I've had a Sandero Stepway for six years. Never broken down, only routine consumables have ever needed replacing, it costs peanuts to run, cruised through every MOT without anything wrong, built like a little tank, massive boot space, comfortable seats, perfectly decent to drive. I'm going to keep it until it fall to pieces, which I think is a good few years away yet. Amazing how some people seem so threatened and annoyed by these cars! For the money, they're brilliant. Never regretted buying mine for a second.
This afternoon my wife and I went to a garage in Hungary to take a closer look at the Dacia Sondero and I examened the car well. It felt rather robust and it's a beauty from every point of view....love on first sight! We still have to figer out with edition we will take. I think we go for utmost reliability so no compressor and that means the 73 HP edition also knowing that serious accidents are in most cases related to high speed driving. Really a very nice car and spacious enough for both of us and our dog Decibelle. Congratulations Dacia!
mini is alot less car when buying 'standard' and thus again alot more expensive when getting a few options. And then there's the maintanance...nope mini isn't cheap at all!
I'm a Motor Dealer and have just taken in a 2014, nine year old Sandero-Stepway, DCI..... It's done 146,000 miles and I have to say it still drives superb.... A very underated car !
tell me again why we must have touchscreen infotainment systems in every new car, because I really need another distraction in the car to take my eyes off the road. why don't they just leave a docking area in these cars and you can put your smartphone there instead with appropriate app to relay any car info you need. there a £1k saving straight away
Which is exactly what I did. Brought an ambiance face lift. Theres a slot in the centre of the standard stereo where you can fit a renault smartphone holder.
Don't take on board as gospel with this review.We have just basically swapped our 67 plate gas guzzler vauxhall meriva 1.4 for a 17 plate Sandero ambiance with 9800 on clock and trust me as I was sceptic the road noise in our sandero is nowhere near as loud as our vauxhall.The Dacia is good on stearing,very comfortable and for a 1.0 is bloody quick off the mark and on the motorway will get up to 70mph without you feeling you were last at the party.Yes the trim isn't all sparkling but your talking about a £5990 car still in manufacturers warranty against a similar main branded spec car that would cost you 2k more easy.The space in the cabin is superb and you get a nice mini jeep/SUV feeling experience.The fuel economy is outstanding too.We have the ambiance model with a easy to use dab radio/AC/ ELECTRIC FRONT WINDOWS and other trim extras.Overall you will not do wrong if your on a budget buying one of these.I was expecting a very 90's eastern European driving experience but far from it.
I'm 17 with a new 2018 dacia sandero ambience model absolutely love it to pieces good audio system seat height adjustment little cabin noise it's a 1 litre petrol best first car
If you purchased the Sce 1.0 75 I suggest you keep a close eye on the rocker box gasket it may start leaking engine oil took 7 months to get a replacement gasket .
Bought a new Sandero Stepway last summer and drove it all back from the north of Holland to the south of Italy without any problem. It may not seem very comfortable but you`ll be surprised, it still drives me around without any probs... Great value for money and very reliable, I really love it...
I used to have a 2009 Skoda Fabia 1.9 Tdi which was awesome despite being no frills. It got trashed in an accident so I test drove a used 2017 Skoda Fabia 1.2 petrol - which wasn't as good. The newer Skoda felt heavier and clumsier than my old one did, wasn't as nice to drive and felt a bit sluggish, plus it was WAY more expensive brand new than mine was at the time. I wasn't prepared to part with that kind of money for something which was basically meh, so I didn't look at any more Skoda models because the Citigo isn't my thing at all.
Why do they bother talking about the "quality of plastic" in the interior? if I'm paying so little for a brand new car I probably don't care about that.
How can you say that? You don't know what kind of a job he has, and how much he has saved up already. I thought I would never come so far, but I've saved up quite a lot of money, and I have not even finished my education as an engineer. I know I'll save up for a sports car
Why slag the DCI engine? I have one and its not noisy at all and often the radio drains out any other noise from tires or wind! One of the best cars I have owned which is probably quite terrible I'm admitting that considering I used to drive a BMW E60 530d....
Totally agree as we have just purchased a Sandero ambiance and against our old vauxhall mariva which wasn't even two years old is a dam sight quieter and comfortable.The dci engine is as good as any 1.0 Iv driven and lively too.Theres a lot of jealousy around regarding these dacias and with good cause.👌💪🏼💪🏼
tried and tested parts, depreciation shouldn't be too much of a problem as they don't cost too much to start with. One annoying point, you need the key to open the tailgate but it has central locking !, a simple push button would've been nice. If you can move past the badge snobbery its a likeable little car
Gaby10 thanks, weird how several experienced reviewers are misreporting this as needing the key to open the tailgate, accident or an attempt to give the car an unfairly negative review?. Maybe I'm just getting paranoid in my old age !.
The diesel version is excellent. Smooth running and plenty of power for overtaking. Engine speed of just over 2200 RPM at 70 mph means relaxed motorway cruising. Mine does over 55mpg and is exempt from UK road tax. For some strange reason, the UK motoring press want to put people off buying diesel cars.
[Fantastic review] [Stumbled upon it totally by accident] I wish these were sold in Canada. I miss the no-frills car, where pretty much everything is simplistic and manual. You feel more at one with your car when you have full control over everything. My Hyundai Pony was likely the second most dangerous thing I've driven in my life, and I still love her...even though she's long gone. I just get the vibe that the Sandero could well be 2017's Pony.
actually...the height-adjustable steeringwheel costs just 70euros...not worth even skipping it on the optionlist..just get it if it bothers you...she didn't know i guess...
The big problem is these motoring journalists spend their lives driving £40k Mercedes, top end Range Rovers, and stuff like Bentleys. They become snobs about "normal" affordable cars like this. The only one who did well at avoiding this problem was James May who absolutely adored the Toyota iQ.
The sales figures in uk are proof of how popular Dacia cars have become.Most people are only interested to get from A to B cheaply and safely. Dacia does that perfectly !!!
i have a 1.6 16v dacia logan. full option version have 12 years old with 250000km 50000 km ride outside city and 200000km made on the capital of romania called bucharest ... a city full of boomps and all worst u can imagine about 5 yearsago i pt thecar to make money ....delivering pizza and hot food .... meaning ... ride like hell ... but the poor car didnt ask me something in + all these years only the usual spareparts ... brake parts oil and suspension .... work perfect .... how to not love sch a car ?
Yeah, about that 7" infotainment screen.. it's a laggy pile of useless crap. I'd much rather have that basic radio with just usb and bluetooth connectivity and use my own phone for navigation.
Knobhead,gets the cheapest new car that you can get and it's not even that bad and complaints about the car being plasticky.What did you expect?Leather?
I persuaded my daughter to test drive A Sandero as she could afford one new. She said it was OK, but nowhere near as nice as her Mk1 Fabia......so she bought a six year old Skoda Fabia 2 instead. The Dacia Sandero is a good car for sure and will suit many people, but its not as refined as it might be. In reality it has no competition as nobody can compete on price. It IS the best new car for the money.
Agreed then 0.9 turbo is an excellent engine. Its actually pretty quick if you need it to be. Love mine wish I had gone for a color rather than white though hehe.
Great review. I just bought a 2016 Laureate version today. I was already happy with my choice but chuffed to hear it's got all the top extras. Can't wait to pick it up in the week.
I thought the test drive was so good I bought a new one , in December 2017, Of course its cheap it a budget car , but that doesn't mean its not a good car , Its a very good car Loads of interior space my previous ,2014 Micra Acenta couldn't hold half as much as what the Sandero boot can hold , the fuel consumption on this Car is astounding where a Micra would be down to half a tank now, My Sandero's fuel has only slightly moved . Smooth engine . ,Yes it only has a Radio [no CD] but it does have a USB slot in the front of the radio , just download your favourite music to memory stick and plug it in no need to find where to store all those space taking CDs . WARNING,WARNING, The Sce 1.0 75 suffers from rocker box gasket failure the gasket was found to be leaking at 3800 miles , 5 weeks later I am still waiting for the dealer to repair under warranty , parts backlog is to blame I am told the seats dont have enough padding , the engine splutters when started from cold .
Sce 75 1.0 Petrol if you buy a Dacia and I wouldn't ever buy another avoid this one , Rocker box gasket failure is almost a certainty and you may wait months for repair .
Let's get real here. A mid range Dacia Sandero Stepway is £9,000 ish. The new Nissan Micra mid level model without sat nav is £15,000. The new Micra may look good, but it is not a great car. Is it worth £6,000 more than the Dacia? I don't think so.
I agree. I own a dacia sandero ambiance. I can't see any catch as they are good to drive, spacious and comfortable. The care companies decided we had to pay thousands more and for what? I'm pleased Dacia have recognised a gap in the market.
The seat and steering weel can be adjusted. It’s an option you can add. If you buy the car without that option you won’t be able to do that so just add that as an option and ur good to go ;)
I'm sorry but I own a 1.5 diesel Dokker (i guess it's the same for Sandero) and it's one of the coolest engines. It's so quiet and steady, you think you driving a petrol. I guess the suspension is different because Dokker gets no body roll at all, a little bit firm. My refrence point is my other car i own, a Fiat Stillo 1.9 jtd. Well, this engine you'll never mistake for a petrol lol.
Looks like an alright motor to me and good for the money. I just want something to get me from A to B without extra frilly nonsense (which means more things to go wrong). No car stereo, no problem I will just take a cheap radio or mp3 player with me, likewise, for Satnav, I can use my phone.
What's the deal with bananas in car reviews done by women? and they insist to show that there's some room for their banana, seems a crucial criteria for buying a car for them.
I thought i was the only one who found the banana thing weird :D jokes apart, what the hell is she saying? It's the cheapest car available in the UK and yet she complaints and pits it against the fiesta. There is no such thing as cheap and cheerful :D .you win some, you lose some. take the banana and get back to work :D
At under 10000£ you can have it with all the optionals, or if you like an even nicer look go for the stepway. Sandero is a spacious, cheap and quite reliable car, only problem is the rust that apears sooner than other more expensive cars. The facelift made it so much better, I don't know why they want so much for so less money.
