Item: Used Dacia Duster 2018-present
Rating: 4
Author: What Car? Team

There aren’t many rivals at this price to challenge the <a href="https://www.whatcar.com/used-reviews/make/dacia">Dacia</a> Duster, particularly if you need a rugged four-wheel-drive car of this size.&nbsp;

However, if you just want a practical five-seat&nbsp;SUV, the <a href="https://www.whatcar.com/kia/sportage/4x4/used-review/n17426">Kia Sportage</a> has much more equipment, a far plusher interior and a longer warranty for a similar amount of money. It’s also a very dependable car, according to our reliability data.

For a bit more money, you could own a better-handling <a href="https://www.whatcar.com/seat/ateca/estate/used-review/n840">Seat Ateca</a>. The boot is similarly sized, and you’d be hard-pressed to notice a difference in interior space. There’s a much more intuitive infotainment system to use, too.&nbsp;&nbsp;

For all the latest reviews, advice and new car deals, sign up to the <a href="http://pages.haymarket.com/whatcar/wcar-form.html">What Car? Newsletter here</a>

If you're interested in buying a <a href="https://www.whatcar.com/used-cars/dacia/duster?used=true&amp;nearlynew=true&amp;postCode=tw1%203sp">used Dacia Duster,</a> or any of the other cars mentioned here, check out our used car classifieds site <a href="https://www.whatcar.com/used-cars">here.</a>&nbsp;

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What is it like?

Ownership cost

Advice for buyers

Our recommendations

Alternatives

Make sure there are no warning lights for the diesel particulate filter (DPF) on models equipped with the 1.5 dCi engine. If there are, it could mean that example has issues with its filter, which could be expensive to fix if not covered under warranty.&nbsp;&nbsp;

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The Duster didn't feature in our most recent What Car? reliability survey, but Dacia as a brand&nbsp;ranked a&nbsp;highly commendable 12th out of 31 manufacturers, finishing higher than other, bigger rivals such as <a href="https://www.whatcar.com/used-reviews/make/ford">Ford</a> and <a href="https://www.whatcar.com/used-reviews/make/vauxhall">Vauxhall</a>.

If you would like to see the full reliability list, head to the&nbsp;<a href="https://www.whatcar.com/news/2019-what-car-reliability-survey/n20042">What Car? Reliability Survey</a>&nbsp;pages for more information.

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If you want a new car but would rather not spend much, Dacia is a great place to start your search.

This budget brand builds Britain’s cheapest new car, the Sandero hatchback. And don’t think cheap automatically means nasty, because the Sandero has been commended at the annual What Car? Car of the Year awards on numerous occasions.

Other Dacia models include the Logan estate and Duster SUV. And while these cost slightly more than the Sandero, they’re still priced aggressively enough that they’re really only competing directly with used cars.

Dacia manages this by borrowing platforms and technology from its owner, Renault, to minimise development costs.

DACIA

DUSTER

No-frills motoring with a certain rugged charm,&nbsp;the Dacia Duster is very practical and good value

Used Dacia Duster 2018 - present

<h3 dir="ltr">MPG</h3>

Despite the low cost to buy, not all engines in the Duster line-up are inexpensive to run. The 1.6-litre petrol has a WLTP combined fuel economy figure of just 36.7mpg,&nbsp;which isn’t particularly good. This is probably why it was&nbsp;replaced by&nbsp;a turbocharged 1.0-litre that has a much better rating of 49.5mpg. The more popular 1.3 TCe exists in 128bhp and 148bhp forms; both manage 47.0mpg, but four-wheel drive&nbsp;knocks the higher-powered version back to 44.4mpg.

The two diesels are the economy stars with 64.2mpg for the front-wheel-drive&nbsp;car&nbsp;and 60.1mpg for the four-wheel-drive model.

<h3 dir="ltr">CO2 emissions</h3>

The two diesels put out the least amount of CO2, with figures of 115g/km for the 4x2 and 123g/km for the 4x4. This is&nbsp;then followed by the 1.0 TCe at 126g/km, while both the 128bhp and 148bhp versions of the 1.3 TCe emit the same amount of greenhouse gases at 137g/km. Unless it comes with 4x4; then it's 140g/km.&nbsp;

As expected, the thirstiest 1.6 SCe petrol is the worst for emissions at 149g/km for the 4x2 and 158g/km for the 4x4.

