Dacia Duster, 999cc of Throbbing Fun

[MC Bodge]

andburg said:

lets be honest, who feels their dashboard and door plastics?

I've always wondered that.

Is "a much firmer, sportier drive" an advantage in a road car for most scenarios?

[andburg]

MC Bodge said:

I've always wondered that.

Is "a much firmer, sportier drive" an advantage in a road car for most scenarios?

I used to think it was and do on some occasions with the right road. I'm now top side of 30 years old with a bike/camper van for fun and filling removal, most days going to work/shops and back I would prefer a cossetting magic carpet ride.

[Silenoz]

andburg said:

MC Bodge said:

I've always wondered that.

Is "a much firmer, sportier drive" an advantage in a road car for most scenarios?

I used to think it was and do on some occasions with the right road. I'm now top side of 30 years old with a bike/camper van for fun and filling removal, most days going to work/shops and back I would prefer a cossetting magic carpet ride.

This is where I'm at too. The daily needs to be comfortable, and leaves room for a more focused toy in the garage.

[Silenoz]

andburg said:

WinstonR said:

Bit of a thread derail but does anyone know how the Duster compares to the Suzuki Vitara? The 2019 1.0L model seems to sell for around the same as a new Duster.

i believe the Vitara is smaller and has a much firmer, sportier drive. It's also on my post wedding list, they do offer an extended warranty but no detail on pricing. subjectively I'd expect some better quality feeling plastics in the suzuki but lets be honest, who feels their dashboard and door plastics?

I think the Vitara is also quite a bit more expensive than the Duster!

[andburg]

Silenoz said:

I think the Vitara is also quite a bit more expensive than the Duster!

It is now they're all hybrid but a 2019 1.0 sz4 was about £17k list vs almost £23k for a new car now.
Used prices are broadly similar.

2019 10k mile SZ4/Comfort spec duster 1.0 are both around £11-12k now

[The Mad Jock]

andburg said:

It is now they're all hybrid but a 2019 1.0 sz4 was about £17k list vs almost £23k for a new car now.
Used prices are broadly similar.

2019 10k mile SZ4/Comfort spec duster 1.0 are both around £11-12k now

The Vitara is probably our other choice, as I mentioned in an earlier post. Really need to get a good look at both - the Duster appeals as it’s a bit bigger and I like the ‘classless’ image. The Vitara appeals as I’m a Suzuki fan (we currently run two Swifts in the family and they have been bulletproof) and I get on well with our local Suzuki dealer. You might want to stretch to the SZ-T spec which has quite a few more toys.

Another Suzuki option might be an SX4 S-Cross; it’s no looker but a decent amount bigger than a Vitara and again you can get the 1.0 ‘throbber’ type engine.

[brough74]

WinstonR said:

Bit of a thread derail but does anyone know how the Duster compares to the Suzuki Vitara? The 2019 1.0L model seems to sell for around the same as a new Duster.

I have a duster and the other half had a vitara SZ4 1.0T allgrip, its slightly smaller than the duster but the SZT had too many driver aids for my liking and used to kill the fun when you pushed it on, with things like stabilty control cutting in. Yes the engine surprised me and was quite good. But this should tell you something, i sold her vitara and kept the duster.

At the time i got about 4 grand off the suzuki with BASC but it was still about 18 grand but then again my prestige duster 4WD was about the same.

The duster is more rugged looking and sits higher than a vitara and probably better off road. Which mine does go off the beaten track.

[croyde]

With thanks to Mark T, I now have cruise control.

Took a little while to prise up the plastic panel that the limiter switch sits in. Swapped the switches and hey presto!

Just been past my local 20mph camera with my feet off the pedals and only adjusting speed with the buttons on the steering wheel

Edited by croyde on Wednesday 3rd March 18:32

[Clifford Chambers]

croyde said:

With thanks to Mark T, I now have cruise control.

