“Lada Kalina II” or “Lada Priora I”: which is better and does it make sense to buy

Two models of the domestic manufacturer Kalina and Priora have already proven themselves in the CIS market. These cars are representatives of the same price segment and act as competitors to each other. Consequently, the buyer is left with the question of which is better, Kalina or Priora, because both cars can be purchased at a similar price.

When choosing, you need to study the characteristics, user reviews and compare data to give the most fair assessment.

Content

• "Priora" or "Kalina": classification problems
• "Kalina" or "Priora": what about the equipment?
• Motors and transmissions
• So which is better in the end - Kalina or Priora?
• Condition and choice of Lada Priora and Lada Kalina

At first glance, the question sounds like “do you want black or green tea?” On the second one, actually, too. Before the arrival of foreign engineers and managers, VAZ riveted surprisingly identical cars, even if they formally belonged to different classes.

On the secondary market, the second Kalina and the first generation restyled Priora cost almost the same - 314 and 312 thousand rubles, respectively. Offers for them are also almost at the same level - 140-155, but Priora is most often bought and sold. In May, it was checked 22,730 times through avtocod.ru, placing it in second place among all models. “Kalina” ended up in 16th place with 12,997 checks. What is better to buy on the secondary market - Priora or Kalina, let's figure it out.

Interior

In the interior, the Lada Priora remains the spiritual successor of the dozen. In principle, we will not see any innovations in the interior of this vehicle. Rough door panel, seat belt buckles that stick out in different directions, unremarkable design.

In general, the finish is very rough. Some may like the dashboard, but this is only when compared with old VAZ cars.

If we talk about Kalina, then the car is several steps ahead. This car is produced using new equipment, which makes the interior somewhat more updated.

Smooth angles, smooth shapes, very interesting design solutions. True, the same hard plastic was used for finishing, which is the main disadvantage of transport.

"Priora" or "Kalina": classification problems

The word “problem” will generally accompany us throughout the text, and it begins already when determining what is in front of us.

Formally, Kalina is a European B-class, Priora is closer to a C-class. In fact, the difference in dimensions is nominal:

• top-end Kalina station wagon - 4.11 m in length;
• Priora with the same body type - 4.21 m.

At the same time, it is absolutely unclear where the extra decimeter of space went.

In terms of the amount of space in the cabin, it is also unclear which class is which: low seating, minimal gap between the rows of seats - in both cars only short and hardy people can sit in the back for a long time. That is, Mongolian steppe riders.

And it’s even funnier that in both Kalina and Priora, the body type has almost no effect on anything. It’s usually the same: a sedan has a spacious, but most inconvenient trunk, a station wagon is the opposite: it has the maximum displacement and ease of use.

What about LADA? The trunk of a station wagon is not the most spacious, but the most spacious is that of the Granta co-platform liftback (after restyling, this became one family, which makes it even funnier).

The Priora has no difference at all in terms of practicality between body types: both the liftback and the station wagon have 360 ​​liters each behind the rear sofa.

In short, the difference is purely aesthetic. There is no point in looking for a “Kalina station wagon” or a “Priora station wagon” in the hope of seeing space and capacity there.

Also read: Focus on Priora or priority on Accent? Comparing two budget bestsellers

Comparison of bodies, assembly and corrosion resistance

If you look a little into the past, the undisputed leader in body corrosion resistance was Kalina, which even after 7-8 years has no traces of corrosion, but Priora lost a little in this. As for today’s modifications, the body and metal of the new Kalina are the same as on Grant and it’s too early to talk about corrosion resistance.

Regarding the build quality of the body and interior. Here the leader is Kalina 2, since all the gaps between the body parts are minimal and made very smoothly, that is, the joints are almost the same from top to bottom throughout the body. Everything in the cabin is also more collected. Although the instrument panel and other interior trim parts on the Lada Priora are of higher quality, for some reason they only make more squeaks.

"Kalina" or "Priora": what about the equipment?

Until the second half of the 2000s it was very bad. AvtoVAZ is slow to introduce innovations, so their cars reached more or less European levels (early 90s) only in 2013. It was then that both Kalina and Priora received (all or separately) airbags, ESP, heated windows, air conditioning, automatic transmission (Kalina), a media system with navigation and support for SD cards.

Everything before 2013 is pain, poverty and mud: the list of options included ESD (periodically jamming) and ABS.

The restyling of the 13th year also had a positive effect on the visual component: the plastics are still just as cheap, but at least the parts are neat; The climate control unit, for example, has become similar to a Volkswagen one from the early 2000s. Which is actually a compliment.

So it doesn’t matter what to watch - Kalina or Priora, as long as it’s after the 2013 release.

Also read: Which is better: “Granta” or “Kalina 2”

Lada Priora

Appearance of Priora

The basic configuration of the car already includes:

Salon of Lada Priora as standard

• Remote control of the luggage compartment lock.
• Airbag on the driver's seat.
• Electric window lifts.
• CZ.
• Signaling.

Engine

Under the hood is a Granta engine with 87 horsepower.

• 87 hp
• Eight valves.
• 6 liters volume.

“Standard” package

Dashboard in Priora

These parameters are quite weak, and therefore can often scare off a potential buyer. At the same time, you can buy a car in the “Standard” configuration. It will already have a more powerful engine (98 hp, 16 valves).

The car is also additionally equipped with:

1. Hydraulic power steering.
2. Heated rear view mirrors.
3. The upholstery in the cabin is velor.
4. ABS.

In the “Lux” package, the car owner will receive:

1. Heated front seats.
2. Climate system.
3. Parktronic.
4. Seat belt alarm.

Motors and transmissions

You shouldn’t expect variety from VAZ - this is not an Audi, they didn’t deliver a range of engines. In both cases, the choice comes down to different variations of the 1.6-liter unit: 8- or 16-valve with output of 87, 98 or 106 hp. With.

