I got sooo bored of car shows reviewing super cars. This is exactly what I want from a RUclipsr. Proper every day cars being used the way we all use them. Well done Ped.
@@lordcharfield Oh ok I,ll forf it...Haaaa... Just picked up an 06 1.4 C4 Petrol....Simple controls etc...9400 miles...£1950 plus my old Prius[£2000]...Whats not to like,
I bought a Dacia Duster Journey 9 months ago, after 22 years of various Audis. I love it! It has everything I need, no twiddly bits that I don't, and moreover comes with things like 360 degree cameras, reversing camera, wireless Apple CarPlay (not sure why your test model didn't have this!) extra USB sockets, hill start, cruise control, speed limiter ... all things Audi charge an arm and a leg for. All included in the Duster. It drives nicely, turns on a sixpence, and has a great boot space for hay, horse feed and the occasional baby lamb. It bounces up farm tracks, is good off road and with a decent set of CrossClimate tyres on it, is also great on snow. It's a bargain. Scratchy plastics? Yes. But who drives round scratching the plastic on their cars?
Sounds like a great car. And like someone else already said here, I have no need for the tech gimmicks on modern cars. Other than cruise control. I wish we got this here in the States.
My sister has a 5 year old Duster had it from New. Now showing over 250k on the clock and it has never missed a beat. Great machine for everyday family use.❤
Great video! My parents have recently bought a Dacia. They are both in their late 70s. Something that is rarely talked about, they have struggled with the tech in modern cars. The Dacia is very simple to operate and they love it. The ‘digital divide’ is a very real problem that is rarely addressed.
A well sorted drum brake setup in a normally driven car with ABS... has just as effective a braking system as 4 wheel disk brakes. It's only when you are driving hard or towing that you need the "fade free" aspect of disc brakes on the rear.... @@buzzard720
I remember my parents getting delivery of their first, nine inch? TV circa 1955 - one knob to switch on/ increase volume and one to manually tune (not that that was needed). Now me and my partner have endless trouble getting vision, sound in sync plus a channel or bluray on at all, argue and give up, retiring to separate rooms instead of enjoying a whole evening of one of 500 options of celebs/foodies (sic) on very fancy (well paid) hols with wall to wall ads, all with only n^^^er frolicking dancers/frightening actors in! Seen the murder/rape news pictures nowadays? Give me the 20th C. please for cars and all else! Cortina 1600E anyone?
Great to see an affordable car without all that unnecessary tablet-based tech on it that distracts drivers from focusing on the road. More like this please!
I couldn't agree with you more Ped! I hired one in Portugal for going to a wedding last year. There was five of us plus lots of luggage. We really expected the need to hire 2 vehicles, but somehow it all fitted in to the Duster. It was very comfortable and performed well. And Waze worked fine on the screen! We went slightly off road with it and again what a surprise! It is a brilliant workhorse and has all the tools you could possibly want. Please do not knock the Duster! It certainly has my deepest respect now.
Hi Ped, I was the guy in the Silver Duster on the green lane day with Future Terrain. I still have the car, now 10 years old, still gets used and abused green laning all over the country. I have not had anything fail or break on the car. It has been so easy to live with and it's was the cheapest 4x4 on the market. Cheap does not mean unreliable. Pleased your enjoying a Duster again.
@@staciamartin923 I am. Dont get me wrong, there are cars out there that are better, but for the price point its unbeatable! You may find some of the tech a bit dated compared to new cars but again, your not paying top buck!
Love the scratchy plastics as they wipe clean easy. No complaints about ours even got leather heated seats. 2019 prestige 150. Running boards plastic door and wheel arch protection.👌 You need to review a Jogger then.
The other point to make is that even if it loses 60% of its value in the first three years it’s still cost peanuts in depreciation. Great video as always
Good review. I see the lack of needless 'extras' like the powered tailgate as plus points. I love simple and functional as it gives confidence that its not a repair waiting to happen.
All cars have scratchy pastic somewhere. Easy to clean. I've got a new duster 6 speed and I can't fault it. No rattles pretty good for less than 20 grand for journey if you shop around
Back to basics with a smile. Dacia deserve all the praise they particularly get and it’s good that you Pete have taken on board what we said about more affordable vehicles to be reviewed Whilst reviewing the Dacia, did you find it more difficult to talk about it than a say £60,000 car which has a the trimmings
Thanks for one of the most refreshing car review I have seen in a long time. Great idea to do “Real World” car reviews. Will be keen to see the next one.
I bought a 1.5 diesel version in 2016 in Spain where I live, I’ve driven back to UK for the last 3 years to spend summer there, it’s never missed a beat and we love the driving position for the long journey. The only problem we did have and rectified under warranty was rust appeared under the bonnet, if I bought another I would have it under sealed because it does lack this from the manufacturer
Rust. I've had Renaults past 25yrs & not one but of rust. They need to rectify that one, might be a bit of Lada crept in. You just don't see that now, saying that people basically scrap after 10yrs.
Went on holiday to Iceland in 2019 and hired a then 2018 Duster with the diesel engine. Didn't go in with any particular expectations but after a week of travelling the country in some pretty serious conditions (went on holiday in winter!) I was absolutely smitten with the duster. If it is still the case the 1st gear is extra low, like a low ratio. You can pull away on the flat in 2nd without issue. It was really nice to drive, it felt sure footed no matter what you tried to do with it and got me back to the airbnb through a genuine snow storm (had ice studded winter tyres on). I would happily own one I think they are superb, no nonsense daily driver.
Soo... a couple of days ago I took delivery of my 4x4 TCe 150 Duster. So far, I love it. Love the fact that all needed functions are still assigned to physical buttons and not assigned to the touchscreen display; Love how the car feels on the road and how it drives. The steering wheel is very smooth and very easy to turn; Coming from and old Renaul Megane II, the learning curve for the steering wheel stalks and media control module was very shallow - had a very easy time switching. I'm still adjusting to the engine power curve and the manual gear box, but nothing to crazy about it. 1st gears is quite short, mostly indented for off-roading, otherwise you're better off starting directly in 2nd gear. Again,. must be the learning curve needed to adjust from my old car with 5speed manual to this newer one with a more powerful motor and 6 speed gearbox. The soundproofing seems quite good, it has improved over previous generation. Love the four cameras (front, rear and two side cameras mounted under the rear-view mirros). Especially the side cameras come in handy when maneuvering in tight spaces. Plenty of space in the trunk, rear sit folds 1.3-2/3. The 4x4 version comes with a full spare wheel. Some nit picking: Automatic window lifter for all four doors would have been nice for the money. I guess this also prevents implementing the option to close the windows from the keyfob when locking the vehicle (had these on my 20 years old Megane). I also have a thing with the on-board computer (the display between the speed and rmp indicator) not keeping the display I chose before turning the engine off. Upon ignition it always defaults to showing your mileage. Maybe there's a setting for this, but haven't found it yet. Overall, I'm very pleased with the car. It delivers everything needed for getting from A to B quite comfortably. Sure, there are some moans and niggles, but nothing really important, not in my book at least.
