Prices in Russia: Niva - 9000 usd Duster - 16000 usd Jimmy - 25500 usd. And we have more special offroad versions - Lada Niva Bronto, which have 2 selflocking differentials, bigger whells and clearence. It costs 13000 usd
You clearly have never sat behind the steering wheel of a Lada. I own one and I can tell you that the pedals are disastrously placed. They really are not meant for heel and toe.
@@mrb2349 Obviously you don't drive a manual, but if you do, it's a shame not to know how to do that. You need to know how to start on uphill without parking brake.
In Europe they are hugely popular with small town rural police, local government, forrestry, etc. since they are cheap to buy and readily serviceable/repairable and can take the the moderate abuse of being used as a work horse and sent down rutted dirt roads and gravel tracks.
Correction: Niva has only high and low range modes. Middle position is a neutral gear in the transfer case. High range has 1.2:1 ratio, low range has 2.135:1 ratio.
Being a car from 1977 the Niva is doing a great job with a 40+ year old 4x4 system. The Duster shows how good a car Renault can build ( in some countries the Duster is a Renault) just being a road car with the optional 4 wheel drive and is really impressive. The Jimmy is just on a different level.
@@VinDieselS70 Just think for one minute how much manufacturers used the Renault Trafic for rebadging. AFAIK it's Nissan, FIAT, Vauxhall, Opel, Mitsubishi, Mercedes with the Kangoo...
@@FoodOnCrack I know, they're everywhere and why buy a Nissan or vauxhall when you can get the Renault? Even some MB used the VW Crafter as a rebadged M-B.
@@robertasr6571 yeah but the technology and the platform is very outdated it was first introduced in the 70s or 80s i think with minimal changes since them
Lada has got no traction control system.You have plenty of options to buy diff locks front and rear tho.It becomes an animal with a block in the rear;-)
I have a 2019 Duster 1.6 4wd. It's lifted, all terrains, skid plates and camping build. I live in Germany and i can drive about 95% of forest Roads i find. I use it as my daily too and if you don't want to drive 150kmh+ on the Autobahn i can recommend it
I have a great laugh as a Romanian to know people use this car from everything from in city driving to highway driving to racing :)) You know it wanted to join the F1 😂
One overlooked feature of Ladas, Niva in particular, is easy of maintenance and survivability with the lack of. Simple and robust design. When I was a kid I was so fascinated by Niva, it was hopping over ditches and holes in a wet dirt country road!
i never thought much of the Duster, not a SUV guy anyways ... then I drove one for Safari in Africa for 100s of miles and it was REALLY GOOD. i was geniunely impressed by the bang for your buck, not even kidding. it looks rather good as well. i love the jimmny but as a rental in africa or iceland, the duster is MUCH cheaper yet bigger and drives really really well offroad. it lacks a bit in the power department onroad but so does the jimmny i became a fan of the duster, help 😞
I got on the duster hype in Morocco, I too have become an unironic fan. Send a rescue party! Whole reason I watched this video, it was unfair having a steeper hillclimb. ❤️
Plus the Suzuki will collapse in terms of reliability and ownership. People will be very frustrated , idc. I laugh at Suzuki Japan stupid looking shitboxes. Unsafe car in accidents.
Just a few points. Duster as the multipurpose car beats both Jimny and Lada (I'd love to look at you doing 700 miles per day in Jimny as I used to in Duster :)) However Lada would beat Jimny or at least be very much at par if you handled it right way. It needs a very dynamic and aggressive offroad style, it was designed that way. No crawling, just pedal to the metall.
@@lsmola They don't catch fire and you can fix them with bailing wire and some ingenuity when the next human is hundreds of km away. That's what they're for.
Many do not seem to know/understand that :)) 6250 Euros vs 17000 Pounds is crazy for this old tech, indeed. And old is good for off-road, but let's be realistic - there were a lot of cheap capable 4x4 in the '80 and '90 - the companies just moved on with the technology and times. E.G. the luxury and expensive Gelandewagen, Land Cruiser FJ40, Defender, Pathfinder, Samurai, Pajero, Patrol, Trooper, even such as Mitsubishi Delica or VW Vanagon Syncro - all were beasts off road and none was "luxury" yet. Still more expensive than a Niva then, but just as capable off road, even more reliable and many more comfortable.
@@shmadmanuts Here in Bulgaria brand new lada Niva 4x4 cost 9 to 11000E. With another 2k euros you can make your lada incredible offroader. Tuning parts are almost free of money, and much better quality than the original ones. I ordered а brand new self-locking differential for Lada Niva from Russia for 150 euros. I'm using it for another car, and I'm super happy - 150 euros - there is no such price...And none of the ones listed by you, except a samurai, will be able to step on tuned niva little toe. I'm only talking about off-road conditions. There is no real off-road machine that is also good for the road. And last but not least - the weight of the car is one of the most important things in serious off-roading, not technology and comfort. The general problems of the Lada are the rust, and the motor - it is weak with bigger tires, but that can be solved for a little money. The rust problem is solved in those 2k euros I wrote about above (if the car is new from the store).
@@shmadmanuts My comment is 1 year late, but the most valuable thing in Niva is how simple and cheap it can be fixed. Major usually expensive components can be fixed for couple of hundreds bucks including work like changing for new gearbox or clutch mechanism and I believe you could buy new engine for like 500-700$. How much would cost to fix any of these cars you mentioned? I doubt you can fix major problems for 200-300$ parts with work included. Cheap decency reliable car that cost dirt cheap to fix (if you live in Russia or neighbor countries). Also I see a plenty of Nivas here in Serbia. Many cars you mentioned is like you buy it for 5000$ ,but you would spend the same or double in fixing it. People forgot one thing about used cars, if you bought 100 thousand dollars car for 25 k, it would be still 100 thousand dollars car when it is time to fix it. And if it is old car this time would be very soon. I am not saying all cars you mentioned are like this, but we need to take how much it cost to fix and maintain as main consideration of older cars.
In NIVA, before testing, it was necessary to change one part between the steering wheel and the driver's seat. This part is the main problem, talks too much and can't drive.
Indeed the Jimny is a little bit more capable off road than Duster, but the comfort and the inside technology are way better in the Dacia so is the best compromise on low budget
Unlike the (really cool) Jimny and the (legendary) Lada the Duster is a "real" car, with a boot, space for 4 and a suspension that won't kill you on the highway. That being said, i think this is more of a Jimny/Lada battle since those are real offroaders while the Duster can, but not necessarily should. Great video!
@@SkodaYetiFan you can't fix a bull bar and some accessories, plus a body on frame design is more rigid and won't warp much in a slow speed accident or axel twister course ..but a ladder frame is not the best for on road performance
Take em on the road and the Duster smokes the other two. It's the biggest, the most practical, the easiest to get hold of, the fastest, the most powerful, the most luxurious (if you can use that word about a Dacia) and the most comfortable...and still pretty capable off road. For £20k.
Thats great. Its also the worst offroad, the least durable, the most complicated and if you use it for business by far the most expensive - the Jimny being £17k and the Niva £15k. As a road car I agree its probably the best of these three but then if we're comparing road cars its got a lot of other competition which are better if you keep spec similar. Its party piece is a low entry price but when you start spec matching to other brands and take depreciation into account that goes out the window very quickly. Of course depreciation doesn't matter if you're keeping it until it drops but then longer lasting cars make more sense. Dacia as a brand is great if you want a new reg plate on an old Renault for a low sticker price. Thats about where it ends.
@@siraff4461 worst off-road? Didn't end up second overall, obliterating those pure off road tools, on the final and the only relevant challenge for a normal use? Actually, if that chimpanzee of a driver didn't fucked around as a dumb ass, it would've been too obvious it's miles better...
@@siraff4461 Nope. It's not the worst off road. It's the same price as the Jimny, which is a van...and only slightly more expensive than a 45 year old Lada. Odd that you like to talk about old Renaults but don't mention the Lada's age. Spec for spec, name another AWD family SUV that is the same price? I'm not saying it's the best car in the world. But it's by far the best of these three and fantastic value in general.
Well they _are_ affordable in comparison to even new pick-ups that are £30+k and more. And anything more than than a pick-up goes into £50k+. And when you think small road cars are already close on £20k then yes these are good options with their on-road + off-road use cases.
