My opinion so far is that a lot of people buy Ladas (Niva to be exact) with expectation of it being an offroader. It is not. It is a SUV and when used like usually SUVs are - it isnt as unreliable as some people make it.
If you expect to drive more than 50% of the time on asphalt but money is tight, do yourself a favour and buy at least a Dacia Duster.