Find your perfect new car<\/span>![](\"https:\/\/media.autoexpress.co.uk\/image\/private\/s--I_3RUdYG--\/f_auto,t_content-image-full-mobile@1\/v1702551749\/autoexpress\/2023\/12\/Dacia%20Duster%20LT%203rd%20report-2.jpg\")
<\/p>\nBut despite all the clear differences, I can\u2019t help feeling that these two models actually have a very admirable quality in common.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Some cars try too hard to do too much, and ultimately become such a\u00a0 compromise that they fail to offer any outstanding qualities. But the Duster and the Artura have a specific purpose and they both nail it. The Artura sets out to be focused on pure performance, a car which marries the very best of petrol and electric tech to become one of the best supercars money can buy.\u00a0<\/p>\n
![](\"https:\/\/media.autoexpress.co.uk\/image\/private\/s--2ndlamRb--\/v1683626472\/assets\/partners\/powered-by-motorway_150x70.png\")
\n![](\"https:\/\/pubads.g.doubleclick.net\/gampad\/ad?iu=\/359\/impcount.co.uk&sz=1x1&t=creative%3DAEXMotorwayWidgetApril2022&c=%%CACHEBUSTER%%\")
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The Duster\u2019s aim is very different, but no less valid. It\u2019s a car with no claims to be a premium product, nor one which pretends to be sporty. Instead, it puts value for money above all else \u2013 and as such, it\u2019s one of the cheapest cars of its type on the market. That this rugged hatchback achieves as much while offering loads of space, an easy-going driving experience and plenty of standard kit makes it hard to knock.\u00a0<\/p>\n
From a tech point of view, the best car here is obvious: the Artura is a masterpiece of engineering. But if I had to decide which car was better at filling its intended brief? That\u2019s a much tougher call. One thing might settle it: those who can afford the Artura are spoiled with quite a staggering selection of brilliant alternatives, be it from Ferrari, Porsche or Maserati. If you have 20 grand to spend on a new car, however, what else is there to choose that can do everything the Duster does?<\/p>\n
Dacia Duster Expression TCe 130: second report<\/h2>\n
![](\"https:\/\/media.autoexpress.co.uk\/image\/private\/s--VqolE3l1--\/f_auto,t_content-image-full-mobile@1\/v1696853454\/autoexpress\/2023\/10\/Dacia%20Duser%20long%20termer%20second%20report.jpg\")
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The Dacia Duster SUV is a top-10 hit in Poland<\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n\n- Mileage: <\/strong>3,501<\/li>\n
- Economy: <\/strong>36.0mpg<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n
No the flag isn\u2019t wrong. While Dacia is a Romanian brand, it has quickly spread throughout Europe in recent years. And I was stunned at just how popular it has become during a trip around Poland with my family.<\/p>\n
If you think the Dacia Duster is common on the road here, that\u2019s nothing compared with Poland. They are everywhere! I didn\u2019t see many Sanderos or Joggers, but the rugged small SUV was commonplace. They were especially popular in the capital Warsaw and other big cities I visited, such as Gydnia and Wroclaw, but there were also plenty in the countryside and smaller towns.<\/p>\n
I looked up the sales figures in Poland and, lo and behold, it\u2019s in the top 10. The Toyota Corolla took top spot, but the Duster wasn\u2019t too far behind, in sixth place. In fact, it\u2019s the second-most popular SUV, sitting just below the Kia Sportage. That\u2019s in stark contrast to the UK, where the Duster doesn\u2019t get close to the top 10 and is a long way down the list of the best-selling SUVs.<\/p>\n
One of the reasons the car has to be so popular in Poland is the price. In the UK, the Duster\u2019s already considered to be quite inexpensive with a starting price of \u00a317,295, but in Poland it\u2019s even more of a bargain. The range starts at zl79,900 (just over \u00a315k), more than \u00a32k less than what we would pay here. If you live in Poland and want a new car, you\u2019d struggle to match the Duster\u2019s abilities and space for that kind of money.<\/p>\n
It was while in Poland that I also found out the Duster isn\u2019t just being used as a daily runabout. One of my wife\u2019s friends from school, Agnieszka,\u00a0has converted her Duster into a camper for a road trip around Europe. She left in May and has so far driven more than 15,000km in 13 countries.<\/p>\n
![](\"https:\/\/media.autoexpress.co.uk\/image\/private\/s--M0_hwtfc--\/f_auto,t_content-image-full-mobile@1\/v1696853450\/autoexpress\/2023\/10\/Dacia%20Duser%20long%20termer%20second%20report-6.jpg\")