@@drift_racer duster sucks dick. the duster is the cheap POS made in china car that people buy when they are retarded. people who think it's more important that they get a new car rather than a good car. people who would rather spend 20k on a new cheaped out POS than spend the same money on a used luxury vehicle or something actually cool but just a few years old
Would have been more fair to compare the Lada Niva Bronto, wich should be around the same price point as the Jimny and Duster. With it's 2 self locking diffs, bigger off-road tires and it’s lifted / reinforced suspension it would probably outperformed all of them off-road (let’s not talk on road).
@@salatinofficial4447 apparently it's not every Lada. The build quality seems to vary between 'indestrucible mini tank' to 'barely roadworthy'. Probably depending on the blood alcohol level of the factory workers. Sober is very bad, lightly buzzed is acceptable, thoroughly buzzed is the sweet spot, shitfaced is bad again and Russian drunk stops the production line entirely.
Just bought a jimny. Love it, the interior is so basic but it's so much better looking than the competition and it just puts a smile on your face. Love it.
To me Duster, as an end user seems the best...if Mat would have know how to actually drive offroad 😁, Duster would have been 1st or equal to Jimmny in this challenge. PS: Don't forget about the confort ,HP and torque😁 None of then are cheap...anymore
Yeah, because it's a living legend. in the '80s - not so much as there were many better off-road and much more reliable Japanese 4x4, even the Merc G was not a luxury car then.
I own a Duster, A new 911, 4 E types, an XK120 an E350 and a Renault 4GTL. Without a doubt, my Duster is the best car I have ever purchased. We had a 21 plate Jimney. Good fun but 65 mph on the motorway. All the Dusters cruise at 85 mph +. Even ours which is a 999cc one. The whole family love it. Totally recommend them.
@@tsvetomirslavov7963 Just about everything as a buyer in the motor trade. Mainly BMW, Mercedes and Audi. Owned a Tesla Model S up to 140,000 miles until 2019. Currently have a 2020 Porsche 911 992 and a Mercedes E350 estate. The Duster rules.
But if we have to comment on the test from the video.I have been in both Duster and Niva many times.If you want to go to the supermarket Duster is no doubt much more comfortable.But if you want to go real off roading ( I mean with no visible roads around) please do not relay on this plastic shit. I know probably the creators of the video are making some money to promote the sales or Dusters but to make it more capable off-roader than Niva is just laughable.
What's impressive with the duster is that it is a fairly good and practical road car and in the same time a capable off road car and being a budget car with decent engine
Technically, Duster (as well as tons of modern SUVs) has part-time AWD with lock between axles by dedicated clutch when rear wheels connected and no lock when disconnected. And it happens many times per second if needed. 😀 So it has no cental locking diff because there is no central diff at all.
Unfortunately, Duster is struggling alot when it comes to maneuver over holes while Jimny get it easy and Lada is good too but lack of power making it struggle at hillclimb. Duster main weakness is FWD when 2wheel-drive making it lack of 4WD capability and its heavy too. Jimny weakness is their body is very tall for small car making it dangerous for roll-over when passing side-slopes. As for Lada, it barely have good features like those two, but it has good fighting against them.
The duster on the first test had a harder incline. Matt's test are never realistic, fair and never actually test a vehicle's off road capabilities. All pointless and irrelevant tests that don't matter.
I bought my lada niva because of this video lol mines just waaaaay older, super cheap, it even has the small corner windows at the side windows. It does take a lot of getting used to tough, but im happy to own a car with no electronic bs in it
I purchased a Duster and have to say after having bought very expensive cars I'm well impressed with it,also when I'm out in it I seem to attract attention..we'll done Dacia.
I had a Ladas Niva around 1996. Amazing the sort of things you could do with that car on a farm going through the creek down the back. Water came in the cabin up to the top of the seat - not waterproof. Had to reverse out of that one.
Love this, personally I’d have the duster as a daily out of the 3. What would be good is if you could test all the cars on the same tyres that would make the results more accurate.
I'd like to see this done with Talented and Experienced Off Road Drivers.... Or Farmers.. I recall being in a 1970's Land Rover 90 being driven by an insanely (literally) experienced 23 year old Farm Boy...in New Zealand It had NO brakes, no doors and was driving on farm races that made the course in this video look like a freshly tarmacced Car Park. It was the first time I ever thought that a car needed floor mats above the windscreen..
incorrect. This is actually the most fair way considering everything is done on their stock forms like tyre, wheels etc No Biases at all unless you have one which i think you have considering the comment.
Wow, such a great and fun video! Honestly out of this three I only have experience with the Duster. I put it to fairly hard work while doing some research work in a german national park, including offroad driving etc. It did a great job overall, especially if you consider that this car is also great for your everyday life and travelling and also big enough for your dog and family. If I had to choose, I'd takee the Duster. If I could afford two cars (which I can't), I'd take a good solid everyday-car like an Audi A4 or something similar and choose a dedicated offroad-car for hunting etc. In that case, I'd choose the Suzuki.
@@pauljansen6650 Yeah, a Land Rover Discovery is better, others too, but what about the cost? not many have the budget to buy one, even less to maintain one for offroad challenges. PS: a Niva would make sense if it cost say 7kE, but 17k pounds for this old tech, with such abysmal on-road capability and being crash-worthless.... PPS: Funny thing, in Russia, a Niva starts at 6500 Euros, while the new Duster at 11000 Euros - there it makes sense as a fun-to-drive cheap off-roader, but at the same price? Only as a quite a bit expensive third car in the family just for hobby one. Better get any other second hand offroader.
That Duster is a surprising car. It did really well considering. Probably the best one to buy new as you can’t buy the Suzuki as a car anymore, only a commercial vehicle.
You can buy the Jimny still it just costs 3k more for a civilian version. 17k commercial vs. 20k. Just without back seats, nobody uses those in a freaking Jimny anyways.
I have seen videos with Niva performing much better. I think it is difficult and has a higher learning curve to use it at full potential since it doesn t have any gimmicks and electronics and I think it has 2 gear shifters and another diff block shifter. Duster is used here în Romania as a family car. Jimmy is cool but try to put 4 people in it or going on the highway...
You're exactly right. Nivas are meant to be driven very aggressively, continuous power, and, frankly, some skill. It's for people who were, in the Soviet era, called 'car enthusiasts' - meaning people who can drive and work on their own car. *You* as the driver are the 'assistive technology'. You also *never* drive them on those bald road tires. It's a bizarre test. Nivas are also 10-12k, so they're comparing them with cars double its price and half its features. The real test is actual use. You can do pretty much anything to a Niva, tip it back over, and keep going. Body survives lots of things that would require repair on the others.
I'd go for the duster, it's good enough offroad and better onroad than the other 2...btw i believe the duster does have a center locking diff, in fact is a true mechanical locker unlike most SUVS...
I believe it is an e-locker and only on some models. It is manually selected but automatically disengages electronically when speed is above 30km/h. So it's not a true locker but a sort of half way locker. Axles are still open diffs but the traction control seems decent.
@@typhoon-7 true that actually, it does disengage at speeds, but i meant that it works like a real 50/50 mechanic locker once connected. it is not like that hydraulic pump stuff that just applies more pressure
@@clutchfreak13 I've never heard this kind of complaints before. This video itself said that Duster feels like a premium car compared to Lada, on the interior. And being full of rust, or rusting easily? - That's literally a first. Maybe u had bad luck..
I rented a Duster in Cape Verde a few years ago and went off-road mainly in sand…..very impressed and would compare well against my Range Rover Sport off road in most situations I think….
The Duster is just as good as doing what the other two were designed to do, and on top of that it's just a better car overall with 4 doors and all the comfort a family would need.
@@SkaffenUK I didn't see anything in this video that the Jimny did and the Duster didn't. If you do anything more extreme than this, probably even a Jimny won't be enough.
@@SkaffenUK I can pretend too I've went off-roading and one brand is way better than other. Show me the proof, send the link. In this video Duster completed everything the other cars did. Jimny is slighty better off road than Dacia but the romanian is best all rounder.
@@stirbiuliu8048 Duster was great, but it is too much of a long car for hardcore offroading. Jimny is shorter, therefore it is simply easier for it to get dirty like that. I do think duster is just 2 times the car jimny is but that's because Duster was meant to do a lot of things, whike Jimny is just meant for off-road. And it's very good at it.
