Dacia Disappointment. What did I really expect?
Discussion
I have always liked the Dacia Duster for it's no-nonsense no-frills and low price philosophy, and so was pleased, even a bit excited when my father in law decided he wanted one and asked me to go car shopping with him.
I am too young to have owned one from new, but I liked them in the way I used to like Lada Rivas. Back to basics, no bulls
t, and not expensive. Apparently they were really OK according to Hull taxi drivers who seemed to love them when I lived there in the early 1990s. Others think they were rubbish.
I wasn't expecting luxury, but the Duster seemed to fit the bill for a recently retired family man who does low miles but who needs to cart grand kids around, do family chores, shopping, tip runs etc. I had often considered getting a nearly new used one as a general duties car to put alongside something less practical like a Jaguar F-Type.
My father in law doesn't have high standards or expectations when it comes to cars. He's not a car person and is very much of the view that they are white goods. I once saw him get vaguely excited at a new Nissan Note which was parked next to a new AMG 63 which he just ignored. His reaction on opening the door of a new Duster surprised me. It was a high spec model, but I could barely get him to sit in it. Thin carpets, seats that didn't look or feel great. drum brakes at the back - his list of dislikes went on and on.
I would have put money on him loving it, but no he hated every aspect of the car, bar the looks.
I suggested we look at a white base model, telling him this was no frills at all motoring and that it would cost him very little with a long warranty. No, he hated it.
I have to agree that I was expecting something more from the Duster. Not premium clearly, but something that didn't feel so shoddy. I've been in a new MG which was fine and probably good value for the price. I wrongly assumed Dacia would be similar.
He went for a nearly new Renault Kadjar in the end which seems a decent enough car for his needs.
I really had high hopes for the Dacia, but what did I expect?
I am too young to have owned one from new, but I liked them in the way I used to like Lada Rivas. Back to basics, no bulls
t, and not expensive. Apparently they were really OK according to Hull taxi drivers who seemed to love them when I lived there in the early 1990s. Others think they were rubbish.I wasn't expecting luxury, but the Duster seemed to fit the bill for a recently retired family man who does low miles but who needs to cart grand kids around, do family chores, shopping, tip runs etc. I had often considered getting a nearly new used one as a general duties car to put alongside something less practical like a Jaguar F-Type.
My father in law doesn't have high standards or expectations when it comes to cars. He's not a car person and is very much of the view that they are white goods. I once saw him get vaguely excited at a new Nissan Note which was parked next to a new AMG 63 which he just ignored. His reaction on opening the door of a new Duster surprised me. It was a high spec model, but I could barely get him to sit in it. Thin carpets, seats that didn't look or feel great. drum brakes at the back - his list of dislikes went on and on.
I would have put money on him loving it, but no he hated every aspect of the car, bar the looks.
I suggested we look at a white base model, telling him this was no frills at all motoring and that it would cost him very little with a long warranty. No, he hated it.
I have to agree that I was expecting something more from the Duster. Not premium clearly, but something that didn't feel so shoddy. I've been in a new MG which was fine and probably good value for the price. I wrongly assumed Dacia would be similar.
He went for a nearly new Renault Kadjar in the end which seems a decent enough car for his needs.
I really had high hopes for the Dacia, but what did I expect?
Wildcat45 said:
I really had high hopes for the Dacia, but what did I expect?
The wrong thing, obviously. The Duster is exactly as you describe; that's the whole point of it! Being upset about drum brakes is really weird; on this sort of car they're simply a better engineering solution than discs. I'd take having drums on the rear of a slow family car as a positive. Thin carpets... is he going to drive it in bare feet? If not what difference does it make to anything? I've driven the previous generation Duster a fair bit and liked it, but then my main car is an Elise which is certainly no better finished inside.
Edited by kambites on Tuesday 7th December 10:47
Wildcat45 said:
I have always liked the Dacia Duster for it's no-nonsense no-frills and low price philosophy, and so was pleased, even a bit excited when my father in law decided he wanted one and asked me to go car shopping with him.
I am too young to have owned one from new, but I liked them in the way I used to like Lada Rivas. Back to basics, no bullst, and not expensive. Apparently they were really OK according to Hull taxi drivers who seemed to love them when I lived there in the early 1990s. Others think they were rubbish.
I wasn't expecting luxury, but the Duster seemed to fit the bill for a recently retired family man who does low miles but who needs to cart grand kids around, do family chores, shopping, tip runs etc. I had often considered getting a nearly new used one as a general duties car to put alongside something less practical like a Jaguar F-Type.
My father in law doesn't have high standards or expectations when it comes to cars. He's not a car person and is very much of the view that they are white goods. I once saw him get vaguely excited at a new Nissan Note which was parked next to a new AMG 63 which he just ignored. His reaction on opening the door of a new Duster surprised me. It was a high spec model, but I could barely get him to sit in it. Thin carpets, seats that didn't look or feel great. drum brakes at the back - his list of dislikes went on and on.
I would have put money on him loving it, but no he hated every aspect of the car, bar the looks.
I suggested we look at a white base model, telling him this was no frills at all motoring and that it would cost him very little with a long warranty. No, he hated it.
