I had a test-drive today and it's a surprisingly nice little car.
The Access model is VERY basic indeed, but the next one up the range, the Essential, has enough spec. for me.
Still thinking about it!
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I looked into them several years ago, but to get air-con you had to go to top of the range. I guess I'm getting soft.
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I was given a Dacia Duster 4x4 diesel the other day as a hire car.
Granted it had loads of toys on it, sat nav, reversing camera air con, 4 elecy windows, elecy mirrors, fuel computer, etc.
However, the driving experience itself was both unrefined and agricultural. And that's being polite. I've driven more comfortable tractors.
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"However, the driving experience itself was both unrefined and agricultural. And that's being polite. I've driven more comfortable tractors."
With our impending move into the third world maybe the right vehicle to buy. Roger should feel at home:)
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Renault are doing with Dacia what VW did with Skoda, a few years ago.
At under £8k for the middle of the Sandero range there's nothing near it in price. It has a radio, air-con, leccie front windows, Bluetooth, and enough bits and bobs to make a decent shopping trolley. Three years without MOT, and no repair costs apart from servicing and wear & tear items is attractive.
PCP is £113 deposit and 47 by £113, so as cheap as chips.
I think we'll get one!
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For a similar price, look at the Toyota Aygo with a good discount I expect you would get near this price and its a different generation altogether (albeit smaller).
Everyone I know who has one loves it.
(Similar to the Citron C1 and Peugeot 108 but with a 5 year warranty.)
Last edited by: zippy on Fri 1 Mar 19 at 17:37
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I looked at the Dacias last time I was in the market, last May, with an eye for a new one. It's an impressive package, for the money, as long as you accept it is what it is. I didn't proceed, more because I felt I got more for my money buying a used Ford at the same price, and a Focus, whilst not exactly luxury motoring, just felt more solid and well equipped than a Sandero, as well as a nicer drive.
I can definitely see the appeal of new and no worries for the warranty years though.
In another place, a Dacia salesman posting a week ago said there is a 1% margin on the basic ones, and 3% on the higher spec ones. That might well explain why there really are no real discounts. Especially if a random stranger on the internet says so.
Just fwiw, I've been looking today at another unknown (to me)and unloved supermini - the Suzuki Baleno. Not as cheap new as the Dacia, but an astonishing amount of kit, reasonably good reviews, and an ex demo top spec one a year old comes in about 11k. Internal room apparently on a par with a Focus. I don't know anything much about Suzukis, but I might go peer at one in a showroom at some point.
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>>Suzuki..
Never had one, but a good mate has a top spec Vitara part time 4x4. He likes it.
I find the interior kit and trim a but outdated and there is lots of hard plastic. Buttons and switches do not have the feel of some other brands either and the Sat Nav / media system definitely looks a generation out of date.
However, I am told by several people that Suzukis are generally "bullet proof" in reliability terms.
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I think Toyota own part of Suzuki, a lot of the parts used from their parts bin.
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>> Renault are doing with Dacia what VW did with Skoda, a few years ago.
VW did well to polish a turd. Renault however......
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I've looked at used cars and the only ones I can afford to buy for readies are bangers with more miles and probably more potential faults than our present car.
Better used cars are only to be had on HP and the deposits and/or payments are out of my reach. Apart from anything else, I've tried and failed to get HP agreed, in principle, for a used car, from a major dealer group: probably due to a combination of age (83) and modest income. I have a perfect credit score of 999 with Experian, but limited possibilities of a loan, as opposed to a credit card, due to aforesaid modest income.
I calculated that a manufacturer's own finance arm would be somewhat influenced in underwriting by a desire to shift metal and I have been proved correct. The PCP deal of £113 + 47 by £113 has been approved, rather to my surprise.
I can sell our car to WBAC or Evans Halshaw for about a grand which, with a bit from our savings will pay off my 0% credit card balances, giving a cash flow benefit of at least £50 per month towards the drip payment.
What happens at the end of the PCP deal, leaving the usual options?
