| Motoring Discussion > Dacia Duster | Miscellaneous |
| Thread Author: Baz | Replies: 113 |
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New Mon 9 Jul 12 19:08
Dacia Duster - Baz
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Well just back from a week in South of France and there are plenty of these on the Continent. Had a good look around the outside of several and apart from some truly awful brown colours, it's a chunky, solid looking thing. Interior looks ok (from the outside at least). All in all a pretty amazing entry level £8995 for the (very) base version in the UK, with proven Nissan and Renault bit and pieces. Looks a good load carrier or dog carrier, boot looks as large as a typical estate and large high profile wheel/tyres for our pot-holed roads. Have never even considered anything similar before, but a year or two old one is possibly going to be a bit of a bargain. What does the panel think, will it bomb or will Renault pull it off, as per VAG/Skoda a decade ago? |
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New Mon 9 Jul 12 19:10
Dacia Duster - R.P.
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| Saw a Dutch registered one in a sort of pallid turd colour the other day. As cheap personal transport I reckon they can't go wrong ! |
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New Tue 15 Jan 13 14:09
Dacia Duster - Dutchie
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| Dutch couple driving a Dacia hard times in Holland.>:) |
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New Mon 9 Jul 12 19:52
Dacia Duster - PeterS
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I took a look around one at the Festival of Speed after seeing loads in France last month. Looked pretty good for the money I thought, though unsurprisingly basic in entry level (petrol only) guise. Even so, £11k or so for a mid spec diesel seemed reasonable to me. I reckon they've got a reasonable chance of success! Which reminds me, Renault had a Big Twizy presence at FoS as well. We hired one or a laugh when n Epernay; must write a mini review on it :-) Last edited by: PeterS on Mon 9 Jul 12 at 19:55
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New Mon 9 Jul 12 20:31
Dacia Duster - mikeyb
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Think if they sell them out of Renault showrooms it could be the final nail in the coffin for Renault UK. They are already losing market share hand over fist so a cheaper offering under a different brand may take customers away............ Although this is the badge conscious UK so it may well fall on its backside Last edited by: VxFan on Mon 9 Jul 12 at 21:05
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New Mon 9 Jul 12 21:26
Dacia Duster - Notdoctorchris
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Well I've just put my pre-order in for one. I've gone for the base model, named Access but with 4WD, which will cost me £10,995 on the road. For that I get a poverty-spec petrol-engined car, only available in white with black plastic bumpers, doesn't even have a radio. Why, you may ask? Well I've driven 4WD cars for the past 18 years and like their ability in snow and I do sometimes drive off-road. I wanted a fairly spacious vehicle but one that I could leave parked up and not worry too much about any damage sustained when I got back to it. I wanted genuine off-road ability with real protection under the vehicle, not just comestics. I wanted a petrol engine, I drive too few miles for a diesel and didn't want a DPF. I can live with white, preferable to the dull blues, greys and silvers popular just now. I don't want the "toys", electrics that I cannot repair when they go wrong. I actually relish the idea of choosing and fitting a radio myself. I want a simple vehicle that I can enjoy servicing and repairing in time myself. I want a new vehicle, I don't want one abused by someone else, bodged repairs carried out. I admit it, buying this car is a statement. I'm rejecting the technological excesses of most modern cars in an almost Luddite manner but I appreciate simplicity in my life. I believe there's a relatively good market for these vehicles in the UK. If my judgement is wrong, if I hate it and want to sell after a short while (I won't, too stubborn) then at the price I'm paying I won't lose a fortune. |
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New Mon 9 Jul 12 21:59
Dacia Duster - R.P.
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| A review would be good ! |
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New Mon 9 Jul 12 22:12
Dacia Duster - Lygonos
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>> I admit it, buying this car is a statement. I'm rejecting the technological excesses of most modern cars in an almost Luddite manner but I appreciate simplicity in my life. I think this will be a possible route for success for the Dacia brand in the UK. Partly the reason I swapped the Shogun for the Swift - wanted petrol, non-turbo and didn't need acres of space as we have a people carrier that better fitted the bill. I'd happily have had the same mechanicals without much of the gadgets (like a CLio Cup spec) but the Swift Sport comes fully specced from the factory. Considering the price of the basic Japanese 4wd cars like the Jimny and Vitara is rather high due to the Yen being strong, they may get some sales from those who want reliable off-road potential. Last edited by: Lygonos on Mon 9 Jul 12 at 22:14
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New Mon 9 Jul 12 22:15
Dacia Duster - Zero
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before I lashed out 11 grand on a car, any car, I would want a test drive. Have you?
Last edited by: Zero on Mon 9 Jul 12 at 22:16
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New Tue 10 Jul 12 07:29
Dacia Duster - Notdoctorchris
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>> before I lashed out 11 grand on a car, any car, I would want a >> test drive. Have you? >> A good point, Zero. I was able to have a really good look at the Duster at the Goodwood Moving Motor Show but only 50 people were allowed test drives. RHD cars that can be driven on the road will not be available to test until December. However, my pre-order deposit of £100 is fully refundable if I decide not to proceed with the order so I will test drive. The salesmen are talking about Dacia arranging some off-road testing as well. Delivery of the first Dusters will not be until January next year so I'm not letting myself get too excited just yet! |
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New Mon 9 Jul 12 22:10
Dacia Duster - Londoner
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Really good post, Notdoctorchris! Entirely believable reasons for choosing the Dacia, and I hope that you enjoy it for a long time to come. |
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New Mon 9 Jul 12 22:15
Dacia Duster - R.P.