I have to agree that I was expecting something more from the Duster. Not premium clearly, but something that didn't feel so shoddy. I've been in a new MG which was fine and probably good value for the price. I wrongly assumed Dacia would be similar.
He went for a nearly new Renault Kadjar in the end which seems a decent enough car for his needs.
I really had high hopes for the Dacia, but what did I expect?
If you expected anything more than just transport, then I think you were maybe barking up the wrong tree?I am too young to have owned one from new, but I liked them in the way I used to like Lada Rivas. Back to basics, no bulls
t, and not expensive. Apparently they were really OK according to Hull taxi drivers who seemed to love them when I lived there in the early 1990s. Others think they were rubbish.I wasn't expecting luxury, but the Duster seemed to fit the bill for a recently retired family man who does low miles but who needs to cart grand kids around, do family chores, shopping, tip runs etc. I had often considered getting a nearly new used one as a general duties car to put alongside something less practical like a Jaguar F-Type.
My father in law doesn't have high standards or expectations when it comes to cars. He's not a car person and is very much of the view that they are white goods. I once saw him get vaguely excited at a new Nissan Note which was parked next to a new AMG 63 which he just ignored. His reaction on opening the door of a new Duster surprised me. It was a high spec model, but I could barely get him to sit in it. Thin carpets, seats that didn't look or feel great. drum brakes at the back - his list of dislikes went on and on.
I would have put money on him loving it, but no he hated every aspect of the car, bar the looks.
I suggested we look at a white base model, telling him this was no frills at all motoring and that it would cost him very little with a long warranty. No, he hated it.
I have to agree that I was expecting something more from the Duster. Not premium clearly, but something that didn't feel so shoddy. I've been in a new MG which was fine and probably good value for the price. I wrongly assumed Dacia would be similar.
He went for a nearly new Renault Kadjar in the end which seems a decent enough car for his needs.
I really had high hopes for the Dacia, but what did I expect?
Sounds like he took a look at the dealership, the badge and the interior and made his decision before driving it.
FWIW because I'm the 'car guy', friends and family members often ask me for car buying advice. After I say 'a Golf', I then ask what they want. There's usually a candidate, and usually it doesn't meet the list of needs and wants they've given me earlier, but I've learned just to nod and tell them it makes perfect sense.
FWIW because I'm the 'car guy', friends and family members often ask me for car buying advice. After I say 'a Golf', I then ask what they want. There's usually a candidate, and usually it doesn't meet the list of needs and wants they've given me earlier, but I've learned just to nod and tell them it makes perfect sense.
InitialDave said:
Best thing to do is let him get on with it.
The drum brakes one is scraping the barrel hard.
How is he on the grumpy old man scale generally?
One of the most cheerful blokes you could want to meet. Annoyingly easy going at times. The drum brakes one is scraping the barrel hard.
How is he on the grumpy old man scale generally?
And not a car guy so I wasn't expecting that level of criticism.
I looked at a new Sandero recently, because my girlfriend only has an Auto licence this meant going for the CVT version. The dealer only had the Stepway version in Prestige spec to test drive in an auto, but they had a normal manual Sandero I could sit it.
The normal Sandero was nice enough to sit in but it still felt like a budget car , at the time the price for this car with metallic paint was £14K.
I then test drove the Stepway and it felt like a step (no pun intended) above the normal Sandero. I was actually impressed with the car, my only criticism would be the gearbox seemed a little slow when pulling away, oh and the 14.2 second 0-60 time. Oh and the auto handbrake that came on when the car came to a stop, I just felt that was something that was going to stop working properly at some point.
But that car with metallic paint and a spare wheel is now £16,990 due to recent price rises. I think the Dacia worked when they were dirt cheap, but now the prices mean that are expensive for (what was) a budget car. Like your father in law I think I would rather spend £17K on something nearly new, although the messed up car market due to Covid means the second hand option isn't as desirable as it was.
The normal Sandero was nice enough to sit in but it still felt like a budget car , at the time the price for this car with metallic paint was £14K.
I then test drove the Stepway and it felt like a step (no pun intended) above the normal Sandero. I was actually impressed with the car, my only criticism would be the gearbox seemed a little slow when pulling away, oh and the 14.2 second 0-60 time. Oh and the auto handbrake that came on when the car came to a stop, I just felt that was something that was going to stop working properly at some point.
But that car with metallic paint and a spare wheel is now £16,990 due to recent price rises. I think the Dacia worked when they were dirt cheap, but now the prices mean that are expensive for (what was) a budget car. Like your father in law I think I would rather spend £17K on something nearly new, although the messed up car market due to Covid means the second hand option isn't as desirable as it was.
InitialDave said:
The drum brakes one is scraping the barrel hard
He might be old enough to remember how crap things were before disc brakes existed.Personally I wouldn't own a car with rear drums either - you park up with them warm, then things contract and you find your car has rolled into a hedge.
CraigyMc said:
InitialDave said:
The drum brakes one is scraping the barrel hard
He might be old enough to remember how crap things were before disc brakes existed.Personally I wouldn't own a car with rear drums either - you park up with them warm, then things contract and you find your car has rolled into a hedge.