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She originally bought the Duster to use for her job as an architect, as she regularly drove to building sites and over rough terrain. The low price meant she could pay for the car outright, meaning there was no need to take out a financing option. It was during this time she realised it would be great to leave everything behind and head off on an adventure, and the Duster would be the perfect car for the job, because of its relative simplicity and rugged nature.<\/p>\n
The converted Duster allows Agnieszka to get off the beaten track and be closer to nature. It\u2019s also far more economical than a campervan, and allows her to get much further on a tank of fuel \u2013 a vital attribute when covering the amount of miles she has.<\/p>\n
Most importantly though the Duster has been reliable. Despite everything she\u2019s thrown at it, it\u2019s never gone wrong bar a minor ventilation issue that was easily fixed. You can learn how Agnieszka converted the Duster for the trip and follow her exploits on her YouTube channel.<\/p>\n
Back in the UK, my Duster has been performing admirably. I\u2019ve been racking up the miles in recent weeks with regular trips to Oxford from my west London home, and proving that it\u2019s a perfectly capable performer on motorways.<\/p>\n
I initially feared the 1.3-litre petrol engine might struggle in a car of this size, but the power arrives relatively low in the rev range. Overtaking is never a chore; you can simply drop down a gear, put your foot down and the car will instantly accelerate. The engine can sound a bit rough at times, but it\u2019s not intrusive and you soon learn to live with it.<\/p>\n
I still have a bit of a love-hate relationship with the cabin. Some parts seem basic, but it feels perfectly robust \u2013 useful in a family car. Get past the fact the Duster isn\u2019t designed to be a luxury car, and you\u2019ll appreciate what you get for the money; I certainly have.<\/p>\n
Dacia Duster Expression TCe 130: first report<\/h2>\n
![](\"https:\/\/media.autoexpress.co.uk\/image\/private\/s--6P3UgxQK--\/f_auto,t_content-image-full-mobile@1\/v1693490840\/autoexpress\/2023\/08\/Dacia%20Duster%20Expression%20TCe%20130%20long-termer-2.jpg\")
<\/p>\n
The spacious and well specced Dacia Duster SUV is proving to be a family favourite<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n\n- Mileage: <\/strong>3,017<\/li>\n
- Economy: <\/strong>38.9mpg<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n
The second-generation Dacia Duster has been on sale since 2017 and in many ways it\u2019s starting to show its age, but a mid-life facelift arrived last year and was then quickly followed by another update as the budget Romanian brand revised its logo.<\/p>\n
This latest refresh has given the Duster a distinctive new look, with the company\u2019s \u2018link\u2019 logo, which consists of the letters D and C merging in the middle, dominating the car\u2019s grille. It\u2019s one of the first things people notice about the Duster, with my dad even thinking it was an all-new car. It\u2019s amazing that such a subtle redesign can have such an impact.<\/p>\n
Even my son Hugo has been taken in by the Duster\u2019s charms. He\u2019s at the age where he\u2019s starting to really get into his cars and he usually talks about Lamborghinis and Porsches, but he loves the way the Duster looks and always asks if we can use it whenever we have to leave the house.<\/p>\n
The fresh look otherwise hides a car that\u2019s pretty much unchanged since its launch, but that\u2019s not necessarily a bad thing. We loved the Mk2 Duster when it first arrived and our opinion hasn\u2019t really changed. It\u2019s a car that offers a lot for its rather modest price tag. The model that\u2019s joined our test fleet is a mid-spec Expression TCe 130, which costs just \u00a319,695. It can be hard to find any new car on sale for less than \u00a320,000 these days, let alone one that offers a fraction of the amount of kit the Duster has, or one that drives as well and has anywhere near the amount of space.<\/p>\n
Electric front and rear windows, automatic headlights, a rear parking camera, automatic air-conditioning, an eight-inch touchscreen and four USB ports (two in the front and two in back) are all included as standard, so it\u2019s not exactly short on creature comforts.<\/p>\n