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| Honda are bringing out a bog standard 250 motor-bike - eagerly awaited by those who know, they say it's a simple little trailie - please let it be reasonable to buy ! |
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New Tue 10 Jul 12 08:07
Dacia Duster - Focusless
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Duster on HJ: www.honestjohn.co.uk/carbycar/dacia/duster-2012/ No test drive though. |
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New Tue 10 Jul 12 08:40
Dacia Duster - Notdoctorchris
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Valid comments from HJ. Before I saw and pre-ordered the Duster I had a mental check-list of what I wanted. This included 4WD, petrol engine, unpainted bumpers, roof rails (to carry my mountain bike), off-road ability, aircon. The only feature I had to sacrifice was aircon, this is only available on the top spec diesel and I believe that ordering this type of vehicle with a high spec defeats the objects of simplicity and affordability which I was seeking. The fuel economy is poor but I can afford that as I'm saving a lot on the purchase price. I have owned two Fiat Panda 4x4s recently and might have gone for the latest model Panda in 4x4 form, except there's no word when it will be launched. In addition, I have been disappointed with the build quality of my current Panda Cross (a 4x4 diesel dressed up like a tart's handbag). |
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New Tue 10 Jul 12 09:02
Dacia Duster - Zero
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>> The fuel economy is poor but I can afford that as I'm saving a lot >> on the purchase price. That I think will be the deal breaker for many in the UK, as we have more or less the highest fuel price in most of the motoring world. |
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New Tue 10 Jul 12 09:18
Dacia Duster - madf
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An average of 35mpg from the petrol suggests 25mpg around town.. Err no thanks... And I understand the electronics and electrics are from other renault models.. So when they are six years old, watch out... Last edited by: madf on Tue 10 Jul 12 at 09:22
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New Tue 10 Jul 12 09:27
Dacia Duster - Dog
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>>As cheap personal transport I reckon they can't go wrong<< >>I understand the electronics and electrics are from other renault models<< = = = > :-D |
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New Tue 10 Jul 12 09:33
Dacia Duster - Londoner
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>> That I think will be the deal breaker for many in the UK, as we >> have more or less the highest fuel price in most of the motoring world. >> The AA do a survey of fuel prices in Europe. There are lots of countries included, of course, and the UK has very high prices, as you say. From May 2012's report. "The UK has the eighth highest petrol price in Europe and the second highest diesel price." |
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New Tue 10 Jul 12 09:34
Dacia Duster - Zero
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Hmm surprised bu there you go. Edit, we have dropped to 10th. www.theaa.com/resources/Documents/pdf/motoring-advice/fuel-reports/june2012.pdf Last edited by: Zero on Tue 10 Jul 12 at 09:37
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New Tue 10 Jul 12 10:36
Dacia Duster - Mike Hannon
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There certainly are a lot of them in this part of the world, but that's no great surprise in an area which still abounds in the Lada Niva - which you can still buy new here. The French are attracted to something like the Duster or the Niva because they are legendarily careful with a euro when it comes to anything but food and drink (also why they are obsessed with government-subsidised diesel) and the Duster is a cut-price effort that I am told is pretty horrible to drive while the bits of trim fall off. I certainly wasn't impressed with anything but the price when I took a closer look after fleetingly considering buying one. I am at a loss to understand why French Renault dealers are selling Dacias when the company's own-make sales are on the floor and I can't see the position could be any different in the UK. |
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New Tue 10 Jul 12 11:17
Dacia Duster - Dutchie
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www.youtube.com/watch?v=NpzAgM19WmU Seems to cope well in the rough. |
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New Tue 10 Jul 12 13:46
Dacia Duster - alfalfa
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Just back fro Le Lavandou in Provence and saw lots of Dusters. I can completely see why Notdoctorchris slapped down his deposit for one; they seem excellent value and the lack of "toys" is an advantage. I would certainly like to hear more after a few thousand miles. If they turn out to reliable and successful then perhaps we will get some more simple, reasonably priced cars. The downside, as has been mentioned, is that they may have Renault reliability issues and that while we all say we want simple, cheap cars we (or rather our companies) don't buy them. alfalfa |
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New Tue 10 Jul 12 14:01
Dacia Duster - Dave
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I'll probably order a base 5 seat Logan next year. They're 94,000SEK here, so about 8500GBP. Placcy bumpers, steel wheels, no a/c or rear wiper, and only available in white, red, or blue. But I only really need it as a van, as with the back seats removed (instead of folded), I can fit 2x1m sheets of plastic that I use. For the odd occasion I need the extra seats I'll have to bolt them back in. The nearest thing to it is a extended caddy, but they're crazy money. |
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New Tue 10 Jul 12 14:09
Dacia Duster - sooty123
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| Do they have many Renault dealers in Sweden there didn't seem to be a huge amount when I was there. Could parts be a problem given the few renaults been driven in sweden (from what I saw). BTW which part of sweden are you in? |
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New Tue 10 Jul 12 18:19
Dacia Duster - Dave
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>> Do they have many Renault dealers in Sweden there didn't seem to be a huge >> amount when I was there. Could parts be a problem given the few renaults been >> driven in sweden (from what I saw). BTW which part of sweden are you in? >> They're actually quite popular here, probably more so than other french brands. Mainly, though, because Volvo are (or were) the importer of Renault, and nearly every Volvo dealership also sells Renaults (and now Dacias). As a result, I think some of the 'Volvo effect' rubbed off on the punters, plus, of course, a showroom presence on almost every street corner. I live about an hour west of Göteborg, between Borås and Jönköping. |
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New Tue 10 Jul 12 19:03
Dacia Duster - sooty123
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| Ahh your location might be it, I was way way up in the north, not much of anything up there! |
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New Tue 10 Jul 12 19:42
Dacia Duster - Dave
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>> Ahh your location might be it, I was way way up in the north, not >> much of anything up there! >> No, just Volvo and Subaru up there. |
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New Tue 10 Jul 12 14:38
Dacia Duster - Bagpuss
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Plenty of Dacias here, in fact Dacia outsold Toyota in Germany in 2011. They seemed to appear out of the woodwork during the scrappage scheme a couple of years back. The basic ones make sense pricewise at least on paper. You have to be careful with adding options though, because the price spirals rapidly up to that of more desirable machinery once real world discounts are taken into account. Have to admit, the only one that I would even vaguely consider buying is the Logan 7 Seater, which even looks quite good. All the other models have too many better engineered competitors which offer products not based on a cost reduced old model Renault Clio platform. |
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New Tue 10 Jul 12 15:20
Dacia Duster - hillman1
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I've hired the 7 seat Logan several times on trips to Romania in the last few years and have to say that it is a really likeable car. Yes, it lacked a bit of soundproofing and was a bit basic, but that, to me, was part of the charm. It was surprisingly spacious (we had 2 adult, 4 kids and luggage) and whilst it was a bit of a squeeze it would be in most vehicles. On one trip we travelled for about 7 hours (almost nonstop) in what were at times pretty grim road conditions and it really endeared itself to me. I thought at the time I would be quite happy having one in the UK. Having said that when I got back into our car when back home the difference was quite noticeable! There are plans to bring the full size mpv, the Lodgy (!) to the UK in te next few years I believe which could be interesting.h |
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New Thu 12 Jul 12 21:04
Dacia Duster - Nutter!
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Hi there! I've just discovered this site and thought I'd mention that I too have recently signed to buy a Duster. My motives for doing this are, as far as i can be sure ;), to have a simple, strong, unpretentious car that rides high, has good ground clearance and gives me what I need and no more. And I want a decent warranty and as low a price as possible. Yes, I have considered the competitors, which come down to the Yeti and the Kia Sportage. Now, I'll confess here that the flash looks of the Sportage are compelling, for a moment, but the name is even worse than Duster. I can say Duster quite happily, but having to say Sportaaaage just makes me cringe: bonkers eh!; and it costs more, even with discounts. So the real killers are that is too flash, and has a terrible high belt line, so you feel like you are in a bath when inside: so a total no-no. The Yeti costs a bit more than the Duster, but it is slower, has a worse CO2 count, and apart from that is a real possibility. But it doesn't have the ground clearance of the Duster. Renault is clever. They must know that I, like many others, won't have a car without A/C. I drive nights summer and winter and A/C is as much of a boon when demisting as it is keeping the car comfortable in muggy weather. So I have to get the top model. What I don't want is four wheel drive, so I can save a couple of thousand there. I have driven for forty years and the only time I needed all the wheels driven was when i was restoring buildings in the Middle East. There the Land Cruiser was king (the Land Rovers of the day were total rubbish) and that car was pure genius. All it had was a solid chassis, basic 4X4 ability, and a great A/C. But even then it had electric mirrors and central locking. The Land Rover had an A/C condensor on the roof, which produced drips of water but no cooling. And the car broke down all the time. Heap! Anyway, The Duster... I would pefer steel wheels and I don't mind black placstic, but the Laureate offers alloys and painted bumpers...pity - but it also gives height adjustable seating for the driver, which I'm afraid I need, and Bluetooth, which I also need. Not want I'm afraid, need, for work. See how the price goes up! But I've gone for white too, it's the safest colour and the car looks good in it. Silver i can't bear and grey is just grey; the blues are poor. The Brazilians get a lovely olive green...pity! But white saves £475 so it's the best deal. In order to get the essential parking sensors (see how he price goes up) I have had to have a 'package' which also gives me an alarm and a mat in the boot, oh, and mudflaps and a bit of plakky on the rer bumper! Mmmm!? All up, with ESC and Traction Control, the price is £13,920. Not very cheap, but very competitive. That's not much more than a small hatchback, and with 0-60 in 11.7 and an average fuel consumption of 56mpg there doesn't seem to be much to complain about. The Duster has good forward visiblity too, and a very comfortable seat and driving position. What it hasn't got, that I don't want, are automatic lights and wipers, climate control, an automatic parking brake and a chilled glovebx. I neither need nor want any of those so consider their lack a real bonus. I don't need electric mrrors either, but it gets those! The 2X4 doesn't get a spare wheel so I'll have to pay extra for one of those - booo - keep the electric mirrors and give me a spare! Nothing is perfect though. Let's see. I've had some odd cars and I drive a Fiat Doblo at the moment. When i bought it (I loved it t fist sight) all my friends were astonished, for all the usual reasons, but when they got inside they were impressed, and when they rode in it they were very impressed indeed. If the Duster is only nearly as good as the Fiat I'll be very happy. PS. The new Fiats just don't tick the right boxes, that's why ;)) A friend has done 35000km in a Duster with no probelms and he loves it by the way. |
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New Thu 12 Jul 12 21:15
Dacia Duster - Iffy
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...the price is £13,920... Still cheap for a brand new car of this size in far from poverty spec. Although I'm surprised a man who bought a Doblo can't face saying Sportage in polite company. |
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New Thu 12 Jul 12 22:01
Dacia Duster - Nutter!
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Hee Hee! No, you see the Doblo is one of the great cars - I'm not joking either - whereas the Sportaaaage is a flash thing. The Doblo is a true example of form following function, after all it's a van really, and it delivers far more than it promises. It really is a very comfortable and roomy car which offers more true amenity than anything else I know. It cost me something like £11,000 nearly ten years ago and had never broken down. Yes, it has had a few replacements, mostly wear and tear, but I have no complaints. If it wasn't that I've done nearly 100,000 miles and that besides the old thing getting tired I have reasons for getting a new car, I'd be tempted to keep it. |
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New Thu 12 Jul 12 22:43
Dacia Duster - RattleandSmoke
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| What tax band are they in and how does that compare to the competition? |
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New Fri 13 Jul 12 00:04
Dacia Duster - Nutter!
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The 2X4 that I'm considering is band D - 130gm/km. That means £100 tax, which is £95 less than I'm paying now. The same engine (1.5 Diesel) in the 4X4 is band E -137gm/km. I think that's either £130 or £140 tax. Not sure. The 1.6 petrol is either band G or I, depending on the number of driven wheels, which is even more to pay of course, but it costs less to buy. I like Diesels because of the torque - 240 @ 1750rpm. I don't much like DPFs of course, but I do regular longish runs so I'm hoping that won't be a problem. No obvious competitor has a CO rating of less than 130, but I'm sure they will, and doubtless improve on it, but I can't wait for ever. And none of the rest have quite the same performance as the Duster, which is commendably light. If I could afford the new Mercedes A Class I could have the same 1.5 Renault engine, plus S&Stop and a few electronic tweaks, coming in at 99 CO/km! All I would need is another £10,000, and I still wouldn't get the ground clearance I want. And so the wheel of choosing revolves... |
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New Fri 13 Jul 12 07:46
Dacia Duster - Notdoctorchris
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Interesting aren't they, car running costs? The manufacturers of premium brand SUVs work so hard to reduce VED costs and to eke out that extra mile per gallon from a vehicle that can lose £5-10,000 in its first year and costs a fortune just in interest costs to purchase. The petrol-engined Dacia Duster is not economical and, in 4x4 form, the VED is £215 per year at present rates. However as Nutter says, the car is cheap to buy which more than makes up for the higher on-going costs. I'm lucky, I've got plenty of time on my hands. I rarely drive within the city, usually cycle, so urban fuel consumption is irrelevant. If motorway fuel consumption is too high then I will just cruise at 60-65 mph, I actually find it easier to drive at that speed than 10 mph faster. Interesting point from Nutter regarding how the interior feels in the Duster. There's no clutter. No storage spaces and cubbyholes. There's just simple trim and lots of space. That appeals to me a great deal. |
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New Fri 13 Jul 12 07:50
Dacia Duster - Notdoctorchris
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| By the way, Nutter, the front wheel drive version of the Duster has a flat boot floor, nowhere to put a spare. |
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New Fri 13 Jul 12 08:54
Dacia Duster - Nutter!
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Yes Notdoctochris, The lack of a spare wheel really bugged me, so I got in touch with Renault/Dacia and a really helpful bloke checked it out - we had a long converston - and rang me back yesterday to let me know that a full spare can be bought separately and slung underneath the 2X4 in the space that is obviously designed for it. It means buying the spare as an extra though, which miffs me a little/lot! I really wish we had the rear floorpan with the internal spare provision, but there you go, at least a proper spare wheel is possible to get. This is a deal breaker for me. As for storage, you probably know that we will be getting the revised dashboard which has two storage depressions on top of the dashboard, one quite large and handy. This extra space for torches, pens, spare glasses, extraneous kit and other bits is a real bonus for me. The revised interior also offers window switches on the doors rather than the dashboard, and a horn push on the steering wheel - hooray! - rather than on the end of a stalk as on the German car in the showrooms. The Russian and South American markets already have this new dash, but the Russians still get the horn push on the wiper switch, whereas the S Americans get it on the wheel centre, like we will. Odd, but there you are. In S America there is also the option of overhead storage running from the screen header towards the back of the car; very useful, but in that market the Duster is being marketed differently. They get an enhanced colour range too. Also, in S America, as in Russia and India for that matter, the car is marketed as a Renault. I have watched a host of YouTube videos and so I'm unnaturally aware of the different configuratons: totally nuts I guess, but it's fun! ;) Last edited by: Nutter! on Fri 13 Jul 12 at 08:56
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New Fri 13 Jul 12 09:40
Dacia Duster - oilburner
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Interesting the enthusiasm for this car. Clearly there is a huge pent up demand for simple, unpretentious motoring. Not my cup of tea at all, but I can see the appeal. OTOH, if they could put in a more powerful diesel engine at a low price (combined with base spec and 4WD) that could pull a decent sized caravan, I would seriously consider one as a no-nonsense workhorse, as would a lot of other folk I suspect. |
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New Fri 13 Jul 12 10:01
Dacia Duster - Nutter!
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I suppose it is meant to be a mid-size and light 4X4. If a more powerful engine was fitted it would mean a stronger gearbox and probably other mods - all adding to the costs. Who knows what the future will bring though. It looks like Renault is going to bring more Dacias in to compensate for the withdrawl of the Modus, Kangoo etc.. Having said that, some markets get a two litre petrol engine with 120bhp (I think) and the option of an automatic. These are not state of the art petrol engines though, but they are well-proven, easy to work on and robust, which is the point of the Duster really. Russian petrol is cheaper than here, as it tends to be in some S American markets, so Renault is trying hard to taylor the car to individual markets. Last edited by: Nutter! on Fri 13 Jul 12 at 10:01
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New Tue 15 Jan 13 13:22
Dacia Duster - Notdoctorchris
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My Dacia Duster Access, ordered on 29th June 2012, arrives at the dealer today and I'm going to have a look and test drive my own car tomorrow. I still have the option of cancelling the order and having my £100 deposit refunded if I'm not happy with the car. I've had plenty of time to research the car's shortcomings so I know that I need to pay particular attention to the low-geared steering, the gearbox ratios which are not ideal, the relatively poor petrol engine performance and high levels of wind and engine noise at motorway speeds. However, a good fall of snow here in Sunderland over the past 24 hours will help the assessment of the car (it's 4x4). More information to follow. |
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New Tue 15 Jan 13 13:31
Dacia Duster - Dog
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Does it start on the button doc, or do you have to use a handle? :-)) |
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New Tue 15 Jan 13 13:36
Dacia Duster - Zero
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| you waited 7 months for a Dacia? The world has gone mad. |
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New Tue 15 Jan 13 13:54
Dacia Duster - VxFan
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>> you waited 7 months for a Dacia? Perhaps Notdoctorchris is actually James May? |
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New Tue 15 Jan 13 14:10
Dacia Duster - Clk Sec
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| He could be - he's Notdoctorchris. |
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New Tue 15 Jan 13 14:47
Dacia Duster - Boxsterboy
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| These really are popular all over Europe now, and I think they will do well over here too. On a trip through France last month I saw quite a few car transporters loaded up with the new Dacia Lodgy. A much more odd-looking car - sort of like a smoothed out Fiat Doblo-cum-Postman Pat van. Unlike the Duster it is not my cup of tea. |
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New Tue 15 Jan 13 14:56
Dacia Duster - Armel Coussine
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| Duster is perfectly pleasant looking, relatively simple and very cheap. It may not be ideal for doing Paris to Monte Carlo in time for an early dinner, but one seldom wants to do things like that these days. A well sorted petrol one could suit us very well if we needed a car. One would have to drive some to make sure, but my guess is that it's perfectly all right. There's a lot to be said for buying new although I've only ever done it once. |
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New Tue 15 Jan 13 15:45
Dacia Duster - Notdoctorchris
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>> >> Perhaps Notdoctorchris is actually James May? >> I share my motoring philosophy with James May and I'm moving to the Duster from a Fiat Panda. |
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New Tue 15 Jan 13 16:35
Dacia Duster - Dutchie
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| The car should be fine chris.You be treating it like a baby and it will run forever.Cant beat the little Panda do.Daughter got one and I like to drive it small tyres stick to the road better than the wide tyres of the Focus in snowy weather. |
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New Wed 16 Jan 13 17:54
Dacia Duster - Notdoctorchris
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Well I'm delighted to report that I have test driven my own Dacia Duster Access 4x4 today at Evans Halshaw in Sunderland. I was able to negotiate an excellent trade-in deal and will collect my new car when my personal number plate has been transferred, probably in 7-10 days. Firstly, to introduce myself, so that my comments below can be read in context. To be honest I'm a bit of a boring old fart these days. Think James May and you will have an insight into my motoring philosophy and driving style. I almost always adhere to speed limits and cruise on the motorway at an indicated 65mph (actual 60mph, just fast enough to keep out of the way of HGVs). I've never lusted after fast or powerful cars, don't see the point of them on British roads. However I've driven a wide variety of 4x4s, most of them in serious off road conditions. My present car is a Fiat Panda Cross, a rather rare diesel-engined version of the Panda 4x4. It's no ball of fire and has a rather bumpy ride but fits into the tiniest gap and is a whole lot of fun on snow and ice! My first impression of my new car was of a smart, gleaming white vehicle reflecting the snow off its surroundings. I was delighted to see white-painted bumpers, matching the bodywork. I was expecting to unlock the car by turning the key in the lock but found it had a remote button on the key. Opening the boot, instead of a flimsy fabric boot cover there was a nicely made solid cover in a pale grey colour. I slid into the driver's seat and immediately felt comfortable with minimal adjustments. I was surprised to find a height adjustment on the steering wheel. The engine started easily and made little noise at tickover or on pulling away. First gear is low, certainly and I suspect a well run in car could set off on level ground in second gear. However, it isn't a problem to slip into second gear as soon as the car is moving. I found that I needed to wait until 3000rpm before changing up a gear, usually I change up at 2000rpm, but the gearbox was slick and easy to use. The car does not have swift acceleration but keeps up with normal traffic and is relaxing to drive and not at all frantic. Cornering is safe and predictable. The ride is excellent. I specifically drove on a route that included speed bumps which I crossed at 30mph in comfort. It reminded me of the original Renault Megane which has always been my benchmark for ride comfort, very French! We took the car onto the dual carriageway and accelerated up to just over 70mph. The previously reported wind and road noise was muted, conversation at normal vocal volume quite easy. My 23 year old son was sitting in the rear seat and liked the legroom, the comfort and he found the car quiet. I felt totally relaxed at all times and could have easily driven down from Sunderland to Somerset (over 300 miles and a drive I frequently do). The interior was a very nice place to be. I can't really expand on that, it just felt right, durable, comfortable. Arriving back at the dealers I deliberately chose to reverse into a parking space. It was a little more difficult than in my present Fiat Panda and I did stop the car a couple of feet short of where I really wanted to be. I found reversing was best judged using the door mirrors but I'm comfortable with that having had past experience driving vans and light trucks. The mirrors are plenty big enough and well-positioned. A word now in praise of my dealer. They have communicated well with me since I placed my order in June 2012 and have always been honest and straight. I feel that the lack of information about delivery of the Duster lies with Dacia themselves. The salesman let the car sell itself. All aspects of the deal I made were fully explained and there was no hard sell of any extras. I feel I have found an absolute bargain of a car which I will thoroughly enjoy owning and driving. Now, can't wait to pick up the car and install a radio, speakers, mats, roof cross bars. I love tinkering! |
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New Wed 16 Jan 13 18:08
Dacia Duster - Stuu
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We have been mulling over one of these. We will certainly by the end of the year be in need of a bigger car and this certainly ticks all the boxes. Originally we wanted a 3 year old Ceed estate but having looked at one, you need to stoop quite a bit to get into it with a child and I dont much fancy that, nor does my wife, so we wondered if a Duster would be a good long term car. Im half sold on the reliability bit, but I still have my doubts and if we are going to pay £13k for a top of the range diesel, we dont fancy too much messing about with dealers if bits are going to fall off so I look forward to hearing if it is more reliable than a typical Renault. Im still annoyed you cant get air con on the mid-range models as an option - I dont mind steel wheels and the basic spec you can get on the petrol, infact I would prefer it, but diesels are only mid spec upwards ( clearly to empty your pockets more as a basic diesel would sell like mad at around £10k ). It is one of those cars with headline low prices that is missing alot of useful kit unless you get the ( relatively ) expensive model. Even so it is still cheap at the price. |
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New Thu 21 Feb 13 08:42
Dacia Duster - Notdoctorchris
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Time to revive this Dacia Duster thread again. I've owned my Dacia Duster Access 4WD for 24 days now and have clocked up nearly 1,700 miles. Those miles have included wet and dry motorway, mud-covered Cornish single track lanes, flooded Cumbrian roads and urban motoring. I'm delighted with my choice of car, on the whole. Let me share the Duster experience with you all. First Impressions I feel the car looks very good in a simple and understated way. The plain, unadorned white bodywork with black plastic fittings and steel wheels has a utilitarian appeal, an almost military toughness to it. I parked next to a white Landrover Evoque the other day and was appalled by its brashness in comparison. The interior is again simple in plain, dark colours but looks very hard-wearing. Driving This is, for me, an easy car to drive but then I have a very relaxed driving style and have driven all sorts of vehicles over the past 37 years. Someone in their twenties driving this vehicle might find it slow, with a light front end and a bit of a handful on winding country roads. They might object to changing down a gear or two more often than they are used to. They might find it disconcerting when a wheel hits a pothole and temporarily takes a direction of its own. These characteristics are a challenge to me and part of the, almost retro, fun of the Duster. However, it glides along on the motorway at the 65 mph which I favour and has the road presence to keep other drivers at bay. It takes speed humps in its stride in a very French way. Build Quality A cheap car but oh so solid feeling. No squeaks or rattles, nothing falling off. Solidity is so hard to define but you know it's there. Who cares whether the plastics are hard or soft as long as they are durable and fit well. Are panel gaps important? Not really as long as those panels don't rust and shrug off supermarket bumps. Costs Insurance at a similar level to my 4x4 Panda. 36 mpg on the motorway now that it's run in. 46% retained value after 3 years. Overall Impression This is a big, old armchair of a car with an enormous wardrobe attached to the back of it. Throw everything you need and probably a lot that you don't in the back and set off for Europe, Africa even, and nothing will stop it arriving at your destination. Carry that fantasy with you as you chug around the city in traffic jams and you just cannot get frustrated or angry. It's almost therapy on wheels! |
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New Thu 21 Feb 13 09:34
Dacia Duster - Dog
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You must be doctorchris then Notdoctorchris: www.honestjohn.co.uk/carbycar/dacia/duster-2012/?section=owners-reviews :} |
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New Fri 22 Feb 13 06:23
Dacia Duster - Notdoctorchris
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>> You must be doctorchris then Notdoctorchris: >> I am but I no longer work as a doctor, hence change of name. I've escaped from the biggest lunatic asylum in the World, aka the NHS, yippee!! |
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New Fri 22 Feb 13 07:18
Dacia Duster - Dog
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>>I've escaped from the biggest lunatic asylum in the World, aka the NHS, yippee!!<< I keep well away from Docs, Notdoc - no offence intended mind. |
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New Fri 22 Feb 13 10:07
Dacia Duster - VxFan
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>> I keep well away from Docs What about vets? ;) |
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New Fri 22 Feb 13 11:20
Dacia Duster - Dog
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| Grrrrrrr! |
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New Thu 21 Feb 13 09:56
Dacia Duster - DP
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Enjoy the car. Sounds like a cracker. I will be very interested to see what the Renault engineering under the skin is like at about 4 years old though. That's my only concern having been badly bitten by a Renault of the generation this car's platform is derived from. The idea of some aspects of Renault engineering with cost-cutting applied to it is horrifying. Hopefully this is a false perception and the Dacia designers and engineers were responsible for these bits. |
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New Thu 21 Feb 13 10:24
Dacia Duster - Mike Hannon
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>>It takes speed humps in its stride in a very French way.<< Would you mind expanding on that a little? |
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New Thu 21 Feb 13 11:40
Dacia Duster - kb
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>> >>It takes speed humps in its stride in a very French way.<< >> >> Would you mind expanding on that a little? >> He means whenever you hit a bump you leave a few onions and garlic bulbs on the road and the authorities threaten to strike prior to sweeping them up. |
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New Thu 21 Feb 13 11:14
Dacia Duster - -
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''They might find it disconcerting when a wheel hits a pothole and temporarily takes a direction of its own. '' That bit disconcerts me, i assume yours is the 4WD version, is it full time 4WD ie permanent split front rear or does it bring in the rear drive only when needed? The ability to simply go where its pointed without the slightest deviation following pot hole or other road undulation mid corner or anywhere is the strongest point of SWMBO's Outlander. Can't quite work out why your new Duster should be unsettled by such, big proper tyres it should ride all but the worse with abandon. Enjoyed the write up NotDr, thanks, i too will be watching progress with interest, always thought there was an untapped market for no frills cars (me too), i hope this spurs other makers on to similar. |
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New Thu 21 Feb 13 11:34
Dacia Duster - Stuartli
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| Recall driving the original Dacia Duster - it was a true load of carp...:-) Hopefully this one is far superior. |
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New Thu 21 Feb 13 11:42
Dacia Duster - Notdoctorchris
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I find that French cars seem to glide over speed bumps rather than buck back and forth! The new generation is nothing like the ARO version imported in the 80s. I think I exaggerated the pothole thing. It's more a bit of a shimmy and the big wheels and tyres do cope very well. Mine's 4WD but unless the roads are really wet, snowy or icy I keep it in front-wheel drive for fuel economy reasons. |
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New Thu 21 Feb 13 16:14
Dacia Duster - -
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Mine's 4WD but unless the roads are really wet, snowy or icy I keep it in front-wheel drive for fuel economy reasons.>> Does it have a normal centre diff so you can if you wish drive on purely wet roads without fear of transmission wind up such as would be found with a standard pick up or old fashioned 4WD, where selecting front drive effectively locks the front/rear drive? I'd be interested if you notice grip/handling improve as the tyres scrub in, what are they incidentally?. My new lorry has just covered 8000kms and the tyres are now starting to grip properly felt a bit like driving a plate of tripe for a while especially before i found the exact spot for the 5th wheel, i found the tyres on the Hilux took about 2000 miles to bed in. Did it come with a radio or did you put one in yourself, i'm much happier fitting my own, invariably much better than the usual junk thrown in the majority of mass produced vehicles. |
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New Thu 21 Feb 13 17:28
Dacia Duster - Notdoctorchris
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>> Does it have a normal centre diff so you can if you wish drive on >> purely wet roads without fear of transmission wind up such as would be found with >> a standard pick up or old fashioned 4WD, where selecting front drive effectively locks the >> front/rear drive? The 4WD system is sourced from Nissan and is switched electronically from within the cabin, using an elctromagnetic torque convertor. So it has locked front wheel drive, variable 4WD according to grip or locked 50/50 split for off road use. No transmission wind-up in any setting. >> >> I'd be interested if you notice grip/handling improve as the tyres scrub in, what are >> they incidentally?. Tyres are Continental CrossContact LX. Described as M+S but road-biased and not a Winter tyre. I feel the tyres do grip better now a few miles have been covered. >> Did it come with a radio or did you put one in yourself, i'm much >> happier fitting my own, invariably much better than the usual junk thrown in the majority >> of mass produced vehicles. >> No radio fitted, or speakers but wiring was there. I've fitted a fairly functional head unit from Aldi! and some fairly good speakers. It adds to the fun, installing these things. Wiring adaptor had to be sourced from Germany via Ebay! |
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New Thu 21 Feb 13 18:12
Dacia Duster - -
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''Tyres are Continental CrossContact LX.'' Hardly the cheaper end of the market as one might have expected. Keep us up to date as things progress if you'd be so good Doc, one of the most interesting cars (to me at least) launched in recent memory. Course if i get one it'll be straight down to my local converter chappie for an LPG tank and system..;) edit...''locked 50/50 split for off road use. No transmission wind-up in any setting''. Don't see how that can be, if its locked 50/50 how can it allow for different radii front/rear?, or am i as usual missing something. Last edited by: gordonbennet on Thu 21 Feb 13 at 18:14
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New Thu 21 Feb 13 18:27
Dacia Duster - Londoner
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>> Course if i get one it'll be straight down to my local converter chappie for >> an LPG tank and system..;) >> "Money for Nothing" - the gordonbennet version. :-) I need my .... I need my .. LPG. . . . |
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New Thu 21 Feb 13 18:34
Dacia Duster - -
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>> I need my .. LPG. Tee hee, addictive stuff yernow, i get a warm glow inside every time i fill up knowing dick turpin hasn't relieved me of 80p'ish (already PAYE'd) for each litre. The way things are going we'll have about 10p left out of each pound after all taxes are accounted for, every little the beast doesn't get helps. |
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New Thu 21 Feb 13 19:55
Dacia Duster - Notdoctorchris
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>> edit...''locked 50/50 split for off road use. No transmission wind-up in any setting''. >> >> Don't see how that can be, if its locked 50/50 how can it allow for >> different radii front/rear?, or am i as usual missing something. >> Maybe "locked" is not the best term. Fixed 50/50 split, the torque convertor allows necessary slippage. |
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New Thu 21 Feb 13 17:02
Dacia Duster - corax
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>> ''They might find it disconcerting when a wheel hits a pothole and temporarily takes a >> direction of its own. '' Have you checked the wishbone bushes and top mounts? |
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New Thu 21 Feb 13 17:30
Dacia Duster - Notdoctorchris
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>> Have you checked the wishbone bushes and top mounts? >> I think I probably exaggerated matters a bit. I'm sure there's no fault and it's just a characteristic of the car. |
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New Thu 21 Feb 13 11:46
Dacia Duster - Zero
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>> arriving at your destination. Carry that fantasy with you as you chug around the city >> in traffic jams and you just cannot get frustrated or angry. Actually, it sounds like it would make me very frustrated and angry. >>It's almost therapy on >> wheels! Sounds like that what you would need driving one. How do you get the guaranteed 46% retained value? is it on a lease and that what they offer you in part ex for a new on, or do you think that what you would get if you flogged it? |
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New Thu 21 Feb 13 15:58
Dacia Duster - Notdoctorchris
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>> >> >> arriving at your destination. Carry that fantasy with you as you chug around the >> city >> >> in traffic jams and you just cannot get frustrated or angry. >> >> >> Actually, it sounds like it would make me very frustrated and angry. >> >> >>It's almost therapy on >> >> wheels! >> >> Sounds like that what you would need driving one. >> >> >> How do you get the guaranteed 46% retained value? is it on a lease and >> that what they offer you in part ex for a new on, or do you >> think that what you would get if you flogged it? >> Curmudgeonly old comments will not spoil my enjoyment of my new Tonka toy! 46% retained value is taken from What Car website. I don't do leasing, always buy outright in cash! |
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New Thu 21 Feb 13 17:26
Dacia Duster - Zero
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>> Curmudgeonly old comments will not spoil my enjoyment of my new Tonka toy! >> 46% retained value is taken from What Car website. Just to make the hat-trick in C-O-C, you are gonna be severely disappointed in that front as well. |
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New Thu 21 Feb 13 17:34
Dacia Duster - Notdoctorchris
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>> Just to make the hat-trick in C-O-C, you are gonna be severely disappointed in that >> front as well. >> Not really bothered, I will probably keep this vehicle to the end of its or my life, whichever comes first! Failing that I will pass it on to whichever family member is next looking for a load-lugging truck. |
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New Thu 21 Feb 13 17:43
Dacia Duster - Armel Coussine
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Sounds excellent from yr description Ndc, solid rugged inoffensive simple roomy non-flash transport. You say nothing of engine and road noise though. I assume they are acceptable? Pay no attention to Zero's envious carping. He aspires very reasonably to a nice new Jaguar XF but is stuck with a gutless old 1600cc Mitsubishi. Enough to make a saint swear so to speak. |
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New Thu 21 Feb 13 18:05
Dacia Duster - Londoner
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>> Pay no attention to Zero's envious carping. He aspires very reasonably to a nice new >> Jaguar XF but is stuck with a gutless old 1600cc Mitsubishi. Enough to make a >> saint swear so to speak. >> Are you equating Zero with a saint? ;-) If so, of what would he be the "Patron Saint", I wonder? It would have to be something to which he has an emotional connection. My guess would be "Patron Saint of Locomotive Photographers" . |
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New Thu 21 Feb 13 20:03
