My Russian Van Is A Better Off-Roader Than Even A Modern Toyota Collab - And THIS Is Why! 

True story.. In 2014 I was in the far east of Russia in December right after a blizzard. The road was covered with ice and snow. I was driving a new Nissan 4x4 rental, and got stuck in a ditch all the way up to the axle. It was 20 below zero. I don't speak Russian. I walked up to a nearby street where people were walking by, pointing and trying to explain my predicament using Google translate. One Russian guy walks by listens, and then looks down at my car. He puts up a finger, as if to say wait a moment. 10 minutes later he comes back driving one of these things. Hooks a strap up to the Nissan and jerks it right out and up onto the road. Thank you, my friends.

In America, you take the 4Runner off road. In Soviet Russia, the Buhanka takes you off road.

He doesn't get it. This is for extreme cold and going places where the driver is on his own. The systems, including the door handle Motoman goofed on, are made to be ultra reliable, especially in off road and super cold environments, but still affordable to middle class Russians. The machine is spot on for intended purpose.

Drove these years ago in Mongolia. Produced for decades with some incremental improvements, but the core is still same. And it makes sense. It is completely utilitarian concept. Less features, less parts, less things that can brake down. The built quality, fit & finish is truly Russian but when something falls off, you can either do without it or nail it back on. And practicality of these is undisputed - its a box on wheels where you can work on the engine from inside (if needed). We smashed one doing around 70 km/h across the Mongolian stepe. We were sort of racing with another Buchanka and we eneded up side impacting it. We had our left side beaten up, the victim had the right side beaten up as well. We swaped our right-side doors (front and rear) with theirs and that was that. But the other one was ex-EMS version so our Buchanka was beaten from all sides with right one in the bright day-glo colour. When we returned to civilization, the bodywork was mended with hammer and large screwdriver. If had to pick a vehicle for post-apocalyptic survival, this one would be strong contender.

Everyone lost their minds when audi introduced the nardo gray in 2017 on audis, Everyone thought it's amazing. Every manufacturer started doing it. Little did they know, russians were doing it in the 70s

Back in Soviet Union this Buhanka used for EMS services. And it was disaster transporting patients. It is so jumpy you even don't need defibrillator

Used to ride in these all the time in Mongolia. They always were breaking, but scotch and bailing wire always put them back on the road! These are the best of the best vehicles!

As an American I'm actually really fascinated by Russian culture and technology.

TLDR: My 1970's ex-Angolan Military Police Lada Niva regularly kicked the shit out of new Jeeps, Range Rovers etc on offroad courses even without 2nd gear working

Russia is enormous and mostly undeveloped so they design the vehicles to be fixed with a basic set of tools, modern vehicles stop working the moment they encounter a bad exhaust sensor which makes them extremely risky & unreliable in undeveloped parts of the world, I'll take the Russian version everytime.

Great video! I am from Siberia, Yakutsk the coldest city on earth. We have a lot a Bukhanka here as they are cheap, easy to fix and the engine is inside which is perfect in winter if you break down in the middle of the road. Also it is a 4X4 that can drive on our roads that are mostly off roads. This is an upgrade for the Bukhanka - it is a kit of floating tires for deep snow, mud and you can even drive on lakes : ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-VohEk5N-DEE.html

having grown up in USSR this car brings back memories,it was as comfortable as driving a crippled horse,down on power,rattled like a snake,had no character............but boy it was awesome offroad

I knew a guy in Germany who was in love with his Russian 4x4. It was about the size and complexity of a 70‘s bronco but designed to be rock solid robust in the cold and if it broke down you could fix absolutely every part of it with what came in the tool kit bag. We compared that to fancy Toureg that for any computer fault you needed towed to a dealer. The result of pragmatic design. Like the van you review. Built for the real world

Right, I always admire old Russian cars: the Lada, Mosckvich, Volga, Gaz. I have in my collection two Ladas, all I can afford spacewise. Wouldn't exchange them for a Ferrari. The call of old Russia.

I've ridden in a UAZ Buhanka over mountain passes and through mud pits and streams in the wilds of Kazakhstan and it was amazing. I'd love to import one here too.

I used USSR multimeters and sinusoidal generators in High school in the 80's. Robust as hell. Precise and to the point. No bells and whistles. Indestructibles. Fluke LCD multimeters were fabulous, but their LCDs got damaged in a couple of years.

