In association with ALA Insurance
Car of the Year 2021
We’ve spent the past 12 months driving every new car back to back with its rivals, with our overall Car of the Year the model that moves the game on more than any other...
Dacia Sandero 1.0 TCe 90 Comfort
The BMW 4 Series, Fiat 500 and Kia Sorento have all set new standards in the past 12 months, as have the Porsche Taycan, Skoda Octavia iV and Volkswagen ID.3. In a different year, any one of them would have made a deserving overall winner, but in 2021 they’ve had the misfortune of coming up against the new Dacia Sandero.
While we repeatedly praised the old Sandero for being a great budget buy, you could see where Dacia had cut corners to make it so affordable. That’s not the case with the new one, though; it’s comfortable, good to drive, well equipped and very spacious, so it would be worth considering even if it cost the same as most of its rivals.
Except it doesn’t. Even an entry-level Ford Fiesta – with only three doors, a weaker engine and a lot less kit – will set you back more than £15,000 after discounts, and our pick of the Fiesta range comes in at almost £19,000. Our favourite Sandero, by contrast, costs just £11,595.
It will put a smile on the face of any buyer, then, and is even within reach of those who would normally be considering only used cars. It’s an absolute bargain and an outstanding achievement.
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