I had a 72 plate Duster Extreme SE in Urban Grey with extras that I bought end of October 22 and traded it for a Puma ST Line X end of October 23 and I have to admit I really liked the Duster. In fact I had to have 2 test drives in the Puma to convince me to change. I'll keep the Puma for the 3 years but seriously considering going for the new Duster then or perhaps the Bigster. I agree with Ped completely when he says it is really comfortable and a nice place to be plus the fact it has extra ground clearance. Really looking forward to the new Duster reviews and it would be great if you could do one to compare it to the current one.
Had my Duster for 5 years and its great. Had a few reliability issues (electrical, brakes, suspension) but hasn't been too bad and pretty cheap/quick to get fixed. I like that it has a full sized spare wheel, proper ground clearance, and 4 wheel drive; so it will get you wherever you want to go to. Scratchy plastics? I couldn't care less. Definitely looking at replacing it with another one. I mainly wish it was a little more reliable!
On my 3rd Duster since 2014....4x4 then auto diesel and now the 72 plate Prestige....150bhp TCE is just great and your video was spot on. That said you missed the heated seats, Cameras all round and blind spot warning etc plus in Sat Nav mode it should bing if you creep over the limit and warn you about cameras as well....just good all round motoring👍
I picked up a Duster from Hertz 2 days ago, same yr as yours. Similarly to you, I wondered why the Android Auto would not work when plugging in the cables. I gave up trying and decided to bluetooth my phone to the car, and up popped Android auto. What a supprise, it is the first car I experienced wireless android auto.
Been waiting for this video Pete. The fact it is so cheap, yet it is a brand new car with a warranty, is remarkable. Yes it has a lot of flaws, but it's not 'terrible' and for the super low price, you have to be realistic. Is it basic, yes, is it slow, yes, but is it worth the price, definitely yes. It's side view camera's are better than the none existent ones on my 66 plate M2 !!
Thanks for doing this video. I’ve got a duster 1.3 turbo petrol just over 3 years old and I love it. Used to own a mark 1 Qashqai 1.6 petrol but the engine in the Duster is much more responsive and drives better in my opinion. Sure the dashboard and trim inside won’t win any fashion awards but it is what it is for the money. So far has been reliable although I don’t do a high mileage. Maybe will update when the new version comes out which looks good.
Something I find all car reviewers complain about is "scratchy plastics", it's light weight, it's better for fuel economy. I must admit, I'm quite partial to the Duster, the lack of tech is highly appealing to me and a manual gearbox is a must.
Hi Pete, nice segment to be running, hope other manufacturers help out 👍🏻 We had a Renault Captur as a 2nd car & this is clearly a similar set up..... scratchy plastics (that others have said wipe clean easily), removable & washable seat covers (all family/lifestyle stuff). It was the most comfortable car on a journey with mid to high 40s mpg. Only thing I'd say about the "eco mode" is that I found it dangerous on the motorway unless you were happy to sit behind everything as it was gutless under acceleration & trying to pull out & overtake was buttock clenching! I have a colleague who has just handed back a company car & bought a nice looking Dacia Jogger & he loves it. Decent value for money motoring.... keep it up 👍🏻
I now have two Dusters. A 2014 Diesel that I use for a work run-around. ( Cheaper than a van and still plenty of room in the back ). I was so impressed with that one. I bought a 2023 Petrol Duster for personal use. Love it it has now done two long trips to Europe, and I have absolutely no regrets at all. Brilliant bit of kit for the Price of most used SUVs.
I am getting one of these when my Tesla lease is up. 22k compared to 50k is a no brainer. For the money how can you go wrong, get dogs in and do tip runs weekend. Even if it depreciates or it gets trashed after 4 years who cares at this price. It actually looks pretty good as well.
We've got 3 of them in the family, and we all love them. No hassle, straightforward, runs well and smooth, park and forget without worrying about someone scratching it etc. Yes, it can be a bit plasticky on the inside here and there, but honestly, it is perfectly adequate for everyday life. Far better value than a VW (which is now a premium brand?), Vauxhall, and even Skoda. My only worry is that Renault will turn Dacia into the next Skoda down the road, fingers crossed it'll stick to the Dacia ethos!
Had our 2x4 petrol auto a year and love it ,does exactly what it says on the tin and it’s not going to cost a fortune to keep on the road unlike a BMW we had a few years ago..
Great video, always enjoy them! I've had expensive cars, and cheap cars. Most recently, an Audi TTRS which was excellent on back roads near Petersfield (yes, I live in the area!). But I've also run cheap £1,000 cars for commuting and I have to say I've had more relaxed driving fun in those over the years. Cheap motoring, not worried about dents and dings - honestly, it's been refreshing! On the other hand, I've just taken delivery of a new sports/weekend car and in it's first 2 weeks it collected a car-park dent on a rear door that cost £600 ..... not enjoyable!
Too many reviewers complain about the 'scratchy plastic' on lower trim panels but none seem to figure out that maybe the 'scratchy plastics' are harder wearing around the footwells/door card bottoms than the 'squidgy' upper dash materials....
@@breseler I had scratchy plastics on the lower areas of my pre-facelift Discovery Sport. They were great as they withstood lots of punishment and were easy to clean. The face-lift version moved to padded soft touch everything. On a loan one I had, on the rear doors this soft touch stuff had already gotten pinched and ripped. Thankfully, on my now full size Discovery they have kept the 'scratchy plastics' down below, which I think is the right move. It certainly doesn't look cheap inside, nor did the DS.
Bought a 70 plate 1.5 dci in 21 during Covid. Pre registered no miles. Over 30K miles including road trips round Ireland and Norway it has been a great car to have. Metallic, spare wheel, Dacia mats. Quite happy it doesn't have all the elecktrickery on it that I don't need. Engine works very well and is spritely enough for UK roads. Cruises happily on motorways at 2K ish revs. Fuel consumption has averaged 58mpg, all tanks, brim to brim. Over 3500 to/from and round Norway it averaged 65mpg. Brother has same model in 1.3/130 petrol guise which also performs well albeit fuel averages 42mpg from trip. I bought it when I did as I wanted an EU6 car and I wanted a diesel knowing their days are numbered. I did look at the Kia EV options at the time and the financials didn't stake up. Capital cost alone was 2x more than the Dacia. Pre war fuel costs via EV charging using a mix of charge points due to usage profile would have needed 300000 miles to break even. Wife has a 66/17plate Sandero Stepway 1.5dci we bought pre registered new. Cracking deal and no problems what so ever with it. It is VED free too! Accept them for what they are. I don't need expensive glitz or complex elecktrickery.
Hi Pete and what a great motor. Reasonably price , Good economy, comfortable, well finished and a Renault. Plastics are fine in a car that is inexpensive. I own a Renault Master Motorhome and love it. Very economical and getting around 9.9 :tres per 100Klm. Very informative vid.
great idea, got a Duster 130hp myself. Agree with all u said. Got mine b4 prices went nuts. Never been a bother but the interior does depress a little. Punchy engine, comfy, does what its supposed to. Lets c the competition, at least for price comparison.
Along with Skoda, Dacia is a car marque that has “come of age” by doing things more simply and offering value. Absolutely love the Dacia Duster and I drive a RR Vogue every day. Had a rental in France last year and it was perfect… inverted snobbery I guess (combined with being a tight wad) 😉 I saw loads of these in France last month in ski area. The later day replacement for the Panda 4x4. 👍
Very interesting vid and great down to earth review.I have never really looked at Dacia as a choice for me but it looks like a decent vehicle.Well done for this one.Looking forward to more like this.
