http://www.honestjohn.co.uk/carbycar/dacia/logan-mcv-2013/?section=good

Nick

Looks like one of those awful Chevrolets.

Bargain yes. Will it sell? Yes.

I went to my local Renault/Dacia/Nissan/Fiat dealer the other day to have a look at this new budget brand. I have to say, yes they are cheap and a bit dull to look at but they aren't awful. They are practical and have reliable, proven drivetrains. The doors feel lightweight (cheap) but it is! I spotted Twingo door handles and Clio electric window switches.

I think Renault are onto a bit of a winner. They aren't going to outsell Skodas etc but for a young family after a cheap new car with the essentials plus a bit, Dacia seem to have the right idea.

I work for Renault Dacia and all jokes aside there not a bad car! I've driven most of the models accept the stepway because its not out yet but the sandero 1.5dci is good little car when I say little it's bigger than say a fiesta or a Clio. And the duster 1.5dci 110 in laurette trim is also nice, they are cheap you can tell the fact that they are cheap but there based on cars which have been around a while now which sell well!

Sandero (Clio/Megane hybrid)

Duster (qasquai)

Stepway (juke )

We have already sold well over 20 if these cars and there still walking selling strong!

Oh that new 899cc cyl turbo tce engine is good too 90bhp 20£ a year tax pulls really well in the Clio and also the sandero

As said before, they (Logan, Duster) are going really well in rural France. Logan's been around over there for at least the last 5 years.

I think the Logan's boot space with the seats down more than the Fab estate ? With that amount of rear space, I wonder if it could become another candidate for a camper van lite, like the Fiat doblo or a tradesman's vehicle.

They ain't got to do much to outsell the bottom end of the Skoda range over here. They've done price (Or should I say half the price !) all they got to do is build quality and reliability. Judging from past experience on Clios etc, build-quality and some reliability (e.g. electrics) may not have been up to VAG standards, but that, as a previous poster has said, may have changed. That said, my Fab Mk 1 from new has gone through 2 sets of ARB bushes, 1 x ARB, Cam belts changed early (IMHO) due to Skoda UK advice, leaking rear doors and engine oil consumption after 56,000 which is near the engine wear limit of 1/2 liter each 600 miles, so beating Skoda might not be too difficult.

I think the Fabia and Octavia were good value in the value bracket 10-12 years ago, but there's definitely been some attempt to uplift prices by VAG - New Octavia starts at £16000 (You could get an Octavia for about £10,500 then), but then , on paper, the new one's 1.5 x the car the Mk 2 Octavia/Scout is.

Given the engine wear problems I've had using the recommended lightweight oils, the prospect of the same horsepower coming out of a smaller cc turboed engine (Like a 1.2 ot 998cc) doesn't fill me with confidence. Strikes me that this is a bit like the roll-out of 4 generation mobile phones - premature i.e. they still haven't got all the 3G problems sorted. It can't be co-incidence that comments are appearing on various forums on this site, notably Yeti and Fabia Mk 2 reg the re-surfacing of the same old engine wear problems - but now on turbo'd engines.

Skoda UK have been doing a couple of special deals on the Fabia - in one case knocking £3,500 off the price - nice if that was to become a permanent feature.

Nick

Edited 28 April, 201313 yr by Clunkclick

Apparently they don't fall apart like their Renault brothers and sisters.