At one time, VAZ 217030 ("Lada Priora") was the real flagship of AvtoVAZ. The car is a kind of continuation of the tenth family. Naturally, "Priora" is significantly different from the "ten". And even if this car does not reach foreign competitors, it is loved and appreciated at home.
Model history
VAZ-217030 is a revised and modernized model of the VAZ-2110, which was removed from the assembly line in 2007. In the design of the "tenth" model, engineers have made more than a thousand different changes. That is why Priora is considered to be a different family. In total, the model has three modifications. This is a sedan that has been produced since March 2007, a hatchback and a station wagon.
New car on an old platform
The tenth model began to be produced in the late 90s. Even then AvtoVAZ engineers were well aware that nothing promising could be built on the basis of the platform developed back in the 90s, and very soon the car would become unclaimed. The worst thing is that foreign competitors with budget models will easily bypass it. Restyling became the primary task of AvtoVAZ specialists. By the way, the designers began to look at the appearance of the car long before the model was put on a conveyor assembly. See what the pre-production VAZ-217030 looks like. A photo of the car can be seen below. As a result of all the changes, consumers received a completely new and more comfortable car, which fully met the standards of the market at that time. Already in the basic configuration, Priora was equipped with all the necessary options. The car was equipped with airbags, power windows on the front doors, electric power steering, central locking and many other elements.
Exterior
VAZ-217030 was created as a deep restyling of the VAZ-2110. First of all, the designers tried to remove excessive weight around the rear axle. It soon became clear that without fundamental changes in front and rear, a new model would not be possible to create. A banal replacement of the bumper or optics will not solve the problem, and the heaviness in the appearance of the car cannot be removed. The body appeared "heavy" due to low rear wheel arches and a rear bumper that connected vertically to the rear wing. Designers tried to enlarge the wheel arches and make a rear bumper that ran from the rear edge of the car to the wheel arches. In addition to the design that everyone knows, there were two more restyling options for the VAZ-217030. Photos (including BPAN) can be seen in our article. 
From the tenth model, only the side part and doors remained. At the same time, the manufacturer claims that the doors have become wider by 5 millimeters. Front and rear, the car became almost unrecognizable. Installed new optics. Also replaced the hood, trunk lid and other exterior elements. In general, the design can be safely compared with some budget Korean or Chinese models.
Interior
Italian specialists worked on the interior design. The interior of the VAZ-217030 in those years looked quite tolerable. But inexpensive materials were used as finishing materials. Judging by the reviews, the level of assembly of the cabin was very poor. 
The Italians managed to eliminate all the mistakes of past developments in the interior of the 10th model. The colors are well chosen - inside it is quite cozy and you can even relax. Rate the interior of the VAZ-217030. Photo salon - in our article.
Dashboard
Here, specialists from the Italian studio have changed everything beyond recognition. In the central part is now an on-board computer. It has been substantially improved. There is an electronic odometer, fuel consumption sensor (average and instantaneous), hours, average speed and other data. For some reason, the trunk opening button was moved to the central tunnel, closer to the gearbox selector. The trunk is quite large. Its useful volume is as much as 430 liters. You can open it from the passenger compartment, or from the alarm key fob. There is no separate button on the trunk lid. Depending on the configuration, a radio can be located in the center console. On newer versions, Priors install multimedia systems with touch screens. The power window controls are now located on the doors rather than on the central tunnel as before. Mirrors are electrically operated and heated. 
And you can control these functions with a convenient joystick. By the way, these mirrors are already available in the basic configuration. In general, everything is done with ergonomics in mind, as it should be in a normal budget car. And let the assembly is not at the highest level, but everything is in its place. And it is quite convenient to use the main controls.
Power point
The already familiar eight-valve VAZ-21116 engine was used as the engine. It is capable of delivering 90 horsepower. Also in the lineup there is a 16-valve with a capacity of 98 "horses". In the design of the engines, various components and parts of foreign production were used. Due to this, it was possible to significantly increase the overall resource of power units. So, a new, lightweight one from Federal Mogul was used. The timing belt, as well as the tensioner pulley for it, were manufactured by Gates. The manufacturer claims that the resource of the kit is more than 200 thousand km. In the maximum configuration, the VAZ-217030 comes with a 1.8-liter engine with a capacity of 120 hp. This version was offered by Super-Auto. But there are very few such examples. They were made to order.
Transmission
Practically nothing has changed here - there is still a five-speed "mechanics". Judging by the reviews of the owners, the problem of fuzzy gear shifting was not solved on the car. Possible malfunctions - poor-quality clutch. 
If you need to shift from second to first gear, you need to make an effort. Over the years, on other modifications of the VAZ-217030, the technical characteristics began to improve - even a robotic transmission was installed on the Priora in 2016, which performed well with these engines.
Chassis
No matter how the engineers tried to modernize the front suspension struts, now it is outdated and archaic. Few people use straight forged levers and diagonal jet rods anymore. The rear suspension is equipped with new shock absorbers. 
The brake system has also improved, ABS has appeared, which greatly facilitates control. In addition to the front, the rear also appeared. The rear brakes did not change. The manufacturer decided not to install disk elements "in a circle". Possible malfunctions of the chassis - hum
Typical problems "Lada Priora"
Car repair specialists are perfectly familiar with the device of the VAZ-217030 car. Technical characteristics and possible malfunctions are also well known to them. Auto mechanics believe that in the very first generation (namely, those versions that rolled off the assembly lines in 2007), they were frankly raw and ill-conceived. As for the engines, in general they are quite reliable. But they have "childhood diseases". 
Often, motors break down due to the fault of the timing belt support bearing. There are also problems with the water pump. The timing belt has a resource of more than 120,000 km, but together with the pump it may well fail much earlier. All this can provoke a broken belt, and, as a result, bending of the valves. Nothing special can be said about the transmission system. It has remained virtually unchanged. The owners had no particular problems with it, the box works without serious complaints. Often, Prior owners turn to services for support bearings on the front struts. Often these parts are jammed. There are still certain problems with weak front hubs. It is enough to drive into the hole several times, and the knot is deformed.
Summary
Otherwise, all the details fully work out their time without any complaints. Naturally, there are exceptions to all rules and there are many cars with different problems. But as for the first generations, they should not be bought on the secondary market. The build quality is frankly "lame". If you follow the rules of operation and properly maintain the car, then it will serve its owner for quite a long time. Today, these cars are sold on the secondary market - you can buy a VAZ-217030 in good condition. The manual for the car will tell the owner about proper operation.
So, we found out what technical characteristics, design and interior the Lada Priora has.