Used Dacia Duster 2013-2018 review

If only, you might be thinking, there was a car that combined the best of those family SUV qualities – practicality, flexibility and rugged looks – with the lower purchase price of a small family car.

Well there is. It’s the Dacia Duster. Bought new, this Nissan Qashqai-sized SUV will set you back no more than a Fiat Panda. And you can pick up a used example of this first-generation model now for peanuts, which makes it something of a bargain.

The Duster is made out of old Nissan and Renault parts. It’s a five-door, five-seater car with suitably rugged bodywork and a choice of petrol or diesel engines and the option of four-wheel drive.

Engines: The platform mandates the use of transverse engines, in this case, a 1.2 or 1.6-litre petrol or a 1.5-litre turbodiesel. The entry-level 1.2-litre petrol engine has 123bhp while the bigger capacity 1.6-litre petrol produces a miserly 112bhp and the diesel produces 107bhp.

Trims and equipment: Predictably, given the price, there's not a great deal of equipment on the basic Duster models - but you do get power steering and remote central locking. Opting for the Access trim gets a bit more equipment, mainly in the shape of bigger steel wheels, electric front windows and height-adjustable rear headrests. Move up to mid-spec Ambiance trims and suddenly the Duster gets a lot more modern, with kit including fog lights, DAB radio, Bluetooth and USB connectivity, while the Ambiance Prime spec added a bit more luxury, including an exclusive metallic paint job and 16in alloy wheels.

The range-topping trims - Laureate and Prestige - both offer 16in alloy wheels, air conditioning, electrically adjustable and heated wing mirrors, and convenience lights throughout the interior as standard, while the latter also includes a 7in touchscreen infotainment system with sat-nav and traffic updates, a reversing camera and rear parking sensors within the package.

Ride and handling: On the road, none of these engine options are particularly fast, nor especially refined, and the ride and handling are distinctly old-fashioned. The diesel-engined version is reasonably economical, but neither of the two petrol options are outstandingly frugal.

So buying a Dacia Duster requires some compromises. its interior is a little rough and ready and although there’s plenty of space inside it’s not a particularly pleasant place to be. But for sheer value for money and old-fashioned bang-for-buck this might be a car like no other.

If you're interested in buying a used Dacia Duster, or any of the other cars mentioned here, check out our used car buying pages here .

Prices for a high mileage Duster, one of the first from 2013, start at around £3000 to £4000. Shop for an average mileage example with a full service history and you’ll need to spend around £4000, still amazingly cheap for a car of that size and age. These are mostly diesel-engined cars, as they are the bigger sellers, and make the most sense in the utilitarian Duster. Up the wedge to between £5000 and £8000 and you can pick and choose from a number of 2014, 2015 and 2016 models in differing specs, but all with an average mileage, full history and bought from an independent or franchised dealer. You'll need around £8000 to secure a good 2017 model, and between £9000 and £10,000 for a 2018 car.

MPG

The diesel-engined 1.5 dCi 110 version is the most economical, and running costs are low if you avoid the thirsty petrol-engined versions. The diesel is reasonably efficient and should average around 50mpg if driven carefully – its average claimed fuel consumption figure is 64.2mpg in the smaller wheeled models. Four-wheel-drive models are considerably more expensive to buy both new and used, and also bring higher fuel and, if registered before the tax changes of April 2017 came into effect, tax costs.

Road tax

Those tax changes meant that annual car tax (VED) was charged at a flat rate from April 2017, rather than based on CO2 emissions, and that rate is currently £180 a year.

Insurance

The Duster boasts particularly competitive insurance group ratings which, again, help to keep running costs down. All in all, the Duster is among the cheapest cars to own in its class.

Servicing

Dacia offers servicing plans for any Dacia model between one and 10 years of age called ‘Service Loyalty Packs’. They are supposed to cover your Dacia for a set number of services or miles, whichever comes soonest. But they seem quite expensive for what they are.

Reliability

The Dacia Duster emerges as a generally dependable car, based on real-world owner reviews from our annual What Car? Reliability Survey. Most owners encounter minimal issues in the early years, though older models sometimes show electrical faults, affecting the dashboard and lights. The dealer service experience, however, is hit or miss. Positive feedback includes quick, cost-effective repairs and great customer service, but some owners face slow service and poor communication. This inconsistency means many owners prefer independent servicing for their Duster, suggesting dealer service quality varies by location.

Discover more about the used Dacia Duster's reliability on our dedicated reliability page.

Engine

We would probably dismiss the two petrol-engined options, unless you are very against the idea of a diesel-powered car. They aren’t very economical and they certainly don’t offer the Dacia Duster much in the way of performance or refinement. We’d go for the 1.5 dCi 110 diesel, which is frugal but does make a lot of noise and can send vibrations through the wheel and pedals.

Trims

Ambiance is the trim we’d choose; the entry-level Access is a little too stingy for our liking. Upgrading gets you a radio for starters, plus Bluetooth, a tyre-pressure monitor and electric front windows. Facelifted Ambiance cars added air-conditioning to this list and a DAB radio.

Laureate was the only version to get air-conditioning as standard from launch. It also gives you electrically adjustable and heated door mirrors, cruise control, trip computer, height adjustable driver’s seat and rear electric windows. Alloys were an option, as was the 7.0in touchscreen navigation system. Unless you really want a Duster with all this stuff, you might as well stick with Ambiance.

Our favourite Dacia Duster: 1.5 dCi Ambiance

In terms of ruggedness and quirkiness, perhaps the Duster’s main rival is the Skoda Yeti. With its Tonka toy styling, wide range of engines and trims, excellent interior space, good visibility and neat driving experience, the Yeti is one of our favourite cars, and makes a great case for itself as a used car.

The Nissan Qashqai was one of the first of the new breed of SUVs, and its success sparked a revolution. The first model was spacious, economical and refined, and, in all its various trim options, well equipped. It has the Duster beaten in most areas, as does the Yeti, and used examples can now be found at prices that nearly rival those of the Dacia’s, albeit for cars that are a little older.

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If you're interested in buying a used Dacia Duster, or any of the other cars mentioned here, check out our used car buying pages here .

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