I am driving a petrol aspirated engine, and the next car will have a petrol engine.I drive a Fiat, when a need power it loves to rev over 5000 rpm, and in the last road trips it used 4,5 liters/100km :)
I purchased a new Sandero 1.0 Sce 75 Ambiance in December 2017 , And part exchanged it 10 months later with just under 5000 miles on it . blown rocker box gasket at 3800 miles waited 7 weeks for replacement part to arrive fold in the mirrors and the cables operating the mirrors are visible , engine on the Sce is underpowered, coughs and splutters when started from cold , takes a few miles to warm the engine and then the problem stops , main problem is parts supply I can only assume that there is so many sanderos faulty out there they cannot get parts quick enough hence 7 week wait .
Friend drove it as a taxi for 60k miles without any issues :) Gasoline engines take LPG really well too, and than thay are cheaper to run than most diesels.
I don’t know really, I’ve got a Stepway laureate and thought it was top of the range, stop start option, cruise control, speed limiter, AC, rear parking sensors, heated and powered mirrors, touch screen sat nav infotainment system. I love it. I’m not sure whether the comfort has rear parking camera but I might be wrong.
Actually this looks like more than you pay for, and at the back it have plenty of space if you need something more than your average trunk but you don't actually need so much space to get a van.
For me, i have a brand new sandero, bought it in february 2018, the only problema is, well you guessed it, power!! I have the bifuel model, but when it comes to go in roads with a accented climb, it looses its power and seems that the car is really struggling, on highways and country roads its just fine, i have usb and Bluetooth and they fit all my needs, the bifuel or gpl is cheap so i dont spend as much as a diesel or petrol only car, but like i said, if you wanna do road trips that have climbs....well you are in for a bad treat.
I've just got a Dacia Logan and can't believe they don't sell it there in the UK. For a extra 900 pounds you get a bigger and better car. I bought the 90HP version with no extras and it's great. I don't know if Rebecca is only used to drive Mercs and BMWs or if the SAndero is inferior, but the Logan as great handling, no vibrations, great acceleration for a 90HP. In fact, myself I think the engine noise is too low, keep having to check the dial to check the RPMs. Excelent mileage, at 2000RPM it gets almost 50MH in that little engine. As a big boot, even it's the entry version comes with what now is a basic computer, as a nice interior and car stereo, better then in that Sandero. For 9700 pounds no other brand gives you a car like the Logan.
They do sell the logan in the UK? Just not the Saloon/Sedan version. We get the estate called the Logan MCV. Taxi companies where I live seem to love them.
Priceless.. here in Portugal nowadays there are also a lot of Logans(both models) as taxis! But what I don't understand is why the Sandero is the main production car Dacia makes. More then 200k last year compared with 80k Logans and 179k Dusters. Is it sales demand? Don't tell me people prefer a smaller car to save less then 1000 pounds for a Logan.
Because the SANDERO is far more practicle than the LOGAN with its 5 doors - For example, here in FRANCE, we do prefer the SANDERO even if the boot size is smaller than the LOGAN's one .
Nissan/Renault does not sell Dacia in the USA, but the Nissan versa/note is about the same vehicle. Rebecca, marry me and move to the USA, and I will buy you a sandero or versa for your very own. Can't beat an offer like that! :)
Alterate Awful in case you don't know, nissan and renault are one company, managed by carlos ghosten. they not only control those two brands, but Dacia and now Mitsubishi also.
Looks like you get a car for your money and not an IT infotainment etc etc with a car thrown in for good measure. Probably makes more sense to get a decent used Honda Jazz or something similar.
Dear Rebecca, for just £50 you can...have height adjustment for the driver seat. You don't recommend the diesel because of vibrations....well that should be it's major saling point apart from the better fuel economy and incredible torque (double than petrol). Diesels like to climb like a mad mustang on a mountain! Tica Taca Tica Taca
I am an owner of a 1.2 Sandero from 2015. Is a good car but I wouldn't recommend it, why? I live in the UK and it broke down (a piece related to the power steering) it took the mechanic 8 weeks to get the piece from Dacia, wtf?? horrible post-sale service from Dacia in the UK
There might have a slight correlation between the use of touchscreen on cars with a significant increase of road collisions. In fact, digital devices made our lives easier; however, they are danger when misused, especially driving. Personally, I think this car suits the need, so for a better car with all advanced items one should pay more.
It's good as a decoy. When you park it outside your front door any robber won't know that your other car hidden in your garage is a Rolls Royce. They'll think you are so poor they'll skip robbing you. They'll rob your neighbours' houses instead.
This car is great value for the money. Cheap to buy, cheap to run. Not too many surprises on the long term. Unfortunately it only scores 3 STARS on the EuroNCAP crash tests. And that's a BIG minus in my opinion.
Just watch some russian videos about Dacias use as taxi. There is no cheaper and less demanding car models for taxing (including total car longevity). But yes, lack of comfort and driving experience.