Took a little while to prise up the plastic panel that the limiter switch sits in. Swapped the switches and hey presto!

Just been past my local 20mph camera with my feet off the pedals and only adjusting speed with the buttons on the steering wheel

Edited by croyde on Wednesday 3rd March 18:32

Cool I think I'll get me one of those.
Do prise the switch or panel?


Eta

I'm no electronics expert, but if its just a simple rocker switch, just some swapped wires should do the job.

Edited by Clifford Chambers on Wednesday 3rd March 18:59

[croyde]

You prise the panel out then prise the switch out from underneath.

The cruise button connector has extra metal prongs compared to the limiter switch but fits straight into the female connector that heads off to the car's innards.

There's quite a few switches on eBay. Mine was £18 from a Renault Kadjar. Some people are asking over £70 for the same switch.

[Mark-t]

croyde said:

With thanks to Mark T, I now have cruise control.

Took a little while to prise up the plastic panel that the limiter switch sits in. Swapped the switches and hey presto!

Just been past my local 20mph camera with my feet off the pedals and only adjusting speed with the buttons on the steering wheel

Edited by croyde on Wednesday 3rd March 18:32

Awesome

[OppoLocksmith]

How is everyone's throbber journey going and what sort of mpg are people experiencing?

We're up to 400+ miles now and hovering around mid 30's which is pretty good when you consider the car barely gets warm for the wife's commute. Engine seems to be loosening up nicely.

[croyde]

Still impressed with mine. Comfy at 85 on the M roads and getting 39mpg currently on mainly an 8 mile each way London commute.

Admittedly Covid traffic, heavy but moving, not the grid lock preCovid levels of traffic.

Did a trip out of London the other day and was getting 49mpg average.

I am just starting to take it above 3000rpm more often but the sweet spot does seem to be 2700 to 3000 and lots of stirring of the gear stick.

I bought some pretty decent waterproof covers for the front seats in Berry (Burgundy) so it now looks like a BMW M3 in white with red leather

[Mikebentley]

So 6800 miles in now. Over 2k per month. Getting about 230 miles on LPG from about 34 litres so that’s about 32mpg. This has been daily motorway at 70 to 75mph for about 120 miles and 110 miles city driving. LPG this week was about £0.52per litre so this actually equates to an equivalent of 75mpg approx. This was incidentally from the Asda at Cribbs Causeway Bristol.

I have only used an 1/8 of a tank of petrol in 11 weeks for starting from cold so don’t know the petrol mpg. Still loving the Duster experience though.

[Clifford Chambers]

OppoLocksmith said:

How is everyone's throbber journey going and what sort of mpg are people experiencing?

We're up to 400+ miles now and hovering around mid 30's which is pretty good when you consider the car barely gets warm for the wife's commute. Engine seems to be loosening up nicely.

Only short journeys 450 miles seems stuck on 37.9.

[PushedDover]

Not an owner, but sadly becoming a Throbber Spotter here in N Yorks.


Interesting seeing so many of them about and used up here rural.

[Silenoz]

I have been keeping my eye on some of these, pre-registered ones but they all seem to be selling! Latest was a black Essential at my local Dacia dealer for £11.5k, went to have another look at it last night and it was parked in the handover bay so some lucky person will be throbbing around Warrington in a Carpathian Carbon Duster!

[politeperson]

I am getting 45mpg on longer journeys ad 38 mpg on shorter journeys.

Still the most comfortable car on the fleet by miles!

[andburg]

Silenoz said:

I have been keeping my eye on some of these, pre-registered ones but they all seem to be selling! Latest was a black Essential at my local Dacia dealer for £11.5k, went to have another look at it last night and it was parked in the handover bay so some lucky person will be throbbing around Warrington in a Carpathian Carbon Duster!

looking round up here its 2019 1.3 comfort for ~11k, 1.0 cars are no cheaper, older cars dont exist

[croyde]

Took Duster to a lane I used to ground my BMW on.





And the seat covers