Well - in four years time I might no longer be driving!
Jam today, rather than jam tomorrow :-)
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Sounds like a good call for you then Roger.
I was parked the other day and a guy in a new Sandero turned and parked next to me. We got chatting about it, and he was VERY enthusiastic about every aspect of it, and very happy indeed with his purchase.
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>> Well - in four years time I might no longer be driving!
It's whether you'll like driving it for the next four years though. If it were me, I'd see if any dealer were willing to let you have an extensive test drive of it.
I was glad to get out of the Duster that I had for the day. Granted it's not a Sandero, but I can't imagine the build quality to be any better.
Notchy gear change. Also kept going back into 3rd gear instead of changing up to 5th, and if and when I did manage to get it into 5th, changing into 6th often resulted in changing back into 4th again. All due to the extra effort required to overcome the strong gear lever spring.
The seats were none too comfortable either, heavy steering, and very poor brakes.
The seats had height adjust as well as forward/back, but I was unable to adjust one without adjusting the other. It seemed moving the seat forward also elevated the seat, and moving it back also lowered it. I never did fathom out what the 2nd lever under the seat was for. Ejector seat perhaps?
The elecy mirror adjuster was under the handbrake lever, and not easy to operate.
Headlight height switch was right down at the bottom of the dash, below and just right of the steering wheel. It felt like you were trying to push/pull a cable rather than operating an electric switch. Very primitive.
The infotainment system (radio/sat nav) ect could not be seen very well due to the angle it was mounted in the dash. Any sunlight and it became invisible due to the glare off the screen, making the reversing camera next to useless.
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Aren't/weren't they based on Clio and Megane design from the early 2000s?
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The Sandero is a great overall package but it wont be to everyone's taste.
I used to have the previous generation Duster (until my mileage dropped) so changed to a Sandero stepway.
I think the Stepway (yes it's a crap name) is a better overall package.
There isn't one stand out feature that is great but the whole package is great overall especially for the price.
I have only had the car coming up to one year (two years for the Duster) and nothing has gone wrong or anything weird happen.
They are cheap cars that allow people on a tight budget to get a brand new car, a lot of people forget this.
Comparing the Lada Riva 1989 prices to a Sandero Today shows the Lada was more expensive through it's price range. that show's how much of a bargain these cars are
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I totally get and buy into the Dacia proposition. If you choose to go for a "premium" car then undoubtedly it can provide some features and benefits that make for an appreciably enhanced experience. But, the Dacia models provide probably 7/10s of those benefits at a vastly reduced cost. Oddly enough, the bit of the market that maybe makes less sense, when you come to think about it, are models/makes that are only really marginally better, but that cost rather a lot more.
If my needs were different, as in if I was doing a far lower mileage and didn't need so much loadspace, I'd definitely consider a Duster. A simple, no nonsense car that would be cheap to buy and run, would take my bikes in or on it, and would tackle a muddy track or two at the weekends to get me to a mountain biking venue. Cheap enough too that I'd not be feeling I had to be too precious with it. Like I said, I totally get it.
In fact, it could well be on my list as my retirement car if I ever get around to that.
My father-in-law, who is 82 going on 83, bought a new Suzuki Ignis about 18 months ago, ex-demonstrator so he got a cracking deal. He loves it. Clever back seat that can be shoved forward to make the boot bigger. Suits him because he can get his golf clubs in without them being on show. They are one of those odd cars that can suit many people of all walks of life and ages, for example, my 19 year old student son likes it too.
I think Dusters are a bit like that, they suit a wide span of needs and wants without looking too stereotypical of a generation or lifestyle.
Last edited by: Runfer D'Hills on Sun 3 Mar 19 at 13:00
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>> I totally get and buy into the Dacia proposition.
I thought you might, I mean 4 cylinders is 4 cylinders at the end of the day regardless of the badge,
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My Dacia has three :-)
one fell off. lol
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I had a five cylinder Volvo at one time. Went well and sounded nice. Used quite a lot of petrol though. Favourite engine sound is still a V8. I had a 3.5 V8 Land Rover a long time ago, loved driving it, but was rather less keen on fuelling it, about 15mpg on a good day !