Dacia Duster - Runfer D'Hills
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Southern Saint... www.saint.org/images/blogger/saints-logo-1944-768446.jpg Last edited by: Humph D'Bout on Thu 21 Feb 13 at 20:04
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New Thu 21 Feb 13 20:06
Dacia Duster - Zero
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| From a bloke who wears a skirt.... |
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New Thu 21 Feb 13 20:01
Dacia Duster - Notdoctorchris
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>> You say nothing of engine and road noise though. I assume they are acceptable? >> Petrol engine is quiet and smooth. There is tyre and wind noise but I'm used to motorway cruising in a diesel Panda 4x4 so the Duster is very acceptable after that. Oh, and I think I'm a bit deaf these days, or so my children say as they request that I turn down the volume on my TV. |
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New Tue 12 Mar 13 11:16
Dacia Duster - TeeCee
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>> The Doblo is a true example of form following function >> Only if the function you require is for it to be able to stand in for a warthog's backside in a photoshoot.......:-} |
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New Sun 24 Feb 13 13:26
Dacia Duster - Old Navy
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>> Well I've just put my pre-order in for one. Have you seen the Dacia Owners Club / Forum website ? Lots of "How to" information about fitting the extras packs that the dealers charge over the top for fitting, also places to buy the kit for less than the UK dealers are charging. |
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New Fri 22 Feb 13 15:23
Dacia Duster - hawkeye
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And how do you think of the name? Do you pronounce it 'Datchya' as the manufacturers would have you do so? Or do you pronounce it as I used to in my uneducated way, 'Dayssier'? (Apologies for the phonetic spelling) |
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New Fri 22 Feb 13 15:30
Dacia Duster - Armel Coussine
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| Daysher. It isn't 'uneducated' to anglicise pronunciation of certain foreign words and names. Indeed it often sounds pretentious not to. It sounds silly when an English person says 'Paree' or 'Ghuhnoh' instead of Parriss and Renno. |
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New Fri 22 Feb 13 16:21
Dacia Duster - Dog
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>>Or do you pronounce it as I used to in my uneducated way, 'Dayssier'?<< That's how I would pronounce it, whether it's right or rong. |
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New Fri 22 Feb 13 18:22
Dacia Duster - Notdoctorchris
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An interesting issue, the pronunciation of Dacia. My research suggests that the ancient kingdom of Dacia was conquered by the Romans and certainly Romanian is a language that I find to be very like Latin. Therefore maybe we should go back to the Latin pronunciation which would be something like Dakeea. This would be confusing however. I think Dayseer is wrong however and confusing. If Dacia is used as a girl's name it can be pronounced Daysha, which is more elegant. However I favour the modern Romanian pronunciation which approximates to Datchya. |
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New Fri 22 Feb 13 18:30
Dacia Duster - Avant
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We can say what we like on here, but the great majority will pronounce it to rhyme with 'racier' as that's the easiest, least artificial way to pronounce it. As said above, there's nothing wrong with Anglicising foreign words - although I'm always curious as to why most of us pronounce Renault and Peugeot as French words - but not Citroën. |
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New Fri 22 Feb 13 19:08
Dacia Duster - Dutchie
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Andre Citroen's grandfathers name was Limoeman a diamond dealer from Amsterdam. His son shared the same profession and moved to Paris.He changed his name to Citroen because it was easier to say for the French.When Andre went to school his teacher added the two dots above the e.As a 22 year old he showed no interest in Engineering more in design.That interest came later hence the car Citroen. |
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New Fri 22 Feb 13 19:13
Dacia Duster - Old Navy
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| I kicked the tyres of a Duster today, the salesman who pounced on me told me that the 4X4 system had been lifted from the Nissan Xtrail. The car does have a "Tonka" appearance, I would hope it is as durable, a 5 year / 60,000 mile warranty is £395 and a 7 year / 100,000 mile warranty can be purchased for £850. (I have a brochure) :-) |
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New Fri 22 Feb 13 19:13
Dacia Duster - Londoner
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>> As said above, there's nothing wrong with Anglicising foreign words - although I'm always curious >> as to why most of us pronounce Renault and Peugeot as French words - but >> not Citroën. >> Funny that. Other manufacturers names get anglicized as well, e.g Skoda ("Shkodda"), Volkswagen ("Folks-Vagen"), Hyundai ("Hee-undai"). Also, "Mazda" is a deliberate Anglicisation (or at least, internationalization) by the company itself of the actual Japanese name, I believe. That's all OK with me. The only ones that grate with me are the two Americanisations of Jaguar ("Jag-war"), and Coupe ("Coop"). |
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New Fri 22 Feb 13 19:42
Dacia Duster - Boxsterboy
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| And then there's Audi, commonly rhyming with 'howdy' when spoken in English, whereas it should be pronounced like 'Or-dee'. |
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New Fri 22 Feb 13 21:04
Dacia Duster - Armel Coussine
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>> there's Audi, commonly rhyming with 'howdy' when spoken in English, whereas it should be pronounced like 'Or-dee'. I think you may be wrong there Bb. |
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New Sun 24 Feb 13 15:05
Dacia Duster - Boxsterboy
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>> >> there's Audi, commonly rhyming with 'howdy' when spoken in English, whereas it should be >> pronounced like 'Or-dee'. >> >> I think you may be wrong there Bb. >> Well that's how my Germn mother-in-law pronounces it. But to be fair she knows very little about cars. |
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New Tue 12 Mar 13 10:22
Dacia Duster - Ambo
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>> >> there's Audi, commonly rhyming with 'howdy' when spoken in English, whereas it should be >> pronounced like 'Or-dee'. >> >> I think you may be wrong there Bb. >> >> Well that's how my Germn mother-in-law pronounces it. But to be fair she knows very little about cars. au is usualy pronounced ow in German so, for example, you can buy a Brown (Braun) shaver, not a Brawn one (but a UK dealer would called it Brown, anyway). |
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New Fri 22 Feb 13 22:32
Dacia Duster - Londoner
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>> And then there's Audi, commonly rhyming with 'howdy' when spoken in English, whereas it should >> be pronounced like 'Or-dee'. >> I thought that it was pronounced "To$$er" |
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New Fri 22 Feb 13 22:39
Dacia Duster - Mike H
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>> Other manufacturers names get anglicized as well, e.g Skoda ("Shkodda"), Volkswagen ("Folks-Vagen"), Hyundai ("Hee-undai"). >> Erm, dunno about the others, but "Folks-Vagen" is a pretty accurate interpretation of the correct pronunciation, as long as the "o" in Folks is as in "bolts" and the "a" in Vagen as in the "au" in "laugh"...... |
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New Sat 23 Feb 13 00:23
Dacia Duster - Dutchie
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| More like Folks Wagen as in W having a whatever. |
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New Sun 24 Feb 13 15:09
