While i was holidaying in France there were literally hundreds of Dacia dusters . What an awful looking car ! Whoever designed it really should pay a visit to specsavers.

Seems like hundreds of french people disagree with you. As do I.

Unless I desperately wanted 4x4 I would go for a Sandero Stepway every time. Having seen a couple they are not bad looking cars and work out better value than the ungainly Duster.

Whether ugly or not is always going to be subjective and the subject of only pointless argument. I don't mind the duster -it isn't bad compared with a Ssanyong rodius but is a disaster compared with an Aston DB4GT Zagato or an e-type.

It is however cheap and the question which matters is is it cheap and tacky or is it a well priced car. A mixture of Nissan and Renault components with an interior upholstered with rejected caravan fabric with not even a standard radio or aircon doesn't appeal to me-nor does a car sold without essential electronic aids. 

My view is it isn't what I want or a serious alternative to what I have. That doesn't mean it isn't right for others or that the French have once again shown themselves to be parsimonious folk who buy bad cars.

Personally I still cannot see the Dacia Duster as a comparison to the Yeti, but obviously others can.

I do not find it attractive or "quirky" which is what the Yeti is. I also don't consider it to be as practical, especially the load height of the boot.

 

If other people have a different opinion then fine, go and buy one, but the continual berating of each side is getting boring. Thankfully we all have free choice and can buy whatever we please.

 

Yes there are lots of them in France, but it must be remember that the French have a very different psyche in buying products, especially cars, than we Brits. Here we do not appear to be worried where it is produced, as we all prove, plus we seem to have a bigger concern with "looks" and the perception of others. The French are much more pro-active in supporting their own countries products first, do not seem to be so influenced by "auto-style", and certainly in the rural areas treat their cars much more as a tool than anything else, as can be seen by the state of many cars, and their "bumper parking" habits.

weres the auto,dsg, tiptronic et al in the duster er er there isnt one and the listed fuel consumption is heavy in line with most of yesteryears 4x4s.The price is right and used you could probably get one in a packet of cornflakes but so what tha pays nowt tha cant expect to get nowt back when tha sells it/gives it away.Hang on ar,nt all cars like that only we usualy pay to much in the first place. If they did a auto i would test drive one, but as they dont i wont. Kia were like this back in 2003 look at them now.

the listed fuel consumption is heavy in line with most of yesteryears 4x4s.

 

Dacia Duster 2WD diesel - 107bhp - 56.5 MPG

Skoda Yeti 2WD Diesel - 110bhp - 55.4 MPG

 

Yep, no comparison there at all.....

Do you really think that either Dacia (Renault) or Duster owners are worried about what the vehicle looks like? I suspect not...

 

I don't really understand why some try to talk duster owners down :think:    Yeti is only a little bit more expensive then duster and I'm sure the same is happening on tiguan forum

when they talk down yeti owners...   BTW I like the exterior of duster better then yeti, interior it's the other way around.

I know that if I lived on the continent in a built up area, I'd seriously consider getting something like the Duster (see Llanigrahn's post re. bumper/parking habits above) but otherwise I'm happy with my purchase. In an ideal world, I'd have a fully loaded 5 series beemer estate but given what you get for your money, I think the Yeti is the best buy for me at this time. I guess that there's a bit of justification of their purchases going on here as well as honest opinions as to the Duster looks, which is fine. Much like the example of Kia, as Dacia vehicles quality improves over the years, so the prices will surely rise. It'll be interesting to see if Renault keeps the prices low and also retains Dacia as a "budget/value" brand.

Edited 25 September, 201312 yr by fastestlouigie

I have seen a few Dusters.....not sure at first...but thinking about the needs and desires of others I now conclude that they are perfectly ok. Not for me but I'm not knocking them.

It will be interesting to see if over the next few years if Renault steadily lift the Dacia brand up a few levels just like Kia and Hyundai and oh yes that Czech one...... What do they call it.....oh yes....Skoda!

Of all the forum sections on Briskoda the Yeti forum is the one I'd have thought that would be the least negative about the Duster...  but yikes.  Proved me wrong.  Sadly so.

 

Some people like their TVs as they come with five channels.  Others get a freeview box to add a 100 more, others still get Sky and add yet more. And? What's wrong with having just five if that is all you need?

 

People still happily drive around in old Disco 1 Land Rovers, Pajeros, seemingly safe Volvo 940s or late 90s Ford Kas.  They even buy things like that for their children to drive around in.  And what is the NCAP rating of those?  One?  Maybe half a star or less out of five?  And?  You will be safer in your Duster than in a 10 year old anything, that guess what, also don't have ESP. 

 

Looks is subjective and looking at price, the amount of metal you get, the modern engines, high ground clearance and even 4x4 running gear, I cannot see a car on sale right now that is better value for money than a Duster - nor anything as quirky (which is a great thing in my book and why I thought Škoda people of all and specifically Yeti people, should be the most understanding of what a Duster is about).  

