Totally agree! Simple, enough gimmicks but not too much, safety features that matter but not all ridiculous other so called safety features (which actually makes it less safe) and most of all, enough space to do whatever you need.
How did people manage before all the tech and extra safety gadgets came out....just fine....common sense should prevail !! Excellent Review Tish, as usual. 😀
I bought a 90 TCe Comfort new in 2022 for £13,250 including metallic paint & spare wheel. Great value then with 6 gears, wireless CarPlay & Satnav. Dacia reduced the specification & raised the price soon afterwards in a rebranding exercise. Now I wouldn’t buy one but would pay a few grand more for a similar but much smarter Mk 5 Clio.
Clio is smaller though somehow. Not as wide, less room in the back seats, and the boot, although bigger on paper, in real terms is more narrow than the dacia so about the same. The clio is fancier inside, but otherwise is hardly worth 3-4 k extra, and even more if you don't want the base clio model which comes with a tiny 5 inch screen and barely anything.
Dacia is what Skoda used to be in the 90's. Value for money, no thrills and that is what mobility should all be about. I hate things like power, premium, posh, sporty, luxurious... All these things including a shitload of so called safety features have resulted in an even more aggressive traffic and selfish behavior on the roads. I read a Dutch article where they clamed that simple, small cars with sub 100 bhp are "dangerous" on highways. I was flabbergasted by such a quote while it's the opposite. Most modern cars are much to powerful, especially EV's. They result in owners making it a sport to accelerate as fast as possible at each intersection and, of course, they don't give a shit about speed-limits. That has made it very hard for normal cars (yes I mean normal cars or the rare sensible EV's) to participate in the daily traffic without having a shitload of assholes pushing you, almost bumper to bumper, because it's not fast enough for these man and ladies. Such powerful and fast cars should be forbidden to be build and sold. If you want "sportiness" , go to track days with your sportscar on a trailer and have all the fun you want but not on public roads.
I test drove all the models but eventually chose the jogger mainly because of boot space…it being a 7 seater and I didn’t need the extra seats in the back so having sacked them off it gives so much extra room..Also being quite a long car it gives scope for carrying more on the roof ! If you are thinking of a jogger I’d go for the Extreme SE version 👍
I've test driven Chinese MGs and they're awful. Very unrefined, rough, bouncy and unsettled, noisy,... and really bad fuel economy too. They're not quite there yet
@@ppp0911Charly you don't understand what 'non English native speaker' means. I suggest you brush up on your English... and best throw a bit of comprehension in there too 🙄
Comes with a phone holder as standard in the expression you dont need a long phone cable. Wheel trims are fine , no worries about scuffs in pot holes. Its a good car , good price , if you want something dearer , take out more credit , if you dont want the debt, buy what you can afford 😉
Get the Stepway version with alloys, wireless apple car play/ android auto, blind spot monitoring, extra usb ports. Looks a lot better car in white with the body moldings. 6spd gearbox.
@@Tom-sg4iv Driven both over the last 7 years, there isnt much difference in it. Most people who buy Dacia's wouldn't notice. Without doubt the Stepway is a better product. The sales difference proves that more people prefer the Stepway.
The USB port on the dash is really for the lower spec model that does not have the touch screen. It allows for a mobile phone to be used as a sat nav etc when it is held in the built-in phone holder. It works well in that scenario.
Sadly, dacia discontinued wireless android auto and car play, across all models. It is now wired only. So you do need to use that port for every model. Luckily though, wireless adaptor dongles are fairly affordable (30-40 quid), you just leave it in the USB port and it makes it wireless. It does add a bit of latency (0.3s maybe), but no big deal. I got mine from Ali express for 23 quid and it works just fine.
That's so not really true... In the Sandero models with the 8" media display, Android Auto and Apple Car Play only work via USB cable. In the 8" Media Nav, however, it is wireless, as it has WiFi integrated in addition to Bluetooth. In addition, a connected MP3 stick can be connected to the radio and controlled using the upper USB socket.
@@cartouchator Wireless Android Auto or Apple Car Play is still available in vehicles equipped with the Media Nav system. I bought the Sandero Stepway in the Extreme+ version 4 weeks ago. It is configured via cable for the first time and then works fully automatically as soon as I get into the car. Even without explicitly starting Android Auto, you have immediate access to Google via the steering wheel voice button, including immediate voice-controlled navigation.