@@maneamanea1464 the jimny is also a much better city car than the duster ... parking, fuel consumption, turning radius ... ofcourse, the duster is much better on th highway :)
When the going gets tough, Lada Niva would be my choice. Others may be quicker, but whoever was driving the Lada wasn't using diff lock and brakes as they should be used. Relying on assists is like riding a bicycle with learning wheels. That Russian tank is made for daily abuse with easy and cheap maintenance.
Согласен мой английский друг, нива очень проходимая из-за своего малого веса и короткой базы. Я из России и у нас лучшего внедорожника нету из авто, хотя нива себя не позиционирует как внедорожник. В России есть УАЗ Патриот и Хантер, но они тяжёлые и не такие проходимые
@@realonsi2108 I did a test drive like 5 years ago of a new Niva - breaks are horrible, ride quality is bad, engine is really, really, really poor, AC is "optional" - 1500 Euro add-on.... Felt like the **** car we had back in soviet era. Got a 2006 GX 470 for the same money (actually cheaper - new Niva was ~15,000 Euro, my GX imported cost me around ~$15,000 - rust-free, spotless, Florida driven and maintained perfectly) This 12 year old (at the time) Japanese-built car rode, behaved, stopped and traversed way better than a brand new Niva, it's actually body-on-frame and you can fit 5 adults and 2 kids in it comfortably or 5 adults and a bunch of baggage. There is just no room for comparison - buying a lada is throwing money away. The funniest thing was that the interior looked to be manually screwed in and you could see the screw holes - everything was squeaking in a brand new car, really pathetic russian industry with almost no innovation.
Had the Jimny a more modern turbo engine (e.g. 1.4 boosterjet) and I'd choose it hands down. So if I had to buy one as my only car I'd go for the Duster since it's fast and well equipped! The Niva is not that bad as some journalists say, but I'd get it as my second vehicle.
I think mostly it depends on the driver. If I was driving that Niva the uphill I would climb it from the first try. Yeah we have a lot off roads in our country. Haven't driven Duster and Jimni so can't say a word about these cars. But Niva is for sure a winner for me
@@danieldaniel1210 i own a BMW 2 séries of 2017 lol go to sleep and before had a Honda which is a far better car and Also cheap i live in a country where Dacia IS producued i know what im talking about
@Matt on incline with potholes where duster was struggling , as a duster owner i must say that if you switch off esp and put 4wd to lock mode that should be much more easy for the duster. I am sure it would come 2nd on this challenge after unbeatable suzuki.
17k for a Niva is ridiculous. As I remember in Russia it starts from 6-7k which looks like a fair price more or less for a bucket full of screws. Things could have changed since, but anyways considering 3k difference I wonder who would buy one of these over a Duster which is you know... a real modern car
Hey Matt, you clearly did your best to make the Dacia look the worse, putting in on the worse slope at the beginning, stalling the engine when it was going to pass... etc, are you a Salesman with commission working for Suzuki?
Wouldn't put it past him if he was shilling. He shilled for the newer Defender over the old one. They pulled all sorts of stunts in that vid to make the old defender look bad, they even tied the tug-of-war rope up high on the new one and down low on the old one so the back wheels of the old one would lift off the ground.
They also turtled the Jimny around the speed course, so I don't see any bias anywhere. It's simply not a thoroughly done research, but it doesn't seem to be either. These places can't test the cars at their limits anyways so it's only good to find base values, not true strengths. The Duster had most weaknesses exposed overall tho, which makes sense because it is a car that is compromised to a degree in order to also work well on regular roads and longer distance driving. All in all, if you know what you need in a car, then you also know what to take away from this video.
I'd go for the Duster. Just the fact that the Jimney has a petrol engine, disqualifies it as an option in my mind. The Duster is almost as good and a much more versatile car
I do personally love the niva cause it’s a 45yr old chassis doing it’s awesome thing, still being produced and everything, while the Jimny reminds me of the true off roaders like the Suzuki Samurai, those 2 cars are great!! If lada brought a 1.6 twin cam on this baby, she would be the one of the best new 4X4s I’d love
Having driven the Jimny, my father in law has one, and my Duster there is no comparison. The Jimny is woefully underpowered and tiny. It is also very expensive for what you get
The cosiest is the Duster. Available for travel on motorway as well. The smartest is the Jimny, the best 4x4 in to the cities, forests and skinny slumpy paths. But the bingo is still the Lada niva. Not bad on roads, very good 4x4 with low ratio, and you can rebuilt her engine from a Jimny's or Duster's headlight's price :) We just changed the full clutch (clutch mechanism, disc, throw out bearing) it all coast less than 50 pound, even the Lada hasn't got dual mass flywheel what is a good point in the offroad life. There is a Lada 4x4 (Niva) in my family 20 years ago and even there is a Duster as well with 1.6 petrol engine 4 years ago. Both of them good cars for their price. Lada, Jimny, Duster the 100% good deal for the family for almost everything. Thank you very much for beautiful comparison about these 3 cars :) Such an enjoyable video!
@@Markcain268 I daily my Niva as well, just if you switch from a normal car, most of the poeple will definitely miss the luxury features of modern cars
I have a duster myself. It is nimble for sure and the police package is amazing as well. It didn't fail ad an all arounder even as a CVT front wheel drive. On some mild off-road driving. The jimny is hands down the king of off roading i had one it's unstoppable in the sand mud or basically any tough bog but on the road it hurts you. I owned a jimny too it's a trooper for sure
@@carwow as someone who has experienced 2018 Lada Niva before, definitely Duster. They're too uncomfortable for a long trip (especially if you're stuck at back) and has little to no technology (good for maintenance bad for driving experience).
@@carwow *I'm starstrucked right now!* For a fun little offroader I'd choose the Lada with those two options. Overall I'm with Mat though, I'd choose the Jimny.
Couldn’t count the amount of 4x4 dusters I seen in Switzerland the last time I was there in winter. Seemed everyone parked their expensive cars because of the snow and drove dusters 😂
Expensive car? 90 percent of us are not rich. We may have a bigger paycheck but everything in switzerland is so expensiv that there is not much left at the end of the month. And most cars in switzerland a property of a bank. Leasing is the key word.
When you wanna a car, first get clear picture what are you going to use it for. If you use it 90% on the roads, get duster. If you use it in forest, get jimny but old 1.3 liter engine that lasts forever. If you use it in war use only lada. There is nothing to be broken when you jump in with AK-47's, rpg and tow antitank mines from the ground.
Imagine this being your job. You wake up knowing you have to have a M3 race, or an off-road test, or go to some new car unveiling! Matt is living the dream. Well done bud, you certainly worked your way up and deserve it. Next step - TOP GEAR
Yea considering that in Russia they sell for under 3K. I don’t know why he says it’s 17 I guess it’s the import company profit? Idk but if it is then they making some good money
@@teamt5cpm625 Actually here in Russia Niva starts from around 10k (700k rub). But still 17k is a bit steep for it. Import tax is a bitch, we also can't bring a car from EC without paying almost double to clear it.
The Duster is my choice.Shame that Matt messed up that challenge with his lack of off-road driving. The Duster seems to have more than the rest meaning, it’s family appeal and good looks.Really enjoyed watching that challenge.😊
@@lampexxl8599 Dacias are cheap because most of them are produced in eastern europe. Dacias were also even in communist times mostly rebadged renaults.
@@lampexxl8599I am using a duster in the conatruction field that I work. I pulled hilux, l 200 and d-max cars from the mud with the duster. We are travelling at a road filled with holes while going with 130kmh. Car doesn't brake, never stops and parts are cheap if its broken. I can continuously travel at 190kmh with nice control (yeah i know its risky but car wants to fast). I can surely say duster is a all round perfect work horse.
It depends, how the car testers handle it and for what kind of car those strategy is, nothing more. If you run the last hill brachial up, its simply embarrassing laughable because with enough flat accelerate road, and good tires, i come almost perfect to the hilltop with our old just front wheel drive just on road to use , corola. Go slowly and another one stop in the middle of the hill and start again, then the lada or the Jimmy is with big big distance the from those 3 the winner. Number One on off road would be the modified lada with good tires and 2 diff looks. But on road not the dream, but in my opinion not the biggest problem. Number 2 is the Jimmy in comparison with lada and duster, and in my opinion fully enough off road but more confident on road, versus Lada, the best of both worlds is Jimmy and far away Number 3 is the duster, its simply ridiculous to talk by the duster from a offroad or a serious SUV. But duster is a decent Crossover nothing more. And in comparison with that honest Jimmy and Niva it is may the best on road not that bumpy, boxy but still not even in the approach that good on road like a Hyundai, kia and especially never that good like a middle class Toyota in its ride quality for example a Corolla or Corolla cross over ore still better Toyotas Hybrids the kings in the most directions
A Niva is good/ unbeatable for us in the NORTH, Sweden etc. The others have interiors that are just not suitable for outdoor life. They are also impossible to fix in the field. Lada's are just perfect and no one else is even close.
