P)AGE 16, WEDNESDAY SEPTEMBER 26, 1979, WI-ITBY FREE PRESS, NEW CAR, SUPPLEMENT Laa rtuto-honest vlue The Lada is one-of the Most recent additions to the lmported car market. For the past year, Lada Cars of Canada bas been importing the Lada 1500S with remarkable success Durlng the sprlng of this year, dealers were ýreporting a waltlng lst of up to six mon- ths, and growlng daily. Customers were content to watt, as the car offered unrlvalled value for our hard-earned dollars. So, you may ,ask, what's a1l'the fuise about? You may have seen a L'ada drivlng past, and havemistaken-it fora Fiat, a Datéun, or other' 7ox-lboking lmÜport. The, Lda 18 built wi'lththe three- boxý type of styllng'and no. Smatter how youlook at it, t in itilthe Most,,practical way to transportfive, aduits plus luggage. .,There Isn't even a hint of planned ob- solescence anywhere - A- 1971 Lada i18 in- distinguishablefrom a 198. This translats W a huge, saving at the consumer level. When you take into con- sideration the long lst of standard. equlpment, the, Lada is the least expensive car on the market. Standard Meatures include four doors,' powver-assisted brakes-front discs-, fuily redlining seats, velour uphoIstery, dlock, tachometer, oùl pressure guage, manual choke, rear armrest, rear widow defroster, no-draugbt win- dows, intermittent wipers, halogen headllghts, mud flape , a comprehensive tool kit and so on. The Lèada is bufit in Russia to withstand their winter conditions, whlch are colder« and longer than Canadian winters. The steel used Ls thicker and denser than that used on domestie cars. in short, the Lada 18 built like the proverbial tank. Drlving the car presents a considerable surprise. it 18 surplsingly peppy, with 83 B.N.P. on tap front onlylO ccs. The -overhoad cam engine thrlves on revs and 18 happiest when . working hard. The, aIl-ynchromesh transmission has a short and precise ) easy fée to it, maklng mlssed shifts a thlng of. the past. The ýsteerlng, while lnltlally a 1ll ttle heavy, 18 no.,more physically- demnanding than many of is competitors, and qulte a bit Iighter, than some. The quality of 'the ride makes, many lntermedlate-sized cars féei rough by, com-, parison. There 18 a large amount of suspension travel whlch 18 weIl controiled by coil springs and conven- tional shock absorbers. Whlle it 18 not exactly in the sports-car category when it cornes to handiing, this family sedan wil manoeuvre i a very spirited way. If you can avoid speeding tickets, th e Lada makes an ideal urban racer! Some advice woi'h repeatin OBSERVE THE 55 mIl e* * an hour speed lunit. Avoid, AVOID JACK RABBIT high speed drlving. You'll STARTS - they are doubly save a lot of- fuel and get wasteful. They burn Up to your destination just excessive gas and they as quickly. also cause excessiv e wear on tire treads. A SOFF AND STEADY foot. on the accelerator wlll yleld you more miles per gallon than erratic pressure. UNNECESSABY IDLING of the motor gets you no- where, yet it consumes fuel. Waiting for the wile or the klds- to be picked up, with the motor run- ning, Is an example. ~ e