One of the main reasons the Duster ncap score is low is poor pedestrian safety. As already stated this system is becoming increasingly meaningless. All modern cars are a lot safer than they were only a few years ago, so for me the ncap score would not even be a consideration when buying a new or nearly new car. Electronic Stability Control is a very worthwhile safety feature but most cars still don't have it as standard, although this is improving as it is being forced on the manufacturers.

The Duster gets a good review as a best budget tow car in the small car category of the Camping and Caravan Club towing test. The class was won be an Octavia 2.0TDICR150Elegance just beating a Golf 150GTDSG. Yeti not tested.

The latest (and only?) CCC report on a Yeti was in the Towcar of the Year 2011 - Greenline 1.6 Tdi -

 

http://campingandcaravanningclub.co.uk/newsandevents/towcarawards/towcar-awards-2011/towcars-up-to-1424kg/

 

There have been several other towcar reports in the last year or so.  JMO but I find it annoying when they don't test comprehensive lists; what's in this year may well be left out next. 

I think that they just test cars provided by the manufacturers.

I think that they just test cars provided by the manufacturers.

That is exactly the situation.

understand that the Duster has been reported as coming second in the JD Power results in Germany. Presumably as left hand drive vehicles they were made in the established manufacturing facility in Romania. The rhd Dusters are made in a new plant in India and I wonder if they have 'teething problems' associated with this change.

As things are now - would you swap your Yeti for a Duster?

 

For me - a definite NO.

As things are now - would you swap your Yeti for a Duster?

 

For me - a definite NO.

 

Would you swap a Rolls Royce for a BMW 3-series?  No.  Why?  They are not in the same class.

 

So you can only really compare a bottom spec S level Yeti with a top level Duster - and even then the Yeti costs more.  So very few people will swap a Yeti for a Duster to be honest.  

As things are now - would you swap your Yeti for a Duster?

 

For me - a definite NO.

I wouldn't even swap my mountain bike for one  (duster that is)

Would you swap a Rolls Royce for a BMW 3-series?  No.  Why?  They are not in the same class.

 

So you can only really compare a bottom spec S level Yeti with a top level Duster - and even then the Yeti costs more.  So very few people will swap a Yeti for a Duster to be honest.  

Exactly!

The Duster will sell to people who want a cheap 4x4 with a fairly large boot.

Interesting that a number of caravanners have looked at the Duster and noticed how poor the towing capacity is.

Exactly!

The Duster will sell to people who want a cheap 4x4 with a fairly large boot.

Interesting that a number of caravanners have looked at the Duster and noticed how poor the towing capacity is.

 

Strangely the first RHD Duster I ever saw in the UK was towing a HUGE caravan!!!

Exactly!

The Duster will sell to people who want a cheap 4x4 with a fairly large boot.

Interesting that a number of caravanners have looked at the Duster and noticed how poor the towing capacity is.

Yes but.....a Duster is as ugly and as annoying as a caravan so I think its a perfect match. Lets be clear those who pull caravans tend to do so at a very slow (but safe !) speed to the annoyance of everyone who prefers B&B's, hotels, or just sleeping rough for the night. I think a duster and a caravan is match made in heaven.

A Yeti pulling a caravan.....really not cool.

Yes but.....a Duster is as ugly and as annoying as a caravan so I think its a perfect match. Lets be clear those who pull caravans tend to do so at a very slow (but safe !) speed to the annoyance of everyone who prefers B&B's, hotels, or just sleeping rough for the night. I think a duster and a caravan is match made in heaven.

A Yeti pulling a caravan.....really not cool.

 

I don't have a caravan...  BUT...  I can't say I have ever been stuck behind a caravan in the last decade or more...  Cars are a lot more powerful now (and caravans a lot lighter).

 

So these stories of being stuck behind caravans must come from a collective memory based in the 1950s or something I suspect...

Liking the shape of a car is very subjective. I will consider a Yeti next year but nearly everyone I know hates the look of them. Most prefer the standard SUV shape which the Duster is.

.... Lets be clear those who pull caravans tend to do so at a very slow (but safe !) speed .....

Your opinion.  Two points:

1    Several members here tow caravans in the true Briskoda fashion   but

2    Traffic law decrees the towing speed limits - 50 where 60, and 60 where 70.

I don't have a caravan...  BUT...  I can't say I have ever been stuck behind a caravan in the last decade or more...  Cars are a lot more powerful now (and caravans a lot lighter).

 

So these stories of being stuck behind caravans must come from a collective memory based in the 1950s or something I suspect...

