Lada Priora vs Sens. Provocation / Lada test drives

Driving foreign cars, even used ones, had become tiresome. Constant trips to junkyards in search of parts from crashed cars wore me out—I wanted some peace. Of course, you could order new parts from stores, but then the whole point of owning an old car is lost. I don't have enough saved money for a new foreign car, I don't want to take a loan, and borrowing from friends is even less appealing. So my choice fell on a new domestic car, namely the Priora. I plan to sit it out for a year or two.

Why the Priora and not the "desyatka"? The looks played the main role. Despite being essentially the same "desyatka," it looks much more modern. The front is nice: a large grille, headlights, a neat bumper. The rear also looks decent. But the main thing I love about this car is the interior. You can immediately see that the engineers tried. The dashboard is made of soft plastic, the instrument panel is pleasing to the eye, the control knobs feel nice to the touch, and the seats are upholstered in decent velour. The driving position is comfortable. The only downside is that you have to squeeze into the car, even with my height. Though, maybe it's because of the winter clothes. We'll see. But for now, I have to take off my hat every time before getting in.

I really like how the Priora drives on our roads. Smoothly, softly, like a cat along a cornice. Though, the latter is more likely thanks to the electric power steering. I didn't think it could be so effective. Turning the wheel is a pleasure. The brakes also pleased me: the pedal is informative, and the brakes themselves are grippy. I can't say anything about the engine yet—the car is in its break-in period, so I don't go over three thousand rpm. But even in this mode, the car drives well.

Driving
It's hard to give an objective assessment yet, but even in break-in mode, the car feels quite lively.

Interior
I wouldn't call it luxurious, but compared to the "desyatka," it's a huge step forward.

Comfort
At a sufficient level. Almost full electric package is also a nice bonus.

Safety
Airbags in a domestic car—that's already good.

Price
Quite acceptable.

Honestly, I didn't even know about the existence of a car like the Sens. I'd heard of the Chevrolet Lanos, but not the "khoplanos." That was a revelation for me. If I were choosing a car now, I might consider this model as an alternative to domestic ones. But now... How much did you say it costs? 227,000 rubles? The Lanos would be more expensive. By the way, I was looking at the Lanos, but I didn't want to buy such a foreign car. There's a saying: there's nothing more permanent than something temporary. So I was afraid that if I bought it temporarily, I'd end up staying with it for a long time. Besides, I think such a Chevrolet would be harder to sell on the secondary market. And the Sens? It's a thousand cheaper than the Lanos!

Although they look almost the same on the outside. As an option—why not. And the Sens looks fine. Not a handsome car, of course, but you can't call it ugly either. And from the back, I even like it more than the Lanos. The large taillights make it more harmonious.

But the interior is simpler than the Priora's. What's strange is that it feels significantly more spacious inside. And getting in and out of it is much easier than from my car. The seating position is also more comfortable. Plus, the rear seatbacks fold down very quickly and easily. I never figured out how to do that in the Priora.

But look at this plastic. No, the fit and finish of the elements are fine. Everything is in place, everything works, and everything is convenient to use. But why is the dashboard itself so hard? It rattles when you knock on it! And why does the whole interior start to hum and vibrate when you turn the heater fan to maximum? Where are the power windows and power mirror adjustment? Why is everything manual here? And finally, where is the driver's airbag? I believe that the presence of an airbag should be standard in any car today. Or has the 21st century not yet arrived in Ukraine?

But the Sens drives well. Perhaps, in this regard, it can almost be put on par with the Priora. And the ground clearance seemed higher here. The only thing that bothers me is the lack of power steering. Sorry, but turning the wheels of this car in place is difficult even for a man. And considering that I mostly drive around the city, the lack of power steering is simply depressing.

Driving
To say I'm thrilled with this car would be a lie. However, I won't bash it either. It's a normal car for the money.

Interior
Both visually and in feel, it's more spacious than the Priora. Plus, the rear seats fold down.

Comfort
Everything is fine, but the hard plastic is just depressing.

Safety
I think that at this stage, it's insufficient in this car. If only there were an airbag...

Price
Almost a giveaway, considering it's a foreign car.

My verdict

In my opinion, the products of the Volga Automobile Plant, namely the Priora I chose, are now capable of competing on equal terms with inexpensive foreign cars like the Sens. In monetary terms, it's more expensive, but for that money, I get everything I was used to when driving used foreign cars. I'm talking about the full electric package, power steering, and, most importantly, the airbag. As for reliability, in the first couple of years, domestic cars usually don't cause any trouble, and if something does happen, it's no longer my concern, since there's a warranty.

Expert opinion

Oleg Kalaushin, journalist from "5 Koleso":

This time, we failed to convince the hero that his choice was wrong. Even offering a foreign car instead of a Russian one didn't help. He didn't give in. This leads to the conclusion that in this price range, where the Priora and Sens are, the former still looks more attractive to the buyer. Could it be that AvtoVAZ's products have indeed become competitive, at least in this particular case? That can't help but inspire optimism.

December 3, 2007