Dacia Jogger long-term test

The car Dacia Jogger 1.0 TCe 110 Extreme SE Run by Max Edleston, senior photographer

Why it’s here To show that you don’t need to spend a lot of money to get a spacious and practical seven-seater

Needs to be Capable of swallowing all of my luggage, comfortable over long distances and able to function as a mobile office when needed

Mileage 18,612 List price £22,595 Target Price £22,595 Price as tested £22,595 Test economy 44.5mpg Official economy 48.7mpg Dealer price now £15,238 Private price now £13,545 Running costs (excl. depreciation) £1780.41 (fuel)

29 February 2024 – All-Purpose Vehicle

The Royal Marines Commando is considered to be among the most versatile soldiers around. Able to throw themselves into any situation, there’s a good chance they’ll emerge victorious. And after more than 10,000 miles covered over the past six months, I reckon my Dacia Jogger is the car equivalent of one.

Let me explain. Beyond the fact that my Jogger looks like it could pass as a military vehicle, with its tough-as-nails styling and olive-on-black paintwork, there’s the sheer adaptability my car offers.

Whether I used it as a mobile office, as a photography shooting platform or as a storage depot – and sometimes as all three within the same day – my Jogger took on all comers. Its huge boot was able to accommodate all of the lighting kit, cameras, tripods, flight cases and clothing which accompanies a What Car? photographer in winter, yet still have room to spare. And that’s before I’d removed the rearmost seats, effectively turning my people carrier into a small van. 

Indeed, with its rear row of seats safely stored in my garage and the middle row folded up towards the fronts, the Jogger helped me to move house, easily swallowing my mattress in its rear space. And while I doubt you’d get an actual car into the back, I liked that I could carry a car’s load of people comfortably, and still have room for all their stuff.

Ah yes, you might think, but the Renault Kangoo van I ran previously had even more space available, but that could only seat two and was far less comfortable on long trips.

Indeed, while the Marines may be comfortable being uncomfortable, my Jogger meant that I didn’t have to be. Its driver’s seat offered all the adjustment I could want, and even after hours behind the wheel, I didn’t feel in need of a yoga session to stretch out my back before getting to work.

My Jogger can even best a Marine at the 0-60mph sprint, thanks to its 109bhp 1.0-litre petrol engine. But I would stop short of calling my car athletic, because with it filled to the gunwales with people or luggage, there was a noticeable drop-off in performance, especially on the motorway. Getting up to speed on faster roads required working the six-speed manual gearbox a lot, too – although, as I have covered in earlier reports, going for the 1.6-litre hybrid option, with its standard automatic gearbox, would have pushed the price of my car up by thousands.

I was grateful for many of the luxuries afforded by my car’s range-topping Extreme trim. From its heated front seats to wireless Apple CarPlay connectivity, it just made life as easy as possible. Still, I reckon going for mid-range Expression would be a wise move for potential buyers. You still get all the kit you’re likely to need, but it costs even less than my car.

Life wasn’t perfect with the Jogger, and there were niggles which betrayed my car’s budget-friendly ethos. There was more road noise than you’d find in rival people carriers, for example, which despite the stereo’s best efforts were noticeable. And while the keyless entry and exit fitted to my car worked very well at the start, six months later and there have been instances where I’ve walked away from the car and it’s not locked itself.

Plus, while I realise this may be a niche issue, the fact that the Jogger has one large cup-holder and one small one means that it’s hard to have two drinks on the go, as I tend to do if I’ve a long drive ahead of me.

Those issues aside, it’s hard to find my Jogger anything other than charming. It costs vastly less than rivals to buy and has helped me to keep costs down while I’m driving it – my overall average fuel economy of 44.5mpg is close to the car’s 48.7mpg-official figure, and is especially impressive when you remember the weight of what I’ve asked my car to carry, journey after journey.

I reckon my Jogger has earned the title of Multi-Purpose Vehicle, and if the Marines are in need of new transport, I know where you could get a great deal on a lightly used version that’s already got the right colour scheme.

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