@@cartouchator I also have a MediaNav from 2024 and it works. I had just compared my German instructions again with the English ones, but they are identical in this respect. However, for initial activation and setup, the smartphone must be connected to the USB cable for the first time. Here is the link to the PDF file and it is described on page GB.49. ( world.e-guides.renault.com/sites/default/files/vehicule-multimedia-version/media-display-media-nav-nx1412-7_eng.pdf ) I would really be surprised why there should be a difference between GB and Germany, especially since the MediaNav is significantly more expensive than the MediaDisplay ;-)
I bought one of the last Dacia sandero auto expression model for £16,500 with 3 years servicing 12 months ago. Got £6,500 for my 7 year old Skoda fabia so only £10,000 for a new car. Have no regrets whatsoever will prob keep for the next 3-5 years. It's a decent car overall and a great car for the money.
I had a Dacia Logan 1st generation. Simple, not a beauty on the outside, very... usefull style inside. A/C as the only luxury special. Very simple, reliable, not expensive, spacious. In need to by a new car I have chosen the new Dacia Sandero, which is still afordable, but also much more attraktive.
16" alloys were available in, at lest, Benelux countries until late last year. Sadly gone the way of the 6 speed gearbox on every version other than the Stepway.
@@stumerkaiba6431 I hate LPG after bad experiences with an Opel, a Renault and a Citroen and at the end my garage said that gas is only good for cooking.
I bought a new Jogger Extreme 1.0tce in 2022 and it's been nothing but problems. The engine is far too stressed for that type of vehicle. Although I can see the appeal of cheap motoring, there's cheap and cheerful and then there's cheap because it's cheap. Dacia's are good cars. My Jogger was hugely practical, but regular dealer visits, blown up flywheels and months waiting for parts is not fun. I bought new to avoid that type of thing. I swapped to a 1 year old, AWD, mild hybrid Suzuki Vitara SZ5 for £18500 and it's been excellent. The Suzuki IS cheap and cheerful and it actually feels like it's designed to last.
I had one for a few years - got a 2021 essential bi-fuel model for £10k new and was faultless - only got rid when got a car through work but do miss it
I’ve owned a diesel Logan, a diesel Sandero and now drive a petrol Duster Presteige... no hint of a problem with any of them since I bought the Logan back in 2015. The diesel Sandero seemed underpowered compared to the Logan, but not worrying so.
Nice review, Tish 🙂 Being Romanian ... I know a little more about Dacia cars ... so, I'm able to say that this model, Sandero ... and the sedan (Logan) too ... have variants with quite good automatic gear boxes - not very pricy ... which, of course, are very handy in the city. The automatics are not coming with factory LPG option ... but the factory LPG equipment is not the best on the market, anyway. So, it worths to buy a petrol automatic and install later an aftermaket LPG kit (Landirenzo being the best that I know of) ... in order to have the both advantages: the automatic + the LPG option. Also, a bad of these cars are the (stupid) half-way exhaust pipes (the cheapskates French management 😏) ... which are pointed to the ground ... so, they put the gases under the cars ... allowing them to go into the cabins ... when the cars are staying in traffic - with the engines running. 🤢 So, when the LPG kit is installed ... the exhaust pipeline must be properly extended ... in order to go all the way ... in the back ... 🙂 P.S.: I don't wanna hear the smarta55 argument ... with the same solution for the exhaust on the G - Wagon ... because ... first ... it's not on all variants - only on G63 AMG .... meaning 8 cylinders engines ... so, those exhaust gases have a bigger volume ... meaning a higher pressure at the exit point ... so, the gases are not staying under the car - as in Sandero/Logan cases. Plus, at the G Wagon ... the exhaust is dual ... so, the volume is half on each side of the car. And ... finally ... the catalysts are muuuch more efficient on the G - wagon ... so, the gases are not so toxic - as in Dacia's-st1pid-half-length-exhaust-pipeline case ... 😉
honestly, it looks like the UK sanderos don't get all options, even on the higher spec model. I live in Romania and my car (2021 sandero stepway) has more options such as the ones below 2:31 you can pay to get the boot floor separator as an optional 3:12 you can pay to get the car with the big armrest with storage, which comes 12v socket at the back of the armrest (meant for rear passangers) 4:46 my car is bi-fuel with 6 speed manual gearbox (this might be only on stepway though) 6:32 you can pay to get a blind spot warning light in the mirror my car also has climate control some even have heated seats 8:40 mine has another usb port near the front 12v charger (i don't have 2 front 12v chargers)
These so-called safety features are all invented to make cars more expensive less affordable for some pricing people off the road, what would the encap score be if these extra distracting, annoying gizmos were not included in the test and how on earth did we manage without them all these years?