However, where the Duster really excels is practicality. It\u2019s a perfect fit for my family of four, thanks to a big boot that\u2019s more than capable of taking a buggy and a couple of bags, and plenty of interior space in the airy cabin. Two child seats fit in the back without having to squeeze them in, and there\u2019s enough legroom so that the children don\u2019t kick the back of the seats in front.<\/p>\n
![](\"https:\/\/media.autoexpress.co.uk\/image\/private\/s--B8ejkYei--\/f_auto,t_content-image-full-mobile@1\/v1693490828\/autoexpress\/2023\/08\/Dacia%20Duster%20Expression%20TCe%20130%20long-termer.jpg\")
<\/p>\n
While the interior quality is best described as cheap and cheerful, and the hard plastics can be easily scratched, in general it\u2019s perfect for a family because it offers relatively low maintenance. The plastic trim is easy to wipe down without leaving any stains, and the cloth seats look as good as new after a quick sponge.<\/p>\n
The Duster is also quite pleasant from behind the wheel, mainly thanks to the fact it\u2019s much lighter than it looks. Weighing in at around 1,300kg means that it handles well on a twisty road, with body roll that\u2019s noticeable as opposed to intrusive. The 1.3-litre petrol engine is smooth and relatively economical, averaging almost 39mpg over the 3,000 miles I\u2019ve covered.<\/p>\n
But it\u2019s not all good news, because a few early niggles have started to turn into frustrations, and by far the biggest is the problematic Apple CarPlay connection. The Duster doesn\u2019t come with a built-in sat-nav, so my reliance on CarPlay is even greater than in some other cars, but the connection keeps dropping. A few times I\u2019ve been happily driving along, following the route guidance, and it randomly disconnects, leaving me blind as to which turn I should be taking next.<\/p>\n
It\u2019s wired, so you\u2019d think it would be pretty foolproof, but it keeps on happening. Simply unplugging it and plugging it back in again fixes it, however it\u2019s not something you want to keep doing while driving. I\u2019ve never had a problem with this particular cable in other cars, so I can\u2019t see how it\u2019s an issue at my end, but I will test the connection with some other cables to see if the problem persists.<\/p>\n
I\u2019ve also had an issue with the carpet mat getting stuck on top of the clutch pedal. The first time it happened, I thought there was a bigger problem because the clutch was very slow to release, meaning I had to jam my foot underneath to lift it up. It was then that I realised that it was the mat holding the pedal down. I\u2019ve clipped the mat back in place, but if it happens again I\u2019ll have to remove it altogether.<\/p>\n
\n\n\n| Model:<\/td>\n | Dacia Duster Expression TCe 130 4×2<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n |
\n| On fleet since:<\/td>\n | July 2023<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n |
\n| Price new:<\/td>\n | \u00a319,695<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n |
\n| Engine:<\/td>\n | 1.3-litre 4cyl petrol, 128bhp<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n |
\n| CO2\/tax:<\/td>\n | 141g\/km\/\u00a3215 (1st year)<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n |
\n| Options:<\/td>\n | Arizona Orange metallic paint (\u00a3650), spare wheel (\u00a3300)<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n |
\n| Insurance*:<\/td>\n | Group: 19\/Quote: \u00a3544<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n |
\n| Mileage:<\/td>\n | 5,002<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n |
\n| Economy:<\/td>\n | 35.8mpg<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n |
\n| Any problems?<\/td>\n | None so far<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n *Insurance quote from AA (0800 107 0680) for a 42-year-old in Banbury, Oxon, with three points.<\/em><\/p>\nSource: Read Full Article<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"Third report: our Duster and a McLaren Artura supercar might seem like an odd pair, but they have one thing<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":248510,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[3],"tags":[],"yoast_head":"\n Dacia Duster Expression TCe 130 long term test: a charming, no-nonsense family SUV - AutoMotoBuzz.com<\/title>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/automotobuzz.com\/car-reviews\/dacia-duster-expression-tce-130-long-term-test-a-charming-no-nonsense-family-suv\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Dacia Duster Expression TCe 130 long term test: a charming, no-nonsense family SUV - 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