Ugh!
Possibly one of the least attractive and enjoyable cars to drive on the road. It is spacious but not comfortable, sluggish and with an interior more than reminiscent of a 1990s Renault.
I do not understand why there is a digital readout for the fuel and water temp, but it also has a rev counter. If they wanted to save money, why put in a rev counter. It is completely wasted on this car. Luckily (volcano permitting) I will be handing it back tomorrow afternoon.
I haven't done enough miles to give a full consideration to its merits, but I hope never to drive one again, on the basis of 50 kilometres on the motorway and few local trips around town.
I suppose the only thing in its favour is the space and price. Useful in low income countries with families with large numbers of children.
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For my life I cannot figure out why A - Renault sell them in France; B - why the French want to buy them.
If they can't afford a new Renault why not just buy a youngish Clio or something, rather than a poverty-spec, yesterday's technology, cut-down real motor?
The delightful French woman from whom we bought our house, whom I always regarded as a sharp cookie (well she got the money out of me) has just bought a Logan estate (dreadful, ugly thing) after owning her Renault 19 for about 15 years. Maybe the buying price was about the same this time round?
The only bright spot is - every time I am stuck in traffic behind a Dacia 1.4MPI I remember Lud (AC) saying he'd just seen a car called a Lumpy. ;-)
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>> I do not understand why there is a digital readout for the fuel and water
>> temp, but it also has a rev counter. If they wanted to save money, why
>> put in a rev counter.
because the digital readout module is common across all renault ranges and is cheaper than a thing with a needle.
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Its a shame because I hoped they would be good cars. I can't see them ever selling the UK though, there is too much snobbery. I met up with my uni mates last night told them I had bought a Panda and the reponse was "why did you buy one of them **** boxes". The joke is the woman that said that drives a 5 year old Corsa 1.2 16v and I won't be giving her lifts when her camshaft snaps.
This why Lada/Dacia etc would find too hard to find a market in the UK.
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>>>I can't see them ever selling the UK though, there is too much snobbery
Never confuse snobbery with a decision to avoid a carp car :-)
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But even if the car was very good I doubt they would sell well. However if they are cheap enough and I mean 6k they might have a trick up their sleeves.
When the Lada Riva was on sale it was about 2/3 the price of a poverty spec Fiesta but had more than twice the features. The Dacia Logan would need to come with electric windows, aircon, PAS, central locking, CD, MP3, EPS etc and cost £5995, then it would fly out of the show rooms no matter how crap it was.
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Hmmm quite a damning report and surprising because the Diesel wagon I passengered in didn't feel too bad tbh. As to the Panda,i would not call it a **** box. It is probably the best cat FIAT has made in the last few years in my opinion.
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"It is probably the best cat FIAT has made in the last few years in my opinion."
I knew that the Panda was not, technically speaking, a bear - but I'm pretty sure it's not a cat either.
By the way, thanks to Espada III for posting that. I had wondered what the Logan MCV was actually like.
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the logan is a low rent car
that was why it was born
and will one day take over the world-----------
nurse.................................................................
....................................nurse.....................
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I was surprised at how well the Dacias are selling in France, but then I remembered that outside of Paris they are still a land of peasants, where cheapness is far more important than a badge.
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I wouldn't totally disagree with that...
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The carhire mobs have bought a multitude here, with some upcoming event in mind, and I drove one in hi-altitude Johannesburg recently.
Gutless, even with one person in it - god knows what it'll be like with three passengers and luggage! - very noisy, lack of power steering is a pain in the arms, and very cheap and tacky feel.
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so how cheap are these sheds?
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You can buy one for around 6000 euros for a petrol and a little more the diesel in Germany but most people go for the Sondero which isn't a bad little shopping trolley.
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>> so how cheap are these sheds?
You'd be better off keeping your Mitsubishi.
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I have no intention of moving the Mitsi on. Its all paid for, and I am starting to realise its actually a civilised piece of kit that does all thats required of it in an understated and easy way. Its never caused me to say "damn I wish I had my xxxx back" Its only vice is that sometimes I wish it had more horsepower. I am even begining to appreciate its anonymous looks. As a friend of mine said "I never even knew this car existed"
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>> I was surprised at how well the Dacias are selling in France, but then I
>> remembered that outside of Paris they are still a land of peasants, where cheapness is
>> far more important than a badge.
>>
Rather like the UK then... look at some of the "gems" that have sold in reasonable quantities over here... or perhaps its just because people actually regard it as a means of transport and so long as it gets them from A to B then to h**l with the style!
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Well the Duster has got four stars from Autocar and CAR Magazine and James May in the Telegraphis is impressed too although they were testing the 86bhp 1.5 dci. I wouldn't critisise the Dacia only for being gutless. I had a new Megane Privilege on 24 hr test and that £17k car was gutless too in my book but I have been running a Diesel with 230 lb ft for the past five years!
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The Megane I refer to above was a 1.6 115 bhp.
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Dacia-Renault Logan MCV - Renting one at the moment - Mike Hannon