 

My only wish is that it looked like the Sandero Stepway.  That looks LEAGUES better as someone else mentioned, with a much higher quality interior to boot.  My money would also buy me one of those as a second car ten times over something as boring as a Fiesta.  A colleague just got a Stepway for his wife.  £9,000 and it looks absolutely from a class above inside and out.  Look at that.  All this for less than £9,000!!!

 

 

Had the Duster facelift only made it look more like the Stepway, it would have looked so much better.  Like this PhotoShop someone did:

 

 

No, people need to get some perspective here and look at the Duster for what it is.  You can only compare top of the range brand new Dusters to second hand Yetis.  So they are not comparable as new purchases unless you are going to leave a LOT of cash in the bank.  If you start this argument then you can also say that well, I can buy a Ferrari for £30,000 instead of a new FL Yeti.  So why buy a Škoda when you can have a Ferrari.  Eh?!  That is just nuts to argue like that I'm sorry.

All good sense and I am sure a Duster is a better buy for alll the reasons you highlight than a mark 1 Disco, an old Pajero or a ten year old KA in safety terms it is I'm sure streets ahead.

The terms of debate set by the title of the thread don't suggest it is about whether or not the Duster is a useful device but ask whether or not it is a serious competitor for the Yeti.

The attraction of the Duster is cheapness and that may matter enough to secure it success in the market, it may highlight that Skoda arent as cheap as they once were but the fact that it is preferable to rolling on ancient machinery isn't in point.

The terms of debate set by the title of the thread don't suggest it is about whether or not the Duster is a useful device but ask whether or not it is a serious competitor for the Yeti.

 

Nope.  As I stated above it is NOT a Yeti competitor in exactly the same way you can't compare a £20,000 BMW 3-series to a £50,000 Mercedes E-class.  

 

My point re older vehicles were that people are happy to drive around in older tech but for some reason get a bee in their bonnets about a new cheap car not matching far more expensive cars in the safety ratings yet exceeding their old car's safety tech by leaps and bounds! Makes no sense. You will be safer in a Duster than something older. You will be safer still in a second hand Yeti vs said Duster. You will be safest yet staying at home and never driving. So where do you stop the argument?   Just take the Duster for what it is. 

My wife and i looked at a duster at SMC aldershot prior to ordering our yeti. I was actually pleasently suprised. Value for money you cant go wrong, it's built on proven components and is solid and well built. It actually felt more roomy inside than the yeti. I agree with Johann's coments about the looks, it's not pretty, has a kind of 90's far east car look to it, i think if they made the front end look more like the stepway it would be a huge improvement and they would probably attract a lot more customers. We seriously considered one, however, i felt the engine range was the weak point. If there had been a 2.0 turbo diesel in the range with 140ish bhp i could have been very tempted. I like to have a bit more power to hand for long motorway journeys, we do a few trips to scotland and back each year, 800 mile round trip.

 

Dacia seem to be at a similar point to where skoda were post VW take over with the felcia.

Good argument Steve, I disagree in one respect -proven components- VW brought to Skoda build standards and components at the top of the mid market. Renault are at best at the lower end of the mid market and Nissan between them and VAG.

So the best you can expect is renault standard engines/electrics and Nissan platform technology.

That is one reason they are cheap.

Been reading this thread with both interest and amusement! As an ex-Yeti owner, traded for an S-Max a year ago as I needed more space, and a soon to be Duster owner!

 

When looking for a replacement for the wife's i30 we considered another Yeti. It was a great car and i still really like them. Hence, still checking in on here now and then. However, NCAP ratings aside heres what I considered important:

 

Bluetooth

Air con

Parking Sensors

 

Would we like a heated screen, DAB, dipping mirrors etc - well yes. Do we NEED it - no. To get the above on a new Yeti (not interested in inheriting someone elses problems and then having to replace tyres etc sooner rather than later) according to the configurator I was looking at spending in the region of £19,500. Total cost for the Duster, including a couple of styling tweaks that the wife liked, metallic paint, traction control was a shade over £15,000.

 

We wanted a car that is a daily driver. Will be parked outside a school all day so dont want to worry about it too much! Is cheap to run and insure - confused.com gives very good quotes, cheaper than the outgoing i30. I couldnt justify spending an extra 1/3 just to have a Yeti again.

 

Yes internally its not a Yeti - although I have yet to see the caravan fabric seats!! I would say its functional rather than basic. In fact when we had the extended test drive I was surprised at the interior quality as all the reviews tend to talk about 'basic' and set low expectations. Perhaps the 'knockers' on here should have a drive or at least a sit in one and then they can coment from a position of knowledge

 

Is the Duster a competitor for the Yeti. Probably no. The Duster is definately at the bargain end of the scale in SUV terms and I would put the Yeti more mid-range.

The Duster is never going to score points over the Yeti for quality/fit and finish. However there are some areas I think it has the edge:

 

Bigger boot

16in wheels (better ride than the 17's I had)

Mud and snow tyres as standard - going for 2wd as the £2k saved will buy winter wheels with cash to spare should I need them.

