I have such little interest in small cars (I like to waft around in larger cars of course) but I’ve rented quite a few this year and I’m inclined to talk about this one - the Dacia… (I’ll just just check its name through the kitchen window…) Sandero. I’m sorry but it’s all negative. I seriously, seriously dislike it.
I know small cars usually mean small rental prices and that’s why I rent them but they’ve always been well equipped and perfectly adequate. Cameras, radar cruise, sat nav (or at least, mobile phone linked) and all the good stuff I enjoy. This car had absolutely none of those. And I know Dacia is the most basic of all but I just couldn’t live with it. It’s harsh, rough, primitive and above all, uneconomical. Even as a ‘petrol head’ I’ve never cared about ‘chassis’, ‘torque’ and all the other crap because I’m not interested but this dreadful car highlighted the lack all of that. Awful gear change, gutless in the extreme and whining and screaming in the highest gear at 70mph. It needed another gear. And it almost died at the slightest incline. Loading it with extras wouldn't help. And the worst thing of all was everything was complicated. I just wanted to change it from Radio-1 to Radio-2 as I collected it from the rental and in the end, wifey had to do it before I started smashing things. That’s the first thing I always do but I couldn’t even find the radio. FFS, keep simple things simple.
I thought I might have been a fan with the Dacia, they have the Duster - the cheapest pretty-good-looking SUV auto, very well equipped but I think I’d look elsewhere. And that’s a real shame because I’m a big believer in utility furniture/cars/lifestyle, etc. when it suits me. Last week I had a Toyota, Aygo/Auris? Four door and Fiesta-sized. I loved it, it had everything I needed, all simple to operate and none of the stress that the Dacia gave me.
A long time ago you could just jump into a different model, adjust your seat and mirrors and disappear, now you have to link your phone and find where the cruise is hidden and fiddle around for ten minutes. A ball-ache yes, but the Dacia is on another level, despite its simplicity. It’s crap, and I hate it. I have to drive (endure) it to Luton tomorrow. Good luck, me.
I’ve rented a car for November. Pity the guy who tells me ‘it’s a Dacia Sandero, sir’. How very dare you.
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Cheap, basic cars can be fun. Hard to define or quantify why some of them just are, but I agree with your assessment of the Sandero. It just seems such a joyless thing.
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Well this was a very timely thread.
My cousin has asked me to help find a new (used) car for her to replace her 16 year old Fiat Punto that she has had for 15 years. Budget about £10k. I am thinking that someone that drives a 16 year old Punto, maybe doesnt want a massiver step to a car with cruise control, touch screen media etc etc.
My nephew who has no interest in cars bought a Dacia Sandero a few months ago and loves it. It does have cruise control and also apple carplay and he has driven it from Scotland to London a couple of times. It perfectly suits his needs. His mother had a Seat Alhambra which died and she needed a 7 seater on a budget so bought a Dacia Jogger. She prefers driving it to her husband's BMW X1 purely cos the Jogger has a reversing camera and Carplay!
So back to my cousin, she is talking about a Corsa maybe. I was also thinking maybe a Hyundai i10 with their longer warranty. Now, I am sure back when we had our first scrappage deal, you could get an i10 for £5995 after scrappage. Now a £10k budget will struggle to get you newer than 3 years old!
Cousin did say she likes the idea of reversing sensors and heated seats so I will have a play about on autotrader filters to see what I can find!
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There are three Dacias in my wider family : Sandero Stepway, Duster and standard Sandero. They are between four and eight years old. They all do the job for their owners who don’t care about cars much. They have required only routine servicing except the Stepway which had a niggle with fuses which the large chain dealer couldn’t fix. My handy brother sorted this out himself tracing it to a faulty plastic moulding in the box as I recall.
Maybe the later Sanderos have lost the plot?
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>>Maybe the later Sanderos have lost the plot?
I would suspect a 1.0 turbo petrol will be far less pleasing to drive than the original 1.2 4 cyl.
The few 3cyl turbo manuals I have driven have all felt overly "surging" in power delivery and harder to drive and change gear smoothly.
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It is interesting to me though how some entry level cars, despite being in reality a bit rubbish, still managed to be fun to own and drive. Examples might include the original Mini, the 2CV, the original Panda, the Ford Ka and more recently, the original Aygo perhaps.
Others have been less pleasing, anyone remember the Zastava Yugo or the Skoda Estelle?
I wonder how the Sandero will be remembered, if it is at all?
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>> a bit rubbish, still managed to be fun to own and drive. Examples might include
>> the original Mini, the 2CV, the original Panda, the Ford Ka and more recently, the
>> original Aygo perhaps.
Its all about feel, They all handle well, communicate well to you confidently, and hence feel nippy and fun. Lets be honest the original mini had nothing going for it except incredible handling.
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Daughter had an Estelle, 1.3l, semi-trailing arm rear suspension. I used to enjoy driving it when it was working. If it could go wrong, then it would go wrong.
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How about a sexy little FSO Polonez?
;-)
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I once bought a yellow Fiat 128 estate...it was a 3 door, to take 4 of us on a camping trip around Scotland. Four speed box, not much power, but fun to drive.
Not exactly a looker, unlike the X1/9, which I thought was gorgeous. Probably same engine as the 128 ?
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Guess you’re home now LL?
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Sadly, yes.
Arrived Portsmouth (Santona, lovely vessel, 2023 so new ) Monday evening. Long disembarkation before overnight at Travelodge Newbury. Torrential rain at times yesterday..so bad I pulled off motorway for a while.
Can’t say I’m happy to be home. Quite the opposite.
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Plan a new adventure then!
Worlds and lobsters etc.
;-)
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Way ahead of you…first 3 week’s December, inc walk leading in Espana. May sneak off before then…
Picos, French & Spanish Pyrenees late Spring 2024.
Got to watch my 90 days…
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If you split your time between France and Spain does that help with the stay time allowances?
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>> If you split your time between France and Spain does that help with the stay
>> time allowances?
AFAIK It's Schengen countries.
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Not too bad…most avoid Spain during the hot summer months …I’ve several friends who spend quite a few weeks in Andorra…not in EU or Schengen. Other friends get cheap flights to Albania…some even drive there. Great walking, cheap and doesn’t impinge on the 90/180 rule.
If entering these countries…get your passport stamped on both entry and exit so you have proof of being outside Schengen.
Quite a few friends have become very careless, losing their passports. Which coincidentally had lots of rubber stamps. Spain isn’t linked to a central EU/Schengen 90/180 database, they do stamp your passport, but unless they get out pen & paper they’ve no idea of time spent in the EU/Schengen. As told to me by a recently retired French pal who worked for their FO in various postings throughout Europe. He and his (French) wife spend far more than 6 months a year in Spain, so in theory should be Spanish tax residents. But aren’t.
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Dacia-Renault Sandero - The car that sucks the joy out - Runfer D'Hills
