The United Kingdom had to wait nearly three years for the Samara to go on sale, after its launch in the USSR, but sales were reasonably strong when the first versions of the car left forecourts, in November 1987.

In a road test conducted by The Motor magazine, it scored more than 5 points out of 10 in most aspects and was praised for having a remarkably extensive list of standard equipment, “impressive” engine, good visibility and performance for its price segment, lowered fuel consumption, being good at cornering and “tolerably quiet”, but also received criticism for having a cheap-looking interior and plastic mouldings and being “very turbulent” on poor roads.

The £4,795 price at introduction "was much less expensive" than the competing Peugeot 309 or Ford Escort 1300.
The Samara remained on sale in the United Kingdom right up to July 4, 1997, when the decision was made to withdraw from Great Britain and most other export markets.

In countries where ruggedness was more important, it was more successful, selling reasonably well in Canada, Australia, and Finland for instance.

The attempt to appeal to a wider clientele failed; while an improvement over previous Ladas, the Samara's higher price pitched it against stiffer West European competition.

By the time of the Samara's launch, the British small family car market was effectively split into two segments: The large mainstream market was dominated by mass-market manufacturers, such as Ford, Vauxhall, and Volkswagen.
The budget market consisted of Eastern European and Far Eastern brands, such as Škoda, FSO, Hyundai, and Proton.

The aging Samara came bottom of the annual 1996 and 1997 JD Power and Top Gear surveys in Great Britain.
In countries where ruggedness was more important, it did manage some success, selling reasonably well in Canada, Australia, and Finland for instance.
The United Kingdom had to wait nearly three years for the Samara to go on sale, after its launch in the USSR, but sales were reasonably strong when the first versions of the car left forecourts, in November 1987.
In a road test conducted by The Motor magazine, it scored more than 5 points out of 10 in most aspects and was praised for having a remarkably extensive list of standard equipment, “impressive” engine, good visibility and performance for its price segment, lowered fuel consumption, being good at cornering and “tolerably quiet”, but also received criticism for having a cheap-looking interior and plastic mouldings and being “very turbulent” on poor roads.
The £4,795 price at introduction "was much less expensive" than the competing Peugeot 309 or Ford Escort 1300. The Samara remained on sale in the United Kingdom right up to July 4, 1997, when the decision was made to withdraw from Great Britain and most other export markets.
In countries where ruggedness was more important, it was more successful, selling reasonably well in Canada, Australia, and Finland for instance.
The attempt to appeal to a wider clientele failed; while an improvement over previous Ladas, the Samara's higher price pitched it against stiffer West European competition.
By the time of the Samara's launch, the British small family car market was effectively split into two segments: The large mainstream market was dominated by mass-market manufacturers, such as Ford, Vauxhall, and Volkswagen. The budget market consisted of Eastern European and Far Eastern brands, such as Škoda, FSO, Hyundai, and Proton.
The aging Samara came bottom of the annual 1996 and 1997 JD Power and Top Gear surveys in Great Britain. In countries where ruggedness was more important, it did manage some success, selling reasonably well in Canada, Australia, and Finland for instance.
Lada Samara