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I like the Duster, especially now they've done an auto. I see them everywhere where I am. If someone thinks it's agricultural, it wouldn't bother me. I love the Niva and they're a hell of a lot worse.
A year-old one that ticks all my boxes (auto, 4x4, camera, air-con and even leather) can be had for £11k. I think that's fantastic value and tempting if I get rid of the RX (a car I seriously dislike).
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Dacia blurb says that the Sandero has "dual optic" headlamps. What the dickens does that mean?
The engine is a naturally aspirated three pot in the one I'm on about. There is a turbot version with a slightly smaller capacity but 15 more BHP. (Plus a biggish price hike).
In my elder days I'm given up the boy racer image, so performance is no longer the main criterion.
Space is, as evidenced toaday,when we picked up pur grandchildren at LBA to transport them to school. The boot was nearly full,on the Jazz (with Tesco delivered to us) tuck for the next half of the term, before we loaded their luggage!
We are off to the dealer on Wednesday to finalise the deal - so far I've blagged a spare wheel instead odf an inflation kit. BTW, the car has a tyre presssure monitor, hill start assist and possibly stop/start, which I reckon are three useless bits of bulldust for me.
We are not committed yet, although I do have, rather surprisingly, SWMBO on-side!!!
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>> the car has a tyre pressure monitor
Standard fitment since Nov 2014.
www.tyresafe.org/tyre-safety/tpms/tpms-and-the-law/
Since November 2014, all new passenger vehicles sold in the EU must be equipped with a tyre pressure monitoring system (TPMS)
Since 1st Jan 2015 it's an MOT failure if inoperative or has a faulty TPMS sensor.
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I would guess 'dual optic' is a marketing term for height adjustable headlights.
there is a dial inside the Dacia's at knee height that can be twisted to adjust the head light height.
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...separate bulbs/beams for dip and main beam....
....(or the oldies "built-in G&T" version)..... ;-)
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>> In my elder days I'm given up the boy racer image, so performance is no
>> longer the main criterion.
>>
Roger, performance might not be but is fuel economy? You might have to work that 25 less BHP (assuming the jazz is around 100hp) more to keep the same pace hence a lower MPG figure.
Same reason I have stuck with a diesel with my latest car, test drove a few 1.2 - 1.6 petrols and found them tiring to drive (in comparison) in a similar fashion.
granted the offset of MPG is made up for by not having routing repair costs for a few years and MOT worries with the Jazz.
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>> granted the offset of MPG is made up for by not having routing repair costs
>> for a few years and MOT worries with the Jazz.
Extract from the RAC review.
"We'd hoped for quite a lot from the new 'SCe 75' unit, not only because it uses modern technology but also because it's a substantial 20kgs lighter than the previous powerplant, thanks in part to an all-aluminium block. As it is, the gains made are relatively modest, the efficiency stats improving to 54.3mpg on the combined cycle and 117g/km of CO2. Dacia could have got a lot closer to the prevailing supermini class standard if it had equipped this unit with an engine stop-and-start system, something limited to the pokier 0.9-litre TCe 90 turbo petrol powerplant that we'd suggest you try and stretch to if funds permit. That's why a 'TCe'-powered Sandero can manage better returns - 57.6mpg and 109g/km."
As an aside, I know the Jqzz will need a new CAT come MOT time. (Rust) There are advisories on the last MOT for brake pipe corrosion, play on a suspension bush and deteriorated headlights due to severe scratching (not removable by buffing with a proprietary paste).
All in all to keep it on the road will only cost more as the years pass.
Last edited by: VxFan on Mon 4 Mar 19 at 12:38
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Sounds like a good deal for you. Mind you I think I might have liked the turbot version!
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>> Sounds like a good deal for you. Mind you I think I might have liked
>> the turbot version!
>>
I used "turbot" deliberately as I haven't outgrown silliness in naming cars - Squashkai, anyone?