<h3 dir="ltr">Road tax</h3>

All Dusters will be charged under the current road tax system. The current rate is £150 a year. But&nbsp;because no Dacia costs more than £40,000 when new, all will escape the additional fee applied to such expensive vehicles. To find out more about the current<a href="https://www.whatcar.com/advice/buying/car-tax-changes-in-2019-%E2%80%93-what-do-i-need-to-know/n1153"> road tax costs, click here</a> for further information.&nbsp;

<h3 dir="ltr">Servicing costs</h3>

The fixed-price monthly servicing plan <a href="https://www.whatcar.com/used-reviews/make/dacia">Dacia</a> offers customers of its new cars isn’t transferable to subsequent owners, but even so, maintenance costs are pretty reasonable.&nbsp;

<h3 dir="ltr">Insurance costs</h3>

An entry-level 1.6 SCe Access model will sit in insurance group 8, while a top-spec diesel Prestige will be in 15. This is a fair bit lower than rivals such as the <a href="https://www.whatcar.com/seat/ateca/estate/used-review/n840">Seat Ateca</a> and <a href="https://www.whatcar.com/kia/sportage/4x4/used-review/n17426">Kia Sportage</a>, although, in fairness, both of these can be had&nbsp;with more powerful engines.

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Used Dacia Duster 2018-present

No-frills motoring with a certain rugged charm, the Dacia Duster is very practical and good value

Prices for a used example of this second-gen&nbsp;Duster start at around £10,000 for a 2018 1.6 Sce Comfort version. Spend between £10,000 and £12,000 on a good 2019 or 2020 model. To keep up to date with used Duster prices, use our free valuation tool to make sure you are getting the best deal.&nbsp;

Check the value of a used Dacia Duster with <a href="https://www.whatcar.com/valuations/">What Car? Valuations</a>

<h3 dir="ltr">Engine</h3>

Unless you must have&nbsp;four-wheel drive, there isn’t much point going beyond the 128bhp 1.3 TCe model.&nbsp;

Of those&nbsp;four-wheel-drive models available second-hand, the majority use the old 1.6-litre petrol and are rather expensive to run. We’d advise you try finding a diesel model instead, because it’s nicer to drive, both on and off road.

<h3 dir="ltr">Specification</h3>

The Duster is supposed to be a value offering and the hard interior plastics hamper the feeling of luxury, so we’d stick with mid-range Comfort trim for the best value for money.&nbsp;&nbsp;

Our favourite <a href="https://www.whatcar.com/used-reviews/make/dacia">Dacia</a> Duster: 1.3 TCe 128bhp Comfort

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<h2>What we're looking for:</h2><ul><li>Comfortable ride </li> <li>Feature-filled infotainment </li> <li>Space for child seats </li> <li>Robust build quality </li> <li>Practical storage spaces </li> <li>A boot fit for a family holiday </li> <li>Fuel-efficient engines</li></ul>

While we define a small SUV&nbsp;as something&nbsp;less than 4.3 metres long and a large SUV as measuring more than 4.5 metres, family SUVs tread the middle ground.

As the name suggests, the vast majority are&nbsp;designed for family duties rather than serious off-roading, so practicality is paramount. However, that&nbsp;shouldn't come at the expense of a decent drive; the best examples combine tidy handling with smooth engines&nbsp;and a ride that's comfortable&nbsp;enough to ensure the kids aren't left feeling queasy.

The Seat Ateca and&nbsp;Skoda Karoq should definitely be on your shortlist. But if you have a bit more to spend,&nbsp;the Range Rover Evoque is another strong option. If money is a concern, then the Dacia Duster provides comfortable, spacious and well-equipped transportation for an affordable price.

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Family SUV

Not all versions of the Duster come with parking sensors, so&nbsp;you’ll need to check the bumpers and bodywork for damage.&nbsp;Also, make sure alloy wheels (if there are any fitted) don’t have any kerb damage.

The interior isn’t the best part of the Duster and its&nbsp;hard plastics can be scuffed by rings&nbsp;and general wear and tear.