It’s nice to have an analogue car in this digital world,,, we have a 2015 sandero 1.2 petrol 66,000 miles on and still loving the basic ness and un complicated driving experience, £6900 when new best car we ever had and we’ve had Volvo, Saab, land rovers, fords, Nissans etc, still enjoy driving it and get over 50 mpg on long runs and 38 around town….
I’m 28 years old and I’ve not long bought a Dacia Sandero Stepway. Dacia’s are a lot nicer than they used to be. They’re lovely drives it’s perfect for me doing a short journey to and from work
Great ‘sensible’ video and I think the Dacia is clearly great value for money…. Love your idea of testing manufacturers cheapest models. 👍 Whilst we all love to dream of the super cars and appreciate you testing them, it’s great to also see cars that are realistically affordable for the average person
I've had a 4x4 Duster 1.5dci for years. Best car I've had in ages. It replaced a Discovery (nicked) for on the farm. Its now on 115k miles and I would have another
Love my Duster. OK I have the older model but same story, everything you need and nothing you don't. Had cars with plenty of tech in the past and it's just more to go wrong. I paid £10k for mine at 3 years old with 12k on the clock. Where else would you get an SUV for that money. And it's ony ever mark on an MOT was a small crack in the tyre. I love the honesty of them and that they don't pretend to be something they're not
These are great cars. When you buy one you don't feel like you are being ripped off unlike some brands. Mercedes Benz used this engine in some of their rip off priced cars (at £40k plus.)The new one that is coming out looks great. When the new model comes out please can you review it Thanks
What a nice change Pete as you say great car for the money you said what was going to ask you let’s have more budget cars and tell us all costs pcp tax insurance ratings ect..
I bought a duster diesel 2017 model last year 137000 km on the clock what a beast - cheap solid aircon is good great comfortable drive - what waste money ?
I have been enjoying your videos, mainly on Plug-ins as I am looking to get one. My interest is on the more affordable cars. So a Duster alternative. Suzuki Vitara. I own a 20 plate 1.4 manual. Like the Duster most things are buttons. The Sat Nav is basic but does the job - Google maps is cleverer though. 45-50mpg is obtainable driving efficiently, but not slow. You get adaptive cruise control. Downsides, no heated seated in the UK market. And it has that stupid range going to zero as soon as the fuel light comes on. Before the Vitara I owned a Swift Sport, the Vitara drives like a slightly bigger swift, so it is 'chuckable'. Unlike the similar sized S-Cross, which isn't. If you are able to get Suzuki's ask them for an Across so you could compare it to the Rav4 you had. In theory the same car, but different in subtle ways.
Absolutely love Dusters. Am awaiting my 2nd one soon. The only fault I've found was the depth of the cup holders in the front aren't deep enough. I mainly first chose this car because I have a bad back. The seats are comfortable. The leg support is good and it's comfortable on the back.
Only thing that stopped me getting a brand new Sandero was the waiting time to get a new one. Test drove that and it was a brilliant little car. Duster looks even cooler with its utilitarian looks.
The most obvious & saddest thing to take from this video for me is what a massive mistake Skoda made axing the Yeti without truly replacing it. Having done over 160k miles in my Yeti in the last 12 years of ownership, I still love it, & clearly there remains a market for no nonsense, good, honest cars. The Yeti is a significantly more polished product with better dynamics, a broader range of engines & performance, but cost more & the Dacia has certainly tapped into the Yeti's vacated core market admirably.
Ive had cars that cost nearly £100k and ive had cars that cost under £10k used . My first car many moons ago cost me £1600 quid mk 2 ford fiesta .I am now retired or close to it and thinking of buying a Dacia Duster as a retirement runaround . I like the price the design and I have never forgotten the days of standing in cold wet bus stops waiting for the bus . I think the Dacia is a brilliant little car and value for money . The brands of the world want you to be snobby , it helps them sell you up to an over specced car that costs a third of your monthly salary plus fuel etc . I have to say the duster has everything you need a car why be a slave to payments and image ? . I live in a pretty well off area and I would not be bothered in the least to have one on my drive next to my neighbours range rovers and bentleys and BMWs .
Really interesting review of a really interesting car, welcome back!😀 We've got Porsches and stuff (so I'm a bit choosey), one of them being a last gen Freelander and I'd replace it with a Duster tomorrow. All the car you need really, + it still has buttons, YEY!. More like this please.
I purchased a Dacia Duster Expression 70 plate in Jan'20 as a pre-registered vehicle during Covid. It had done only 8 miles, smelt Renault fresh and came with a full size spare wheel and boot mat for just £10,700, i'm still smiling today. For a car with a 1 litre, 3 cylinder engine it actually cruises on motorways very well, this is almost back to basics motoring that is the requirement for so many families where £30k+++ vehicles are just not an option. Great video by the way.
I thought about the Duster as my wife needed a new car a couple of years ago. I ended up getting her a 2 year old Sportage instead as it cost about the same back then at £17000 with only 9500 miles on the clock. Difference was it had a better max loading weight, heated seats, heated steering wheel, auto lights and wipers, lots more safety features, much more space, AWD, way better build quality and still had 5 years warranty on it. Duster probably had better off Road capabilities but 99% of people will never need it. The AWD has been fine in the snow when I’ve locked it on but that’s a very rare occurrence to. The finance with her 6k Px car would’ve been £140 per month but I just paid outright instead
I had a 2019 duster , the seats were not very comfortable on a long run, the seat person sensors protruded through the seat fabric and made journeys without a gel seat base quite uncomfortable although they have bolstered up the seats a little in later models,. also the car has a second EGR valve under the drivers footwell which will seize up if you do not spend 10 to 15 mins lubricating it every five or six months, the alternative is to have it cut from the exhaust system and have a new unit welded in its place, now there are not many welders left skilled enough to do that kind of welding left in the UK. so what do you do I think youd have to replace the exhaust down pipe with a new egr valve already attached. The catalytic converter is also exposed so that it is easily stolen so invest in a good cat alarm.
Other half and I have had 6 of these all 1.0tce. I get 43mpg best cars we have ever owned just bought her 4th one and I’ve bought my 2nd. Unbeatable value and I’ve had 80,000mls from my last one. My daughter has also bought one 4 months ago.
I've owned two Renaults in the past so Dacia is a brand that is on my radar. I really hope they stick with the 'keep it simple' philosophy, as I'm sure it will bring them brand loyalty. The new stepway and duster are contenders for my next car.
These are cool- wish we had something like it in the US. Closest thing is the Ford Maverick Hybrid, but Ford has upped the price considerably since launch. It originally was 20k US brand new. Cheap sells as long as it's cheerful. Cheap and boring is not good.
Great cars . A breath of fresh air seeing reviews on real world people cars . Please keep fitting some affordable working class car reviews in amongst your expensive car reviews 😁👏
A neighbour has a Duster, about ten years old now so they obviously like it. It was very similar to my equally elderly Qashquai, slightly more basic but then I never used most of the gadgets anyway. It had the same Renault turbodiesel and manual 6 speed box and did around 57 - 58 mpg just the same. No rubbish like AdBlue in those far off days either.
