Real Road Test: Good news! It's the Dacia Sandero! Is it any good?

I finally get to experience a 2013 Dacia Sandero Laureate 1.2 - budget motoring of its day, but is it a case of terribly cheap or are bargain cars these days actually decent motors?

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[Matthew-Fletcher]

I was in Wales for 2 weeks with this car and did 2370 miles in that time at an average of 47.8mpg. Each tank went over 500 miles. Brilliant little car. Glad you enjoyed the drive Ian 👍

And yes the lack of somewhere for my clutch foot to go is incredibly annoying on a long drive. It got on my nerves when I drove it to Scotland back in July for the Knockhill round of the British Touring Car Championship

[jasona]

"good news. its the dacia sandero" had me missing james may

[kdri]

I ran a Logan MCV 0.9tce as a hackney taxi from September 2015 to March this year, took it from 11 miles to 212, 000 before replacing it with a Hyundai Ioniq HEV due age limits, it was a thoroughly reliable car that did the job well.

[davidf]

It's a car. You sit in it, and it goes and stops. I like it.

[danmccarthy]

I don't get why some people have an issue with dashboards being made of hard plastic. Like, how often are you touching the dashboard like that? In my experience, those softer materials that make up 'high quality' interiors don't wear nearly as well over time. I actually really dig the chrome rings surrounding the gauges. Thanks for another great review of a car I'll probably never see in person.

[jameswaters]

"You could take offence at the nasty hard plastic; similarly you could just ignore it and get on with your life." Point well made!

[MarksWheels]

I bought the wife a Sandero. She's always driven Ford's but i had been pleasantly suprised by a few i'd had at work. She loves it and i love it as its all just a 90's clio underneath. Cheap and easy to fix!

[laurieharper]

"Top spec poverty". Great expression. Really nicely styled little car. Plain and rather elegant in its simplicity. Roomy and practical and doesn't look cheap, as you say.

[TinglingTaco]

I got a flashback to my youth at 0:00! I heard Futurama's Professor Farnsworth say "Good news everyone" when Ian said "Good news" :)

[richardhalliday]

I had a 2013 Duster 1.5 TDI ( Mercedes use the same engine) . Back then it was £11 k for the middle trim. What a car, super economical ( no add blue back then ), capacious, good build, cheap insurance, a real family load lugger.

[benbrown]

They're not bad. Dacia Logan Estates are very popular as taxis around here. Boring basic interior but they've turned out to be very reliable. I asked a cab driver what the appeal was, he said that it came down to cheap parts when the warranty ran out. He'd done 100, 000 miles in 4 years and needed new fuel injectors, £180 for the set, Ford £800, Toyota £1000. Don't need to be a mathematician to see it makes more sense to run the Dacia.

[cawsha]

The highlight of this video for me is the vintage AA box. My dad kept his key on his keyring all his life, well into the mobile phone era.

[williamegler]

There is a BIG difference between CHEAP and INEXPENSIVE!
The Dacia Sandero is definitely designed to a certain price point but by using proven Renault mechanicals, whose development and tooling cost were paid for years ago, you can make a perfectly acceptable vehicle inexpensively.
Not everybody is a enthusiast and don't require up to date engines or tech in their car.
They only require a vehicle that starts every time and can reliably take them to the shops and school run or on the occasional motorway journey.

[paulie-Gualtieri.]

A solid enough and handsome car, The same people, probably laughted at Škoda, which today is a getting close to a premium and well heeled brand.

[RichieRouge]

We had a Clio yard car which I used daily for a year with this engine and it was indeed a very likeable, torquey little performer. The thing I like about Dacia is it is what it is and not try to pamper to snobs. Great review Ian

[HowardLeVert]

(goes off and looks at prices on Autotrader...) What a fine little car, again something I'd happily consider. Odd fact; when I worked in Brazil a few years ago I noticed the Logans were badged as Renaults - and I see, still are.

[cornishhh]

Thanks for this video. I've often thought that if I ever buy a 21st century car one of these will be high on my list. I know several people who have them and have never heard anything bad.

[richardyarwood]

We bought one of these brand new in 2016 - 6k as a pre reg. Acres of space around the engine for the DIY tinkerers. Unfortunately I've not had the opportunity as nothing whatsoever has gone wrong with it! Definitely a Hubnut of the future; remarkably unexceptional.

[Tom-sgiv]

I got the 3. generation on LPG, it’s got all I could ask for, and even some things I didn’t want like keyless entry and electronic parking brake. It’s great value for money and fully adequate for the 2-3.000 km I do yearly.

[aitchworld]

When I go away on business I always ask my team to bookmark the cheapest hire car. Last time I was in Ireland I got a Sandero. Apart from the confusing stereo, I loved it.