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If, or when, we buy the Sandero Essential 75Sce, I'll post warts and all reports on what one gets for bargain basement motoring. :-)
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>> If, or when, we buy the Sandero Essential 75Sce, I'll post warts and all reports
>> on what one gets for bargain basement motoring. :-)
Yes, please do Roger, be interesting.
I was thinking this morning that we've had cars with gadgets including radar cruise, self directing vents, heated and cooled massage seats, auto everything, temperature dependent cold morning seat heaters, rear electric sun blinds, air suspension - the list goes on and on.
But the car we both look back on and say "ah, that was a nice little car" was the Aygo, and years before that, the Renault 5. Neither of which had much in the way of comforts, but just were fun, perky, not much to go wrong and cheap as anything to run.
I wonder if a Dacia fits that bill these days.
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Daughter has a 59 plate Aygo, now got 110k miles.
for the past 2 years she has been doing 15-20k miles per annum in it. It sounds like a can of nails, makes all sorts of rattling noises, is not a quiet engine in any shape, especially with air con on.
Last week it was in for service to my trusted indie, I went up to collect it and it was still on ramp so I was able to get a nosey underneath. Its as basic a car as you could find, everything is exposed which means easy servicing.
Sad that I have never been able to fully cure the leak in the boot!
Interestingly my indie says that the Dacias are easy to work on - lots of space in the engine bay and not full of engine covers etc.
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A surprise!
Apparently our trip to tha Doncaster Dacia dealer (Evans Halshaw) is not to sign an order form, but to collect our new car!
Mad rush today to organise insurance and get a certificate of insurance which arrived as a .pdf from Direct Line.
(We had to get a one day extension to the Jazz to cover the drive to Doncaster for collection of the new shopping trolley. £23, but cheaper than a taxi!)
The new insurance has to be in my name as I'm the one whose name is on the finance docs. So a brand new policy (costly) lessened a bit by transfer of Deidre's NCB to me, as I have always been a named driver on her insurance.
It wouldn't print, as the originator had disabled printing (it came out as a reading from the right and back to front mirror print).
Solved that eventually by opening the .pdf in Libre Office from which I was able to print.
We are selling the Jazz separately to the Evans Halshaw equivalent of We Buy Any Car. It's a separate operation from their retail showrooms and is only available from specific locations.
We have a "Car Store" locally, so that's where it is done.
Online valuation was £1020 and the assessed value was £980. There are no fees to pay, but it's a lot less than WBAC offered before Xmas which came at a net of £1360., from an initial £1500. Shows what a difference a few months makes, as WBAC online start value was £1130 last week. If they applied the same criteria and fees that would give a net of £990. Not worth extra hassle for a tenner.
BTW, I found out that making multiple enquiries from WBAC and their ilk, throws up an HPI flag, which needs to be removed before a purchase is agreed.
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UK spec Sanderos are made in Morocco apparently. Apropos of nothing much. Enjoy your new car, I'm sure it'll be great for your needs/wants.
Day-Cee-Ah or Datch-Ee-Ah?
I want it to be the latter. By way of a vote.
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>> UK spec Sanderos are made in Morocco apparently. Apropos of nothing much.
...it means more emphasis on the Sand, and less on the Eros.....
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>> Day-Cee-Ah or Datch-Ee-Ah?
>>
>> I want it to be the latter. By way of a vote.
In adverts on the TV, it's pronounced the latter.
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I never put my own details on a wbac enquiry form.
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We have a modest car for modest needs!
We collected it today and I drove it home in a near tropical downpour: not nice on the A1 and A1M.
I negotiated an FOC spare wheel, as I'm not a fan of tyre inflation kits, which, according to apocryphal stories are NOT the greatest thing since slice bread.
The car came with a full mat set and a boot liner: that was a surprise.
Inside the cabin, there is a lot of hard plastic, which fusses me not at all, as I don't spend time stroking, or prodding, the dashboard! The steering wheel is another matter and I was pleased to find it pleasantly soft to the touch.
With the rain so heavy, I spent no time adjustig the driver's seat height, or the steering wheel tilt.
I got in and drove. The driver's seat, at least for me, is comfortable and the pedals are reasonably spaced.There have been adverse comments about a notchy gear change, but I did not find that to be so.
So - first impressions are pretty good.
There's quite a lot for me to take in - manual box, not auto, stop and start, and hill start assist, as well as working out from a three different model ranges, (Sandero, Sandero Stepway and Logan) with three different trim levels, which bit refers to one's own model and trim level
I'll give it a few weeks and miles and post further thoughts on buying and running a budget car.
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Hope you enjoy it Roger. Saw a couple of Dacias today when out and mentioned you were picking it up; Mrs C actually looked at them through narrowed eyes, though she won't remember that by now.
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Roger , which engine size did you go for in the end ?
I have the 0.9l turbo and it definitely punches well about it's weight.
it feels like a 1.4L
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>> Roger , which engine size did you go for in the end ?
>> I have the 0.9l turbo and it definitely punches well about it's weight.
>> it feels like a 1.4L
>>
We chose the 75 Sce, purely based on price.
Reviews have mentioned turbo lag as a slight problem with the smaller lump.
As both Deidre & I are coming from nearly six years of an auto box, we are both having to re-learn the use of clutch and gearbox, which is causing a bit of kangaroo progression, so the thought of any further things to consider was a point!
Pro-tem I disable the stop/start function, too.
I'm sure we'll slide back into manual mode, but it takes a conscious effort to remember to select 1st on starting and the engine revving like mad is a stark reminder to change up to second.
I'm back already to right foot braking, so that is a start.
Maybe we should have L plates :-)
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Thoughts.
Speedo is very hard to read in daytime as it's a black dial. Better with the side lights on.
Headlights are, shall we say, average, so I've ordered some Osram Night Breakers (Road legal, I hasten to add).
The dealer is trying to flog me a 3 year service plan at just over £550. It seemed OTT to me and I checked a manufacturer's specification (preserves the warranty) service with my local Halford's (I have used them for over 5 yrs and my local one IS good)and it comes out to £351 for the three at today's prices. I think the Renault/Dacia dealer is using Renault labour rates!
I'm getting to grips with a gearbox again, but Deidre is finding it harder as she has no mechanical "feel".
Overall it's no ball of fire and the three pot motor has an odd exhaust note, but as I get more used to the car, I'm getting comfortable with it, liking it more and thinking for the price, it's a very good buy for our needs in old age.
The smaller turbo charged engine with 90 BHP, compared to our 75BHP, costs a grand more and there is no way I could justify that extra cost for our type of use.
PS - stop start works a treat if you want it.
Last edited by: Roger. on Mon 11 Mar 19 at 20:14
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>>£550. It seemed OTT to me and I checked a manufacturer's specification (preserves the warranty) service with my local Halford's (I have used them for over 5 yrs and my local one IS good)and it comes out to £351
You have no idea what will happen to the prices from Halfords or anybody else. You have no idea who will buy them, whether management or quality will change, etc. etc.
I'd think that a manufacturer's service will keep your software up-to-date and make warranty claims easier to deal with, should they happen, and they will reflect in a resale value.
All in all, £70 a year seems like a false, and very small, economy to me.
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I would be inclined to stick to Dacia/Renault but put each service 'out to tender' to local dealers as the £550 does seem a bit steep.
The Sandero has a degree of no-frill appeal, a bit like Lada/Skoda did back in the 80s (but with a significantly superior product!).
I quite liked the MG3 - about 10 grand with 4-5yr 0% interest for a 1.5 non-turbo, non-VVT 105hp lump, and every one I see on the road looks clean and shiny (I think they blew the budget on finishing the paintwork).
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I would imagine that at the moment your car is so new so your handbook recommends not revving the engine past 3,000 rpm for the first 600 miles.
which is a bit of a shame. those 3 cylinder engines love being rev'd
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>> I would imagine that at the moment your car is so new so your handbook
>> recommends not revving the engine past 3,000 rpm for the first 600 miles.