LADA Niva v Suzuki Jimny v Dacia Duster - which are you choosing? VOTE BELOW!
VOTE: LADA Niva
VOTE: Suzuki Jimny
VOTE: Dacia Duster
Dacia
Suzuki Jimny is a very cute vehicle and the design is insane 😍
Prices in Russia:
Niva - 9000 usd
Duster - 16000 usd
Jimmy - 25500 usd.
And we have more special offroad versions - Lada Niva Bronto, which have 2 selflocking differentials, bigger whells and clearence. It costs 13000 usd
топ за свои деньги
@@ghekaTV Вполне даже
Huinya
In Russia, I'll buy Niva no questions asked. Best value for money.
Yea I checked on their website. You can even get it with camo paint from the factory. I've never seen that before
You know Mat, in a Niva there's a brake in the middle of pedals. If you push it, a car won't move when you push a clutch.
Exactly. Someone's not heard of heel and toe with the heel going on the brake for that.
You clearly have never sat behind the steering wheel of a Lada. I own one and I can tell you that the pedals are disastrously placed. They really are not meant for heel and toe.
@@Greatlatius it doesn't really have to be heel and toe at all
@@mateoroksandic6711 How else? These cars don’t have the torque to half-clutch in its spot until your foot travels from brake to gas pedal.
@@mrb2349 Obviously you don't drive a manual, but if you do, it's a shame not to know how to do that. You need to know how to start on uphill without parking brake.
The results actually depend more on tyres, and on the gasket between the steering wheel and driver's seat
and the gaskets were woooooorn
😂
Yeah the lada hasn't its off-road tires
i mean considering the duster is more of compact family suv than a proper 4x4, it did great imo
Hi Actar.
@@purwantiallan5089 i know actar is an indian name
@V i o n a💝 STOP YOU BOT
There is a Turkish Duster channel where you can really see the Duster’s capabilities.
Nah mate, its used especially for offroading
I'm pretty impressed by the Duster, considering it's not generally bought to go offroad
Only if you are romanian do you buy dusters to take them offroad. And they are a blast.
@@tudorcotoi7011 add Turkey to that list. There are a lot of youtube videos that show it.
@@tudorcotoi7011 +Turkey
Duster is really popular among people who need to access forests or plowed fields, but you have to spec it with 4x4 1.5dCi engine
In Europe they are hugely popular with small town rural police, local government, forrestry, etc. since they are cheap to buy and readily serviceable/repairable and can take the the moderate abuse of being used as a work horse and sent down rutted dirt roads and gravel tracks.
Correction: Niva has only high and low range modes. Middle position is a neutral gear in the transfer case. High range has 1.2:1 ratio, low range has 2.135:1 ratio.
Being a car from 1977 the Niva is doing a great job with a 40+ year old 4x4 system.
The Duster shows how good a car Renault can build ( in some countries the Duster is a Renault) just being a road car with the optional 4 wheel drive and is really impressive.
The Jimmy is just on a different level.
Ниву можно утопить по крышу. Высушить и поехать дальше. В принцепе в России так и делают😂
It's actually a Nissan X trail, borrowed by Renault
@@mathish1477 ah, interesting. I think Some Citroen's and Peugeots were Nissans too and Mercedes X class.
@@VinDieselS70 Just think for one minute how much manufacturers used the Renault Trafic for rebadging. AFAIK it's Nissan, FIAT, Vauxhall, Opel, Mitsubishi, Mercedes with the Kangoo...
@@FoodOnCrack I know, they're everywhere and why buy a Nissan or vauxhall when you can get the Renault? Even some MB used the VW Crafter as a rebadged M-B.
Lada is an old car, and Duster is kinda a family car... they did really great considering that !!!
Lada is new, 2021y
@@robertasr6571 it is based on old platforms though
@@robertasr6571 yeah but the technology and the platform is very outdated it was first introduced in the 70s or 80s i think with minimal changes since them
@@robertasr6571 for me its performance is very impressive considering how old it is and it being a lada of course 😅
Lada has got no traction control system.You have plenty of options to buy diff locks front and rear tho.It becomes an animal with a block in the rear;-)
I have a 2019 Duster 1.6 4wd. It's lifted, all terrains, skid plates and camping build. I live in Germany and i can drive about 95% of forest Roads i find. I use it as my daily too and if you don't want to drive 150kmh+ on the Autobahn i can recommend it
I have a great laugh as a Romanian to know people use this car from everything from in city driving to highway driving to racing :))
You know it wanted to join the F1 😂
ruclips.net/video/h1pEF0okO3M/видео.htmlsi=dQxc4kp8hhGSQ1Nc
Link to them wanting to join the F1, it's in romanian tho
Swap an ls engine into it and you can drive on the oceans.
I'm way more excited for this competition than any Mercedes - Audi - Tesla and whatever other expensive car offroad-race
I think the Jimny would have won the second challenge if the driver had taken a more aggressive approach.
Formate
Or got the 2nd place
ruclips.net/video/y9AUYAXGWgY/видео.html
@K A E L Y N 💋 Same goes for you!!!
The driver looks like he was sandbagging it on purpose
@@paxrek yeah man. they are everywhere
To be honest I was impressed by the lada because of how affordable it is and how old the design is 😀
🙄
@@DjgrandeAlbania???
I mean 4k is a lot
The design is old because they got it right from the beginning
One overlooked feature of Ladas, Niva in particular, is easy of maintenance and survivability with the lack of. Simple and robust design. When I was a kid I was so fascinated by Niva, it was hopping over ditches and holes in a wet dirt country road!
niva is the sh-t for ruzzians
it's so far from being robust that i want to reap my arm out of socket and throw it into fireplace
WTF
I think that's just as true of the others really, depending on generation and options etc.
@@cogitationescaecae1125 Just lock it in the proper place.
@@cogitationescaecae1125skill issue
i never thought much of the Duster, not a SUV guy anyways ... then I drove one for Safari in Africa for 100s of miles and it was REALLY GOOD.
i was geniunely impressed by the bang for your buck, not even kidding. it looks rather good as well.
i love the jimmny but as a rental in africa or iceland, the duster is MUCH cheaper yet bigger and drives really really well offroad.
it lacks a bit in the power department onroad but so does the jimmny
i became a fan of the duster, help 😞
I got on the duster hype in Morocco, I too have become an unironic fan. Send a rescue party! Whole reason I watched this video, it was unfair having a steeper hillclimb. ❤️
And the duster is a very good car for the price in everyday driving as well
Welcome to the club! 😋👌
Going to blind order a Jogger
Plus the Suzuki will collapse in terms of reliability and ownership. People will be very frustrated
, idc. I laugh at Suzuki Japan stupid looking shitboxes. Unsafe car in accidents.
Just a few points. Duster as the multipurpose car beats both Jimny and Lada (I'd love to look at you doing 700 miles per day in Jimny as I used to in Duster :)) However Lada would beat Jimny or at least be very much at par if you handled it right way. It needs a very dynamic and aggressive offroad style, it was designed that way. No crawling, just pedal to the metall.
700miles per day?
@@antonvanderspuy961 Yep.
Absolutely agree especially on the Lada part, they are so much fun when driven full power....Until it breaks or catch fire haha
@@lsmola They don't catch fire and you can fix them with bailing wire and some ingenuity when the next human is hundreds of km away. That's what they're for.
@@paulie-g They do catch fire...Had a fire battery on one.. But that is true you can fix them for almost nothing if you know what you are doing.
Here in Russia brand new Lada Niva 4x4 costs from 6000 to 9000...vs 17000 in GB. This is crazy.
Many do not seem to know/understand that :))
6250 Euros vs 17000 Pounds is crazy for this old tech, indeed.
And old is good for off-road, but let's be realistic - there were a lot of cheap capable 4x4 in the '80 and '90 - the companies just moved on with the technology and times.
