RE: Dacia Duster: PH Fleet
Discussion
Truckosaurus said:
The Duster does seem to have a double-DIN sized hole for the radio, so you're probably better off buying an aftermarket headunit that has Carplay/AndroidAuto on it, and then running Waze/Google Maps/etc on it instead.
Much more 'future proof' too if you are planning on keeping your Duster for any length of time.
Agreed. The Dacias come with the LG MediaNav, now with DAB, as an option. It does the job, but map upgrades after the first free one are £70 or so, there's a tendency to stutter on BlueTooth media playback, and some iphone owners find pairing tricky. Low position of MediaNav is distracting as you have to look at it to use touch screen. Much more 'future proof' too if you are planning on keeping your Duster for any length of time.
I have the Logan MCV with MediaNav, a local breaker had a cheaps 'standard' classic CD radio to try, that has much better sound quality than the MediaNav, and 'real buttons'. Sold MediaNav for £220, so that was Ok. Fitted stick-on Garmin. All is good. Twin-cone OEM door speakers [were] are supplied by JBL.
Radios are updated for 2017 models, so this may no longer apply.
I still haven't found a replacement double-din Nav unit to fit, there are a lot of £150 Android/WinCE models around, that may or may not work with the steering wheel control stalk but don't appeal. So you pays yer money, etc, etc.
Interesting discussion on 2WD v. 4WD Dusters, the 4WD is more expensive, and some say the extra torque of the diesel suits it better for four-wheeling. Downsides are that Dusters are not 'aerodynamic' and there are reports of 35 mpg for the petrol versions.
After a month of prevarication over 'which Duster' I realised that I'd only used the 4WD on my previous car once in three years, was bored with <40 MPG fuel consumption and £280 a year VED, don't use farm tracks, and so bought the 2WD Logan MCV Lauréate DCi. It's getting 65 mpg, and no VED at the moment. Lauréate spec is very full, electric windows all round, height adjustable seat, and so on.
There's a new Logan Stepway estate with raised ride-height coming 'soon', if you like that sort of thing. Otherwise I love the car for its economy, load space and motorway grunt. Don't miss the E Class estate much.
Duster owners seem v. happy with their cars, other than the early batch of 2013 cars, which had the Indian rust problem, and a few with chocolate clutch plates. Niggles over water leaks on 2013/2014 cars from scuttle and air-con drains, or rear door inner membrane seals. DCi models need a timing belt at six years (£700). All the petrols are chain driven, but with eight extra valves.
Edited by Slushbox on Wednesday 1st February 08:35
Toaster Pilot said:
seiben said:
Did you spec the tow bar? I can't seem to find the option on the Dacia website 
It's part of one of the accessory packs which aren't available on the Access model. Can be bought separately though and they often come up second hand on eBay....
Annoyingly the residuals on these seem to be pretty strong, so (like many I suspect) I'm going to have to wait a few years before I can justify one as a third car/tow car. I'd probably aim for a mid-range DCi 4x4 and investigate a remap of some sort...
corden said:
I don't know why, but the picture of that duster with an exoskeleton, and the one serious off-roading reminds me of the pictures of Putin topless on a horse and riding a bear... It may look badass, but it's just cheap tat masquerading as something it isn't.
If youre going to rip it up offroad..are they really so much worse than Freelanders?
Considering how much cheaper they are...
SystemParanoia said:
corden said:
I don't know why, but the picture of that duster with an exoskeleton, and the one serious off-roading reminds me of the pictures of Putin topless on a horse and riding a bear... It may look badass, but it's just cheap tat masquerading as something it isn't.
If youre going to rip it up offroad..are they really so much worse than Freelanders?
Considering how much cheaper they are.
t? 
doh! 
seiben said:
Thanks TP. Tried a few different specs and couldn't see it, but they're not expensive to buy separately.
Annoyingly the residuals on these seem to be pretty strong, so (like many I suspect) I'm going to have to wait a few years before I can justify one as a third car/tow car. I'd probably aim for a mid-range DCi 4x4 and investigate a remap of some sort...
The DCi's respond well to the common-rail tuning boxes like the BlueSpark and others. It's a variable vane Honeywell turbo on the Dusters. DCi's also get an up-rated transmission for the extra torque. Annoyingly the residuals on these seem to be pretty strong, so (like many I suspect) I'm going to have to wait a few years before I can justify one as a third car/tow car. I'd probably aim for a mid-range DCi 4x4 and investigate a remap of some sort...
RenesisEvo said:
PH - any chance of this being brought along to the Prodrive Sunday Service? a) I'd love to see it/sit in it b) we can have strange fantasies about just what Prodrive could do to a Duster...
Erm... possibly. It depends a bit on how things pan out from a logistical point of view as I can't make it to Prodrive and the car is likely to be at my house. But we'll try! If not, it'll certainly be at other Sunday Services soon.
JD
James Drake said:
Erm... possibly. It depends a bit on how things pan out from a logistical point of view as I can't make it to Prodrive and the car is likely to be at my house. But we'll try!
If not, it'll certainly be at other Sunday Services soon.
JD
Thanks for at least trying, I'll treat its presence as a nice bonus.If not, it'll certainly be at other Sunday Services soon.
JD
exelero said:
Beats a tank off road tho..
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Cu0vs9wWzCk
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Cu0vs9wWzCk
Wish I'd ordered the 4x4 now for all those snowy mountain roads I need to ascend in the South West
Gassing Station | General Gassing | Top of Page | What's New | My Stuff