>>
>> which is a bit of a shame. those 3 cylinder engines love being rev'd
>>
Correct, but the non-turbo 998cc engine will never make what is a big car for its class (nearly 6" longer and 1" wider than the Jazz) into a pocket rocket :-)
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It can be at least as much fun to wring the best out of a low powered car as it is to zoom about in a higher powered one. I love driving my son's little Aygo for example, you really have to "drive" it to get the best from it, and I really don't mind that at all. Quite entertaining in a way.
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My first car (Fiat 127) was great fun wringing the life out of it's 1047cc engine (producing a heady 49bhp)
Three cylinder engines have better balance at mid to high rpm so by nature the peak power tends to be high up the rpm band
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Never did get to try a 127, but I had a couple of Mk1 Pandas with ( I think ) 900cc or so engines.
Great fun to throw about !
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I had a Fiat 128 as a company car once. Went like stink and was very nimble. Mind you, anything would be after its predecessor, a Hillman Hunter DL
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I had the Fiat 128 Sport . As you say Roger a really nippy fun car but unfortunately succumbed to the usual Fiat tin rot...
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I had a Fiat 128 3P.
Loved it, didn't rust [well, hardly], but I broke it.
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Myself and two pals bought a 3 dr 128 estate ( bright yellow) to follow the RAC rally. Drove it like we stole it to follow rally stages, slept in it, trashed it, sold it after the rally.
Following year we bought a 128 Coupe, drove it down to St Trop, camped a few weeks, drove home, sold it and covered the holiday. We were 19/20 yo. A big adventure 40 years ago.
And I’ve still got the photos
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Was that in era when RAC rally had special stages round Esholt?
Remember watching the competitors around top of Hollins Hill on way to or from the Esholt stage.
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A (small) update.
I've now done 800 miles, so the engine is a bit livelier.
It revs freely but seems a bit slow for the revs to decrease, so changing from first to second, if you have accelerated hard from stop, means that going into second quickly , the revs are a bit too high for a smooth change.
Niggles: The speedo is almost impossible to see unless the vehicle side or headlights are on. This seems to be a fairly common complaint for some Renault owners, too.
There is a fix!
A nifty program , (ddt4all, Windows) linked to the OBD plug lets one change a few parameters on the car's ECU, one of which is the instrument cluster backlight. Default is "without". Set to "with", the panel lights up with the engine's starting. The owner's forums discuss this at length and it works.
Other tweaks are available, I think, such as activating extra readouts such as mpg, which is not enabled by default on the model level I have. Proceed with care is the watchword.
Another niggle is that the hatch can only be opened by key, or by a lever adjacent to the driver's seat,
The money saving elements in build quality are there, for instance the parcel shelf is very flimsy, and the screws holding the front cup holder are uncovered. A couple of plastic covers would not be expensive.
All in all, though, I think the car is quite lively enough for our use and motorway speeds and cruising are perfectly fine. Reviews have said it's a sluggard, though!
The car is nearly six inches longer (and an inch wider) than the Jazz, but this is mostly front and rear overhang and is not reflected in interior passenger space. Having said that, front leg and headroom is fine for me (I'm just a tad over 6 ft tall) and I find the slightly firmer seats are comfortable and the driving position good.
So far, so good and as I may have said before, if one accepts the car as a budget model, what you get is good value for money.
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>>It revs freely but seems a bit slow for the revs to decrease, so changing from first to second, if you have accelerated hard from stop, means that going into second quickly , the revs are a bit too high for a smooth change.
I had a Suzuki S-Cross loaner when the Kizashi was being serviced and it did the same - was a 3-cyl 1.0 turbo.
Had a similar effect in my old Citroen C2 VTS though I expect it probably had a drive-by-wire throttle and a shonky OEM map - whenever I changed from 2nd to 3rd, despite lifting off the throttle before depressing the clutch it would VRRROOOMM as if I was still on the accelerator.