E.G. the luxury and expensive Gelandewagen, Land Cruiser FJ40, Defender, Pathfinder, Samurai, Pajero, Patrol, Trooper, even such as Mitsubishi Delica or VW Vanagon Syncro - all were beasts off road and none was "luxury" yet. Still more expensive than a Niva then, but just as capable off road, even more reliable and many more comfortable.
That's because it's taxed for jealousy.
@@shmadmanuts Here in Bulgaria brand new lada Niva 4x4 cost 9 to 11000E. With another 2k euros you can make your lada incredible offroader.
Tuning parts are almost free of money, and much better quality than the original ones. I ordered а brand new self-locking differential for Lada Niva from Russia for 150 euros. I'm using it for another car, and I'm super happy - 150 euros - there is no such price...And none of the ones listed by you, except a samurai, will be able to step on tuned niva little toe. I'm only talking about off-road conditions. There is no real off-road machine that is also good for the road. And last but not least - the weight of the car is one of the most important things in serious off-roading, not technology and comfort. The general problems of the Lada are the rust, and the motor - it is weak with bigger tires, but that can be solved for a little money. The rust problem is solved in those 2k euros I wrote about above (if the car is new from the store).
I would rather buy 2020 Lexus CT 🤣
@@shmadmanuts My comment is 1 year late, but the most valuable thing in Niva is how simple and cheap it can be fixed.
Major usually expensive components can be fixed for couple of hundreds bucks including work like changing for new gearbox or clutch mechanism and I believe you could buy new engine for like 500-700$.
How much would cost to fix any of these cars you mentioned?
I doubt you can fix major problems for 200-300$ parts with work included.
Cheap decency reliable car that cost dirt cheap to fix (if you live in Russia or neighbor countries).
Also I see a plenty of Nivas here in Serbia.
Many cars you mentioned is like you buy it for 5000$ ,but you would spend the same or double in fixing it.
People forgot one thing about used cars, if you bought 100 thousand dollars car for 25 k, it would be still 100 thousand dollars car when it is time to fix it.
And if it is old car this time would be very soon.
I am not saying all cars you mentioned are like this, but we need to take how much it cost to fix and maintain as main consideration of older cars.
in order to reflect the car's performance and not the driver's, all tests should have been performed by the same driver
And on the same tyres
In NIVA, before testing, it was necessary to change one part between the steering wheel and the driver's seat. This part is the main problem, talks too much and can't drive.
Правильно))
Ага
Between these 3, I would always go for the Duster, although the Jimmny always has my ♥ 😍
Indeed the Jimny is a little bit more capable off road than Duster, but the comfort and the inside technology are way better in the Dacia so is the best compromise on low budget
I'm really not capable offroad tho
@@jimmy8404 it's important that you try your best!
Design choice. The Suzuki has a ladder chassis and is made to actually perform off road.
@@jimmy8404 because its Jimny 😀 no Jimmy 😁
@@OskarToth I know, but read what the original comment said, it didn't say Jimny
Unlike the (really cool) Jimny and the (legendary) Lada the Duster is a "real" car, with a boot, space for 4 and a suspension that won't kill you on the highway.
That being said, i think this is more of a Jimny/Lada battle since those are real offroaders while the Duster can, but not necessarily should.
Great video!
The duster is also a city and highway car , the others not so much , so the duster is the car to chose if you want all in one !
The only gripe is the lack of a ladder frame
@@RAKITHA9 why is that a negative? If it had a ladder frame it wouldn’t be as good as a normal car!
@@RAKITHA9 How is that a gripe?
@@SkodaYetiFan you can't fix a bull bar and some accessories, plus a body on frame design is more rigid and won't warp much in a slow speed accident or axel twister course ..but a ladder frame is not the best for on road performance
Sorry, but Duster a highway car? I mean, its so painful to drive it around the highway man.
Take em on the road and the Duster smokes the other two.
It's the biggest, the most practical, the easiest to get hold of, the fastest, the most powerful, the most luxurious (if you can use that word about a Dacia) and the most comfortable...and still pretty capable off road. For £20k.
ruclips.net/video/y9AUYAXGWgY/видео.html
@@watch3314 How is that in any way relevant?
Thats great. Its also the worst offroad, the least durable, the most complicated and if you use it for business by far the most expensive - the Jimny being £17k and the Niva £15k.
As a road car I agree its probably the best of these three but then if we're comparing road cars its got a lot of other competition which are better if you keep spec similar.
Its party piece is a low entry price but when you start spec matching to other brands and take depreciation into account that goes out the window very quickly.
Of course depreciation doesn't matter if you're keeping it until it drops but then longer lasting cars make more sense.
Dacia as a brand is great if you want a new reg plate on an old Renault for a low sticker price.
Thats about where it ends.
@@siraff4461 worst off-road? Didn't end up second overall, obliterating those pure off road tools, on the final and the only relevant challenge for a normal use?
Actually, if that chimpanzee of a driver didn't fucked around as a dumb ass, it would've been too obvious it's miles better...
@@siraff4461 Nope. It's not the worst off road. It's the same price as the Jimny, which is a van...and only slightly more expensive than a 45 year old Lada. Odd that you like to talk about old Renaults but don't mention the Lada's age.
Spec for spec, name another AWD family SUV that is the same price?
I'm not saying it's the best car in the world. But it's by far the best of these three and fantastic value in general.
Wish the Jimny could still be called a "budget" off-roader... The prices are just insane for this small 4x4 :/
the jimny is a f-ing skeleton car. DUster best 💪💪💪💪💪🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥
@@drift_racer Duster is best as everyday use SUV, but the Jimny is a genuine off-roader, not great on-road but can live with that. 😏
Well they _are_ affordable in comparison to even new pick-ups that are £30+k and more. And anything more than than a pick-up goes into £50k+. And when you think small road cars are already close on £20k then yes these are good options with their on-road + off-road use cases.
@@drift_racer thats why we love it so much, its bare bones, rugged and reliable.
@@drift_racer duster sucks dick. the duster is the cheap POS made in china car that people buy when they are retarded. people who think it's more important that they get a new car rather than a good car. people who would rather spend 20k on a new cheaped out POS than spend the same money on a used luxury vehicle or something actually cool but just a few years old
Would have been more fair to compare the Lada Niva Bronto, wich should be around the same price point as the Jimny and Duster. With it's 2 self locking diffs, bigger off-road tires and it’s lifted / reinforced suspension it would probably outperformed all of them off-road (let’s not talk on road).
But is it available in the UK?
What about Lada Traveler? I've heard that's the new model.
Let's not forget that the Lada was designed in the 70s and has no electronic assistants ))
Agreed, but I guess that isn't available on UK.
@@MaximusPanin yes and that a Lada will probably last longer than the Duster and Jimny combined even if its a 40 year old one
I love the Lada. All parts are between 2$ and 200$ and easy to swap
And they need to be swapped every now and then.
@@vladavasiljev yeah, every lada is falling apart every day
17k is so over priced for a pos that looks like it was designed during the cold war
@@royalzak2670 it really was
@@salatinofficial4447 apparently it's not every Lada. The build quality seems to vary between 'indestrucible mini tank' to 'barely roadworthy'. Probably depending on the blood alcohol level of the factory workers. Sober is very bad, lightly buzzed is acceptable, thoroughly buzzed is the sweet spot, shitfaced is bad again and Russian drunk stops the production line entirely.
Just bought a jimny. Love it, the interior is so basic but it's so much better looking than the competition and it just puts a smile on your face. Love it.
After playing with the Rimac and F1 it was time for a race with real cars.
Lol “real cars”
To me Duster, as an end user seems the best...if Mat would have know how to actually drive offroad 😁, Duster would have been 1st or equal to Jimmny in this challenge.
PS: Don't forget about the confort ,HP and torque😁
None of then are cheap...anymore
Agreed 😁
Are you going to just ignore how they intentionally put Jimny last in the second challenge? Like, slowing down for no reason at all?
The Niva is an absolute legend of a car up there with the Fiat Panda 4x4. Really impressed with the Dacia though.
Yeah, because it's a living legend. in the '80s - not so much as there were many better off-road and much more reliable Japanese 4x4, even the Merc G was not a luxury car then.
