I ordered my Duster the day after the order books opened, on 29th June last year, having seen the car at the Goodwood Moving Motor Show. It seemed the perfect antidote to the high-tech direction that is being taken by the motor industry, at great expense to the car buyer. My base model 4x4 is one of only 10 Dusters in the UK in private hands just now. All the other cars registered are dealer demonstrators. Although I added 4WD, apart from that I went for the very basic model and added no extras which I felt was in keeping with the whole philosophy of Dacia ownership, keeping everything simple.
What I have is a car with the features that I need, well, except for a radio which I need to fit, without the items that I don't want or need. These unwanted features include turbocharger, DPF, aircon, alloy wheels, expensive metallic paint, unnecessary cubbyholes and computers that switch on lights, wipers and that take over control of the vehicle's braking and handling. However I still have locking from a button on the key, electric front windows, a great 4WD system and a huge comfortable car.
The car looks great in standard white, admired by all. It has huge road presence. Unlike the small Panda I previously owned, nobody pulls out in front of you and you are given plenty of space when changing lanes on the motorway. Cars approaching you on narrow roads slow to a respectable pace, as I do and so expect it of others. These are all aspects of safety that are ignored by the advocates of electronic safety gizmos.
The interior looks good and is comfortable to be in. My regular 300 mile motorway trip from Sunderland to Somerset now leaves me relaxed and without the backache that the Panda produced. OK, my motorway style is to cruise at an indicated 65mph (in reality 60 mph) with overtaking bursts of up to a real 70 mph but that style gets me there in good time, in safety and with my licence intact. Most serious professional drivers adopt such a style.
The Duster is criticised for noise on motorways, poor performance, low gearing and rubbery or imprecise steering. Personally I find the noise levels entirely acceptable. Maybe, in my 50s and after years of noise exposure (motorcycling, rock gigs, loud stereos), my hearing isn't too good anyhow. Maybe I'm just used to noisy cars (Panda). The performance is good enough to get you from one overtaking HGV to the next. The gearing is relatively low, first is for off-road so set off in second. The steering is light but not imprecise, not like the electric systems favoured these days. The ride is great, smooth and again relaxing and it handles speed bumps really well.
It doesn't feel like a cheap car. It feels solid, well screwed together. You feel as if it will remain that way and reliable for a long time.
The biggest disadvantage of owning a Duster, especially with the 1.6L petrol engine, is poor economy and high road tax. It's not surprising that a big, low-tech car with poor aerodynamics will use a lot of fuel. So far, after 600 miles, the best is just over 30mpg. All I can say is that the saving in the purchase price over competitors at double the price gives you plenty of cash to buy a little extra fuel. I suspect that I will also save, over the years, in servicing costs, insurance and expensive repairs. Fuel is not the major cost in modern motoring.
So, for £10,995 I find myself with a capacious 4x4, a good long distance tourer and, just for now, a highly exclusive car admired by many. What more could I ask for?

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