Dacia Duster - Lygonos
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German 'W' is the same as English 'V'. At least it was 30yrs ago when I did O-Grade. |
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New Sun 24 Feb 13 15:20
Dacia Duster - Armel Coussine
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>> German 'W' is the same as English 'V'. Yes, and German initial V like English F. So, 'Folksvahgen'. |
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New Fri 22 Feb 13 20:07
Dacia Duster - Dog
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Chap I used to work with in the early 70's told me Peugeot was pronounced Peggot. I didn't know any different back then, so I believed him. |
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New Tue 12 Mar 13 11:12
Dacia Duster - TeeCee
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Yes, but it was originally called Dacia by the, er, Dacians who had their own language. What you see now is the result of the kingdom of Dacia fighting an on/off war with Rome for many, many years. Their troops and the terrain were highly unfavourable to the Roman legion system and the Dacian wars proved something of a meat grinder for the Romans. It didn't help that, every time it looked like the Romans had the upper hand, the Dacians would sue for peace and agree to pay tribute. This state of affairs usually only lasted until just after the Romans had gone home again. Eventually the Emperor Trajan went in mob-handed and stuffed 'em good 'n proper. He renamed the place "Romania" (land of the Romans) and remade society there as a Latin speaking Roman culture, as a heavy hint to anyone else entertaining ideas of sticking it to the Empire. |
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New Thu 21 Mar 13 09:19
Dacia Duster - Old Navy
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| The pronunciation problem will soon be solved, there will be a Nissan badge engineered version of the Duster. Not surprising as Nissan and Renault are the same outfit these days. |
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New Thu 21 Mar 13 09:39
Dacia Duster - Old Navy
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This is the source of the story. indianautosblog.com/2013/03/nissan-duster-to-grace-the-indian-roads-sooner-than-expected-68358 I wonder if we will see it in the UK? Last edited by: Old Navy on Thu 21 Mar 13 at 09:42
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New Thu 21 Mar 13 09:52
Dacia Duster - Dog
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>>Not surprising as Nissan and Renault are the same outfit these days And that is what puts me orf the idea of buying a used Qq. |
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New Thu 21 Mar 13 10:59
Dacia Duster - Old Navy
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| I think Renault / Nissan / Dacia are trying to do a VW / AUDI / SEAT / Skoda type setup, good old British Leyland / BMC / Austin / Morris / Wolseley / Riley etc. plan. :-) |
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New Thu 21 Mar 13 11:55
Dacia Duster - Notdoctorchris
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I like the looks of my Duster but do not like the sketches of the Nissan version. I suspect they are only a design exercise, however and won't make it into production. As the thread has been revived, I thought I might update those who are interested on my ownership. My Duster Access 4x4 has covered more than 3,000 miles now, in just under 8 weeks. It's natural environment is undoubtedly pot-holed, flooded, mud-smeared or snow-covered country roads. It rides smoothly and confidently through such conditions. It's also very happy in a town or city. It's not a car to cruise with on the motorway at 80+mph. The only problem I've had was wiper blades which smeared the screen badly. A few owners have noticed this. Mine were replaced by the dealer with no argument. There are no squeaks or rattles and the car still feels solidly built. Chocolate and butter, smeared on the rear seats, wiped off with a damp cloth. The white paintwork gets very grubby from the current filthy roads buts cleans up beautifully still. Long journeys leave me feeling relaxed and comfortable, without the back pain my Panda 4x4 used to induce. So, I'm still pleased with my purchase and willing to recommend it as a tough workhorse of a vehicle for families, tradesmen and dog owners! |
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New Thu 21 Mar 13 12:06
Dacia Duster - -
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Thanks for the update NonDoc, hows the fuel usage now you've got a few thou under your belt please, particularly local running and mixed road stuff which is 90% of our use? I like the sound of its rough road ride quality, want to see how the suspension bushes shockers etc stand up to long term use, Northamptonshires battered roads could test any vehicle to destruction. Keep the reports coming please. |
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New Thu 21 Mar 13 12:53
Dacia Duster - Old Navy
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>> Thanks for the update NonDoc, >> >> Keep the reports coming please. >> Yes, please, I am sure I am not the only potential owner, I will not be replacing the Ceed for a couple of years But the info will be helpful. GB, I would not be too bothered by the suspension, it has been on sale in Russia and India and other places with roads almost as bad as ours for a few years, it is only new to the UK. A multitude of spares and accessories are available from continental suppliers. |
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New Thu 21 Mar 13 13:01
Dacia Duster - -
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A multitude of spares and>> accessories are available from continental suppliers. Thats good to know Navy, over the years i've found some cars to have non replaceable joints bushes etc, often enough the model i own...;) where what should have been a simple cheap £15 ball joint replacement becomes a £250* wishbone due to a welded in bottom swivel. *over £1000 now on some air sprung MB models, if you can believe it. I have great hopes for the Duster, hoping that the cheap to buy turns out to be cheap to maintain long term too. ''roads almost as bad as ours '' :-)))) ooh yes i like that one straight for throat, don't bite yer tongue Navy you'll poison yerself.;) Last edited by: gordonbennet on Thu 21 Mar 13 at 13:03
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New Thu 21 Mar 13 13:04
Dacia Duster - Old Navy
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:-) www.shopdacia.com/ Just one, there are others. Last edited by: Old Navy on Thu 21 Mar 13 at 13:09
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New Thu 21 Mar 13 13:10
Dacia Duster - Old Navy
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Missed the edit - www.lzparts.de/index.php?page=categorie&cat=2 The next car research has started. :-) Last edited by: Old Navy on Thu 21 Mar 13 at 13:12
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New Thu 21 Mar 13 13:21
Dacia Duster - -
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>> www.shopdacia.com/ Very useful, lots of Lemforder pattern joints and bushes. |
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New Thu 21 Mar 13 14:51
Dacia Duster - Old Navy
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EDIT Duff link. Last edited by: Old Navy on Thu 21 Mar 13 at 14:55
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New Thu 21 Mar 13 15:24
Dacia Duster - Notdoctorchris
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The only mpg figures I'm sure of are for motorway at 65 mph mixed with A roads where I get 36 mpg. I suspect that local journeys and mixed roads will probably see this drop to around 32 mpg. |
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New Thu 21 Mar 13 17:34
Dacia Duster - mattbod
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Duster does look cracking value and these and the Sandero and Logan have proved themselves in Europe with those who want a hardy and no frills car. My only worry, as others have said, would be depreciation in badge conscious UK.>> The only mpg figures I'm sure of are for motorway at 65 mph mixed with >> A roads where I get 36 mpg. >> I suspect that local journeys and mixed roads will probably see this drop to around >> 32 mpg. >> |
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