 

I think Duster ownership will have to come with a diffferent mindset and we'll see how that goes when we pick it up in a week or so.

 

Cheers

 

Simon

Been reading this thread with both interest and amusement! As an ex-Yeti owner, traded for an S-Max a year ago as I needed more space, and a soon to be Duster owner!

 

When looking for a replacement for the wife's i30 we considered another Yeti. It was a great car and i still really like them. Hence, still checking in on here now and then. However, NCAP ratings aside heres what I considered important:

 

Bluetooth

Air con

Parking Sensors

 

Would we like a heated screen, DAB, dipping mirrors etc - well yes. Do we NEED it - no. To get the above on a new Yeti (not interested in inheriting someone elses problems and then having to replace tyres etc sooner rather than later) according to the configurator I was looking at spending in the region of £19,500. Total cost for the Duster, including a couple of styling tweaks that the wife liked, metallic paint, traction control was a shade over £15,000.

 

We wanted a car that is a daily driver. Will be parked outside a school all day so dont want to worry about it too much! Is cheap to run and insure - confused.com gives very good quotes, cheaper than the outgoing i30. I couldnt justify spending an extra 1/3 just to have a Yeti again.

 

Yes internally its not a Yeti - although I have yet to see the caravan fabric seats!! I would say its functional rather than basic. In fact when we had the extended test drive I was surprised at the interior quality as all the reviews tend to talk about 'basic' and set low expectations. Perhaps the 'knockers' on here should have a drive or at least a sit in one and then they can coment from a position of knowledge

 

Is the Duster a competitor for the Yeti. Probably no. The Duster is definately at the bargain end of the scale in SUV terms and I would put the Yeti more mid-range.

The Duster is never going to score points over the Yeti for quality/fit and finish. However there are some areas I think it has the edge:

 

Bigger boot

16in wheels (better ride than the 17's I had)

Mud and snow tyres as standard - going for 2wd as the £2k saved will buy winter wheels with cash to spare should I need them.

 

I think Duster ownership will have to come with a diffferent mindset and we'll see how that goes when we pick it up in a week or so.

 

Cheers

 

Simon

What a cracking, sensible, well considered and honest post. Nice one Simon.

Good argument Steve, I disagree in one respect -proven components- VW brought to Skoda build standards and components at the top of the mid market. Renault are at best at the lower end of the mid market and Nissan between them and VAG.

So the best you can expect is renault standard engines/electrics and Nissan platform technology.

That is one reason they are cheap.

 

 

really? I think VW components has fallen down from the top some some time ago already,

while Renault, Kia, Hyundai are moving up each year...

Edited 26 September, 201312 yr by zorro

Yawn!

really? I think VW components has fallen down from the top some some time ago already,

while Renault, Kia, Hyundai are moving up each year...

Come on offnote - er, sorry, I mean zorro... The gag has started wearing a little thin, don't you think? Substituting RAV4s in your previous alias with Dusters and Kias in this one is not really that original...

First time I will be using the "ignore" function I guess.

Yawn!

Another yawn on this topic

Come on offnote - er, sorry, I mean zorro... The gag has started wearing a little thin, don't you think? Substituting RAV4s in your previous alias with Dusters and Kias in this one is not really that original...

First time I will be using the "ignore" function I guess.

I've asked the Mods to check the ID.

It does seem highly possible!

I've asked the Mods to check the ID.

It does seem highly possible!

Thanks for that, I've been quite sure for a while now! Both writing style and usual content are too similar. Interested to see if my hunch is right...

In 1998 my family bought 3 cars all about the same time, a c class 2.5 diesel auto? I think, it was our kids. A last of mk3 golf run out model 1600, mine, and my old man bought a 1.9d  Felicia (on my advice after the Skoda, the're crp arguements). The Merc had a panel fit like it had been assembled by drunken monkeys, I had the Golf 5 months and got rid, I have never had such an unreliable car, it broke down more times than Kerry Katona. The Skoda? fantastic build quality, pulled like a train and the old man loved it, but it was a little bit light for towing, so 1 1/2 yrs later it went. What for? An Octavia tdi of course. One of a few in the family, our kid had one and a Superb and he's now got a Roomster. This was when Skoda was climbing out of its comedy car era into the no frills, great cars for the average man, before it got a bit pretentious. Keep an eye on Dacia, you might, or might not, think it is a rival for the Yeti, but it probably soon will be. It carries the earlier Skoda ethic, cheap unpretentious cars for the working man, and I would hazard a guess that it doesn't have a order to delivery time which is random, and could be as long as the gestation period of an elephant. 

Edited 26 September, 201312 yr by P6bJOHN

Thanks for that, I've been quite sure for a while now! Both writing style and usual content are too similar. Interested to see if my hunch is right...

I did suggest the same thing on 3rd September; subtly or is that suttley? Your hunch is my hunch! I don't need to wait to see if we're right...

^ Been thinking the same for a while myself  :wonder: