Dacia Duster. My streets full of them...
Discussion
I'm not surprised the French love them, its pretty cool that they don't give a monkeys about the badge. The 2-300 euros they save a month versus an X3 is a few meals out a month for them.
Slightly off topic, I do find it a little odd how comments about French cars being unreliable are not uncommon yet it doesn't seem to be much of a talking point in the context of the Duster. I am aware its assembled in Romania but the car (I think) is largely French underpinnings. Correct me if I am wrong here. I happen to subscribe to the view that modern French cars are not significantly better or worse reliability wise than anything else made in Europe.
Slightly off topic, I do find it a little odd how comments about French cars being unreliable are not uncommon yet it doesn't seem to be much of a talking point in the context of the Duster. I am aware its assembled in Romania but the car (I think) is largely French underpinnings. Correct me if I am wrong here. I happen to subscribe to the view that modern French cars are not significantly better or worse reliability wise than anything else made in Europe.
MC Bodge said:
Sandero/Stepway appear to be very popular around the Manchester area.
As someone who has a now 9 year old car and a 12 year old car in the household and don't feel the need to lease new ones, I agree with the approach of many of our fellow Europeans.
The cars cost buttons to own and I don't worry in the slightest about getting them dirty or where I leave them.
Car as owned status symbol will possibly decline over the next couple of decades.
Proper LOLAs someone who has a now 9 year old car and a 12 year old car in the household and don't feel the need to lease new ones, I agree with the approach of many of our fellow Europeans.
The cars cost buttons to own and I don't worry in the slightest about getting them dirty or where I leave them.
Car as owned status symbol will possibly decline over the next couple of decades.
Edited by MC Bodge on Monday 26th November 12:57
Or you could include people that buy them, but that doesn't fit your leasing dig and attempt to gain the moral high ground.
For reference many people with 'expensive'/'luxury'/'unnecessary' cars also don't give two hoots where they are left or how dirty they get either because to them its just a car.
Average cars ( ie most mass produced German cars for example) are mainly seen as a status symbol by those who cant afford them so they can b
h about them and make themselves feel better. Granted some tools think that having a leased expensive car on the drive of their two bob house gives them some kind of status but really i think this is few and far between.If people can afford a 'nice' car and want one, what business is it of people like you and why do you get to make a judgement and offensive comments about them because of what you have incorrectly inferred?
Car-Matt said:
MC Bodge said:
Sandero/Stepway appear to be very popular around the Manchester area.
As someone who has a now 9 year old car and a 12 year old car in the household and don't feel the need to lease new ones, I agree with the approach of many of our fellow Europeans.
The cars cost buttons to own and I don't worry in the slightest about getting them dirty or where I leave them.
Car as owned status symbol will possibly decline over the next couple of decades.
Proper LOLAs someone who has a now 9 year old car and a 12 year old car in the household and don't feel the need to lease new ones, I agree with the approach of many of our fellow Europeans.
The cars cost buttons to own and I don't worry in the slightest about getting them dirty or where I leave them.
Car as owned status symbol will possibly decline over the next couple of decades.
Edited by MC Bodge on Monday 26th November 12:57
Or you could include people that buy them, but that doesn't fit your leasing dig and attempt to gain the moral high ground.
For reference many people with 'expensive'/'luxury'/'unnecessary' cars also don't give two hoots where they are left or how dirty they get either because to them its just a car.
Average cars ( ie most mass produced German cars for example) are mainly seen as a status symbol by those who cant afford them so they can b
h about them and make themselves feel better. Granted some tools think that having a leased expensive car on the drive of their two bob house gives them some kind of status but really i think this is few and far between.If people can afford a 'nice' car and want one, what business is it of people like you and why do you get to make a judgement and offensive comments about them because of what you have incorrectly inferred?
It seems that I may have a similar approach to motoring to some people in France.
I'm not sure what was offensive about it.
You seem quite sensitive about this....
Jaguar steve said:
iSore said:
Jaguar steve said:
And there in a nutshell is pretty much what's wrong with huge swathes of status obsessed celebrity worshiping Middle England. Almost everybody in it knows the price of absolutely everything but the actual value of nothing.
I'd cheerfully take a Duster or a Berlingo or a Roomster over something more aspirational any day. Find me one with a few dents and scrapes and that really could do with a wash then I'd be even happier.
I'm hoping the Dacia gets itself a kind of fashionable inverse snobbery appeal. With sales increasing all the time, the pressure is certainly on.I'd cheerfully take a Duster or a Berlingo or a Roomster over something more aspirational any day. Find me one with a few dents and scrapes and that really could do with a wash then I'd be even happier.
I hope so too.