The fact the Niva catches up with such modern cars is an Achievement
There's a reason it's been in production since 1977 with basically no changes
@@EliKirkMusic actually there are more than a thousand differences, you can watch a video about it.
Niva was built with purpose to drive in savage russian off-road.
@RedCerberus010 True that. With as less technology as possible so it doesnt stop in the middle of the blizzard😅
@@StromtrooperV2
Lada Niva was in Dacar and it handled sands well.
I own a Duster, A new 911, 4 E types, an XK120 an E350 and a Renault 4GTL. Without a doubt, my Duster is the best car I have ever purchased. We had a 21 plate Jimney. Good fun but 65 mph on the motorway. All the Dusters cruise at 85 mph +. Even ours which is a 999cc one. The whole family love it. Totally recommend them.
It makes me wonder what kind of driver is a person who believes Dacia Duster is the really good car. :-) What were your other cars? :-)
@@tsvetomirslavov7963 Just about everything as a buyer in the motor trade. Mainly BMW, Mercedes and Audi. Owned a Tesla Model S up to 140,000 miles until 2019. Currently have a 2020 Porsche 911 992 and a Mercedes E350 estate.
The Duster rules.
@@ShouldKnowBetter Well....I hope you are joking.😆 If you are serious probably you also believe Boris Johnson is the best 😅
But if we have to comment on the test from the video.I have been in both Duster and Niva many times.If you want to go to the supermarket Duster is no doubt much more comfortable.But if you want to go real off roading ( I mean with no visible roads around) please do not relay on this plastic shit. I know probably the creators of the video are making some money to promote the sales or Dusters but to make it more capable off-roader than Niva is just laughable.
@@tsvetomirslavov7963 the duster is a really good car though??
What's impressive with the duster is that it is a fairly good and practical road car and in the same time a capable off road car and being a budget car with decent engine
I prefer the looks of the Jimny but the Duster is more practical and can cover the needs of most people, vote for Duster.
If you don't have kids, Jimny covers just about everything too, but also you don't have to carry/occupy another couple of cubic meters of space.
Would be really interesting to see how an Ignis or a Vitara go round the 4x4 test track.
ruclips.net/video/y9AUYAXGWgY/видео.html
Hi AnEejit.
But its gotta be a early 90s one
@@carhawara3394 yes, the real one. Not the crappy SUV thing from today
Current ignis and vitara have different type of 4x4 (electronic, vw4motion like) than the jimny
Technically, Duster (as well as tons of modern SUVs) has part-time AWD with lock between axles by dedicated clutch when rear wheels connected and no lock when disconnected. And it happens many times per second if needed. 😀
So it has no cental locking diff because there is no central diff at all.
I really tried to find info on this but its always hazy information, not definitive
@@wernervandermerwe8422 search for full time vs part time 4x4, it should show you the difference
The three are inexpensive, highly functional and fun. Thanks to the company that made this.
@C l a r a__🍒 No thanks.
@@Majiで追い越す these bots are out of control man
And u can buy used niva in good conditions for $700 in Russia so it’s super fun, cheaper than ATV
It depends where you live, for an honest eastern european, they’re all expensive.
@@avtavt5940 I would love to own a lada but in Albania lada is rare
As an owner of a Duster 1.5dci 4WD i can categorically state that Matthew did not do the Duster any justice.
I think you mean Dustice? that's umfortunate though nan, matthew seems to snub some of the cars he doesn't like
Unfortunately, Duster is struggling alot when it comes to maneuver over holes while Jimny get it easy and Lada is good too but lack of power making it struggle at hillclimb.
Duster main weakness is FWD when 2wheel-drive making it lack of 4WD capability and its heavy too.
Jimny weakness is their body is very tall for small car making it dangerous for roll-over when passing side-slopes.
As for Lada, it barely have good features like those two, but it has good fighting against them.
Mat dies that with the cars he does not like. Specifically European ones. Very specifically, he hates Dacia, Skoda, Renault, Mercedes, Audi
@@hartonosutrisno5452 the duster was 4WD
The duster on the first test had a harder incline. Matt's test are never realistic, fair and never actually test a vehicle's off road capabilities. All pointless and irrelevant tests that don't matter.
I bought my lada niva because of this video lol mines just waaaaay older, super cheap, it even has the small corner windows at the side windows.
It does take a lot of getting used to tough, but im happy to own a car with no electronic bs in it
In first race and second race, duster had a much more difficult route
Yes!!
100%
Absolutely
agree 100%, it was unfair
Corect,,,
The Jimny is the plucky underdog of 4X4s :). Smaller than a LR Defender/G-Class/Bronco, yet just as capable off road :)
And so much cheaper, too!
It is nowhere near as capable in stock form. You have to install lockers to match their capability.
@@rdmz135 hi Redemz.
Let’s see how many subs I can get from this comment
Current 346
A jimney is a g glass from wish. Poor man’s g glass
I purchased a Duster and have to say after having bought very expensive cars I'm well impressed with it,also when I'm out in it I seem to attract attention..we'll done Dacia.
Best value car, none can beat it
I had a Ladas Niva around 1996. Amazing the sort of things you could do with that car on a farm going through the creek down the back. Water came in the cabin up to the top of the seat - not waterproof. Had to reverse out of that one.
Can't drive a floating car across a river..it's not meant to be waterproof
Maybe you need a boat for the creek, not Niva KEKW
Try to do the same with the other two cars... 😊
@@bato5673 Lol
When you drive a Niva you feel like you drive a genuine car
Love this, personally I’d have the duster as a daily out of the 3.
What would be good is if you could test all the cars on the same tyres that would make the results more accurate.
Plus very equal drivers and tracks.
you are right
I'd like to see this done with Talented and Experienced Off Road Drivers....
Or Farmers..
I recall being in a 1970's Land Rover 90 being driven by an insanely (literally) experienced 23 year old Farm Boy...in New Zealand
It had NO brakes, no doors and was driving on farm races that made the course in this video look like a freshly tarmacced Car Park.
It was the first time I ever thought that a car needed floor mats above the windscreen..
Exactly. I don't know anyone who drives a Niva on those tires. It's laughable.
incorrect. This is actually the most fair way considering everything is done on their stock forms like tyre, wheels etc
No Biases at all unless you have one which i think you have considering the comment.
Wow, such a great and fun video! Honestly out of this three I only have experience with the Duster. I put it to fairly hard work while doing some research work in a german national park, including offroad driving etc. It did a great job overall, especially if you consider that this car is also great for your everyday life and travelling and also big enough for your dog and family. If I had to choose, I'd takee the Duster. If I could afford two cars (which I can't), I'd take a good solid everyday-car like an Audi A4 or something similar and choose a dedicated offroad-car for hunting etc. In that case, I'd choose the Suzuki.
Audi a4 good solid car? :)) you gotta be kidding. The Duster is more reliable
The fact that the Duster can be used as a family or everyday car just ends the comparison
Duster is MUCH better on-road especially compared to the Niva...
It's not a family car + offroad challenge though
@@pauljansen6650 Yeah, a Land Rover Discovery is better, others too, but what about the cost? not many have the budget to buy one, even less to maintain one for offroad challenges.
PS: a Niva would make sense if it cost say 7kE, but 17k pounds for this old tech, with such abysmal on-road capability and being crash-worthless....
PPS: Funny thing, in Russia, a Niva starts at 6500 Euros, while the new Duster at 11000 Euros - there it makes sense as a fun-to-drive cheap off-roader, but at the same price? Only as a quite a bit expensive third car in the family just for hobby one. Better get any other second hand offroader.
not to mention upkeep and resale value
Exactly..
That Duster is a surprising car. It did really well considering. Probably the best one to buy new as you can’t buy the Suzuki as a car anymore, only a commercial vehicle.
You can buy the Jimny still it just costs 3k more for a civilian version. 17k commercial vs. 20k. Just without back seats, nobody uses those in a freaking Jimny anyways.
@@piuthemagicman But you can't buy it as a car, only as a commercial vehicle. The car version is banned from U.K. sale.
I have seen videos with Niva performing much better. I think it is difficult and has a higher learning curve to use it at full potential since it doesn t have any gimmicks and electronics and I think it has 2 gear shifters and another diff block shifter. Duster is used here în Romania as a family car. Jimmy is cool but try to put 4 people in it or going on the highway...