If&nbsp;your Duster was built after December 2018, you might find that it comes with&nbsp;an&nbsp;updated infotainment system with&nbsp;<a href="https://www.whatcar.com/advice/owning/what-is-apple-carplay/n1193">Apple CarPlay</a> and <a href="https://www.whatcar.com/advice/owning/what-is-android-auto/n1194">Android Auto</a>&nbsp;smartphone connectivity.&nbsp;

Aside from some subtle differences in taste, a regular tin of&nbsp;value-brand baked beans does much the same job as the Heinz alternative;&nbsp;the biggest difference between the two is the price. The same is true of the <a href="https://www.whatcar.com/used-reviews/make/dacia">Dacia</a> Duster, which does all the same things other&nbsp;<a href="https://www.whatcar.com/category/family-suv">family SUVs</a> do, just more cheaply. And while you wouldn’t buy second-hand tinned food, you can buy a second-hand version of this second-generation Duster and save even more over&nbsp;its main rivals.&nbsp;&nbsp;

Powering the Duster is a range of three petrol engines and one diesel, most of which can be found with or without four-wheel drive. The non-turbocharged, 113bhp 1.6&nbsp;SCe petrol engine looks okay on paper, but its limited torque&nbsp;often leaves you without much get-up-and-go for overtaking. Mercifully, this engine was replaced a year after this generation of Duster was launched, by&nbsp;a turbocharged 99bhp 1.0-litre petrol with significantly more torque to pull the car along. The turbocharged 128bhp or 148bhp 1.3-litre petrols are far better, managing to be both smooth and reasonably refined for what is a budget car.&nbsp;&nbsp;

The 113bhp&nbsp;1.5-litre diesel isn’t a hugely powerful engine,&nbsp;but&nbsp;it's quiet enough to fade&nbsp;into the background hum of road noise at high speeds and there’s enough punch for a quick burst of acceleration. Its&nbsp;additional torque&nbsp;also comes in handy for low-speed manoeuvres when navigating obstacles off road.&nbsp;

Speaking of going off road,&nbsp;four-wheel-drive models are very capable if you decide to leave sealed roads behind. You can lock the car into four-wheel drive via a dial near the gearlever&nbsp;and the traction control system manages the brakes, stopping wheels&nbsp;from spinning and ensuring that&nbsp;power is sent to those wheels that have grip. Four-wheel-drive cars also have more sophisticated rear suspension which is&nbsp;more supple over bumps than that of regular front-wheel-drive cars.&nbsp;

On the road, the Duster is predictable enough, with light steering, undemanding control weights for the gearlever and clutch, and a decent ride on smaller wheels (or when equipped with four-wheel drive). It doesn’t have that last degree of finesse that you’d get from other family SUV rivals such as the <a href="https://www.whatcar.com/nissan/qashqai/hatchback/used-review/n804">Nissan Qashqai</a>, <a href="https://www.whatcar.com/seat/ateca/estate/used-review/n840">Seat Ateca</a> and&nbsp;<a href="https://www.whatcar.com/volkswagen/tiguan/estate/used-review/n938">Volkswagen Tiguan</a> – but then it was a lot cheaper than all of those when new.

Interior quality is okay rather than outstanding. It’ll stand up to the most abusive of toddlers, but it won’t impress anyone that has just stepped out of a similar-priced used <a href="https://www.whatcar.com/kia/sportage/4x4/used-review/n17426">Kia Sportage</a>, because there are no soft-touch plastics of any kind in the Duster.

Space is very good, though; four adults should have few&nbsp;complaints about longer journeys and you can even take five – at a pinch. Boot capacity is excellent, and the depth of it means you’ll need to carry exceptionally long items without having to fold the rear seats down. Just be aware that four-wheel-drive models have slightly less cargo capacity due to the extra mechanical&nbsp;components&nbsp;needed to give it four driven wheels.&nbsp;

Equipment levels are very stingy on lower trim levels, with the entry-level Access not even getting a stereo system. You’ll need to step up to Essential for that and air-con, while mid-spec Comfort gets a touchscreen infotainment system, rear parking sensors and a rear-view camera, cruise control, 16in alloy wheels and electric rear windows. Prestige models add climate control, blindspot warning and a surround-view camera system, while Techroad models have privacy glass and some exterior and interior styling tweaks.&nbsp;

The biggest downside with the Duster is that next to similar-priced used rivals, it doesn't have the greatest Euro NCAP safety rating. The Duster was awarded only three stars out of a possible five, whereas rivals such as the&nbsp;Kia Sportage&nbsp;and&nbsp;Nissan Qashqai&nbsp;both got the full five stars.

If you're interested in buying a <a href="https://www.whatcar.com/used-cars/dacia/duster?used=true&amp;nearlynew=true&amp;postCode=tw1%203sp">used Dacia Duster,</a> or any of the other cars mentioned here, check out our used car classifieds site <a href="https://www.whatcar.com/used-cars">here.</a>&nbsp;

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Used Dacia Duster 2018-present review

Our recommendations

Which used Dacia Duster 4x4 should I buy?

Engine