I'll go on record as predicting the market for basic, reasonably well made cars entirely lacking in unnecessary bling is only going one way, for the simple reason that the ever increasing complexity and gadget heavy nature of most current cars is going to bite more and more owners really hard in the arse as time passes when all this stuff goes wrong.
Wonder why most Europeans seem quite content with a scabby 10 year old Citroen or Renault or Peugeot even when they could afford rather more? Because they do everything the owners need them to do, parts are always on the shelf and cost buttons and the greasy spanner garage in the next village or very possibily even one of their mates knows exactly how to quickly and cheaply fix them.
That's all you actually need.
WyrleyD said:
Jaguar steve said:
iSore said:
Jaguar steve said:
And there in a nutshell is pretty much what's wrong with huge swathes of status obsessed celebrity worshiping Middle England. Almost everybody in it knows the price of absolutely everything but the actual value of nothing.
I'd cheerfully take a Duster or a Berlingo or a Roomster over something more aspirational any day. Find me one with a few dents and scrapes and that really could do with a wash then I'd be even happier.
I'm hoping the Dacia gets itself a kind of fashionable inverse snobbery appeal. With sales increasing all the time, the pressure is certainly on.I'd cheerfully take a Duster or a Berlingo or a Roomster over something more aspirational any day. Find me one with a few dents and scrapes and that really could do with a wash then I'd be even happier.
I hope so too.
I'll go on record as predicting the market for basic, reasonably well made cars entirely lacking in unnecessary bling is only going one way, for the simple reason that the ever increasing complexity and gadget heavy nature of most current cars is going to bite more and more owners really hard in the arse as time passes when all this stuff goes wrong.
Wonder why most Europeans seem quite content with a scabby 10 year old Citroen or Renault or Peugeot even when they could afford rather more? Because they do everything the owners need them to do, parts are always on the shelf and cost buttons and the greasy spanner garage in the next village or very possibily even one of their mates knows exactly how to quickly and cheaply fix them.
That's all you actually need.
I've wound Space Shuttle mileages onto and relentlessly battered the crap out of both Berlingo and Kangoo diesels with very little grief in the past.
Both are on the very short list of cars I've owned and actually got attached too and nine times out of ten either of those or any of the other leggy old French Sheds that have passed through my hands over the decades would have been the weapon of choice over the shiny V8 Jaguar Luxobarge I could have grabbed the keys for instead.
Jaguar steve said:
Quite right too.
I've wound Space Shuttle mileages onto and relentlessly battered the crap out of both Berlingo and Kangoo diesels with very little grief in the past.
Both are on the very short list of cars I've owned and actually got attached too and nine times out of ten either of those or any of the other leggy old French Sheds that have passed through my hands over the decades would have been the weapon of choice over the shiny V8 Jaguar Luxobarge I could have grabbed the keys for instead.
If the Icelandic Duster was anything to go by, they are probably of a similar sort of vehicle.I've wound Space Shuttle mileages onto and relentlessly battered the crap out of both Berlingo and Kangoo diesels with very little grief in the past.
Both are on the very short list of cars I've owned and actually got attached too and nine times out of ten either of those or any of the other leggy old French Sheds that have passed through my hands over the decades would have been the weapon of choice over the shiny V8 Jaguar Luxobarge I could have grabbed the keys for instead.
90,000+ miles of rental use on that Island would take its toll. Given the additional rental costs over the already high cost for a hatchback, most renters would presumably use them on the F roads, but it was in surprisingly good fettle.
Edited by MC Bodge on Monday 26th November 16:41
MC Bodge said:
Car-Matt said:
MC Bodge said:
Sandero/Stepway appear to be very popular around the Manchester area.
As someone who has a now 9 year old car and a 12 year old car in the household and don't feel the need to lease new ones, I agree with the approach of many of our fellow Europeans.
The cars cost buttons to own and I don't worry in the slightest about getting them dirty or where I leave them.
Car as owned status symbol will possibly decline over the next couple of decades.
Proper LOLAs someone who has a now 9 year old car and a 12 year old car in the household and don't feel the need to lease new ones, I agree with the approach of many of our fellow Europeans.
The cars cost buttons to own and I don't worry in the slightest about getting them dirty or where I leave them.
Car as owned status symbol will possibly decline over the next couple of decades.
Edited by MC Bodge on Monday 26th November 12:57
Or you could include people that buy them, but that doesn't fit your leasing dig and attempt to gain the moral high ground.
For reference many people with 'expensive'/'luxury'/'unnecessary' cars also don't give two hoots where they are left or how dirty they get either because to them its just a car.
Average cars ( ie most mass produced German cars for example) are mainly seen as a status symbol by those who cant afford them so they can b
h about them and make themselves feel better. Granted some tools think that having a leased expensive car on the drive of their two bob house gives them some kind of status but really i think this is few and far between.If people can afford a 'nice' car and want one, what business is it of people like you and why do you get to make a judgement and offensive comments about them because of what you have incorrectly inferred?