Traded it in for the CRV after only a few months so no idea if it was fixable.
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>> It revs freely but seems a bit slow for the revs to decrease,
I think this is done with the car's electronics.
If the engine has a small or lightweight flywheel then there is very little inertia to keep it rotating, unlike a larger flywheel would. If you suddenly take your foot off the loud pedal there could be a tendency for the engine to stall. Hence it's electronically reduced in speed instead.
Last edited by: VxFan on Mon 22 Apr 19 at 02:37
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Having driven the Dacia for a while if youu had been able to buy a newish second hand Jazz or other mainstream car for the same price would you have preferred that option?
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>> Having driven the Dacia for a while if youu had been able to buy a
>> newish second hand Jazz or other mainstream car for the same price would you have
>> preferred that option?
>>
Yes, but an automatic.
The plain fact is that I needed finance to buy any reasonably recent used car and due to factors regarding age (83 now) and my modest income, this was not available on a used car.
A manufacturer's PCP was (a) affordable and (b) the underwriting of the credit is almost certainly affected by the need to shift metal.
At £113 deposit and a 4-year deal at £113.75 per month, it was pretty irresistible!
The sale of the Jazz, plus a modest chunk of savings was enough to clear off my 0% card balance, a legacy of a new combi boiler, thus leaving me (apart from the PCP) debt free entirely.
To be fair, if I had the funds, I would have gladly bought a new or preregistered Honda Jazz CVT,
but it was out of the question financially, even on a PCP deal.
So - to sum up yes, a proper automatic, or CVT, would have been first choice, but given all the circumstances I'm happy with the Sandero Essential.
Many years ago I sold Ladas. Compared with the then, mainstream new cars, they were dire.
The Dacia, compared with today's mainstream is, way, way, better and is not a million miles away from the rest of the pack!
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I had a look in used sandero estate the other day. Inside they reminded me of 10-15 old clio or megane. The OH had an 03 megane and for all it's near endless faults it was comfy.
The other thing I noticed was the boot was huge for a car that size.
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Having looked it up i don't think there is such a car. I think it was a logan mcv? I find the dacias models confusing.
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Roger. Have you seen this clip from a very old Top Gear?
www.youtube.com/watch?v=a9SdzX44zgY
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He's flogging used car warranties.
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Well, today I used the ddt4all program on my laptop, plus an OBD to USB cable, to access the car's computer and managed to activate the backlit dash function, which makes it much easier to see the instruments, with particular reference to the speedometer!
I also enabled some extra reads out, such as instant mpg, trip recorder, miles until tank refill is advised and a few others, whose functions I will find out from the Sandero manual. (These are all there, but only fully activated, by default, on the next model up in the range.)
All these alterations are fully reversible, so consideration may be given to reverting to standard. if, for instance, a warranty claim is needed.
I have to admit that I do not know if these changes would affect the warranty.
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Wouldn't bother reverting the changes Roger as I'm sure their dealer gear will show your modding trail anyway.
Even a £100 handheld code reader will... for example as yesterday when I had it on the Mondeo... tell you how many days, how many starts and how many miles since it was last connected to such devices.
So in case of a warranty job they may be more critical if you say not me don't know what you're on about.
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Eventually. after prodding Dacia customer service, my car's registration number was added to their database and I was able to purchase the official 3-year service plan for £350.
That will hack off the supplying dealer, where I will go for the 3 services, who were trying to charge circa £550!
The car is still motoring happily and is proving quite economical according to the now fully functioning on-board computer ;-)
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I know it seems like you've done a good deal, so congratulations on that.
Are you actually *enjoying* the car? Is it nice to have?
Last edited by: No FM2R on Wed 15 May 19 at 22:03
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It's fine for what we want in our old age!
(I would really like an automatic box, though!)
I'm still entering the National Lottery :-)
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I am OK with the Sandero. It is cheap to run and perfectly comfortable and has been reliable.
SWMBO does not like it and wishes we still had our Jazz.