Have you been out of London since the 1950's ? ?........my god they are everywhere !......and a bloody danger to us cyclists (and motorists) who enjoy the countryside...........weaving around all over the shop........Caravan drivers...with their white knuckle grip on the stearing wheel and a very pale look on their faces........quite clearly not in control of anything........very...scary !

Have you been out of London since the 1950's ? ?........my god they are everywhere !......and a bloody danger to us cyclists (and motorists) who enjoy the countryside...........weaving around all over the shop........Caravan drivers...with their white knuckle grip on the stearing wheel and a very pale look on their faces........quite clearly not in control of anything........very...scary !

Ha Ha. I've just twigged. You're Jeremy Clarkson. Go on, admit it.

I don't have a caravan...  BUT...  I can't say I have ever been stuck behind a caravan in the last decade or more...  Cars are a lot more powerful now (and caravans a lot lighter).

 

So these stories of being stuck behind caravans must come from a collective memory based in the 1950s or something I suspect...

I feel you have never come across my parents when the are on their summer jaunt...

I had a Renault Wind traded it last July for a Citigo 60ps Elegance. My colleagues at work renamed it the Renault f* rt, now they call my Citigo a Skoda Sh*ttygo. That's the type of people I work with, they don't take the mickey out of my Yeti though, they are all quite impressed with it.

Wouldn't have Dacia though, too closely linked to Renault, and the wind was a heap of garbage, looked good with the roof down.

As someone who:

a) owned, ran and serviced a Renault Scenic for 8 years,

recently swapped it for a used, one-owner, 3-year old Yeti 110CR,

then the anwser to the question "Would you swap your Yeti for Disaster?" has to be and emphaitic NO THANKS!

Besides the merits/demerits of the comparison as a drive, practical goods transporter, and something to tranport your family around in, then I'm thinking of the residuals.

In another three or four years time, a well used, 60 or 80,000 mile Duster will be worth what? Let's be generous and say the thick end of 30% what it is retailing at now?

Whereas the Snow Monster will be worth???? Seriously more than the Duster I'm betting?

Not least because I would be so not enamoured with the Dacia, and would be likely to treat it accordingly - like a piece of pure automotive boringmobile. The Yeti by comparison has already a number of attentive enhancements, like sill protectors, bumper protector, roof bars (OEM Skoda), rear door foils, tail pipe chrome, etc. And will have its oil changed lovingly every 8000 miles during my custodianship. Treat it well and it will look after my bank account for me principle.

From the way people clearly love their Yeti in here and in the various satisfaction surveys, then I'm thinking a majority of others do treat their's likewise. That's also the best way to collectively maintain the residual values of all our cars.

So Yeti = Yes. Duster = a yellow cloth you use to clean the c**p off its windscreen.

For some unknown reason, I'm unable to edit all the numerous typo's in the above post?

If this is what the FL Duster will look like it sure looks a LOT better than the current one:

 

 

 

From:  http://www.autobild.de/bilder/das-sind-die-stars-der-iaa-2013-update-10--3590775.html#bild65|ref=http://www.autobild.de

Obviously due to the Dacia/Renault connection I suspect but every other car in France seems to be a Duster or its smaller sibling! They're as popular here as an Astra is in the UK!

I had a look at at a Duster 4x2 with leather interior, media sat nav thingy and all for £13 something K.  To be honest it looks more like a real SUV than the Yeti does.  If I was in the market for that type of car, I would go for it.

I don't like it that's all. Plus the normal prejudice of French being unreliable and cheap feeling. The badge isn't really a problem. But then again if Dacia made their equivalent of a Clio/Twingo RS it would be interesting. Still cheap and missing loads of things inside but good enough and most importantly light.

Our family bought Skoda when they first started getting good and took a "gamble". That car turned out to be a proper Friday car but when it worked was fantastic. Bought my first Fabia vRS because of it.

 

I don't like it that's all. Plus the normal prejudice of French being unreliable and cheap feeling. The badge isn't really a problem. But then again if Dacia made their equivalent of a Clio/Twingo RS it would be interesting. Still cheap and missing loads of things inside but good enough and most importantly light.

Our family bought Skoda when they first started getting good and took a "gamble". That car turned out to be a proper Friday car but when it worked was fantastic. Bought my first Fabia vRS because of it.

Thing is Dacia has been on sale in Europe for several years, and in terms of reliability beat all the VAG group including Skoda!  They are relatively cheap feeling, but given their price are not really cheap feeling.  I have looked in a couple and I would put the cabin on par with the Rapid or Fabia, but behind the Octavia, Citigo and Yeti.