My new Duster arrives next week
Discussion
I had Yetis for years , 140 and 170 TDIs and they were the most fit for purpose vehicles I've ever owned. I do some off road stuff , farm and forest tracks, muddy river banks etc so good ground clearance and 4wd is near essential. They stopped making the Yeti and I nearly bought a Duster in 2022 but ended up with a 4wd Hyundai Kona . It's well equipped , DSG box, and surprisingly quick for a small SUV , with 60 in mid sevens. But Jeez , it likes a drink with low thirties the norm and 41mpg on a long , slow trip to Goodwood was the best ever.
I am buying a green Duster Extreme 4wd which I liked a lot on the test drive. Not as fast by a long way as Kona but MHEV should mean fewer trips to the pump . Lots of room inside , easily turned off ADAS b
ks and a much better ride. Looking forward to it . It will complement an upgraded MX5 ND at Schloss Coppice .
I am buying a green Duster Extreme 4wd which I liked a lot on the test drive. Not as fast by a long way as Kona but MHEV should mean fewer trips to the pump . Lots of room inside , easily turned off ADAS b
ks and a much better ride. Looking forward to it . It will complement an upgraded MX5 ND at Schloss Coppice . Picked mine up Friday, 2WD Extreme, 1.2 MHEV, sandstone. Didn't fancy the full hybrid, didn't review well as far as I could tell. The auto probably suits the car better but the manual is decent enough, no worse than my partner's 2018 Swift Sport. Considered the 4WD but really surplus to requirements and not worth the outlay (for me).
First impressions are it's bigger and more refined than I thought it would be, the gearstick is in a slightly awkward position (too far forward), and it makes a lot of noise when you put the modular roof bars on (though I've never had roof bars before so this might be normal). The infotainment isn't laggy at all so they must have improved that following initial reviews. Seats feel very flat but I'm coming from a nice set of Recaros so they would do. It's big(ish), slow and relatively simple, exactly what I wanted it to be.
First impressions are it's bigger and more refined than I thought it would be, the gearstick is in a slightly awkward position (too far forward), and it makes a lot of noise when you put the modular roof bars on (though I've never had roof bars before so this might be normal). The infotainment isn't laggy at all so they must have improved that following initial reviews. Seats feel very flat but I'm coming from a nice set of Recaros so they would do. It's big(ish), slow and relatively simple, exactly what I wanted it to be.
Edited by horsemeatscandal on Monday 17th March 16:54
No pic yet but first impressions -
-feels much higher quality than the last version I test drove
- engine nicely punchy . Not quick , but responsive and refined
- deep joy , 60 profile tyres means a much nicer ride
- deeper joy - it has something called a spare wheel ! Not seen one for years
- nice steering wheel
- bit sit up and beg driving position but fine
- much more tech than my 2019 Hyundai had .
- easy to turn off ADAS
- quiet for a small(ish ) 4wd and three off road drive modes plus HDC
It feels capable, tough and I think will be a good companion
-feels much higher quality than the last version I test drove
- engine nicely punchy . Not quick , but responsive and refined
- deep joy , 60 profile tyres means a much nicer ride
- deeper joy - it has something called a spare wheel ! Not seen one for years
- nice steering wheel
- bit sit up and beg driving position but fine
- much more tech than my 2019 Hyundai had .
- easy to turn off ADAS
- quiet for a small(ish ) 4wd and three off road drive modes plus HDC
It feels capable, tough and I think will be a good companion
coppice said:
No pic yet but first impressions -
-feels much higher quality than the last version I test drove
- engine nicely punchy . Not quick , but responsive and refined
- deep joy , 60 profile tyres means a much nicer ride
- deeper joy - it has something called a spare wheel ! Not seen one for years
- nice steering wheel
- bit sit up and beg driving position but fine
- much more tech than my 2019 Hyundai had .
- easy to turn off ADAS
- quiet for a small(ish ) 4wd and three off road drive modes plus HDC
It feels capable, tough and I think will be a good companion
Sounds good, I'd be interested in updates as and when. We've a MK2, my only complaint is the notchy gear change, particularly when cold. Has this been addressed in the MK2?-feels much higher quality than the last version I test drove
- engine nicely punchy . Not quick , but responsive and refined
- deep joy , 60 profile tyres means a much nicer ride
- deeper joy - it has something called a spare wheel ! Not seen one for years
- nice steering wheel
- bit sit up and beg driving position but fine
- much more tech than my 2019 Hyundai had .
- easy to turn off ADAS
- quiet for a small(ish ) 4wd and three off road drive modes plus HDC
It feels capable, tough and I think will be a good companion
I have the new Duster 4x4 Extreme too. One of the best cars I have owned. Much more capable off road than my previous Skoda Kodiaq Scout. The only compromise that I had to make was in performance. It’s a bit sluggish to 60 and overtaking is only really advisable if the driver in front is doing a steady 40-45 mph on a NSL single carriageway road. My wife and daughter are definitely not car people, but they both like it. And if I want to go on a slightly more spirited road drive, I always have my NC ZSport MX5.