I still wish I had an automatic, TBH.
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Rog, I was watching crap on youtube and came across these mullet-adorned car tuners.
I would love to see one (or two) of these hooked up to a Sandero!
www.youtube.com/watch?v=7a_J2X88fSE
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Hi Roger,
very interesting job !
I own a Dacia Sandero, could you please explain what is the path you followed on ddt4all to make this change ?
On my laptop I made these steps:
X52-LOGAN/SANDERO II
Cluster/TDB
CLUSTER_x52_X67_X79_X92_v5.0
[Cluster/TDB] CLUSTER_x52_X67_X79_X92_v5.0
GENERAL CONFIGURATION
but in the Configuration submenu I did't find anything regarding the statement "Day Backlights Present"
Thangs a lot
Regards
Enrico
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Roger,
Did you ever manage to help Enrico with his query?
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>> Roger,
>>
>> Did you ever manage to help Enrico with his query?
>>
Yes - and he confirmed he managed to do the tweak he wanted.
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I've still got the Sandero. It's going well, with no problems.
For obvious reasons, I've not done many miles : under 6000 in nearly two years.
I've managed to pay off the PCP finance, so now it's mine!
I still lust after an automatic car, but I'll hold on till its out of warranty and needing mots.
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There is a real market for low cost cars.
I am thinking about the £7k Sandero, or SWMBO's better equipped Nissan Note that was £9,999 in Accenta Premium for a 1mile pre-reg.
Sometimes a basic, safe runabout is all that's needed to pop to the shops, a coffee with mates or down to the park.
The £20k Fiesta and Polo just seem too expensive in comparison.
I think PCP has disguised the true cost of cars to many.
Last edited by: zippy on Sat 9 Jan 21 at 14:26
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A combination of cold weather and lockdown has had the side effect of us all tending to use my son's old Aygo most of the time. For short local journeys, it's ideal, and the little 3 cylinder heats up the quickest and clears the screen in a jiffy.
I know for sure I'm not ready to downsize yet, but for most of my unusually limited current use, that size is just fine.
Trying to avoid using the diesel Merc for short journeys in case its plumbing starts to object.
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My daughter loves her Aygo, but I find it a bit underpowered.
I can't fit in the back seats as the roof is too low.
It is easy to park and drive though which I guess is why people really like it.
Last edited by: zippy on Sat 9 Jan 21 at 17:54
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And it's a Toyota and they are (normally) reliable.
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>> And it's a Toyota and they are (normally) reliable.
>>
It's really a PSA car though isn't it.
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Well, the three - Toyota, Peugeot and Citroen are the same animal under the skin, I understand.
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Oddly enough, I quite like the little engine. Reminds me ever so tenuously of an original Mini, just begs to be ragged without much risk to life, limb or licence.
And, before "they" start, yes, I'm used to getting the best from underpowered engines...
;-)
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>>
>> And, before "they" start, yes, I'm best getting used to underpowered engines...
....there, fixed it for you.....
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>> Oddly enough, I quite like the little engine. Reminds me ever so tenuously of an
>> original Mini, just begs to be ragged without much risk to life, limb or licence.
>>
>> And, before "they" start, yes, I'm used to getting the best from underpowered engines...
>>
>> ;-)
3 cylinders tho? I knew the schmutta game was down the toilet, but half price?
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>3 cylinders tho? I knew the schmutta game was down the toilet, but half price?
Don't mock the poor chap. At least he's finally accepted that his vehicles are underpowered.
Small steps, small steps.
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>> It's really a PSA car though isn't it.
Both my kids had the Pug version (the Lad still has his) and the engine is clearly badged as Toyota.
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Daughter still has hers (Pug).
AFAIK, the majority of the design was Toyota, and the engine is of Daihatsu (effectively a Toyota subsidiary) lineage.
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Yes, the Aygo/C1/108 is a Toyota with PSA bages rather than a PSA with Toyota badges.
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Dacia-Renault - Sandero Essential - bathtub tom
