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Fear not, I’m not about to abandon ship.
Last week we hired a Dacia Duster (‘Techroad’ spec) for a 10-day visit to the U.K. and I was actually very impressed.
I’d booked and was expecting a Ford Focus-class car from Enterprise. But was offered the Duster. Which threw me momentarily. But I was curious.
We did 600+ miles in 11 days over 20 hours worth of driving. We spent three days in London before heading to Rutland and other locations around East Midlands, so I did get a good feel for the car.
Likes:
The 999cc 3-pot is a gem. I’ve driven other 3-cylinders from Vauxhall, Citroen and BMW but none were as quiet and refined as this one. At idle it was impossible to detect it running. Boost was excellent as well as torque with downshifts surprisingly unnecessary- especially at motorway speeds, which is often the case in underpowered cars with 6-speed manuals.
Space/storage, excellent seating for 4 people plus loads of boot space. Drivers seat was genuinely comfortable (hate to admit it, but IMO, on par either by Westie...) and I’m 6’3”.
AC controls and infotainment: intuitive, responsive and so so simple. AC dials felt better quality than the RRs.
Not so good:
Loud, road noise was intrusive. But only at 70-ish MPH.
Handling - on par with the RR ( 🤣 )
Skittish and prone to ‘tram-lining’
Poor rear 3/4 - C-pillar visibility.
Interior quality - nasty cheap plastic everywhere.
MPG....42 at best, and I was so careful.
Overall a very positive experience, was like a Renault Clio from ten years ago but updated to modern standards. If I was to be in the market for a new car, I feel I’d be a fool to not consider the Duster. We had a new 116d BMW last year in Florence. Hand on hard the Duster was head and shoulders above it.
Thanks! 2012 4.4 TDV8 Westminster - Baltic Blue, Jet interior
1997 P38 2.5 DSE auto & 1998 P38 2.5 DT Manual
1988 Vogue 3.5 EFI - Manual, gone.
2004 Volvo C70 2.0T convertible, had since new.
2007 Mazda MX-5 2.0 Sport Roadster/Coupé, had since new.
2024 Mini Cooper S cabrio, JCW kit, 2.0, DCT auto
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