Dacia Duster Estate (2013 - 2018) 1.5 dCi (110bhp) Ambiance (09/14-) 5d Owner Review

Summary What does this car say about you? That I have zero interest in cars. What do your friends / family / neighbours think of the car? Not a lot. They see it as white-goods. Would you buy this car again and why? No. Regret buying it. Had a basic Sandero before and the build quality issues were acceptable on a £6k new car and it was a good little runaround, but the quality of this Duster is poor and for nearly £12k there’s a lot of better cars for the money, both new and used. What are you likely to buy next? Toyota... which will be sooner than I’d anticipated, but my Dacia doesn’t inspire confidence. Buying experience Type of dealer bought from? Main Renault/Dacia dealer. Did you buy this car new? Yes. What price did you pay? £11,800 new. Got extra £1k discount and the warranty extended to 5-years for taking it on finance. Paid the finance off after the first payment. When did you buy the car? Jan ‘18. Did you get a good deal and why? A fair deal. TBH I wouldn’t have paid any more for a Duster as I don’t think it’s worth it. Is there any special reason why you bought this car? Sold my Sandero in a private sale and was using my motorbike for commuting, but needed a car quickly for harsh winter conditions on rural roads. What was the dealer like? Mmmm. Excellent when I bought my Sandero in 2014, but distinctly so-so this time. Told a couple of lies which were unneccessary as I was going to buy the car anyway, so they only succeeded in creating distrust. Won’t be buying my next car from them. Driving it What’s it like to drive? As expected. It’s comfortable enough, performs well enough, but the experience is spoiled by a noisy, rough engine and numerous rattles and squeaks (from new). What’s it like to park? Fine.. Living with it Have you had any problems with the car? Yes. Engine sounds like a bag of spanners and is WAY rougher than the same engine in my colleague’s Megane. Seems to be particular to my car and most of the racket seems to come from the turbo when it kicks in under load. I can foresee problems in this area in the future. Paintwork poor and at less than 7-weeks old I have a rust spot appear on the roof due to dirt trapped under the paint. Electrics sometimes have a mind of their own. Soooo many rattles and squeaks it’s unreal... worst car I’ve owned in 27 years in this respect. Bought on finance to get a larger discount and a 5-year warranty (which I think I’ll be needing), but certainly won’t keep the car once the warranty is finished. What’s most practical about your car? Height, plus it’s a relatively cheap basic utility vehicle so I’m not precious about it. If it picks up car-park scrapes and dings then it won’t bother me. Favourite gadget, option or accessory? Stereo (my basic Sandero didn’t have one). Posting under a pseudonym as I don't want to jeopardise any future warranty claims ;)