These seem excellent value for money.
They are everywhere on the continent so can’t be all bad.
Does anyone actually own one that can comment?

I was looking at one yesterday, while they look good value for a new car they are still the price of a newly-new <insert medium 4×4 or pretend 4×4>.

I’d wait until Dacia stop supporting the nearly-new price.

I had a quick look a while ago. The cheap model isn’t actually a 4×4. The 4×4 isn’t that cheap.

They are everywhere on the continent so can’t be all bad.

hahahahahahahahahaha

I’ve been looking at them too… they’ve got the Nissan/Renault 1.5dci engine, too – has a good reputation.

The Duster is the best selling car from Renault/Nissan/Dacia worldwide and the Sandero is usually in the top five best sellers in France. There’s a good reason; the Douvrin built TCE petrol versions use the best engines and gearboxes from the Renault group (chain driven cams, 16v, variable valve timing, turbo with intercooler) but without all Renault’s nightmarish electronics/electrics/cards so they are reliable. They can be home serviced with kits from Renault. Avoid the greedy 1.6 petrol but the diesels and TCE petrol are fine. If you don’t live on a farm the Lodgy is probably a better bet (when they start selling it in the UK), rated second in Autoplus’ best cars of 2012 behind a Porche.

Disclaimer: I own a Dacia so you you don’t have to believe anything I say.

Ordered a Duster mid spec diesel 4×4 a few weeks back – delivery due in October!

Test drove a top spec one and found all of the faux piano black trimmings and colour coded gubbins just didn’t suit. Only reason to get a top spec one for me would be if you were desperate for air-con.

Residual values are pretty strong too.

Seems well regarded for the price.

http://www.mirror.co.uk/lifestyle/motoring/car-reviews/richard-hammond-test-drive-dacia-1778811

It’s got a face only a mother could love, mind.

Wifey came back from Goodwood highly impressed with the Dacia stand. So much so that she’s declared her intention to buy a new Sandero next year to replace the 15 year old Micra she drives to work. Previously we’ve spent circa £2k on 7-8 year old cars that have lasted 5 years so £6k on a new car that should last 15 years isn’t too different and she likes the idea of having a new car once in her life.

I reckon one with a 2″ lift and some knobblies would actually look pretty smart!

have a look on youtube – someone makes a suspension kit to increase ground clearance – the Romanians have been off-roading them for a few years now

Had one 4 months and it’s great. Top spec Diesel 4×4 model for £15.5k OTR. It’s everything we need from a car and I was happy to buy new as I intend to keep it for 10+ years. May not be quite as refined as more expensive alternatives but on the flip side you get a brand new car.There’s also a cool kind of anti snobbery about owning and driving a Dacia.

I like the idea of them.

However for 11k you can buy a secondhand Disco etc.

8.9k? Again you can still buy something that doesn’t have the inside of a biscuit box for a dashboard.

my line manager has one…she flogged her suzuki jimny so she could get one…she’s not all that into cars and wanted something cheap and new so the Duster was the one. she’s been impressed with it overall but in the second week she had it someone bashed their door into hers in the car park…it took the paint off down to the bare metal…so i suppose you have to be careful as the paint isnt that robust..

Unknown – Have you had bikes in the back yet? If so was it front wheels off back seats down to get 2 in?

The same dash is used on Sandero, Logan and Duster, Hora. It looks nothing like a biscuit tin but has controls where they fall to hand, instruments where you can see them and vents where you need them. When you take a test drive the salesman just gives you a key, rather than a 15-minute training course on how to use it and a demonstration before nervously letting you take over.

Edukator on the Duster I was in it felt very thin and scratchy. Same with the door cards. My C1 has thicker plastics on the dash but of course is dirty cheap elsewhere.

On 9k its a great price, when its over 11k, for me its too much. I like basic, trust me I love basic – I have a/c on my car. I’ve never used it. For me a car should be oldschool steering wheel, heater and lighting.

Thin and scratchy trim means light, it’s strong enough. At under 1200kg the Lodgy weighs 240kg less than the equivalent Grand Scénic. That means better fuel economy, less CO2 and more go. The Sandero is 975kg. The Duster is about 1250kg, that’s similar to a Golf VII. Your little C1 weighs between 790 and 840kg for comparison.

The 110 DCi diesel in the Duster is also used in the Quasquai, Scénic, and Mercedes A-class.

Smokey yes it’s wheel off and seats down for 2 bikes in the back, but that’s in the 4×4 where you’ve sacrificed a bit of space in the back compared to the 2 wheel drive only model. Not seen the boot one one of those so can’t comment on how much of a difference it makes.

The way we looked at it was that we could get the top of the range Duster with everything we want/need for less than an entry level Qashqai.

And the dash is fine for us too. Can’t say I’ve ever spent much time feeling the plastic in any car I’ve owned so I don’t care about the quality. It’s functional and looks fine.

Scenic? Really? Thats one on the 2nd hand shortlist for when the C1 goes back 🙂