The Lada in Canada any still exist?

May 21st, 2015 5:02 pm

#1

tiesto [OP]: Member; Jan 23, 2010; 305 posts; 95 upvotes; Hamilton

May 21st, 2015 5:02 pm

Hi Everyone,

Anyone here own a Lada or had one before? I recall seeing them in the early 90's and at the Autoshow in Toronto. There used to be Lada in Canada. I'm not sure, but were some of the diesel? For some reason, I thought these were dirt cheap brand new?? was that true?

I've never driven one just sat inside them.

Did the dealership hand out a free bottle of vodka

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May 21st, 2015 5:05 pm

#2

eblend: Deal Addict; Jul 21, 2005; 1975 posts; 1013 upvotes; Alberta

May 21st, 2015 5:05 pm

tiesto wrote: ↑Hi Everyone,

Anyone here own a Lada or had one before? I recall seeing them in the early 90's and at the Autoshow in Toronto. There used to be Lada in Canada. I'm not sure, but were some of the diesel? For some reason, I thought these were dirt cheap brand new?? was that true?

I've never driven one just sat inside them.

Did the dealership hand out a free bottle of vodka

I know Calgary had a dealership when I first moved here, like 19 years ago haha, but that lot has since been taken over by someone else. I haven't seen any Lada's in a long time, they really never lasted past 40k. I still see an old Niva here and there.

May 21st, 2015 5:07 pm

#3

eblend: Deal Addict; Jul 21, 2005; 1975 posts; 1013 upvotes; Alberta

May 21st, 2015 5:07 pm

Found this article, apparently stopped selling in 98

http://www.theautonet.com/en/2013/11/17 ... -forgotten

May 21st, 2015 5:26 pm

#4

AlexJosh: Deal Addict; Nov 12, 2011; 2951 posts; 1366 upvotes; Markham

May 21st, 2015 5:26 pm

I heard even in Russia it's Datsun rebrand now

May 21st, 2015 5:59 pm

#5

JAGpilot: Deal Addict; Jun 22, 2006; 4170 posts; 179 upvotes; North York

May 21st, 2015 5:59 pm

There is a building with the Lada logo/name on Steeles between Keele and Dufferin. LADA building

If you drive dangerously I hope you get caught and lose your license/car/dignity!

+1

May 21st, 2015 6:04 pm

#6

mikeymike1: Deal Fanatic; Apr 16, 2007; 8124 posts; 3455 upvotes; Financial District B…

May 21st, 2015 6:04 pm

In today's landscape a Nissan Juke would be the closest thing to a Lada of olden days. Go take one of those for a spin. I think a Honda lawnmower would be faster and have more power.
If Skoda was here that would be closest resemblance.

----------------------------Licensed Credit Bureau member, S1, FI Automotive, CCP forums most banned = x 13 and counting, guess who that is?... stomped to the curb once again

+1

May 21st, 2015 7:20 pm

#7

macnut: Deal Fanatic; Oct 26, 2008; 6635 posts; 2365 upvotes; BC

May 21st, 2015 7:20 pm

^ I'd put money on mikeymike1's financial advice, but on automotive matters - definitely not up to speed!

A Nissan Juke resembling a Lada? You've got to be kidding. The Juke slow?

There's things to criticize about the Juke, such as interior room, aesthetics, etc., but it ain't slow. And its build quality is way ahead of the Lada.

Skoda used to be a cheap and nasty brand, but always better than Lada and the gap has widened over the years.

Maybe you meant to say Yugo as the closest resemblance to Lada? That I would agree with.

May 21st, 2015 7:25 pm

#8

mikeymike1: Deal Fanatic; Apr 16, 2007; 8124 posts; 3455 upvotes; Financial District B…

May 21st, 2015 7:25 pm

We're talking about comparative landscape, then to now. Lada was the armpit of cars back in the 80's-90's. If I remember right you could of had a new one for under 7 or 8k.(only 8% PST back then too)
In today's auto landscape there's no uglier car on the road than a Juke. I would also say the Aztek but Pontiac is long gone.

Yeah I agree with you there on the Yugo. A few years ago while over in England I was able to try out a Skoda. Was total crap.
Same when I went to Bermuda. They have a engine displacement law. I think the law was nothing bigger than 2.0 liters. Anyways, lots of small cars like Skodas, Peugeots, etc. Tried it there too. crap.

----------------------------Licensed Credit Bureau member, S1, FI Automotive, CCP forums most banned = x 13 and counting, guess who that is?... stomped to the curb once again

+1

May 21st, 2015 10:46 pm

#9

Bobster66: Newbie; Jan 8, 2012; 68 posts; 13 upvotes; Toronto

May 21st, 2015 10:46 pm

Lada is long gone from Canada but still thriving in Russia. Lada is a brand owned by Avtovaz which in turn was bought by Nissan/Renault last year.

My boss back in the nineties drove a Lada wagon and it was a crappy car even for it's time. There is no current equivalent to Ladas now in Canada as there is nothing so basic and cheap. Even the Mitsubishi Mirage is more relatively refined now, then a Lada was back then.

