1987 Pajero or 1986 Lada Niva?

[Munck1313]

Hello all

Planning a trip from Europe to Central Asia and back, starting this July, roughly 5 months in total. I have been searching for a Lada Niva, but couldnt get my hands on one, so I Recently bought a 1987 2.5td pajero, which I have become very fond of. Very pleasant to drive.
Then of course shortly after, I get the chance to buy a Lada Niva, 1986 in quite good condition, already well equipped for an overlanding trip. So I am thinking to get rid of the Pajero, but having second thoughts. On the one hand the Pajero is a much more comfortable ride, but on the other hand the Niva is the 'perfect' car for Central Asia regarding parts and fixing. I could use some input to make the decision.

[OWNER]

Pajero forever!!!

[mazeno]

Pajero forever!!! ;)

so far only for 230 000km

my 30yo car has more than 800 000
two years ago i changed the clutch
the old one was the original from 1994
this year i have to change the engine /also 1994, the overhaul is more expensive than change for another, secondhand of course/
but yes
it is also made in japan
/but not mitsubishi/

yes
mitsu is much more durable assuming that both are in equal quality
but spareparts for niva are much more cheaper than for mitsu
and more accesible especially comparing to old pajero 1
yes you can take some parts for the yourney
but you cannot take all the second car for spare /usually the part that breaks down is the one you don't have/
your mitsu is diesel - problems in uzb
niva is petrol - you can easily install lpg /but it will reduce the space/

[Munck1313]

Pajero forever!!!

niva is petrol - you can easily install lpg /but it will reduce the space/

Will petrol be an issue? I would prefer not to have to use lpg.

[mazeno]

no
just only lpg is cheaper
/and it is not always available in central asia/

[bubos]

Hello,

Lada lover here

I have no experience with Pajeros, please note that. However when talking about a Niva, what you need to consider is the way you like to travel...

Do you mind getting dirty on the side of the road every 1-2 days because something has to be fixed AGAIN? Actually I always meet great people this way and I got know a LOT of people this way hahaha Traveling with the Niva will be like that.

Good thing as mentioned above by others is that the parts are relatively cheap, easy to find compared to other brands and many things can be done easily on the side of the road. + There's a huge know-how within post Soviet countries if you ever need to bring it to a mechanic.

Downside is that you will need to repair it a lot of times REALLY. So if you go to remote places, and don't know already it will be very useful to learn about servicing the car.

But it's part of the fun. I love my Lada and the feeling you get when driving one but it's not for everyone. Even if you spend a fortune and the car looks solid don't be mistaken. The water pump will die next week, then 3 days later the clutch fork will randomly BREAK, right after the radiator, then brakes etc. And these are just the common, small things

Long story short: Do you want to more fun and don't mind more frequent servicing or you want to concentrate more on other aspects of the journey?

[Munck1313]

Lada lover here

Thank you very much for your honest input. I am really struggling to make the decision, because on one hand it sounds fun and challenging with the Lada, but I also know myself well enough that I might not find it as fun when its every (other) day.