You don’t have to buy from over seas, just cross south of the border in México and there’s some dealerships in couple of cities in Mexico, like in Monterrey, Guadalajara, México City, and couple more, when I first see them I was like where those car’s came from, and I confused them with Mahindra from India, then one day I stopped at the dealership and asked where they from and was really surprised that they were from Rusia, so however has the money to buy one just head south and bring back to the USA

Buhankas are easy to fix, good off-Road vehicles. So the underdog may very well surprise you a great deal...

These guys are more enthusiastic about this truck than a Bugatti. Love it

I think the Buhanka looks pretty cool. As a 3d artist it would be way more fun to model than the toyota

I'd buy one in a heart beat if they were available here.

Uaz-452 was developed as a platform for vehicles with a wide range of tasks. In conditions of bad roads and lack of spare parts. A van, an ambulance, a minibus and an on-board truck were to appear at its base.

I think the Buhanka is just as cool as the vw westfalia! Good for you Andre, love it.

Greetings from Russia! Really interesting to watch it on your channel! Love your channel 💕

The humor gets me every time! Looking forward to whatever else you have planned for the Buhanka! 😁

The 4Runner is almost as old as the Buhanka.

With a title like that, one would've expected to see a little comparison of the UAZ and Toyota on a trail, not making dad jokes in a parking lot.

it would be great to make the van "Buhanka-loaf of bread" electric.

9:47 this engine UMZ-4213, 2.9L, 8-valve, Russian big block. 2.7 has 16-valve, ZMZ-409, Buhanka since 2008, and Bremach SUV 4×4

Moto-man needs to shut his mouth, stop interrupting, stop making the episode all about himself, and take a breath. This is a good episode except for the self-centered, self-important guest who is really impressed with himself. I am glad he has his own channel; no chance that he will ruin other channels by becoming a host.

This car was invented to be as simple as possible. There are many practical reasons for this: drunk hunter or fisherman, young soldier or any stupid civilian has to be able to deliver his body to the destination point despite his condition. That interface is natural and operateble in any physical condition. Even zombies can manage it...

This is actually good. For sure western cars have more precise parts and gadgets but they are too expensive. I bet many people look for affordable mean of commutation even if it doesn't have very high standards. Most people have to buy expensive véhicules because they don't have affordable choices

The Russians have always been very practical people.

I want to see Doug DeMuro do a review on this thing! I think it would be funny

Парни спасибо вам большое, в очередной раз посмеялся от души. Мне кажется MOTO-MAN офигел от русских технологий и от того сколько стоит новая буханка.

In the West 4x4 are made to be taken off roads. In Russia 4x4 are made to be taken off trails.

I remember in late 90s seeing one of these towing various 4x4s out of trouble that were visiting Russia in some kind of international 4x4 racing event. I also remember being taken to hospital in one, it was a form of en-route triage really.

Flat floor, plenty of space, solid axles, 4x4, short wheelbase, easy to repair in the field…. It’s the ultimate overlanding platform.

Russian Land Rover series 2, that is built like all things Russian, simple, practical, repairable (on the side of the road in _40°) I'd like to see a 6×6 and how it stacks up against a Steyr Pugh Pinzgauer

You know you're in a russian truck when Nathan is casually cruising around on the helper seat with...the rearview mirror in his hand.

Для полного осознания что такое Буханка (Мыльница), Вам нужно ехать на бездорожье. И чем оно будет хуже, тем Вам будет интереснее!!!

Buhanka is so hardcore I feel like I'm driving a light tank from WW2. Extremely simple van for post-ap scenario.

I would have the Buhanka automatically play the USSR anthem when the engine starts. Here you are: ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-GK2GUxOnjDQ.html maximum volume on old tin-sounding speakers (which probably would need to be installed as well). Keep the videos coming. The more unusual, like this one, the better!

UAZ didn't make engines - there were different factories which were established as seperate companies after Glasnost. The 2.7 was a ZMZ, but UAZ also used a 2.9 UMZ (also made by ZMZ) and a 2.4 from Andoria in Poland.

Estos vehículos son diseñados para ser usados bajó condiciones extremas , en regiones muy alejadas de centros urbanos, recuerden que Rusia es un país muy grande, es por eso que su mecánica debe ser muy sencilla y confiable, fácil de reparar y con casi nada de electrónica, tremendas maquinas, si quieren algo mas moderno, tienen el UAZ Patriot, también tienen el lada Bronto, especial para el off road

Nathan, your dry humor was hilarious 😆!

The Buhanka doesn't have Apple Carplay but it has VK Carplay

It's a rough but powerful van that I'm glad I'll have in China, with a brand new 2400cc engine and at least 150HP.

