Dacia Duster: PH Fleet
A month and more miles in, what is life really like with the mighty Duster?
Big sticker means at least 10hp, right?
Some of you may have seen the recent G-Wagen vs Defender article and video that the guys produced, taking in some of the beautiful green lanes in Yorkshire. If you watch that video carefully enough you might just catch a glimpse of photographer Sim and I scampering around in the background, laughing our heads off in a very muddy Duster. That's right, while the rest of the guys were tooling around in their great big expensive 4x4s, we were showing them how it is done in a humble little Dacia with less than 500 miles on the clock. And guess what? It was absolutely amazing fun.
We ordered our Duster with the Nissan-developed 4x4 system which, though adding a small amount of cost and a little bit of weight, does mean that the car is primed and ready for any impromptu off-roading expeditions that daily life throws in its path. The car also came with mud and snow tyres fitted to the snazzy diamond-cut 'Tyrol' alloy wheels as standard, which remain heavily road biased but give the car some genuine ability when combined with the transmission's 4WD 'lock' mode. The only thing the car did need before we went off the beaten track was a slight, er, adjustment to its styling...
Chrome has gone and probably won't return
And so it was that I found myself leading out a fairly unusual off-road convoy. I'm not sure if it was down to the Duster's light weight, my over enthusiasm or the simple fact that they are not as mighty, but more often than not we ended up waiting ages for the G-Wagen and Defender to catch up. Seriously. Not bad going when you consider that the optional extras alone on either of the other cars cost several times more than the entire Duster. By the end of the day the Duster had successfully conquered everything we asked it to, it had secured a place in our affections and it had been named the expedition's Man of the Match. Before the day was out we decided that we needed to get a date in the diary to take it to a proper off road pay-and-play day.
The only evidence of its ordeal as I headed back home was a thick blanket of mud, but even that just makes it look a bit cooler, a fact backed up by the knowing nod I got from the chap in the petrol station on the A1. The car genuinely feels like it could do that sort of thing day in and day out, which is probably why they're so popular in countries with less well groomed road surfaces.
How do I get on the circuit from here?
However, the question on the tip of everyone's tongue right now is surely "What is this £18,980 4x4 SUV like on a track day?". To be honest, we feel a little embarrassed that we haven't answered that question yet. It is rather remiss of us. More on that next time.
FACT SHEET
Car: 2016 Dacia Duster Prestige TCe 125 4x4
On fleet since: January 2017
Mileage: 1,545
List price new: £15,795 (As tested £18,980 comprising Metallic paint for £495, European mapping for £90, Aspira leather upholstery for £500, protection pack for £495, touring pack for £565, action pack for £755 and window pack for £285)
Last month at a glance: Excelling on the off-road escapade
Previous reports:
Duster debut!
Little play on the configurator, you can have a boggo spec petrol 4x4 (in white only) for £11495 which is ok TBH.
Ok no leccy windows or AC or Sat nav, but who cares it should do what it says on the tin.
Little play on the configurator, you can have a boggo spec petrol 4x4 (in white only) for £11495 which is ok TBH.
Ok no leccy windows or AC or Sat nav, but who cares it should do what it says on the tin.
I'm taking delivery of my £9495 2WD base model Duster tomorrow
A couple of years ago she got stuck on the lane in her Clio when it snowed.
So 80+yr old dear buys a 4x4 Duster.
Base model (Acccess?) 4x4 petrol, steel wheels and all.
Hey pesto (as Peppa Pig says); it's not snowed since.
Brilliant!
Really? Are so many people that ignorant that they expect a modern new car (any new car) to break down in the first month of ownership?
I wouldn't blame them for asking that if it was 4, 5 years old mind.
Really? Are so many people that ignorant that they expect a modern new car (any new car) to break down in the first month of ownership?
I wouldn't blame them for asking that if it was 4, 5 years old mind.
If I buy a Duster it will be the base model. I liked it in the old days when you fitted your own radio and speakers. Plus what's wrong with window winders.
My latest car has all the bells and whistles of the 21st century yet I barely use them now and dread what they will cost to fix in a few years time..
I still maintain it is odd that people would make a point of asking that - I'm well aware of Land Rover's reputation, but it wouldn't cross my mind to ask the owner of a new one if had broken down yet.
It's a very basic thing, but it does what it was intended to do very well. It's no surprise that the number of them I see on the road is steadily increasing.
Mine is mainly used for commuting, (I did 30k in my first year of ownership, and currently doing 300miles per week), for which it is both comfortable and reliable and it costs buttons to run. Other than servicing and fuel, I have not had to spend anything on it (although I am about to replace the front discs/pads).
£8995 new - I'll likely keep it until something is economically unviable to repair, at which point I expect it will owe me nothing. If it was written off tomorrow, I'd buy another Dacia in a heartbeat to replace it. I wouldn't spend £18+k on one as that misses the point of them for me, although I understand the PH fleet model is an uber-demonstrator to show the car buying public all that is available.
Adding options to a car like this is like putting antlers on a greyhound but it's almost £2K for 4x4 and another £2Kish for the diesel which eats into the 'value' part of this a bit quickly for my tastes.
To it's credit, the ONLY option on a base car is parking sensors ;0
Adding options to a car like this is like putting antlers on a greyhound but it's almost £2K for 4x4 and another £2Kish for the diesel which eats into the 'value' part of this a bit quickly for my tastes.
To it's credit, the ONLY option on a base car is parking sensors ;0
My little girls mum has had a Duster from new. It's a 1.5dci, 4WD and she added the black protective trim on top of the Laureate spec. Think that was around £15k which for a brand new car of it's size with genuine 4 wheel drive, seems like a good price.
Like many new cars though that start at X amount, tick enough boxes and they creep up into the next price range.
I'm actually rather fond of the Duster, it looks pretty cool, it's well put together and compared to many SUV isn't pretentious!
Really? Are so many people that ignorant that they expect a modern new car (any new car) to break down in the first month of ownership?
I wouldn't blame them for asking that if it was 4, 5 years old mind.
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