You're exactly right. Nivas are meant to be driven very aggressively, continuous power, and, frankly, some skill. It's for people who were, in the Soviet era, called 'car enthusiasts' - meaning people who can drive and work on their own car. *You* as the driver are the 'assistive technology'. You also *never* drive them on those bald road tires. It's a bizarre test. Nivas are also 10-12k, so they're comparing them with cars double its price and half its features. The real test is actual use. You can do pretty much anything to a Niva, tip it back over, and keep going. Body survives lots of things that would require repair on the others.
Duster is the only one with decent or modern active and passive safety. A lot more important than being the best off road.
ruclips.net/video/y9AUYAXGWgY/видео.html g
Did you make research or heard someone saying it?
Duster, all day long! It gives you so much more than Suzuki or Lada. Space, fuel economy, comfort, and good off road capabilities.
I'd go for the duster, it's good enough offroad and better onroad than the other 2...btw i believe the duster does have a center locking diff, in fact is a true mechanical locker unlike most SUVS...
I believe it is an e-locker and only on some models. It is manually selected but automatically disengages electronically when speed is above 30km/h. So it's not a true locker but a sort of half way locker. Axles are still open diffs but the traction control seems decent.
@@typhoon-7 true that actually, it does disengage at speeds, but i meant that it works like a real 50/50 mechanic locker once connected. it is not like that hydraulic pump stuff that just applies more pressure
We had duster as a company car. Finishing quality is like in Lada, awful!
Cheap, weak, lots of rust.
Duster has less gasoline use too... I have one and he needs only 6L100km 👍
@@clutchfreak13 I've never heard this kind of complaints before. This video itself said that Duster feels like a premium car compared to Lada, on the interior. And being full of rust, or rusting easily? - That's literally a first. Maybe u had bad luck..
I'm a massive jimny fan but the more I see of the duster I'd be happy to have one for a bit of practical off roading.
I rented a Duster in Cape Verde a few years ago and went off-road mainly in sand…..very impressed and would compare well against my Range Rover Sport off road in most situations I think….
The Duster is just as good as doing what the other two were designed to do, and on top of that it's just a better car overall with 4 doors and all the comfort a family would need.
@@SkaffenUK I didn't see anything in this video that the Jimny did and the Duster didn't. If you do anything more extreme than this, probably even a Jimny won't be enough.
@@SkaffenUK I can pretend too I've went off-roading and one brand is way better than other. Show me the proof, send the link. In this video Duster completed everything the other cars did.
Jimny is slighty better off road than Dacia but the romanian is best all rounder.
@@stirbiuliu8048 Duster was great, but it is too much of a long car for hardcore offroading. Jimny is shorter, therefore it is simply easier for it to get dirty like that. I do think duster is just 2 times the car jimny is but that's because Duster was meant to do a lot of things, whike Jimny is just meant for off-road. And it's very good at it.
But it's not as good. without any diff locks I'm not surprised though
@@maneamanea1464 the jimny is also a much better city car than the duster ... parking, fuel consumption, turning radius ... ofcourse, the duster is much better on th highway :)
When the going gets tough, Lada Niva would be my choice.
Others may be quicker, but whoever was driving the Lada wasn't using diff lock and brakes as they should be used.
Relying on assists is like riding a bicycle with learning wheels.
That Russian tank is made for daily abuse with easy and cheap maintenance.
Согласен мой английский друг, нива очень проходимая из-за своего малого веса и короткой базы. Я из России и у нас лучшего внедорожника нету из авто, хотя нива себя не позиционирует как внедорожник. В России есть УАЗ Патриот и Хантер, но они тяжёлые и не такие проходимые
Not much seems to have changed in the Niva since I was a kid.
Love the Jimny it's so much fun and it's body on frame - a legit off-roaded imo.
actually there are more than a thousand differences, you can watch a video about it.
@@realonsi2108 I did a test drive like 5 years ago of a new Niva - breaks are horrible, ride quality is bad, engine is really, really, really poor, AC is "optional" - 1500 Euro add-on....
Felt like the **** car we had back in soviet era.
Got a 2006 GX 470 for the same money (actually cheaper - new Niva was ~15,000 Euro, my GX imported cost me around ~$15,000 - rust-free, spotless, Florida driven and maintained perfectly)
This 12 year old (at the time) Japanese-built car rode, behaved, stopped and traversed way better than a brand new Niva, it's actually body-on-frame and you can fit 5 adults and 2 kids in it comfortably or 5 adults and a bunch of baggage.
There is just no room for comparison - buying a lada is throwing money away.
The funniest thing was that the interior looked to be manually screwed in and you could see the screw holes - everything was squeaking in a brand new car, really pathetic russian industry with almost no innovation.
Had the Jimny a more modern turbo engine (e.g. 1.4 boosterjet) and I'd choose it hands down. So if I had to buy one as my only car I'd go for the Duster since it's fast and well equipped! The Niva is not that bad as some journalists say, but I'd get it as my second vehicle.
Agreed. Shame Suzuki didn't relaunch it with the Boosterjet 👍
The Jimny is an inexpensive way of going off-road.
It’s the coolest car Americans and Canadians are missing out on.
@wilyy Go away!
@@nurlaela3214 Go away niece Nurleala!
We love it!
@@carwow I do also.
@K A E L Y N 💋 Worthless!
I think mostly it depends on the driver. If I was driving that Niva the uphill I would climb it from the first try. Yeah we have a lot off roads in our country. Haven't driven Duster and Jimni so can't say a word about these cars. But Niva is for sure a winner for me
Try the duster if its cheap.
DACIA have the Best Price/Performance/Design Ratio with all their cars : SANDERO, LOGAN and DUSTER. 👍
Yes a car of which everyone Dreams of , what a car 😂😂
@@aek.53 Are you sarcastic ?
@@aek.53 you cant afford even a duster tire, P.L.E.B.
@@danieldaniel1210 i own a BMW 2 séries of 2017 lol go to sleep and before had a Honda which is a far better car and Also cheap i live in a country where Dacia IS producued i know what im talking about
@@aek.53 you own a bmw in GTA. I live in the country from where Dacia is kid
@Matt on incline with potholes where duster was struggling , as a duster owner i must say that if you switch off esp and put 4wd to lock mode that should be much more easy for the duster. I am sure it would come 2nd on this challenge after unbeatable suzuki.
17k for a Niva is ridiculous. As I remember in Russia it starts from 6-7k which looks like a fair price more or less for a bucket full of screws. Things could have changed since, but anyways considering 3k difference I wonder who would buy one of these over a Duster which is you know... a real modern car
The Duster with 150 HP and 4WD smokes a lot of the more expensive competition.
Hey Matt, you clearly did your best to make the Dacia look the worse, putting in on the worse slope at the beginning, stalling the engine when it was going to pass... etc, are you a Salesman with commission working for Suzuki?
ruclips.net/video/y9AUYAXGWgY/видео.html
Wouldn't put it past him if he was shilling. He shilled for the newer Defender over the old one. They pulled all sorts of stunts in that vid to make the old defender look bad, they even tied the tug-of-war rope up high on the new one and down low on the old one so the back wheels of the old one would lift off the ground.
Yep, the Duster was on a more difficult slope starting off. Matt does not like Dacia and he's proved it time and again.
They also turtled the Jimny around the speed course, so I don't see any bias anywhere. It's simply not a thoroughly done research, but it doesn't seem to be either. These places can't test the cars at their limits anyways so it's only good to find base values, not true strengths. The Duster had most weaknesses exposed overall tho, which makes sense because it is a car that is compromised to a degree in order to also work well on regular roads and longer distance driving.
All in all, if you know what you need in a car, then you also know what to take away from this video.
I'd go for the Duster. Just the fact that the Jimney has a petrol engine, disqualifies it as an option in my mind.
The Duster is almost as good and a much more versatile car
I do personally love the niva cause it’s a 45yr old chassis doing it’s awesome thing, still being produced and everything, while the Jimny reminds me of the true off roaders like the Suzuki Samurai, those 2 cars are great!! If lada brought a 1.6 twin cam on this baby, she would be the one of the best new 4X4s I’d love
We have this mod with 16v 123hp engine. And its engine got stage 1/2/3 aftermarket turbokits up to 300hp🤦♂️
Having driven the Jimny, my father in law has one, and my Duster there is no comparison. The Jimny is woefully underpowered and tiny. It is also very expensive for what you get
I agree but the jimny is just so damb cool.
duster is obviously brain choice, jimny is heart.. yes it is expensive, tiny and fragile, but I would own it out of these 3..
