

Off road

Let's start with what these SUVs usually buy for - cross-country ability. Structurally ancient "Niva", which is constantly scolded, is much more modern than the Suzuki Jimny. Of course, the conversation is not about options and “bells and whistles” in the cabin, but only about the chassis.

Lada Niva Legend is a full-fledged crossover, that is, a cross-country vehicle. At one time, design engineers tried to combine the comfort of a passenger car and an all-terrain vehicle, and they succeeded.

Suzuki Jimny is a descendant of military SUVs from the 40s. It is distinguished by a number of archaic design solutions:

✅ Spar frame
✅ Continuous bridges
✅ Plug-in all-wheel drive

But the years of improvements were not in vain - on the roads, the Jimny surpasses the Niva even in terms of comfort, not to mention the cross-country ability.


VAZ-2121, regardless of the year of manufacture, “pleases” with the crunches and groans of its units that are characteristic and familiar to experienced drivers - from the transmission to the hinges. Of course, new cars are quieter, but against the background of old foreign cars they surprise, even frighten.

When driving off-road, the Suzuki Jimny clearly outperforms the Niva. The newer the "Japanese", the more electronic assistants he has. Getting stuck on the Dzhimnik is more difficult.

But the Niva, even from the passenger compartment, requires the skill of the driver. This is the car on which you can get stuck in a large puddle not far from home without experience. This does not mean that the cross-country ability of the VAZ-2121 is low, you just need to get used to the car and feel it.

A few words about motors

The Suzuki Jimny engine is something that Russian drivers who are personally unfamiliar with the model constantly ridicule. The fact that the 1,6 / 1,7 engine on the Niva is weak was not expressed except by the lazy one. What then to say about the Suzuki power unit, where the volume is only 1,3 liters?


But there are a number of nuances here. Firstly, in the third, most popular generation, engine power is usually in the range of 80-85 hp. With. This already hints that the power unit is definitely no worse.

Secondly, the new fourth-generation Suzuki Jimny has a 1,5-liter engine. He develops 102 hp. With. Recall that the most modern and modified VAZ-2121 engine boasts only 83 “horses”.

Thirdly, the weight of the Japanese SUV is about 10-15% less. In practice, this gives a serious increase in dynamics.


It would seem that this can be reconciled, but there is one more nuance. If you overcome difficult sections at high speed, the car is more likely to be damaged. On the other hand, if the Niva is old, you can ignore it. Although, it all depends on the owner. Many people groan directly when the car gets damaged.


And the engines of the Japanese SUV are much more economical than Russian / Soviet ones. "Niva" even on a good road requires an average of 10 liters of gasoline. Off-road consumption increases by 20-50%. Suzuki has this parameter of about 7 liters. Plus an off-road adjustment.

Salons

Comfort is not about these SUVs at all. In fact, they are only suitable for the driver and front passenger. The rear “sofas” in both cars will only be comfortable for preschool children, so it’s better to carry luggage there.

The driver is more comfortable in Suzuki Jimny - this is a foreign car. But if a passenger sits next to it, it will become crowded. Surprisingly, the Niva's interior is 12 centimeters wider. That's just the ergonomics of the landing of the domestic SUV is lame.


Once specific "Zhiguli" chairs seemed comfortable, but now it's horror. And let them be replaced with more comfortable ones in new cars - the ergonomics of the fit have not changed.

City and highway

Despite the fact that Suzuki is a frame SUV on continuous bridges, it has been refined for decades. And the Japanese are well-known masters in this respect. Foreign things, falling into their hands, turn into works of art.

Therefore, the Jimny rides almost like a passenger car. In the city, Suzuki Jimny keeps calm in the traffic flow, keeping up with him.


Plus, if you drive the Niva quickly, fuel consumption will unpleasantly surprise you. Therefore, this car is definitely not suitable for the city.

On the track, Lada Niva Legend rides just as badly. Accelerating it above 100 km / h is uncomfortable and uneconomical. However, the Suzuki Jimny is about the same story. Although, the problem here is more likely in the body than in the engine. The “Japanese” has no aerodynamics, the car throws both side wind and track at speed.


But the "Niva" behaves more stable on the track. You just need to speed up somehow. Plus permanent four-wheel drive also help to keep the trajectory.

Summing up, we can say that the Suzuki Jimny is better and more versatile than the Lada Niva Legend. That's just the high cost of even used copies completely crosses out all the advantages of the "Japanese". Buying such an expensive car and conquering the harsh off-road is for wealthy people.

But Suzuki Jimny is a fashion car. And let some call it female - real off-road lovers know what a cool thing it is.