Too bad we don't have this car here in Brazil, it would be a good competitor for our old kombi

They are for sell in Chile, today brand new.

You should import these. Even if you sold them for double they would be a great buy

We had the UAZ Jeeps in army green. We called them "Turtles". They were fun to drive. Also liked the Kamaz 6x6 with bus bodies on the back.

I will buy this buhanka without thinking twice. Looks solid and versatile

Not done in White because you would lose it in the snow. These are real off roaders and will keep going through most obstacles. It is fixable and tough. The heater is extremely good and works in minus XXX. They also have the Cossack jeep saloon, which is also a real workhorse. They do not worry about the delicate electronics to go wrong and an EMP will not kill it when the solar flares occur.

This was so very fun to watch, it actually had me laughing and it was nice to have Motorman there too.

this russian van is a army vehicle they use this for vietnam war in south east asia.

Yes there is a Jeep looking version of these that uses the same engine (I think the whole drive train is identical). The Volga cars also use this engine. Also the GAZ trucks use a V8 version of this engine. I say it's a V8 version of the same engine because everything is the same: pistons, rods, valves, valve drive shafts, the heads also... There's just another bank of 4 cylinders on the crank shaft. The crank shaft and block are different of course. Speaking of cylinders, this engine has changeable cylinders. I mean they aren't part of the block. They can be removed and new ones inserted.

While working in Iraq I was amazed at the practicality of the work vehicles the rest of the world uses. The concept and simplicity of this van is great.

I want one of those! The Buhanka is so badass!

This is the new fuel injected UAZ engine (130 HP). The old one I think it was the Volga carburetor 2,4 l 70 or 90 HP engine.

That thing is awesome, it's made to work. But I think the cost of shipping it will be as much or more then the cost of it. Great video

Some Buchankas were equipped with multiple ways to start them from factory. Ex Neighbour owned one made in 2010. You could start it usually with key, compressed air, hand crank or if you had a 12ga empty shotgun shell then you just put in into special hole on first cylinder, turned the engine once with handcrank - if required, and then hit it with hammer. Boom! Instant runing engine. We once ran out of gas so we fed it with technical petrol. It didnt had any problems with it.

If only everyone would stop competing and just share . That { Loaf } is brilliant , and has shown its virtues over the years that only Canadians would appreciate . The Lada Niva { before Chrevolet ruined it ) brilliant ! Sometimes we need something that we can actually fix when we are in the middle of ......

Beautiful video, thanks 👌🏿 I love the simplicity and culture of the Russians. Very organic. Greetings from Uganda 🇺🇬👊🏿🖤

Tuve el agrado de conducir uno de estos en chile . Es un vehículo tan rustico , tan simple pero parece un gato en una cortina en off road, que carro tan espectacular, quede enamorado de esa camioneta . Pero al parecer no cumple con especificaciones de seguridad en muchos países por tal motivo no se permite su venta, una lastima porque es un espectáculo. Lo llaman como Patagonia o algo así mi amor platónico. Felicitaciones.

This thing is great. Turn this into a little van life VW bus thing and it will be amazing.

Guys! Buhanka it is really from russian words "buhat" and "tatchanka" - so the vehisle where fishermans eat and drink vodka😂😂😂 l am joking off course... Lots of miles behind handling this... in case of nuclear war only this will function, because of a wery simple design...

Off roading: I guess technically there was no road... 4x4: None Toyota: A snap shot of of one near the Van. Russian Van driving on a dirt field that a 80's Pinto could handle: Check. Toyota driving the same field: Nope Hope this is not a TFL trend.

I would like another walk around and driving showcase with just Andre.. This Moto man guy is so annoying. He's like a used car salesman trying to sell you your own car.

Those UAZ Breadvans are awesome! In what was Soviet eastern Europe, the STASI used these van for clandestine work, including street abductions of people they wanted to 'interview' or in some cases make 'disappear' in the middle of the night!

I will always choose a Soviet Van over any other modern car. No technological busshit, nothing. Just sheer peace of driving. And also can accommodate family of 10 at a time.

I would like to try this buhanka please

Old Russian van but it has door hinges covered in contrast to modern GMC Savanah or Chevrolet Express.

That was fantastic! Andre bought a Buhanka, and it was driven by moto man and Nathan!