It seems that I may have a similar approach to motoring to some people in France.
I'm not sure what was offensive about it.
You seem quite sensitive about this....
I'm sensitive from the point its boring reading the same old rubbish on the forum about purchase vs lease.
FWIW I sometimes drive a company car and own a daily runner outright (BMW) and a couple of other toys, I lease my wife's car (Skoda Fabia) so have no foot in any particular camp.
MC Bodge said:
Jaguar steve said:
Quite right too.
I've wound Space Shuttle mileages onto and relentlessly battered the crap out of both Berlingo and Kangoo diesels with very little grief in the past.
Both are on the very short list of cars I've owned and actually got attached too and nine times out of ten either of those or any of the other leggy old French Sheds that have passed through my hands over the decades would have been the weapon of choice over the shiny V8 Jaguar Luxobarge I could have grabbed the keys for instead.
If the Icelandic Duster was anything to go by, they are probably of a similar sort of vehicle. I've wound Space Shuttle mileages onto and relentlessly battered the crap out of both Berlingo and Kangoo diesels with very little grief in the past.
Both are on the very short list of cars I've owned and actually got attached too and nine times out of ten either of those or any of the other leggy old French Sheds that have passed through my hands over the decades would have been the weapon of choice over the shiny V8 Jaguar Luxobarge I could have grabbed the keys for instead.
90,000+ miles of rental use on that Island would take its toll, given the additional rental costs over a hatchback, most renters would presumably use on the F roads, but it was in surprisingly good fettle.
Once bought whatever it is will be kept for decades and eventually get run into the ground without giving even the tiniest of s
ts about what the neighbours might think because actually the neighbours are very sensibly doing the exactly the same thing too. Car-Matt said:
If you say so.
I'm sensitive from the point its boring reading the same old rubbish on the forum about purchase vs lease.
FWIW I sometimes drive a company car and own a daily runner outright (BMW) and a couple of other toys, I lease my wife's car (Skoda Fabia) so have no foot in any particular camp.
So you are sensitive and you misinterpreted my post.I'm sensitive from the point its boring reading the same old rubbish on the forum about purchase vs lease.
FWIW I sometimes drive a company car and own a daily runner outright (BMW) and a couple of other toys, I lease my wife's car (Skoda Fabia) so have no foot in any particular camp.
No offence was intended. I don't care if other people want to drive new cars.
Jaguar steve said:
Very probably. The utilitarian workhorse mentality is key so just have a look round the streets of any Spanish or French town or village to see what the locals are driving. You'll pretty quickly suss most of them have the cars make excellent servants but terrible masters viewpoint and buy accordingly.
Once bought whatever it is will be kept for decades and eventually get run into the ground without giving even the tiniest of sts about what the neighbours might think because actually the neighbours are very sensibly doing the exactly the same thing too.
And driven avec grand gusto on the local roads and tracks too Once bought whatever it is will be kept for decades and eventually get run into the ground without giving even the tiniest of s
ts about what the neighbours might think because actually the neighbours are very sensibly doing the exactly the same thing too. 
MC Bodge said:
Jaguar steve said:
Very probably. The utilitarian workhorse mentality is key so just have a look round the streets of any Spanish or French town or village to see what the locals are driving. You'll pretty quickly suss most of them have the cars make excellent servants but terrible masters viewpoint and buy accordingly.
Once bought whatever it is will be kept for decades and eventually get run into the ground without giving even the tiniest of sts about what the neighbours might think because actually the neighbours are very sensibly doing the exactly the same thing too.
And driven avec grand gusto on the local roads and tracks too Once bought whatever it is will be kept for decades and eventually get run into the ground without giving even the tiniest of s
ts about what the neighbours might think because actually the neighbours are very sensibly doing the exactly the same thing too. 
Don't see that many in South wales, our "standard" SUV seems to be a Kia Sportage - not in the standard Copper Stone (which isn't bad), no, they all opt for the £600 white paint so their cars look like an Electrolux fridge.
As Pink Floyd once wrote "Wave upon wave of demented avengers march cheerfully out of obscurity into the dream".
As Pink Floyd once wrote "Wave upon wave of demented avengers march cheerfully out of obscurity into the dream".
Jaguar steve said:
MC Bodge said:
Jaguar steve said:
Very probably. The utilitarian workhorse mentality is key so just have a look round the streets of any Spanish or French town or village to see what the locals are driving. You'll pretty quickly suss most of them have the cars make excellent servants but terrible masters viewpoint and buy accordingly.
Once bought whatever it is will be kept for decades and eventually get run into the ground without giving even the tiniest of sts about what the neighbours might think because actually the neighbours are very sensibly doing the exactly the same thing too.
