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Lada 4x4 (Niva) for overland Lada 4x4 (Niva) for overland
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4 wheel Overland Travel NON-technical 4 wheel forum, for subjects specific to TRAVEL with 4 (or more!) wheeled vehicles. e.g. Driving Techniques, Shipping etc.
Photo by Marc Gibaud, Clouds on Tres Cerros and Mount Fitzroy, Argentinian Patagonia

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Photo by Marc Gibaud,
Clouds on Tres Cerros and
Mount Fitzroy, Argentinian Patagonia



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  #1  
Old 29 Jul 2019
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Thank you for all your replies. Actually I was thinking about the “classic” Niva, which called 4x4 today: https://www.lada.ru/en/cars/4x4/3dv/about.html.
But I assume your advises still stand.  I will check the RAV4. I have been informed that Land Rovers have been eaten by rust. I just thought that it might be a good idea to have a new Lada 4x4 instead of having an old Toyota, but it seems that this is not true.
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  #2  
Old 29 Jul 2019
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Old Nivas are pretty good off-road vehicles, very well sprung. But you mention 'we'; this car is pretty small and not designed to carry weight! For two people I think it's a poor choice unless you plan to travel very light.
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Old 30 Jul 2019
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Quote:
Originally Posted by erdei82 View Post
... I have been informed that Land Rovers have been eaten by rust...
You have been informed incorrectly. Land Rovers are mostly made from aluminium and withstand rust much better than most. I have been driving Land Rovers for 20 Years and can vouch for that.
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Old 30 Jul 2019
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All old vehicles are prone to rust if they have not been garaged their whole lives. Land Rover chassis are made from iron just like other cars. I would use rust as a criterion for selecting a specific used car, not as a way to judge between brands.
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Old 6 Aug 2019
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I don't know about Hungary, but prices are getting a lot higher for Defenders in recent years.
They are made of aluminium but the old ones have some weak spots where aluminum and iron can rust away very fast when water is getting involved. (inside of doors)
As said it still features a ladder chassis frame like most old skool 4x4s which is always a risk.
(be careful when buying a Nissan, some of them have breakage in their chassis)

So when it comes to poorly maintained vehicles, I would choose a unibody RAV4 over a Defender. But a Defender is better in offroading of course.
As said, other options are Landcruiser and Nissans.

But I would check how much offroading you really want to do. If you just want to be prepared for bad road quality and only take an occasional dirt track (which locals usually take with a normal car) the RAV4 is a pretty good choice.
The locals (at least in Asia) use it as well so parts are available. It is reliable, more comfortable than a real 4x4 and you will get a lot newer car for the same money.
Just don't overload it. If you're gonna take lots of heavy stuff, the 4x4s come with much higher load rating.
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Old 6 Aug 2019
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Thank you for all your comments! We plan to travel light and don't want to go hard offroading. So it seems that I will pick a few years old RAV4.
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Old 6 Aug 2019
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Just take a spare of all filters with you, perhaps also spare ignition parts and auxiliary belt, and go.
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Last edited by Lovetheworld; 6 Aug 2019 at 19:48.
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  #8  
Old 10 Aug 2019
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Originally Posted by erdei82 View Post
Thank you for all your comments! We plan to travel light and don't want to go hard offroading. So it seems that I will pick a few years old RAV4.
When are you looking to buy? I have a 2007 RAV4 that I'll be looking to sell soon in the UK.
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Old 10 Aug 2019
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Originally Posted by Cambelt View Post
When are you looking to buy? I have a 2007 RAV4 that I'll be looking to sell soon in the UK.
I plan to buy only next year. At the moment I still not decided which 4x4 should I pick. Now I am collecting information from more experienced people than me. .. Anyway thank you for the information!
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