What's really funny is we were being told there were no vehicles in Russia during Soviet times. That only party leaders had Mercedes imported from Germany. 😆

I like this Buhanka! This is smaller than the VW van and DEFINITELY more off-road and cold-weather worthy! In a place like Northern Canada and in Alaska, or in Minnesota, Michigan, Wisconsin, this would be an ideal winter off-road and ice fishing and/or hunting vehicle. If you outfitted it correctly, it would also be an ideal mini-camper with a small bed in the back and gear storage for your winter camping needs. The ONLY other change needed would be a rear door tubular cage to hold TWO 20 gallon Jerry Cans of extra fuel for super long range off-roading. For $13,000 NEW, YES you could buy a few thousand as a business and mod them into super-duper long-range boondocker/overlanders and sell them retail for say $28,888 --- A pretty penny could be made off these if someone was enterprising enough! V

I believe these came with GAZ or Volga engines. 2,4L and about 75hp. And this was the sole engine. I think they sold some diesel versions later in 90's for export. But like said this think had to start in -40C also. Imagine when ambulance somewhere in Yakutya had to respond and they first had to start heating up diesel in tank. My dad used to drive with couple of these back in Soviet times. He was an electrician in local government building and repair department. Every summer the department organised summer party for the workers and my dad was responsible for the music. Our UAZ had multi deck sound system at back and big speakers what where installed up on surrounding lamp posts. Winter it never got stuck. When snow was deep and rear wheels struggled just pop 4wd in and journey continued. One of them didn't have back seat or was divided with wall, I remember I sat on the inside bonnet there in the middle. Not very safe. But it was really cool to ride there. Cool van. Amazing to see that it's in USA.

I’d love to have that. Keep your Powerstroke F450 POS. When I lived in Leadville I had a ‘53 Wyllis and it had plenty of power.

Reminds of the older toyota hiace with the 3L engine 2.8 liter non turbo diesel engine. These vehicles are indestructible!

Is the nasty english word "wanker"? Because watching moto-man for the very first time, that's the word springing to mind tbh

Not sure I love the white roof idea, but I do understand it. It would probably be more trouble than it's worth trying to match the color on the rest of the vehicle.

I like that it will operate at extremely low temperatures. My buddy in NY couldn't get into his VW. Locks frozen

Try the GAZ-66 "Shishiga", this is unkillable 4x4 vehicle for offroad (if u break something, u can fix it literally fo free from scratch). Some modifications like "kung" has been rebuilded for sauna.

My friend (a British expat in St Pete's) just got a new one, and he loves it.

Rivian does not have Apple Car Play, nor does it have Android... Love this Buhanka! I had never seen one before yours pulled up on the flatbed...

Cuba has dental care for all... America has wallstreet bailouts. But continue...

This was a really good video, one of my favorites. Good information provided and also some cheeky banter, very top gearesque.

It's no secret to us that Russian UAZ & Lada Niva will destroy any other suv no matter western eastern southern or northern suv!

Three-way comparison test: Russin Van / Steyr-Puch Pinzgauer / Volvo 303. Make it happen please!

What can I say - the car is made for certain conditions. Let's enumerate them. So this is off-road, the cheapness of the car allows it not to be spared from dents and scratches, a roomy interior, and most importantly, it is simple to the point of nepilichnost, which allows the driver to repair it with ordinary tools. That is, it is ideal for deserted wilderness places - taiga, the Mongolian desert, and so on. He occupied this niche. He doesn't need complex designs. What is not available will not break. Well, in the garden, this is a hard worker, a workhorse for startups and rural businesses. In Russia, it costs about 10 thousand dollars. Find him a competitor at the same price from the assembly line.

My only issue with the van is that the front seat bounce like hell cuz it's over the axle...a design flaw IMO.

Maaaaany Americans don't even know what a UAZ is let alone what they're capable of..

I do live in Costa Rica and you can get one, brand new, 2021, that could have be cheapear that this one hehehe (note, they do also sell the hunter)

The unofficial moto of Bachankas in Russia: Perfection needs no updates

I would love to get a buhanka. I wouldn't miss any work due to snow.

More buhanka less moto man and his hands please.

You guys really should start importing these. I want one!

Would love that Russian van! I have no idea how I would get one in America? Being a I am a poor farmer. So Inspired me to build a domestic 4x4 van.

I've loved this funky little van ever since I first saw one on a YT video, then I'm watching this video and recognize the "golfball on a tee" water tower and realize they're just a few miles away at the Adams County Fairgrounds, how cool is that. I'd love to own a simple, rugged, practical little sweetheart like that...Cheers

HOPE YOU GET THE LADA. MY DADS HAS OWN 3 MODELS, I SUGEST THE 1600 BUT ALL ARE REALLY GOOD AND RELIABLE..... THERE ARE A MILLION OF THOOSE IN MY COUNTRY, GREETINGS FROM CUBA