There are nuances in the boxes. Thus, Kalina and Granta were equipped with an old but honest four-band automatic transmission from the Japanese Jatco. It was combined only with the 98-horsepower version of the engine. Unlike the VAZ AMT on the Kalina and Priora, it was combined only with the top-end 106-horsepower engine.

Which, however, is obvious: a car with a “robot” doesn’t drive very well anyway, here at least you can compensate for delays and interruptions in the power flow with the maximum possible number of “horses”.

And in general, the “robot” is suitable for leisurely and picky people: shifts are long, the ride is not smooth. It is not surprising that AMT accounted for not even a third of sales of the new Kalin and Prior.

But Priora buyers have no alternative: the automatic machine belongs to the Kalina/Granta family, and it is good, minus a couple of nuances. Firstly, the dynamics with automatic transmission are very conditional (0-100 in 13.1 seconds); secondly, fuel efficiency (urban cycle - more than 10 liters per 100 km). But the comfort of movement, especially in traffic jams, is incomparably greater.

Also read: Battle of the weakest: Datsun on-DO vs Lada Granta

Complete sets with a curiosity

The task of comparing Kalina and Priora will not be solved if you do not analyze the configurations in which these cars are assembled. Both cars have some wonders in this regard. Priora can be found with a coupe body. True, you rarely see such a car, since the circulation is limited. But in Kalina there is a “Sport” modification, but it is also not put into production.

As for the main configuration options, for both cars they are divided into the following types: “Standard”, “Norma”, “Lux”.
What advantages is the Lada Kalina ready to offer against the Priora? Let's figure it out. Specifications

Kalina "Standard"

Such a car costs about 280 thousand rubles. There are no frills here - only the most necessary. The engine in this car is 1.6 liters and produces 81 hp. With. The “standard” Kalina has central locking with remote control, front electric windows and an anti-theft system. That's all the bells and whistles.

Viburnum "Norma"

For “Norma” the manufacturer is already asking almost 330 thousand rubles. What's in it? For the version with a 1.4-liter engine (89 “horses”) - climate system, anti-lock, electric power steering, large-sized stamped wheels.

Kalina "Lux"

This model can be purchased at a price of 360 thousand rubles. Why is it more expensive than previous modifications? Here, not only the driver, but also the passenger have an airbag, the interior is lined with velor, headrests are built into the rear sofa, and there is an option for electric drive and heated mirrors. The front seats are also heated, there are foglights, alloy wheels and electric windows. The engine of this model is 1.6 liters, with a power of 98 “horses”.

Priora "Standard"

The cost of such a car starts from 320 thousand rubles. Even this “minimal” version of the Priora already has a driver’s airbag. Also included is the option of remote trunk control, anti-theft alarm, central locking, and electric windows (front). Even this poor set looks more solid in comparison with Kalina. True, the engine in this modification does not differ in power - 1.6 liters and 90 horsepower.

Priora "Norma"

In this case, a good “Norma” can be purchased for 360–370 thousand rubles. A “normal” 1.6-liter engine produces 98 “horses”. In this configuration you will receive: electric drive and heated mirrors, a velor-trimmed interior, power steering, and anti-lock braking device. By the way, in the “Normal” category there are seven Prior variants. The most expensive of them has built-in modern audio and climate systems and navigation.

Priora "Lux"

“Luxury” Priors are equipped quite well. There is an option for heated front seats, electric windows, seat belt indication, anti-lock system, parking sensors and even a rain sensor. Such cars cost from 390 thousand rubles. The most expensive “Lux” versions (over 400 thousand rubles) have built-in navigation and an audio system.

There is also Granta

What to choose - Kalina or Priora? If you are still in such thoughts, then you definitely need to know that the new Kalina has recently been released. So, Kalina sedan was replaced by Kalina Granta. This is the newest version. Now it can be found in the “Standard” and “Normal” variants. Its average cost is 300 thousand rubles. The “normal” set of Grants includes an alarm system, an on-board computer, central locking, electric power steering and electric windows for the front windows.

So which is better in the end - Kalina or Priora?

A direct comparison of the Lada Priora and the Lada Kalina shows that there is nothing special to compare. Before us are two budget front-wheel drive vehicles, rooted in the design of the “eight” and “tens”. They are nominally different in size, do not differ at all in internal volumes, largely overlap in terms of equipment, and only the “two-pedal” versions are truly different.

There is an opinion that Priora is more aerobatic and sharper. At the same time, it is Kalina that is most often used as a blank for rally and race cars. Priora also seems to look more “boyish”, especially with pneuma and xenon. But these are matters of taste and internal tolerances, not technology and design.

For the average consumer with a couple of hundred thousand in his pocket, Kalina and Priora are all the same. We look at where the condition is better, then we take it.

Also read: My first car: comparison of Granta, Logan and Nexia

Safety, prestige and design

Safety is the weakest link in VAZ cars and the entire Russian automotive industry. UAZ still copes with this task relatively well, but they are far from being comparable to foreign cars. Not a single car of ours has yet received at least a full 4 out of 5 stars for a crash test using the EuroNCAP method. This fact is very unpleasant, VAZ workers are trying, but so far in vain.

Priora is a modification of Lada 2110,2112,2113, depending on the body type. In fact, changing the name is just a publicity stunt. Of course, the car has undergone many changes - in the body, engine, and security system. In the entire history of the domestic automobile industry, Priora is the first car that received an airbag for the driver as standard.