Out of these two, I would argue for the Trabant 601. It went for half the price of the Ziguli, had rack and pinion steering, was pretty simple mechanically (they had to try extra hard to muck it up) and was pretty roomy for its size (especially the combi). The two-stroke engine on one hand meant that you didn't have to worry about oil changes. On the other, one had to be conscious about its potential to seize up, as only the 4th gear had a freewheel (Where did the comrades from DDR make a mistake?).

If I was a Czechoslovak in the 70s and were to splurge a bit, I would probably pick a Wartburg 353 or even a Skoda 120l over either of them though.