Does anyone have a Dacia Sandero or Stepway?

[Shufflebumnessie]

Looking at a new/new to me car as mine is 22 years old and things are starting to go wrong on a regular basis.
The price of cars, both new and second hand, seem horrifying to me but the Dacia seem to be quite good value for money. I'm not fussed about having an all singing, all dancing top of the range car. I just want something that's safe and reliable (& my only must have is air conditioning, as I don't have it in my current car).

Does anyone have a Dacia? Any pros or cons?

Thanks in advance.

I think there are far better cars for the money tbh. Are you looking for new or used? What's your budget?

There’s probably a reason they’re much less expensive than other makes.

Yep. Cheap for a reason.

We’ve got a Sandero Stepway. Bought new in 2013, diesel 1.4.
It’s been brill. A real workhorse of a car, plenty of room. Feels solid but nippy. We got the ‘one below the top of the range’ which came with air con, Sat nav, alloys (essentially the only difference was it didn’t have headrest screens, but I think that has changed now). It’s comfortable and roomy enough for us (3 plus dog).
On the downside there is a fault (poss sorted out now for newer models) that means water seeps into the footwell through the bonnet grill in heavy rain. Took months for us to work out what it was and was a pain in the arse to sort out (a pipe getting blocked) but that is honestly the only thing that has gone wrong since we bought it.

It’s a bit mumsy and it’s not ‘exciting’ to drive but I would def recommend.

Oh and they are built by Renault so if you haven’t got a Dacia garage, the Renault one will have them.

Dacia saves money by scrimping on safety technology which means they score poorly on safety rating in European testing.

DH has one as does mega miles commute it’s been fantastic the only repairs it’s needed has been at the expected intervals. Done 100k and just been serviced no issues

Have a sandero, love it. Reliable, economical. Cracking air con.
We had an accident in it, when a elderly man drove in to the back of us. His more expensive car faired far worse than ours.

Had a diesel Dacia Duster for 4 years. Now have the petrol version. No problems with either of them. We do have the top spec version now. My only issue is that because my husband wanted 4x4 version ( god knows why have never been cross country or needed a 4x4 - live in London) the boot space is reduced. It was huge in our first Dacia and I loved it.

Note OP, the sneering posts are from those who don't have a Dacia!
We have a 67 plate Sandero Stepway laureate 0.9 petrol - all bells and whistles top of the range - cost us £11,400 new.
It's been absolutely brilliant- I don't drive but DW says it's the best car she's ever driven and she's been driving since 1979.
It's really comfortable, the seats are wonderful, leg room is surprisingly good, it's parsimonious with fuel and we regularly fill it to the roof and drive it up to Northumberland on holiday.
When we were looking for our new car, we test drove a Nissan Juke at £21,000. We bought the Dacia!

DH has a 2015 Sandero, bought new.

Done 150k+ miles and the only thing he’s needed replaced has been tyres (it’s regularly serviced.)

They’re cheap for a reason- the finish and interior is a million miles away from a Golf or Focus, but if your current car is 22 you won’t miss it.

So yeah- they’re great value for people who do a lot of miles and don’t want a lot of bells and whistles.

I've had 3 Sanderos as they are affordable to buy and run, and seem to hold their price. I love mine. One day, I'd like to graduate to a Duster.

In my experience people who are into cars don't like them.

People who aren't bothered about cars and just want something cheap and reliable to ferry the kids around, quite like them.

I fall into the latter category (don't care about cars and basically want to spend as little money as possible on having one) and I love mine.

I’ve just traded in my 10yo Citroen C3 Picasso for a new middle range Dacia Duster. They feel very similar to drive, as if nothing has changed in those 10 years!
Negatives
Things like the seatbelt sockets, the seat adjusters and the gear lever feel a bit flimsy.
The passenger sunshade has no cover on the vanity mirror.
No automatic boot opener or wing mirror opener.
DD won’t be able to drive it for a year after she gets her licence (too light for the engine capacity) whereas she could have driven the Picasso.

Positives
Fuel consumption is very economical.
I’m enjoying being able to reverse with camera and sensors!
It was one of the few cars available immediately with the microchip crisis.
Boot space is huge and it will take 2 adults + DDog in a harness on the back seat.
The price was good.
DH was the one who chose the car (we’ve gone from 2 cars to 1) and I’m sure he wouldn’t have chosen a car with serious safety failings.

Oh, and with the payment plan we also get a free maintenance plan.

@shmithecat2 I think most new cars would be significantly out of the price range that I'm willing to pay, so generally looking at second hand.
A car isn't a big deal to me, it just needs to be safe and reliable. I've also been looking at Nissan Micra, Seat Ibiza, Honda Jazz and similar type cars.
Budget is around £11 - £12k.
I think 2015 would be the oldest reg I'd look at but the price would have to reflect the age (not wanting to spend full budget on an older car).
Currently have a VW Polo but they seem to be very expensive second hand.
Any suggestions gratefully received. Thanks.

@cherryBlossomCheer apologies if I've misinterpreted your post but are you saying you have one and don't like it? Would you mind telling me the negatives that you've found? Thanks

Thank you very much for all the replies. Interesting to read.
@TerribleCustomerCervix you're right! After a 22 year old car, pretty much anything is going to feel top of the range in terms of interior etc. DH car is about 14 years old and feels positively luxurious in comparison

Bil has one, top of the range cameras, heated seats, massive boot, cruise control, speed limiter, Apple play, sat nav etc he pays £180 a month

The older one is 4/5 on the euroncap safety the newest one got 2 it was dragged down by the new requirements of action prevention. safety for passengers etc would have got it a 4, but the protecting pedestrians etc took it down to a 2

Had a 14 plate Logan since new. Bombproof. 90k miles love it

I have a 3year old Sandero. It's great and v economic on fuel. We can fit a surprising amount of junk in it and take the two kids on holiday in it.

We bought a Sandero new 5 years ago. Air con but no sat nav. No problems mechanical or otherwise. Very economical on fuel. Only drawback - speedo can be hard to read in some lights due to position on dash board.

£11-12k will get you a brand new one

Don't bother. I lasted less than a year before getting rid. They are flimsy, plasticky, the engine power is fucking ridiculous. Depreciate even quicker than other new cars. Honestly I'd get just about anything else.