More than interesting so thanks for that! As a Yeti man, it was fun to hear you comparing the Duster with our mutual 'favourite' small SUV. Mentioned to other half that a Dacia could be a good replacement *if ever* the Yeti's toes turn up. 'Not having a Dacia'! Your video may convince a reconsider! Keeping the topic on Skoda, how about a review of the Fabia? Citroen C3 or C4? Kia? Etc, etc.
Very interesting, particularly the off road credentials. They must have improved a lot; many years ago I remember watching one of the early models being pulled out of the mud at a horse show by a Land Rover and I have subconsciously written this car off ever since. That is clearly no longer the case. I drive a lot in the Alps in winter and this car could be on my list (snow driving is mainly about having the right tyres anyway.) However, one thing a new car review can't show is how durable it will be over time, and how it will stand up to wear and tear. That will depend on the quality of materials, paint finish etc.
Great video and car👍. I presume the 1.3 engine is the same as the Renault Kadjar? If so, brilliant engine, it was made by Mercedes and is used in the A Class and C Class Mercedes, a lot of people probably don't realise that. I have had 55mpg using the 1.3 manual in my 2020 Kadjar on a 3hr motorway journey👍👍👍
Thanks for a really informative video. I'm looking for new car and 2 friends have Dusters that they're very happy with, so I'm seriously considering one. I've one question which you may be able to help me with. I have a mini caravan which has a maximum weight of 750 kg. Would the automatic transmission be able to cope with this? I've seen a lot of conflicting information about towing with automatics.
Fantastic review, I have been looking for a decent tow car for a while, I looked at all the options and have just brought a 5 year old Ssangyong Korando and I can’t fault it, may be a future review,
Great to bring a brand like Dacia to the channel, and an excellent overview. I quite sure it has a “ secret “ lane departure system, as you hogged the middle lane 😂.
Top review as ever Ref the CarPlay issue …. Did I spy a split / multi cable? I have found you often need a genuine ( single) cable for CarPlay data to work. I think some cables just charge 🤷♂️
To get your phone to work, for the first time you must after plugging in the USB cable you need to select maps on your phone once up the car screen should detect it. It will then remember after that.
Regards it being a Renault with a Dacia badge, in a lot of developing countries it's actually sold with a Renault badge. Seen heaps of them in West Africa.
Some comments while watching your video: - unfortunately, The Duster doesn't have a center locking diff. The 4x4 system is supplied by GKN (you'll find the same system on Suzuki Vitara/S-Cross for example) that has a multi-disc electromagnetic clutch attached to the rear diff. The good news: if off-roading is what you're after, the Duster can be easily modded to accommodate a proper center diff and so on. From what i read, for about 2000 Euros you can modd it into a proper 4x4, as it has the necessary space underneath. - The TCe 150 (150BHP) then that motor is design in collaboration with Mercedes and it equips Mercedes and Nissan models as well as Renault and Dacia. By engine I mean the actual engine... the accessories like generator, pumps, AC compressor are equipped by each manufacturer. - The automatic gearbox (6 speed if I'm not mistaking) is a variation of the 7 speed EDC type found on Renault Kadjar, with the main difference that it uses dual mono-disc dry clutches, as opposed to multi-disc wet clutches on the Renault. - I'm not sure about the UK market, but here in Romania you can get the Duster with a hydrophobic upholstery for front and rear seats, that is super easy to clean... Good for a family with little children, or other use cases that involve dirt of all sorts on the seats. In Romania, this trim level is called Extreme. From a romanian perspective, the closest competitor is Suzuki with the Vitara and S-Cross line. The price range is quite similar with Suzuki offering somewhat better interior finishing, and mild hybrids and hybrids in the current generation. I'm currently in the process of buying a Duster and I ended up narrowing my choice down to it because I wanted the highest ground clearance I could get withing my budget as well as all wheel drive. These were my un-negotiable specs, everything else came second. I finally chose the TCe 150 with 4x4 traction. I skipped the diesel as I was a bit put off by some problems with the adBlue system (though I heard they were fixed... ) and saw that the adBlue stuff was quite costly to repair.
![Extreme Sand Driving - You won't believe what a Duster can do ! [FUTURE TERRAIN]](http://i.ytimg.com/vi/U-axPVqdz2A/mqdefault.jpg)
I got sooo bored of car shows reviewing super cars. This is exactly what I want from a RUclipsr. Proper every day cars being used the way we all use them. Well done Ped.
I second that. 👍
Glad you enjoyed it 👍
@@Crazy_DaveI’ll third it!
@@lordcharfield Oh ok I,ll forf it...Haaaa... Just picked up an 06 1.4 C4 Petrol....Simple controls etc...9400 miles...£1950 plus my old Prius[£2000]...Whats not to like,
I bought a Dacia Duster Journey 9 months ago, after 22 years of various Audis. I love it! It has everything I need, no twiddly bits that I don't, and moreover comes with things like 360 degree cameras, reversing camera, wireless Apple CarPlay (not sure why your test model didn't have this!) extra USB sockets, hill start, cruise control, speed limiter ... all things Audi charge an arm and a leg for. All included in the Duster. It drives nicely, turns on a sixpence, and has a great boot space for hay, horse feed and the occasional baby lamb. It bounces up farm tracks, is good off road and with a decent set of CrossClimate tyres on it, is also great on snow. It's a bargain. Scratchy plastics? Yes. But who drives round scratching the plastic on their cars?
Yeah, you forgot to mention adaptive suspension, and air springs as well, head up display and leather seats.
All things that you don’t really need or break and cost 3 fortunes 🤔
@crazydetailss goodvluck with all that👍
I don’t want any gimmicks on my car. Cruise control mandatory for speed limits, the rest I can do myself
Sounds like a great car. And like someone else already said here, I have no need for the tech gimmicks on modern cars. Other than cruise control. I wish we got this here in the States.
My sister has a 5 year old Duster had it from New. Now showing over 250k on the clock and it has never missed a beat. Great machine for everyday family use.❤
Kms?
What engine?
@@Andrew-tb9vr it's 3rd 😂😂😂😂. Obviously I'm just joking.
🤣 I actually spit my coffee out when i read that @@jeangenie68
@@ln5747 250k is 250000
Great video! My parents have recently bought a Dacia. They are both in their late 70s. Something that is rarely talked about, they have struggled with the tech in modern cars. The Dacia is very simple to operate and they love it. The ‘digital divide’ is a very real problem that is rarely addressed.
correct
Bet they love the drum brakes on the rear too..
A well sorted drum brake setup in a normally driven car with ABS...
has just as effective a braking system as 4 wheel disk brakes.
It's only when you are driving hard or towing that you need the "fade free" aspect of disc brakes on the rear....
@@buzzard720
Why not? Dont need discs on the back. @@buzzard720
I remember my parents getting delivery of their first, nine inch? TV circa 1955 - one knob to switch on/ increase volume and one to manually tune (not that that was needed). Now me and my partner have endless trouble getting vision, sound in sync plus a channel or bluray on at all, argue and give up, retiring to separate rooms instead of enjoying a whole evening of one of 500 options of celebs/foodies (sic) on very fancy (well paid) hols with wall to wall ads, all with only n^^^er frolicking dancers/frightening actors in! Seen the murder/rape news pictures nowadays? Give me the 20th C. please for cars and all else! Cortina 1600E anyone?
Great to see an affordable car without all that unnecessary tablet-based tech on it that distracts drivers from focusing on the road. More like this please!
OK 👍
Finally you have created a video about a subject i can relate to.
Super cars etc are nice, but not really on most people's radar.
Thank you
Glad you liked it!
Petrol Ped budget car series, hell yes!
👍
Agree this is actually what is needed on RUclips.
Its good to see you driving and reviewing a car that most families may consider and be able to afford in the future.
Enjoyed the drive
👍
I couldn't agree with you more Ped! I hired one in Portugal for going to a wedding last year. There was five of us plus lots of luggage. We really expected the need to hire 2 vehicles, but somehow it all fitted in to the Duster. It was very comfortable and performed well. And Waze worked fine on the screen! We went slightly off road with it and again what a surprise! It is a brilliant workhorse and has all the tools you could possibly want. Please do not knock the Duster! It certainly has my deepest respect now.
Hi Ped, I was the guy in the Silver Duster on the green lane day with Future Terrain. I still have the car, now 10 years old, still gets used and abused green laning all over the country. I have not had anything fail or break on the car. It has been so easy to live with and it's was the cheapest 4x4 on the market. Cheap does not mean unreliable. Pleased your enjoying a Duster again.
Ah amazing. That was a great day 👍
I picked this car last year. Expedition in green. Its an amazing car. Everything you need, nothing you don't.
We are looking to buy one we are moving to Italy . Are you still happy with your purchase ?
@@staciamartin923 I am. Dont get me wrong, there are cars out there that are better, but for the price point its unbeatable! You may find some of the tech a bit dated compared to new cars but again, your not paying top buck!
@@royalbiscuits8442 thank you for a quick reply .
@@staciamartin923 no worries! Enjoy the car!
Great to see that your testing more everyday vehicles , not just exotic methods of transport
👍
Always fancied a Duster, I remember when they were less than £10k back in 2013/2014 ish... Great video so far mate 👌
Cheers Bud 👍
Love the scratchy plastics as they wipe clean easy. No complaints about ours even got leather heated seats. 2019 prestige 150. Running boards plastic door and wheel arch protection.👌
You need to review a Jogger then.
yeah, really wanna know of the hybrid version really can do 58mpg on motorways
The jogger is absolutely hideous looking I’d rather walk
@@maksuishing hybrids on motorways are no better than a regular ICE car.
@@maksuishing no chance of that unless dawdling along at 60 mph perhaps. Probably get 45 if you travel at the usual 75 mph.
The other point to make is that even if it loses 60% of its value in the first three years it’s still cost peanuts in depreciation. Great video as always
Unlike an Audi etron, BMW iX, Mercedes EQ or any prestige EV or non EV for that matter. Probably lose the price of 3 Dacia dusters in 1 year!
Good review. I see the lack of needless 'extras' like the powered tailgate as plus points. I love simple and functional as it gives confidence that its not a repair waiting to happen.
So pleased to see you bringing more ordinary cars to the channel. Your reviews are very good but too often we can’t afford them. Keep doing them.
More to come!
All cars have scratchy pastic somewhere. Easy to clean. I've got a new duster 6 speed and I can't fault it. No rattles pretty good for less than 20 grand for journey if you shop around
Same here. I wanted an off road that could also take me far by hughway. It has delivered. Greetings from rural Spain!
Back to basics with a smile. Dacia deserve all the praise they particularly get and it’s good that you Pete have taken on board what we said about more affordable vehicles to be reviewed
Whilst reviewing the Dacia, did you find it more difficult to talk about it than a say £60,000 car which has a the trimmings
Thanks for one of the most refreshing car review I have seen in a long time. Great idea to do “Real World” car reviews. Will be keen to see the next one.
Glad you enjoyed it!
I had a 2017 duster 1.5 great comfortable car and amazing on fuel no hassle driving
I bought a 1.5 diesel version in 2016 in Spain where I live, I’ve driven back to UK for the last 3 years to spend summer there, it’s never missed a beat and we love the driving position for the long journey. The only problem we did have and rectified under warranty was rust appeared under the bonnet, if I bought another I would have it under sealed because it does lack this from the manufacturer
Rust. I've had Renaults past 25yrs & not one but of rust. They need to rectify that one, might be a bit of Lada crept in. You just don't see that now, saying that people basically scrap after 10yrs.
At last a video on a car that’s affordable
Well done Ped
Comments show that most owners are very happy. That's what it's about with owning a car. Like the idea of the 'budget' series. Cheers
Great review Pete, this looks like a super family second car. Its so nice to see a car with a proper ICE engine and buttons ! Thanks.
Went on holiday to Iceland in 2019 and hired a then 2018 Duster with the diesel engine. Didn't go in with any particular expectations but after a week of travelling the country in some pretty serious conditions (went on holiday in winter!) I was absolutely smitten with the duster. If it is still the case the 1st gear is extra low, like a low ratio. You can pull away on the flat in 2nd without issue. It was really nice to drive, it felt sure footed no matter what you tried to do with it and got me back to the airbnb through a genuine snow storm (had ice studded winter tyres on). I would happily own one I think they are superb, no nonsense daily driver.
👍
Soo... a couple of days ago I took delivery of my 4x4 TCe 150 Duster. So far, I love it.
Love the fact that all needed functions are still assigned to physical buttons and not assigned to the touchscreen display;
Love how the car feels on the road and how it drives. The steering wheel is very smooth and very easy to turn;
Coming from and old Renaul Megane II, the learning curve for the steering wheel stalks and media control module was very shallow - had a very easy time switching.
I'm still adjusting to the engine power curve and the manual gear box, but nothing to crazy about it. 1st gears is quite short, mostly indented for off-roading, otherwise you're better off starting directly in 2nd gear. Again,. must be the learning curve needed to adjust from my old car with 5speed manual to this newer one with a more powerful motor and 6 speed gearbox.
The soundproofing seems quite good, it has improved over previous generation.
Love the four cameras (front, rear and two side cameras mounted under the rear-view mirros). Especially the side cameras come in handy when maneuvering in tight spaces.
Plenty of space in the trunk, rear sit folds 1.3-2/3. The 4x4 version comes with a full spare wheel.
Some nit picking:
Automatic window lifter for all four doors would have been nice for the money. I guess this also prevents implementing the option to close the windows from the keyfob when locking the vehicle (had these on my 20 years old Megane).
I also have a thing with the on-board computer (the display between the speed and rmp indicator) not keeping the display I chose before turning the engine off. Upon ignition it always defaults to showing your mileage. Maybe there's a setting for this, but haven't found it yet.
Overall, I'm very pleased with the car. It delivers everything needed for getting from A to B quite comfortably. Sure, there are some moans and niggles, but nothing really important, not in my book at least.
Buttons! Intuitive, simple, relatively non-distracting, easy to find, etc. What a fantastic feature for any new car.
😂😂😂
I have the same Duster and average 50.8mpg on my commute (checked via full tank to empty) and as a cheap daily transport it is great....
I can get 560 on tank full
I had a 72 plate Duster Extreme SE in Urban Grey with extras that I bought end of October 22 and traded it for a Puma ST Line X end of October 23 and I have to admit I really liked the Duster. In fact I had to have 2 test drives in the Puma to convince me to change. I'll keep the Puma for the 3 years but seriously considering going for the new Duster then or perhaps the Bigster. I agree with Ped completely when he says it is really comfortable and a nice place to be plus the fact it has extra ground clearance. Really looking forward to the new Duster reviews and it would be great if you could do one to compare it to the current one.
Had my Duster for 5 years and its great. Had a few reliability issues (electrical, brakes, suspension) but hasn't been too bad and pretty cheap/quick to get fixed. I like that it has a full sized spare wheel, proper ground clearance, and 4 wheel drive; so it will get you wherever you want to go to.
Scratchy plastics? I couldn't care less.
Definitely looking at replacing it with another one. I mainly wish it was a little more reliable!
Good to know!
On my 3rd Duster since 2014....4x4 then auto diesel and now the 72 plate Prestige....150bhp TCE is just great and your video was spot on. That said you missed the heated seats, Cameras all round and blind spot warning etc plus in Sat Nav mode it should bing if you creep over the limit and warn you about cameras as well....just good all round motoring👍
I picked up a Duster from Hertz 2 days ago, same yr as yours. Similarly to you, I wondered why the Android Auto would not work when plugging in the cables. I gave up trying and decided to bluetooth my phone to the car, and up popped Android auto. What a supprise, it is the first car I experienced wireless android auto.
Looks like a well grounded car nice to see the more affordable end of the market well done you
Thanks 👍
Been waiting for this video Pete.
The fact it is so cheap, yet it is a brand new car with a warranty, is remarkable.
Yes it has a lot of flaws, but it's not 'terrible' and for the super low price, you have to be realistic.
Is it basic, yes, is it slow, yes, but is it worth the price, definitely yes.
It's side view camera's are better than the none existent ones on my 66 plate M2 !!
Thanks for doing this video. I’ve got a duster 1.3 turbo petrol just over 3 years old and I love it. Used to own a mark 1 Qashqai 1.6 petrol but the engine in the Duster is much more responsive and drives better in my opinion. Sure the dashboard and trim inside won’t win any fashion awards but it is what it is for the money. So far has been reliable although I don’t do a high mileage. Maybe will update when the new version comes out which looks good.
Glad it helped
Just found your channel and loved this honest, no-nonsense review of an honest, no-nonsense car.
Am now going to like and subscribe.
Cheers.
Welcome aboard. Thanks for the Sub 👍
Something I find all car reviewers complain about is "scratchy plastics", it's light weight, it's better for fuel economy. I must admit, I'm quite partial to the Duster, the lack of tech is highly appealing to me and a manual gearbox is a must.
I'd rather have 'scratchy plastics' than 'sticky soft touch plastics' like in my 20 year old VW Bora...
Hi Pete, nice segment to be running, hope other manufacturers help out 👍🏻
We had a Renault Captur as a 2nd car & this is clearly a similar set up..... scratchy plastics (that others have said wipe clean easily), removable & washable seat covers (all family/lifestyle stuff).
It was the most comfortable car on a journey with mid to high 40s mpg.
Only thing I'd say about the "eco mode" is that I found it dangerous on the motorway unless you were happy to sit behind everything as it was gutless under acceleration & trying to pull out & overtake was buttock clenching!
I have a colleague who has just handed back a company car & bought a nice looking Dacia Jogger & he loves it.
Decent value for money motoring.... keep it up 👍🏻
I now have two Dusters. A 2014 Diesel that I use for a work run-around. ( Cheaper than a van and still plenty of room in the back ). I was so impressed with that one. I bought a 2023 Petrol Duster for personal use. Love it it has now done two long trips to Europe, and I have absolutely no regrets at all. Brilliant bit of kit for the Price of most used SUVs.
I did 65k in my 2016 Duster and it never missed a beat in 6 years!
I am getting one of these when my Tesla lease is up. 22k compared to 50k is a no brainer. For the money how can you go wrong, get dogs in and do tip runs weekend. Even if it depreciates or it gets trashed after 4 years who cares at this price. It actually looks pretty good as well.
That was a super review Pete 👍 and just the kind of vehicle so many would consider buying. Please keep this theme going if you can.
We've got 3 of them in the family, and we all love them. No hassle, straightforward, runs well and smooth, park and forget without worrying about someone scratching it etc.
Yes, it can be a bit plasticky on the inside here and there, but honestly, it is perfectly adequate for everyday life. Far better value than a VW (which is now a premium brand?), Vauxhall, and even Skoda. My only worry is that Renault will turn Dacia into the next Skoda down the road, fingers crossed it'll stick to the Dacia ethos!
Nice 👌
There is a distinct difference between Dacia and Renault models, they will avoid canibalising one brand with the other.
That USB cable you're using, the splitter type, usually only sends power to a device. It does not do data.
I used an Apple cable too with no joy 👎
Had our 2x4 petrol auto a year and love it ,does exactly what it says on the tin and it’s not going to cost a fortune to keep on the road unlike a BMW we had a few years ago..
We do Green Laning in our Dacia Dusters, I'm one of the Dacia Duster Explorers, if you want to see what the 4x4 models can get up to check us out.
Great video, always enjoy them! I've had expensive cars, and cheap cars. Most recently, an Audi TTRS which was excellent on back roads near Petersfield (yes, I live in the area!). But I've also run cheap £1,000 cars for commuting and I have to say I've had more relaxed driving fun in those over the years. Cheap motoring, not worried about dents and dings - honestly, it's been refreshing! On the other hand, I've just taken delivery of a new sports/weekend car and in it's first 2 weeks it collected a car-park dent on a rear door that cost £600 ..... not enjoyable!
Somebody needs to start applauding “scratchy plastics”!
clap clap clap clap
Too many reviewers complain about the 'scratchy plastic' on lower trim panels but none seem to figure out that maybe the 'scratchy plastics' are harder wearing around the footwells/door card bottoms than the 'squidgy' upper dash materials....
😂😂😂
@@breseler I had scratchy plastics on the lower areas of my pre-facelift Discovery Sport. They were great as they withstood lots of punishment and were easy to clean. The face-lift version moved to padded soft touch everything. On a loan one I had, on the rear doors this soft touch stuff had already gotten pinched and ripped. Thankfully, on my now full size Discovery they have kept the 'scratchy plastics' down below, which I think is the right move. It certainly doesn't look cheap inside, nor did the DS.
Bought a 70 plate 1.5 dci in 21 during Covid. Pre registered no miles. Over 30K miles including road trips round Ireland and Norway it has been a great car to have. Metallic, spare wheel, Dacia mats. Quite happy it doesn't have all the elecktrickery on it that I don't need. Engine works very well and is spritely enough for UK roads. Cruises happily on motorways at 2K ish revs. Fuel consumption has averaged 58mpg, all tanks, brim to brim. Over 3500 to/from and round Norway it averaged 65mpg. Brother has same model in 1.3/130 petrol guise which also performs well albeit fuel averages 42mpg from trip.
I bought it when I did as I wanted an EU6 car and I wanted a diesel knowing their days are numbered.
I did look at the Kia EV options at the time and the financials didn't stake up. Capital cost alone was 2x more than the Dacia. Pre war fuel costs via EV charging using a mix of charge points due to usage profile would have needed 300000 miles to break even.
Wife has a 66/17plate Sandero Stepway 1.5dci we bought pre registered new. Cracking deal and no problems what so ever with it. It is VED free too!
Accept them for what they are. I don't need expensive glitz or complex elecktrickery.
Love this 👍
VD free? That's an odd one
Hi Pete and what a great motor. Reasonably price , Good economy, comfortable, well finished and a Renault. Plastics are fine in a car that is inexpensive. I own a Renault Master Motorhome and love it. Very economical and getting around 9.9 :tres per 100Klm. Very informative vid.
Thank god for sanity! Good car good review!
Thanks for watching!
great idea, got a Duster 130hp myself. Agree with all u said. Got mine b4 prices went nuts. Never been a bother but the interior does depress a little. Punchy engine, comfy, does what its supposed to. Lets c the competition, at least for price comparison.
Along with Skoda, Dacia is a car marque that has “come of age” by doing things more simply and offering value. Absolutely love the Dacia Duster and I drive a RR Vogue every day. Had a rental in France last year and it was perfect… inverted snobbery I guess (combined with being a tight wad) 😉 I saw loads of these in France last month in ski area. The later day replacement for the Panda 4x4. 👍
Very interesting vid and great down to earth review.I have never really looked at Dacia as a choice for me but it looks like a decent vehicle.Well done for this one.Looking forward to more like this.
It’s nice to have an analogue car in this digital world,,, we have a 2015 sandero 1.2 petrol 66,000 miles on and still loving the basic ness and un complicated driving experience, £6900 when new best car we ever had and we’ve had Volvo, Saab, land rovers, fords, Nissans etc, still enjoy driving it and get over 50 mpg on long runs and 38 around town….
I’m 28 years old and I’ve not long bought a Dacia Sandero Stepway. Dacia’s are a lot nicer than they used to be. They’re lovely drives it’s perfect for me doing a short journey to and from work
Nice 👌
Great ‘sensible’ video and I think the Dacia is clearly great value for money…. Love your idea of testing manufacturers cheapest models. 👍 Whilst we all love to dream of the super cars and appreciate you testing them, it’s great to also see cars that are realistically affordable for the average person
Thanks for watching!
I've had a 4x4 Duster 1.5dci for years. Best car I've had in ages. It replaced a Discovery (nicked) for on the farm. Its now on 115k miles and I would have another
Love my Duster. OK I have the older model but same story, everything you need and nothing you don't. Had cars with plenty of tech in the past and it's just more to go wrong. I paid £10k for mine at 3 years old with 12k on the clock. Where else would you get an SUV for that money. And it's ony ever mark on an MOT was a small crack in the tyre. I love the honesty of them and that they don't pretend to be something they're not
Very thoughtful to consider doing content what the subscribers want to see. Keep up the good work 👏
Thank you! Will do!
These are great cars. When you buy one you don't feel like you are being ripped off unlike some brands. Mercedes Benz used this engine in some of their rip off priced cars (at £40k plus.)The new one that is coming out looks great. When the new model comes out please can you review it
Thanks
Absolutely delighted to see an affordable car on the channel for a change? More of same again please 👍👍👍
That's the plan!
What a nice change Pete as you say great car for the money you said what was going to ask you let’s have more budget cars and tell us all costs pcp tax insurance ratings ect..
I bought a duster diesel 2017 model last year 137000 km on the clock what a beast - cheap solid aircon is good great comfortable drive - what waste money ?
I have been enjoying your videos, mainly on Plug-ins as I am looking to get one.
My interest is on the more affordable cars.
So a Duster alternative.
Suzuki Vitara.
I own a 20 plate 1.4 manual. Like the Duster most things are buttons. The Sat Nav is basic but does the job - Google maps is cleverer though.
45-50mpg is obtainable driving efficiently, but not slow.
You get adaptive cruise control.
Downsides, no heated seated in the UK market. And it has that stupid range going to zero as soon as the fuel light comes on.
Before the Vitara I owned a Swift Sport, the Vitara drives like a slightly bigger swift, so it is 'chuckable'. Unlike the similar sized S-Cross, which isn't.
If you are able to get Suzuki's ask them for an Across so you could compare it to the Rav4 you had. In theory the same car, but different in subtle ways.
Absolutely love Dusters. Am awaiting my 2nd one soon. The only fault I've found was the depth of the cup holders in the front aren't deep enough. I mainly first chose this car because I have a bad back. The seats are comfortable. The leg support is good and it's comfortable on the back.
This car seems like the perfect balance of quality/value/capability/competency in the world.
Only thing that stopped me getting a brand new Sandero was the waiting time to get a new one. Test drove that and it was a brilliant little car. Duster looks even cooler with its utilitarian looks.
Great point!
Many thanks for showing a car that might be attainable for some of us! Brilliant!
No problem 👍
The most obvious & saddest thing to take from this video for me is what a massive mistake Skoda made axing the Yeti without truly replacing it. Having done over 160k miles in my Yeti in the last 12 years of ownership, I still love it, & clearly there remains a market for no nonsense, good, honest cars. The Yeti is a significantly more polished product with better dynamics, a broader range of engines & performance, but cost more & the Dacia has certainly tapped into the Yeti's vacated core market admirably.
Yep 👍
I love my new Duster. Totally get the range anxiety on the fuel light so avoid going less than a quarter of a tank
Ive had cars that cost nearly £100k and ive had cars that cost under £10k used . My first car many moons ago cost me £1600 quid mk 2 ford fiesta .I am now retired or close to it and thinking of buying a Dacia Duster as a retirement runaround . I like the price the design and I have never forgotten the days of standing in cold wet bus stops waiting for the bus . I think the Dacia is a brilliant little car and value for money . The brands of the world want you to be snobby , it helps them sell you up to an over specced car that costs a third of your monthly salary plus fuel etc . I have to say the duster has everything you need a car why be a slave to payments and image ? . I live in a pretty well off area and I would not be bothered in the least to have one on my drive next to my neighbours range rovers and bentleys and BMWs .
Really interesting review of a really interesting car, welcome back!😀 We've got Porsches and stuff (so I'm a bit choosey), one of them being a last gen Freelander and I'd replace it with a Duster tomorrow. All the car you need really, + it still has buttons, YEY!. More like this please.
Thanks! 😀
I purchased a Dacia Duster Expression 70 plate in Jan'20 as a pre-registered vehicle during Covid. It had done only 8 miles, smelt Renault fresh and came with a full size spare wheel and boot mat for just £10,700, i'm still smiling today. For a car with a 1 litre, 3 cylinder engine it actually cruises on motorways very well, this is almost back to basics motoring that is the requirement for so many families where £30k+++ vehicles are just not an option. Great video by the way.
Thanks 🙏🏻
I thought about the Duster as my wife needed a new car a couple of years ago. I ended up getting her a 2 year old Sportage instead as it cost about the same back then at £17000 with only 9500 miles on the clock. Difference was it had a better max loading weight, heated seats, heated steering wheel, auto lights and wipers, lots more safety features, much more space, AWD, way better build quality and still had 5 years warranty on it. Duster probably had better off Road capabilities but 99% of people will never need it. The AWD has been fine in the snow when I’ve locked it on but that’s a very rare occurrence to. The finance with her 6k Px car would’ve been £140 per month but I just paid outright instead
Smart choice! Would also consider that but I'm sure lots of people don't want to buy used and that's the advantage of the Duster.