Up! GTI I have just bought has drums at the back I believe!
Anyway, back on Dacias, people seem to have bought this idea of them being sturdy no-frills transport for Romanian peasants, some of which may be true.
But one must keep sight of the fact it's something with the build quality of a car designed and owned by Renault, but with an even keener eye on cost-control.
As long as that's a concept you are comfortable with, then fill your boots!
Anyway, back on Dacias, people seem to have bought this idea of them being sturdy no-frills transport for Romanian peasants, some of which may be true.
But one must keep sight of the fact it's something with the build quality of a car designed and owned by Renault, but with an even keener eye on cost-control.
As long as that's a concept you are comfortable with, then fill your boots!
TwigtheWonderkid said:
CraigyMc said:
InitialDave said:
The drum brakes one is scraping the barrel hard
He might be old enough to remember how crap things were before disc brakes existed.Personally I wouldn't own a car with rear drums either - you park up with them warm, then things contract and you find your car has rolled into a hedge.
Johnnytheboy said:
Up! GTI I have just bought has drums at the back I believe!
Anyway, back on Dacias, people seem to have bought this idea of them being sturdy no-frills transport for Romanian peasants, some of which may be true.
But one must keep sight of the fact it's something with the build quality of a car designed and owned by Renault, but with an even keener eye on cost-control.
As long as that's a concept you are comfortable with, then fill your boots!
Don't power wash the rear wheels or the rear drums will seize onAnyway, back on Dacias, people seem to have bought this idea of them being sturdy no-frills transport for Romanian peasants, some of which may be true.
But one must keep sight of the fact it's something with the build quality of a car designed and owned by Renault, but with an even keener eye on cost-control.
As long as that's a concept you are comfortable with, then fill your boots!
I bought a brand new essential Duster 1.0 3cyl back in Feb for £10500.
I'd come from a series 3 2.5 BMW and a 5.0 400bhp Mustang.
I bloody love it. It's been all over the UK. Comfy on motorways and off the beaten track. Ridiculously economical and although it's no speedster, it's great fun using the gears like a motorbike and surprising a lot of better more powerful cars in traffic.
I did central Coventry to SW London the other night in less than one hour and 40 minutes, 111 miles.
Yes I miss the handling when I want to brake late into fast roundabouts and then there's no power to accelerate out of it but it's all about anticipation.
It's the mark 2 version and I think the interior is fine. It's early 2000s Renault. Using my phone hands free is the easiest and best connection I've come across. No one knows I'm calling from a car.
Admittedly with the recent hike in prices, I probably would have looked elsewhere but I'm glad it's my daily, no regrets.
Currently WBAC is offering me a thousand more than I paid for it 10 months and 7500 miles ago.
There's a whole thread of us newly converted fans of the Duster on PH. Search for Throbber and or 999cc.
https://www.pistonheads.com/gassing/topic.asp?h=0&...
I'd come from a series 3 2.5 BMW and a 5.0 400bhp Mustang.
I bloody love it. It's been all over the UK. Comfy on motorways and off the beaten track. Ridiculously economical and although it's no speedster, it's great fun using the gears like a motorbike and surprising a lot of better more powerful cars in traffic.
I did central Coventry to SW London the other night in less than one hour and 40 minutes, 111 miles.
Yes I miss the handling when I want to brake late into fast roundabouts and then there's no power to accelerate out of it but it's all about anticipation.
It's the mark 2 version and I think the interior is fine. It's early 2000s Renault. Using my phone hands free is the easiest and best connection I've come across. No one knows I'm calling from a car.
Admittedly with the recent hike in prices, I probably would have looked elsewhere but I'm glad it's my daily, no regrets.
Currently WBAC is offering me a thousand more than I paid for it 10 months and 7500 miles ago.
There's a whole thread of us newly converted fans of the Duster on PH. Search for Throbber and or 999cc.
https://www.pistonheads.com/gassing/topic.asp?h=0&...
Edited by croyde on Tuesday 7th December 13:01
Having recently ordered a new Duster myself I'm not sure what he was expecting.
Half the trim and engine options are cheaper than the cheapest Fiesta.
I found the higher trim levels, while partially defeating the raison d'etre was money (relatively little of it) well spent.
As we seem to be in the new vs used debate seeing as he bought used then its difficult as you'll always, even with a Dacia pay a premium for new, although maybe not so much in these inflated times.
Rear drums is a heart over head decision. Discs look better but drums are probably actually a better solution on the whole. Cheaper to replace a wheel cylinder than a caliper when both inevitably seize after 5 winters.
Half the trim and engine options are cheaper than the cheapest Fiesta.
I found the higher trim levels, while partially defeating the raison d'etre was money (relatively little of it) well spent.
As we seem to be in the new vs used debate seeing as he bought used then its difficult as you'll always, even with a Dacia pay a premium for new, although maybe not so much in these inflated times.
Rear drums is a heart over head decision. Discs look better but drums are probably actually a better solution on the whole. Cheaper to replace a wheel cylinder than a caliper when both inevitably seize after 5 winters.
Edited by ChocolateFrog on Tuesday 7th December 12:56
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