2023 Dacia Sandero Review: Still a bargain at £14k?

When the latest version of the Dacia Sandero first went on sale in the UK at the end of 2020, prices started from £7,999. Fast forward to 2023, and a combination of changes to the model lineup and a series of price adjustments mean the Sandero range currently now starts from £13,795. That's an increase of 72%, and might cause you to look at the Sandero in a different light.

In this video, CarGurus UK editor Chris Knapman takes a fresh look at Dacia's supermini to see if it's worth its higher asking price, while at the same time looking at the logo updates made for the 2023 model year.

With prices of rival models also have risen over the same period, the Sandero is still among the UK's cheapest new cars. But is it still good value?

The CarGurus verdict
The Sandero has always been a popular car, and this latest one improves things in every single area. It’s better to drive, cheaper to run, better built, and is available with more luxury equipment. It also delivers those classic Dacia trademarks of having loads of space for a laughably small price.

Chuck in the fact that the previous car’s slightly goofy appearance has been replaced by sharp lines and coherent details, and it even looks the part. Granted, cheap doesn’t always equate to value, but in the Sandero’s case, it most definitely does, and to astounding effect.

Pros
Very cheap to buy
Roomy and practical cabin
Affordable to fuel and insure

Cons
Modest safety standards
Stingy list of standard kit
Basic fit and finish

▬ Contents of this video ▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬
00:00 – Introducing the Dacia Sandero
02:07 – Practicality
02:35 – Space in the back
03:06 – In the front
05:02 – What is it like to drive
10:33 – Wrap up
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#cargurusuk #daciasandero #cheapcars

[simonp]

CarSnobs UK. What else can you get as good as this car £15.5K I don't know what car genos expect for the price, Soft touch plastics and then pay an extra 5k for something no one will ever touch again apart from once in the showroom. Soft touch and chrome bits only really costs a few hundred pounds in manufacturing terms but put them in a car with a heavily marketed badge made for snobs add 5K to the asking price and the average car gerno will love it. That's why the Sandero is the second best selling car in Europe. They are not for car snobs, as over there they just take a car for what its meant for, to do get you to you destination in some form of comfort and as cheaply as possible and screw what your neighbours think as they wont care one bit anyway..

[Drew]

I only have a 5 mile daily journey so this would be my perfect last car. No one in the back only shopping. This or a better quality car but older? Never sure which way to go. Retired now and at 67 years old only have myself to please.

[googler]

I bought a new stepway 11 months ago - cheapest new, sizeable, auto I could find in Ireland (we are penalised by VRT so it was €24k+). The swift has a tiny boot. The problem is that a 2 year old alternative (kia eg) will not be much off its own new price given the state of the market at moment. Also for new - the next car up - say the clio is 32k auto - that's > 30% more. Some people just want a car to get around.

[shaunm]

Really good review - all the prices are going through the roof - personally always changed my car every three years but with the increases, keeping it as long as I can - shame but that's life

[StephenRandall-xs]

I agree with you that this car range has now lost the value brand image especially as this newer model has crept up in price by thousands in only a short time. Despite the tech updates and features if you examine it closer the safety equipment is way behind other brands as reflected in ncap score and as you say the overall fit and finish is cheap in some areas. Dacia is going the same way as Skoda has recently, yes improved cars and put in latest gadgets to attract a younger clientele but at what cost? They used to be the vw group
value arm but at todays prices not sure how they see themselves and Dacia appear to be
on the same path with the Renault Group.I still, have a sales brochure for the sandero stepway model from 2013 and the top of the range Laureate with the diesel engine was £10795 on the road. Yes its 10 years ago but if Dacia keep having price increases the equivalent model to that one will have almost doubled in cost.

[BobMartinsback]

Citing a price 'increase' of 72% is more than a tad disingenuous, for comparing the past and present Sandero base model is like comparing an apple and an orange. In addition, all car manufacturers have been leapfrogging their prices over each other in the past three years, meaning that their prices can look steep or reasonable compared to others, simply dependent on the point in time you look. Review this Sandero again in 6 months and the price might look much more reasonable.

[tomazikov]

Well sir I am wery pleased with mine for two years now and its less equiped than the car you tested . Yes it has wery bad sound isolation and sometimes dodgy eletrics but thats where the moans stop. It's extremly economical, fast enough to get me anywhere I need to be has DAB radio with Bluetooth, AC partly LED lights and all that your one had apart from a unecesery touch screen . I would definitly highly recomend it to anyone who need a great car for not that much money eventhough today its not the cheapest car no longer which is unfortunate but still it would not put me of one

[claudioangelucci]

People who cannot afford more expensive cars feel great driving the Sandero; plus, it is reliable and cheap to maintain.

[ep]

Wouldn't exactly say its a "new" brand. New to the UK maybe.

Dacia cars have been available in eastern europe for decades.

[garyroot]

Please can you show me where i can get a suzuki like you said at the price you stated???

[eddiejones.redvees]

I will stay with my used diesel 2015 Astra j with cost me half the price and averages 62 mpg it also is very comfortable and still feels like new

[AdamF]

Really nice review. Thank you. The reviewer has a nice way about him. I have opted for the extreme stepway. Ian hoping it'll feel abit more refined 😊

[lkrnpk]

It's funny but I do not want the old Dacia just because of the logo, because it is associated with cheap-ness where I am, but the new cars are not as bare bones anymore even if still affordable and the new logo also does not have that stigma

[happysnapper]

Its a 1.0 engine not the old 0.9 engine....

[ccooper]

Is it worth the money ? No, definitely not !
Am I buying one ? Yes, delivery in 3 or 4 months.
Why am I buying it ? Because I have no choice due to the crazy prices of new cars.
They cannot blame energy costs as they fell back to 2020 levels ages ago.

[eddiemichael]

Hmm, this review looks to me that you are not so onest abaut this, you seem to me that you are payed by someone to talk more bad things abaut this car.

[STOG]

Cheap is always with a *compared to...* So Dacia us still fine.

[mdluk]

Car reviewers are so pretentious and full of themselves

[alfredorubertecalvo]

To Buy TOYOTA, HONDA, SUBARU, VOLKSWAGEN.MANY fault Manufactured in Spain, Portugal, Francia, Italia.Sandero bad, engine revolting and cowardly.Magazine Wihch:Do not Buy.Engine 3 cylider Renault.
160000 kilómetros ofrece the life