Another Top Gear wannabee repeating all that has already been said, so nothing new here. The Extreme version of the Stepway Sandero adds a fair few niceties and is a very good drive at a still very competitive price. The seat coverings that this reviewer didn't like are actually an easy clean material, so good for those of us with dogs or messy kids. Stop comparing these cars with those that cost far more and give them the merit that they deserve. Not all of us want 'lane assist' and all those other annoying 'Euro Nanny' gadgets that just serve to annoy. Leave the driving to us! Also, Dacia are currently offering 4.9% APR on their new cars which is very competitive.
Unless you're a driver who can't put their phone down for 10 minutes or get behind the wheel sober these "safety features" aren't going to be of much use for you anyway.
That "higher spec model" costs less than any base model of any car of the same size on the market in the uk, except the mg3 (which is not very good and also gets no digital dash), you need to compare apples with apples.
The car is to expensive you better of buying a good used mainstream manufacturers which will be more up to date with and better screwed to getter when they were cheap the were more being bought but now the price has gone up I don’t see many new ones coming on the road now
I like the Dacia Duster but I think the Sandero although cheap, it is cheap for a reason. Build quality is below par and I think the KIA Picanto is a better buy. The Suzuki Swift although a bit more expensive (but in my opinion worth the extra) is worth a look too. Good review thanks.
Not really. Picanto looks like a toy compared to Sandero, no space. It is more than half a meter shorter and less wider. Also the pikanto's entry engine model is just 67cv wich is nothing compared with to sandero's 90cv. Furthermore, Sandero has de glp option wich allows you to get the ECO sticker, really important in some European countries like Spain. I get that pikanto is a good car, but it's not comparable with Sandero becouse of the size difference.
Worth saying it used to have a 6 speed box now reserved for jacked up version. I considered it briefly but ended up going for a Suzuki swift for the 7 year warranty better drive and looks as with a tier one discount its at least as cheap or cheaper than the Dacia.
Disagree. Had a top of the range bi-fuel version for 2 years, possibly one of the best cars I have owned in my life. Replaced 6 months ago by a Mazda CX 60 PHEV, still miss my little red Sandero.
@maxinlux6570 I miss my little red Panda diesel but the current version has better cars in competition with it for similar money unless cabin space is No1 on the priority list its not cutting it.
@@manolo6139 Maybe but the Picanto GTline is 99 bhp and similarly priced to the Sandero. Plus it is better built and has a better warranty. But as I said I would pay a bit more and buy a Swift due to its good reliability record and is much better built than the Sandero.
Uguale alla mia bianca ma col motore solo a benzina, i difetti: rigida sullo sconnesso, presa USB troppo in alto, manca il supporto telefono che hanno levato da tempo, manca di un pianale robusto nel baule che compensi la mancanza della ruota di scorta, io ne ho costruito uno in compensato leggero avvitato al perno centrale e ricoperto con il suo tappeto originale, nel vano tengo tutti gli accessori dal kit gomme alle catene ed estintore. Il motore turbo é favoloso consumi contenuti e brillante nei sorpassi prezzo 15860€ in contanti con bulloni antifurto e identitcar
That 7400 euro was a 65 hp Dacia Sandero. The 100 hp was 10000 euro. The remaining 20% price increase applies to all cars because price increased for all products in the last 3 years.
I just had a look on Auto Trader at the Corolla and you would be getting a 4 year old car with about 30k on the clock that some one else may have abused, no thank you.
Except when you look at finance deals, finances for used cars get absolutely horrible APR. So that "same price corolla" that's actually 4-5 years old and 40k miles, would cost a lot more per month on finance because 14% Apr hpi finance versus 4.9% pcp finance. Double the price actually ! And 12 months warranty only.
14k for that?! It’s just a really old Clio..Nicole an all. A second hand clio or 208 or fiesta is a much better buy. Ridiculous that this “expert” hasn’t pointed that out 😂
Alloys are a double edged sword low weight look pretty but upkeep can be a pain and put a nicer wheel trim that's not an expensive oem item & it looks fine.
Not everyone wants the expensive upkeep of alloys, that are more difficult to balance, more expensive tyres, and expensive repairs when curbed. Also 15k by todays standards is still by far the cheapest for a car that size, every single car has gone up in price by the same amount the dacia cars did, except mg. (And mg are chinese crappy cars). It hasn't gone uo by as much as you think, they removed the access model , so the same level essential car went from 10k to 14k on the same amount of time that the Honda jazz went from 18k to 26k...
Look around ar other prices gone up due to inflation, the food tripled , drinks quadrupled, energy bills skyrocketed ... the price of the car includes the bills for the energy they consume as well so that's part of the blame too