A few hundred miles in Duster 4x4 done now -
- Good- nice absorbent ride , reminiscent of 70s and 80s Citroens and Peugeots ; quiet at speed (ie 75 on motorway ); at least 35% better on fuel than the Hyundai it replaced ; likable three cylinder hum and acceleration is pleasingly willing , if not M3 bothering ; biddable chassis, with nice tuck in on long bends with a little lift
So So - even with most stuff turned off ,still a bit bongtastic (but what isn't ? ) ; radio ok except it struggles with signal on R6 Music (R4 fine but R6 is my staple )
Annoying - radio defaults to low volume on every start
And help ! The blind spot indicators don't work . Mentioned to dealer - he said they only work if indicating (which would be stupid anyway). Tried indicating with car alongside (sorry) and still don't work. So they are turned off . I can't face the 300 page pdf handbook - can anyone tell me what to to do , in the simplest terms possible please? .
- Good- nice absorbent ride , reminiscent of 70s and 80s Citroens and Peugeots ; quiet at speed (ie 75 on motorway ); at least 35% better on fuel than the Hyundai it replaced ; likable three cylinder hum and acceleration is pleasingly willing , if not M3 bothering ; biddable chassis, with nice tuck in on long bends with a little lift
So So - even with most stuff turned off ,still a bit bongtastic (but what isn't ? ) ; radio ok except it struggles with signal on R6 Music (R4 fine but R6 is my staple )
Annoying - radio defaults to low volume on every start
And help ! The blind spot indicators don't work . Mentioned to dealer - he said they only work if indicating (which would be stupid anyway). Tried indicating with car alongside (sorry) and still don't work. So they are turned off . I can't face the 300 page pdf handbook - can anyone tell me what to to do , in the simplest terms possible please? .
Well, nearly six months of Duster 4x4 ownership, am I happy ? I am indeed, it's a car which has proved very fit for my purposes . Some key observations -
- economy is mid 40s on my usual 10-- 20 mile trips on A, Bs and minor roads and 50 -ish on long dual carriageway trips.
- brilliant off road -no slippery mud yet but negotiates rutted tracks and steep river banks with aplomb
- good on motorway - quiet at 70-80 and brilliant visibility
- enough pep for overtaking . It's no rocket ship but you can feel the extra push from the hybrid battery (and watch it on the dash display if you want )
- excellent headlights(predecessor Kona's were awful ) and autodip works very well
- blind spot mirror light sorted and works well .
- key to finding how to do something isn't the absurdly long hand book but - eek - AI
- Apple carplay works well . But a gripe is that if I select the radio I sometimes get the station display but no sound . Anyone else had this?
- various 30- something roadtesters have griped about back ache. Poor lambs- I'm a lot older and despite a sometimes creaky back I find the seats very comfy
And here's the shocker - despite being in what I call stealth green , apart from Caterhams , I've never had a car which made a bigger impression. People admire it , want to sit in it , tell me they want one too or simply say 'nice car! ' . And that I did not expect .
- economy is mid 40s on my usual 10-- 20 mile trips on A, Bs and minor roads and 50 -ish on long dual carriageway trips.
- brilliant off road -no slippery mud yet but negotiates rutted tracks and steep river banks with aplomb
- good on motorway - quiet at 70-80 and brilliant visibility
- enough pep for overtaking . It's no rocket ship but you can feel the extra push from the hybrid battery (and watch it on the dash display if you want )
- excellent headlights(predecessor Kona's were awful ) and autodip works very well
- blind spot mirror light sorted and works well .
- key to finding how to do something isn't the absurdly long hand book but - eek - AI
- Apple carplay works well . But a gripe is that if I select the radio I sometimes get the station display but no sound . Anyone else had this?
- various 30- something roadtesters have griped about back ache. Poor lambs- I'm a lot older and despite a sometimes creaky back I find the seats very comfy
And here's the shocker - despite being in what I call stealth green , apart from Caterhams , I've never had a car which made a bigger impression. People admire it , want to sit in it , tell me they want one too or simply say 'nice car! ' . And that I did not expect .
Edited by coppice on Saturday 30th August 08:26
I loved my 3 years with my Mk2 1.0 Duster. Travelled all over the UK, comfy and very useful.
Went off and did sporty cars for 2 years, Abarth 695 and Alpine A110, but I needed something cheaper, practical and not likely to lose me my licence
Was checking out the new Duster at a dealer's but then fell for the Bigster.
Picking it up on Tuesday and I'm real excited even tho I'm old.
Went off and did sporty cars for 2 years, Abarth 695 and Alpine A110, but I needed something cheaper, practical and not likely to lose me my licence
Was checking out the new Duster at a dealer's but then fell for the Bigster.
Picking it up on Tuesday and I'm real excited even tho I'm old.
Gassing Station | Dacia | Top of Page | What's New | My Stuff