Re: Skodas and Ladas
Skodas one their class regularly, they were great rally cars, but had a bad reputation in western countries. (Why does a Skoda have a heated rear window? To keep your hands warm, when you push it in winter)
Although they are essentially a badged Volkswagen these days, there is still a stigma attached to them by many older people. I've driven a lot of Skodas in recent years (they are used as pool cars a lot in the companies I've worked at in Germany) and they aren't bad, but I'd still prefer an Estelle built to today's QA standards...