May 21st, 2015 11:30 pm

#10

smacd: Deal Fanatic; Oct 6, 2007; 9565 posts; 7206 upvotes; Kootenays

May 21st, 2015 11:30 pm

My Dad had a Lada sedan in the late '70s. He bought it after I wrote off his Mazda 626 by coasting into a power pole at 20mph (I was looking for a piece of paper I dropped on the floor and took my eyes off of the road. I was 16). His reasoning was that it was very solid steel and very cheap. IIRC, it caught on fire 2 or 3 times and self destructed after 3 or 4 years. People used to spit on it and leave notes on it at work that said Commie Go Home. He worked at Dalhousie University. It looked like this, only beige: http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_aay0r-mvhQ4/S ... 0+Lada.jpg

+1

May 22nd, 2015 2:48 am

#11

EP32k2: Deal Expert; Jan 15, 2006; 17933 posts; 16936 upvotes; Richmond Hill

May 22nd, 2015 2:48 am

I remember being at the auto show in the mid-90's and I think they were still carburetted LOL

May 22nd, 2015 6:37 am

#12

iddqd85: Deal Addict; Jul 22, 2014; 2243 posts; 746 upvotes; Ottawa, ON

May 22nd, 2015 6:37 am

[IMG]http://static.damnlol.com/i/d90a76e114c ... 2266dd.jpg[/IMG]

+2

May 22nd, 2015 10:07 am

#13

intravino: Member; Mar 8, 2006; 494 posts; 69 upvotes; Montreal

May 22nd, 2015 10:07 am

There was a dealer on St-Michel near Montreal-North. I went to see the NIVA pickup. The trucks were new and rust was appearing in the bed. That was around 1990.

But Lada wasn't the worst. Dacia was really the worst, with their glued on transmissions.

May 22nd, 2015 10:14 am

#14

tiesto [OP]: Member; Jan 23, 2010; 305 posts; 95 upvotes; Hamilton

May 22nd, 2015 10:14 am

smacd wrote: ↑My Dad had a Lada sedan in the late '70s. He bought it after I wrote off his Mazda 626 by coasting into a power pole at 20mph (I was looking for a piece of paper I dropped on the floor and took my eyes off of the road. I was 16). His reasoning was that it was very solid steel and very cheap. IIRC, it caught on fire 2 or 3 times and self destructed after 3 or 4 years. People used to spit on it and leave notes on it at work that said Commie Go Home. He worked at Dalhousie University. It looked like this, only beige: http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_aay0r-mvhQ4/S ... 0+Lada.jpg

That's right during the 70's cold war period, driving a lada might have upset a few people.

May 22nd, 2015 1:21 pm

#15

PlmbPmp: Jr. Member; Jan 12, 2015; 104 posts; 15 upvotes; Toronto, ON

May 22nd, 2015 1:21 pm

The 'new' Ladas that you bought in Canada in the 80's were 20 year old Fiats. The Skoda was a sports car compared to the Lada.

No love for the Dacia 1300? It was the Corolla of the Eastern Bloc.

May 22nd, 2015 3:10 pm

#16

eblend: Deal Addict; Jul 21, 2005; 1975 posts; 1013 upvotes; Alberta

May 22nd, 2015 3:10 pm

This is the new Niva, sure changed a lot ,hopefully better quality now that it's a joint venture with Chevy. Did you know that the original Niva is still sold today!

This is a new lada concept...hehe, sure looks different

May 22nd, 2015 3:14 pm

#17

l69norm: Deal Expert; Jun 12, 2007; 17647 posts; 5747 upvotes; London

May 22nd, 2015 3:14 pm

Someone is selling a 79 Lada 1500 on Toronto kijiji as a collectable with only 7000 km, all original

Only a mere $20k

May 22nd, 2015 5:09 pm

#18

robertz: Deal Addict; Nov 21, 2008; 1361 posts; 249 upvotes; North Vancouver, BC

May 22nd, 2015 5:09 pm

Lada Cossack. Best off road vehicle ever built!

May 22nd, 2015 5:14 pm

#19

Cough: Deal Addict; Dec 9, 2003; 4965 posts; 810 upvotes; Calgary

May 22nd, 2015 5:14 pm

$1500 on Kijiji
in Edmonton
[IMG]http://i.ebayimg.com/00/s/NjAwWDgwMA==/ ... n/$_35.JPG[/IMG]
[QUOTE][QUOTE]1996, Lada Niva Cossack 4x4 with running boards, sun roof and 15 inch mags. Runs well and brakes are good. Needs windshield and muffler. Has a couple of minor dents and some surface rust. Currently running P201/75R15 rubber. Can be viewed in Smoky Lake.[/QUOTE][/QUOTE]

May 22nd, 2015 5:15 pm

#20

Spidey: Deal Expert; Oct 16, 2001; 76501 posts; 1579 upvotes

May 22nd, 2015 5:15 pm

Almost died in one in 1990, don't know how we didn't crash. All the while, Knocking on Heavens Door was playing (on cassete) :-)