That's the thing, the competition for new Dacia is 3 year old ex-lease cars that are better equipped.
Your choice, I prefer my new Duster Extreme!
I had a 2019 duster , the seats were not very comfortable on a long run, the seat person sensors protruded through the seat fabric and made journeys without a gel seat base quite uncomfortable although they have bolstered up the seats a little in later models,. also the car has a second EGR valve under the drivers footwell which will seize up if you do not spend 10 to 15 mins lubricating it every five or six months, the alternative is to have it cut from the exhaust system and have a new unit welded in its place, now there are not many welders left skilled enough to do that kind of welding left in the UK. so what do you do I think youd have to replace the exhaust down pipe with a new egr valve already attached. The catalytic converter is also exposed so that it is easily stolen so invest in a good cat alarm.
Other half and I have had 6 of these all 1.0tce. I get 43mpg best cars we have ever owned just bought her 4th one and I’ve bought my 2nd. Unbeatable value and I’ve had 80,000mls from my last one. My daughter has also bought one 4 months ago.
I've owned two Renaults in the past so Dacia is a brand that is on my radar.
I really hope they stick with the 'keep it simple' philosophy, as I'm sure it will bring them brand loyalty.
The new stepway and duster are contenders for my next car.
These are cool- wish we had something like it in the US. Closest thing is the Ford Maverick Hybrid, but Ford has upped the price considerably since launch. It originally was 20k US brand new. Cheap sells as long as it's cheerful. Cheap and boring is not good.
Great cars . A breath of fresh air seeing reviews on real world people cars . Please keep fitting some affordable working class car reviews in amongst your expensive car reviews 😁👏
Brilliant that you are also driving more affordable cars Pete! 😊The Skoda Kamiq is also an alternative. Cheers, Tom.
Indeed it is!
A neighbour has a Duster, about ten years old now so they obviously like it. It was very similar to my equally elderly Qashquai, slightly more basic but then I never used most of the gadgets anyway. It had the same Renault turbodiesel and manual 6 speed box and did around 57 - 58 mpg just the same. No rubbish like AdBlue in those far off days either.
Enjoyed the "trip" second time around and at 81 I feel the need for something "taller" to avoid the knees bending. Becoming very interested in these.
More than interesting so thanks for that!
As a Yeti man, it was fun to hear you comparing the Duster with our mutual 'favourite' small SUV. Mentioned to other half that a Dacia could be a good replacement *if ever* the Yeti's toes turn up. 'Not having a Dacia'! Your video may convince a reconsider!
Keeping the topic on Skoda, how about a review of the Fabia? Citroen C3 or C4? Kia? Etc, etc.
Glad you enjoyed it!
Very interesting, particularly the off road credentials. They must have improved a lot; many years ago I remember watching one of the early models being pulled out of the mud at a horse show by a Land Rover and I have subconsciously written this car off ever since. That is clearly no longer the case. I drive a lot in the Alps in winter and this car could be on my list (snow driving is mainly about having the right tyres anyway.) However, one thing a new car review can't show is how durable it will be over time, and how it will stand up to wear and tear. That will depend on the quality of materials, paint finish etc.
Great video and car👍. I presume the 1.3 engine is the same as the Renault Kadjar? If so, brilliant engine, it was made by Mercedes and is used in the A Class and C Class Mercedes, a lot of people probably don't realise that. I have had 55mpg using the 1.3 manual in my 2020 Kadjar on a 3hr motorway journey👍👍👍
Thanks for a really informative video. I'm looking for new car and 2 friends have Dusters that they're very happy with, so I'm seriously considering one. I've one question which you may be able to help me with. I have a mini caravan which has a maximum weight of 750 kg. Would the automatic transmission be able to cope with this? I've seen a lot of conflicting information about towing with automatics.
Fantastic review, I have been looking for a decent tow car for a while, I looked at all the options and have just brought a 5 year old Ssangyong Korando and I can’t fault it, may be a future review,
Hi Pete, what about Suzuki cars, reasonable prices and very reliable... Had 2 an 11 and 15 plates no issues at all. Cheers.
Great to bring a brand like Dacia to the channel, and an excellent overview. I quite sure it has a “ secret “ lane departure system, as you hogged the middle lane 😂.
There was a ‘Stay In Lane’ notice on the Matrix 🤷♂️
Top review as ever
Ref the CarPlay issue …. Did I spy a split / multi cable?
I have found you often need a genuine ( single) cable for CarPlay data to work. I think some cables just charge 🤷♂️
Tried several cables 👎
Very true, most cables only have 2 wires, for charging only, you need one with four wires, the 2 centre wires carry data.
tomorrow im picking up mine brand new 1.5d cheers
To get your phone to work, for the first time you must after plugging in the USB cable you need to select maps on your phone once up the car screen should detect it. It will then remember after that.
👍
I love it, that's a nice honest car. The lack of driver harassment features is actually a selling point too.
'Driver harrasment features' brilliant description😂
Yep buttons for the win. Almost worth buying one just for that.
Regards it being a Renault with a Dacia badge, in a lot of developing countries it's actually sold with a Renault badge. Seen heaps of them in West Africa.
Yep 👍
Great video, as always Pete. Thanks & have a good weekend 👍
Thanks, you too!
Some comments while watching your video:
- unfortunately, The Duster doesn't have a center locking diff. The 4x4 system is supplied by GKN (you'll find the same system on Suzuki Vitara/S-Cross for example) that has a multi-disc electromagnetic clutch attached to the rear diff. The good news: if off-roading is what you're after, the Duster can be easily modded to accommodate a proper center diff and so on. From what i read, for about 2000 Euros you can modd it into a proper 4x4, as it has the necessary space underneath.
- The TCe 150 (150BHP) then that motor is design in collaboration with Mercedes and it equips Mercedes and Nissan models as well as Renault and Dacia. By engine I mean the actual engine... the accessories like generator, pumps, AC compressor are equipped by each manufacturer.
- The automatic gearbox (6 speed if I'm not mistaking) is a variation of the 7 speed EDC type found on Renault Kadjar, with the main difference that it uses dual mono-disc dry clutches, as opposed to multi-disc wet clutches on the Renault.
- I'm not sure about the UK market, but here in Romania you can get the Duster with a hydrophobic upholstery for front and rear seats, that is super easy to clean... Good for a family with little children, or other use cases that involve dirt of all sorts on the seats. In Romania, this trim level is called Extreme.
From a romanian perspective, the closest competitor is Suzuki with the Vitara and S-Cross line. The price range is quite similar with Suzuki offering somewhat better interior finishing, and mild hybrids and hybrids in the current generation.
I'm currently in the process of buying a Duster and I ended up narrowing my choice down to it because I wanted the highest ground clearance I could get withing my budget as well as all wheel drive. These were my un-negotiable specs, everything else came second. I finally chose the TCe 150 with 4x4 traction. I skipped the diesel as I was a bit put off by some problems with the adBlue system (though I heard they were fixed... ) and saw that the adBlue stuff was quite costly to repair.
Another fab video I like the new mix of different cars types price ranges etc it gives a great balance