This SUV from Romania is the cheapest on the market, and when you look at the price of its rivals, that's no bad thing, says Dom Joly in The Sunday Times. The Dacia Duster will set you back just £8,995 but it looks like it might cost more like £25,000. And if you're thinking shoddy build quality must betray the car's real nature, think again: it is very comfortable inside, says Joly, with leather seats and a nice, simple dashboard.
There's loads of room in the boot too, and the car's very enjoyable to drive. "If I were to get an SUV, I'd rather like the idea of getting something different that costs an astonishing amount less than near rivals and that looks good to boot There must be a catch. I just can't find it."
The Duster is "hardly a work of engineering brilliance", says Steve Cropley in Autocar, and "at times it would feel noisy, dated and cheap compared to more expensively engineered small 4x4s. But at other times most of the time, probably we suspect you'd feel rather pleased with your decision to buy a Dacia Duster."
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It has "surprising off-road credentials, more than adequate on-road abilities and as much passenger and luggage space as a small estate". This is a "compact off-roader for people who didn't think they could afford one", and "an incredible amount of car for your money".
In short, the Duster is "cheap to buy, cheap to own, practical, capable and long-lasting", says Cropley. "It's a no-nonsense' sort of machine that wears its bargain basement price tag like a badge of honour. And we can't help liking it for that."
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