There's quite nothing like a Jimny though
Let’s be honest. Jimny was eating duster like cake in this video. Just want to pass that here.
The Duster is built to be a road car first , Jimny a offroad car , you don't need Powerrrrrrr to solve everything
I’d still have the Lada over the others. And I have had one, loved it.
I mean, I feel like the Duster was compromised with Matt driving it 😂
The cosiest is the Duster. Available for travel on motorway as well.
The smartest is the Jimny, the best 4x4 in to the cities, forests and skinny slumpy paths.
But the bingo is still the Lada niva. Not bad on roads, very good 4x4 with low ratio, and you can rebuilt her engine from a Jimny's or Duster's headlight's price :) We just changed the full clutch (clutch mechanism, disc, throw out bearing) it all coast less than 50 pound, even the Lada hasn't got dual mass flywheel what is a good point in the offroad life.
There is a Lada 4x4 (Niva) in my family 20 years ago and even there is a Duster as well with 1.6 petrol engine 4 years ago. Both of them good cars for their price. Lada, Jimny, Duster the 100% good deal for the family for almost everything.
Thank you very much for beautiful comparison about these 3 cars :) Such an enjoyable video!
it is shit both off-road and on road, what are you comparing it with?
The Duster is far better car. Well done Dacia.
Always liked the niva, A simple, no nonsense car, quite refreshing in today's computerised era
You sound like the kind of person who is into self-flagelation.
It definitely is but honestly more as a 2nd car because you will miss a lot on longer drives especially in comfort
@@ervk2513 it would be fine on long journeys, I've drove cars a lot less luxurious than that without any problems
@@HadrianTAZ no, just someone who doesn't need a computer to help me drive a car
@@Markcain268 I daily my Niva as well, just if you switch from a normal car, most of the poeple will definitely miss the luxury features of modern cars
The Lada only has high and low range there is a "neutral" spot in the middle, that's probably the reason he mistook it.
Yep. Like old series land rovers. High, neutral and Low
I have a duster myself. It is nimble for sure and the police package is amazing as well. It didn't fail ad an all arounder even as a CVT front wheel drive. On some mild off-road driving. The jimny is hands down the king of off roading i had one it's unstoppable in the sand mud or basically any tough bog but on the road it hurts you. I owned a jimny too it's a trooper for sure
Duster is there every corner in world 🙄
Its been here for 10 years in India
Comfort and off-road ❤️
But ugly.
Never came to Australia !
"it's a long way home so I prefer to take the Duster" guess it beats the jimny in the end. 🤣🤣
I am amazed that 50 year old design which is Lada still can compete with modern cars.
Gotta admit.. Starting to like the design on Lada. Quite charming
LADA or Duster... Which would you choose?
@@carwow as someone who has experienced 2018 Lada Niva before, definitely Duster. They're too uncomfortable for a long trip (especially if you're stuck at back) and has little to no technology (good for maintenance bad for driving experience).
@@carwow *I'm starstrucked right now!*
For a fun little offroader I'd choose the Lada with those two options. Overall I'm with Mat though, I'd choose the Jimny.
@@MightyCalves me too Jimny.
@@faridgulum1226 hi Ferid.
Couldn’t count the amount of 4x4 dusters I seen in Switzerland the last time I was there in winter. Seemed everyone parked their expensive cars because of the snow and drove dusters 😂
Expensive car? 90 percent of us are not rich. We may have a bigger paycheck but everything in switzerland is so expensiv that there is not much left at the end of the month. And most cars in switzerland a property of a bank. Leasing is the key word.
@@rolfstuh Admit it, all of you just have your millions on Swiss bank accounts.
When you wanna a car, first get clear picture what are you going to use it for.
If you use it 90% on the roads, get duster.
If you use it in forest, get jimny but old 1.3 liter engine that lasts forever.
If you use it in war use only lada. There is nothing to be broken when you jump in with AK-47's, rpg and tow antitank mines from the ground.
You should do Ford Bronco, Landover Defender, Jeep wrangler Rubicon
That duster would have been much better with a decent driver in there. 😜
I had a niva Cossack in the mid 80s , great little car, lots of fun
Imagine this being your job. You wake up knowing you have to have a M3 race, or an off-road test, or go to some new car unveiling! Matt is living the dream. Well done bud, you certainly worked your way up and deserve it. Next step - TOP GEAR
Are you joking? Matt is quarter mile guy, he's nowhere near Topgear🤣 get bloody real.
I'm driving duster and it's actually amazing, I didn't expect it would be fun to drive and good off-roader at the same time time
Duster Really Impressed Me 👌❤️
DACIA Duster. Made in România 🇷🇴✌👏good job carwow
I am loving this! What an awesome test! I'd take the Lada, every day 👌
Yea considering that in Russia they sell for under 3K. I don’t know why he says it’s 17 I guess it’s the import company profit? Idk but if it is then they making some good money
@@teamt5cpm625 It costs s small fortune to import and register them. That's my understanding.
@@teamt5cpm625 Actually here in Russia Niva starts from around 10k (700k rub). But still 17k is a bit steep for it. Import tax is a bitch, we also can't bring a car from EC without paying almost double to clear it.
@@teamt5cpm625 Import taxes on anything from Russia are monstrous .Othet than that for 3k it is a no brainer.Loads of aftermarket diff locks as well
It's russian nightmare 🤣💩💩💩
Now this is the off-road challenge race that's affordable and accessible for all us plebs. More of this. Taa Mat!
I had two Nivas and they were brilliant both off road and in snow
Sir, didn't find on this test they didn't block transmission? I saw Lada had only 2 wheels drive during the test.
I love the Niva but would probably buy the Duster.
The Duster is my choice.Shame that Matt messed up that challenge with his lack of off-road driving. The Duster seems to have more than the rest meaning, it’s family appeal and good looks.Really enjoyed watching that challenge.😊
I see, but aren't Dacias so cheap because they use cheap parts? Heard they won't last very long.
@@lampexxl8599 Dacias are cheap because most of them are produced in eastern europe. Dacias were also even in communist times mostly rebadged renaults.
@@lampexxl8599I am using a duster in the conatruction field that I work. I pulled hilux, l 200 and d-max cars from the mud with the duster. We are travelling at a road filled with holes while going with 130kmh. Car doesn't brake, never stops and parts are cheap if its broken. I can continuously travel at 190kmh with nice control (yeah i know its risky but car wants to fast). I can surely say duster is a all round perfect work horse.
In India it was Renault Duster which kickstarted the compact SUV segment and since then this segment has been the primary segment in the market
That Duster did impressively well for a car that’s really a soft roader…I’d have one as an everyday car 👍🏻
Not at all
It depends, how the car testers handle it and for what kind of car those strategy is, nothing more. If you run the last hill brachial up, its simply embarrassing laughable because with enough flat accelerate road, and good tires, i come almost perfect to the hilltop with our old just front wheel drive just on road to use , corola. Go slowly and another one stop in the middle of the hill and start again, then the lada or the Jimmy is with big big distance the from those 3 the winner. Number One on off road would be the modified lada with good tires and 2 diff looks. But on road not the dream, but in my opinion not the biggest problem. Number 2 is the Jimmy in comparison with lada and duster, and in my opinion fully enough off road but more confident on road, versus Lada, the best of both worlds is Jimmy and far away Number 3 is the duster, its simply ridiculous to talk by the duster from a offroad or a serious SUV. But duster is a decent Crossover nothing more. And in comparison with that honest Jimmy and Niva it is may the best on road not that bumpy, boxy but still not even in the approach that good on road like a Hyundai, kia and especially never that good like a middle class Toyota in its ride quality for example a Corolla or Corolla cross over ore still better Toyotas Hybrids the kings in the most directions
A Niva is good/ unbeatable for us in the NORTH, Sweden etc. The others have interiors that are just not suitable for outdoor life. They are also impossible to fix in the field.
Lada's are just perfect and no one else is even close.
I never thought I'd want a Dacia duster 😅
By the way The Duster does have Center 4WD diff lock. Works very well.
I wish the Romanians would bring back ARO. Thar would be a very good budget off roader.
The channel is basically just one big advert for the Suzuki Jimny