And driven avec grand gusto on the local roads and tracks too Once bought whatever it is will be kept for decades and eventually get run into the ground without giving even the tiniest of s
ts about what the neighbours might think because actually the neighbours are very sensibly doing the exactly the same thing too. Too right that's what they are for. Many's the time I've heard, "I wouldn't do that/carry that/drive along there in my car" when I've told people what I've been to in my cars.
Just drive the things!
Edited by MC Bodge on Monday 26th November 18:32
Only here in the U.K. are people more worried about the badge on the car, rather than reliability, cost, value for money and warranty.
We are the one European nation that consistantly load the cars we buy with every extra under the sun just for the bragging rights. Our European neighbours generally see a car as a form of transport to get from A to B whereas the average Brit measures his manhood by the size of his engine and electronic driver aids.
On German brands in particular, they see you coming a mile away and encourage you to put all the extras as you can afford onto the car. Hence it is that everything is an extra on a German Car including adaptive suspension that good old BMWs need to even match acceptable handling.
Personally, I like a car to be as simple as possible with the least amount of gadgets as possible. It gets you there, less to go wrong and cheap to repair.
We are the one European nation that consistantly load the cars we buy with every extra under the sun just for the bragging rights. Our European neighbours generally see a car as a form of transport to get from A to B whereas the average Brit measures his manhood by the size of his engine and electronic driver aids.
On German brands in particular, they see you coming a mile away and encourage you to put all the extras as you can afford onto the car. Hence it is that everything is an extra on a German Car including adaptive suspension that good old BMWs need to even match acceptable handling.
Personally, I like a car to be as simple as possible with the least amount of gadgets as possible. It gets you there, less to go wrong and cheap to repair.
Not sure how accurate the line about Europeans running cheap cars because they want to is. Salaries in Italy, Spain etc arnt brilliant and what would be a £500 car here is a €1500 car there.
The French buy French because its French. Same as the Germans buy German because its German. The Italians buy Fiats too, because its Italian. It says more about the fact their manufacturers produce cars for the local tastes and the population are somewhat allied to their own brands than much about how they use their cars.
The French buy French because its French. Same as the Germans buy German because its German. The Italians buy Fiats too, because its Italian. It says more about the fact their manufacturers produce cars for the local tastes and the population are somewhat allied to their own brands than much about how they use their cars.
Years ago, you saved up and bought a car, helped by a bank loan and you generally bought within your means. Now cheap cars are looked down on and instead so many go out and rent a car on a lease, something that they cannot afford to buy, for a few years at a time.
Manufacturers have got you by the Baliffs and squeeze you hard. Because so many people fall into to the PCP trap these car makers have no incentive to make a cheap quality car anymore. Instead they market the dream badge to you, you pay over the odds because your ego needs it, you have no asset and you live in an ever decreasing circle of debt and loan.
If people dumped PCP, bought cars that they could afford the manufacturers would be forced into giving value for money. The Europeans know this, the Brits don't.
Manufacturers have got you by the Baliffs and squeeze you hard. Because so many people fall into to the PCP trap these car makers have no incentive to make a cheap quality car anymore. Instead they market the dream badge to you, you pay over the odds because your ego needs it, you have no asset and you live in an ever decreasing circle of debt and loan.
If people dumped PCP, bought cars that they could afford the manufacturers would be forced into giving value for money. The Europeans know this, the Brits don't.
Condi said:
Not sure how accurate the line about Europeans running cheap cars because they want to is. Salaries in Italy, Spain etc arnt brilliant and what would be a £500 car here is a €1500 car there.
The French buy French because its French. Same as the Germans buy German because its German. The Italians buy Fiats too, because its Italian. It says more about the fact their manufacturers produce cars for the local tastes and the population are somewhat allied to their own brands than much about how they use their cars.
What does the popularity of German cars here say about the UK? The French buy French because its French. Same as the Germans buy German because its German. The Italians buy Fiats too, because its Italian. It says more about the fact their manufacturers produce cars for the local tastes and the population are somewhat allied to their own brands than much about how they use their cars.
Ps. You do see quite a few older cars in France.
Condi said:
Not sure how accurate the line about Europeans running cheap cars because they want to is. Salaries in Italy, Spain etc arnt brilliant and what would be a £500 car here is a €1500 car there.
The French buy French because its French. Same as the Germans buy German because its German. The Italians buy Fiats too, because its Italian. It says more about the fact their manufacturers produce cars for the local tastes and the population are somewhat allied to their own brands than much about how they use their cars.
No German looks down at a German buying and running a base model Golf or any car for that matter. The French buy French because its French. Same as the Germans buy German because its German. The Italians buy Fiats too, because its Italian. It says more about the fact their manufacturers produce cars for the local tastes and the population are somewhat allied to their own brands than much about how they use their cars.
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