Dacia Sandero 1.2 Access
- Dacia Sandero joins the fleet
- Sandero's back to basic miles roll on
- ICE and easy? Sort of...
- We have sound!
- Centrally awkward
- Dacia - not as new as you'd think
- Longing for some colour
- A landmark reached
- Comparative analysis
- The miles roll on
- Stretching the Sandero's legs
- End of term report - it's top of the class!
Dacia Sandero joins the fleet
It's Britain's cheapest new car, but does that low price mean you need to make sacrifices? We're going to run a Dacia Sandero for six months to find out.
Date: 10 July 2013 | Current mileage: 221 | Claimed economy: 48.7mpg | Actual economy: 40.3mpg
Ever since Dacia announced that it would be returning to the UK market at the beginning of 2013 with its bargain range of Renault-engineered cars, I've been keen to run one. As a regular European traveller, it's hard to escape the conclusion that following the launch of the three-box Logan back in 2004, they've been selling in huge numbers everywhere on the mainland - from Southern Spain, to Berlin taxi ranks, the roads have been increasingly packed with these no-frills cars.
But the UK has been very, very late to the party. Blame it on the cost and complexity of a right-hand drive conversion (which matters a lot on the Logan, which was originally available for €5000), and our distaste for small three-box saloons. All that should have changed with the launch of the original Sandero in 2008, which was built in left- and right-hand drive forms for global consumption, but months later, the world economy crashed, leaving Renault without the appetite to launch the Sandero into the UK market - even though plans to bring it here were quite advanced.
In retrospect, and with the huge success of the 2009-'10 Scrappage scheme, Dacia probably would have done very well in the UK market, especially with continual glowing endorsements from Top Gear's James May, and the upsurge in the sales of 'value' products in tough times. But we'll never know what the outcome might have been.
In the subsequent four years, Renault's UK operation has contracted, losing 50 per cent of its dealerships and a large slice of its once-massive model range. So committing to bring Dacia here in 2013, with the second-generation Sandero, the innovative Duster and commodious MCV, is good news - especially for embattled Renault dealers. The fact that they've been selling quickly since January, and thanks to inverted snobbery, there seems to be no stigma attached to buying Britain's cheapest car from an Eastern European manufacturer. My, how times have changed.
That's right - no stereo. Not even a radio!
We've been closely following the Dacia story, and when the company announced that its entry-level Sandero Access would come-in at £5995, or contract hire from £80 per month, we knew that this was the one for us. As we're living in austere times, it only seems fitting to drive a car that fits in the with the mood of the moment. Of course, the real point of the of the Access is to drive people in to the showrooms, tempted by the low-price, but actually go on to be upsold into the the better-equipped Ambiance or Laureate versions.
But I'm a sucker for entry-level cars, and am happy to stick with the Sandero in its most basic form. And unless you've been in a cave for the past year, you'll already know just how basic that is.
But as a reminder, here's a list of the features you don't get in a new Sandero Access: central locking; stereo; air conditioning; alloy wheels; body coloured bumpers; door handles and mirrors. And a lot more besides.
And what you do get: wheels, seats, a heater...
Actually, out of this austere options package's missing items, the two that hit you the most are the lack of a stereo and central locking. The first isn't too much of an issue, as Dacia claims all of the pre-wiring needed to fit your own is included (we'll wait and see on that one), and a decent quality headunit is £100 and an afternoon's work away. Lack of central locking is also a pain - it's unlikely that many drivers of this car would have experience of manual locking, so getting into the habit of pushing down the buttons each time you leave the car will take some doing. Especially as you can't lock them from the outside.
But overall, the £5995 Dacia Sandero is a fundamentally well-sorted motor. But the question remains - once the novelty of driving a car that costs a third of the price - and has most of the ability - of a well-specified Volkswagen Golf 1.6TDI wears off, will its sheer lack of equipment become an annoyance. Will we be ruing the day we didn't choose an Ambiance for a mere £600 extra? Or does the bargain-basement price make it all the easier to ive with in the longer term? Stay tuned...
Interior is functional and a little dour to look at, but it's solid and well screwed together
Engine is tried-and-tested Renault 16V, access is brilliant for DIY
Keep-fit windows - remember those?
Sandero's back to basic miles roll on
We've been piling on miles and our no-frills Dacia Sandero is yet to put a foot wrong. We're getting used to those black bumpers and enjoying plenty of lounging room.
Date: 24 July 2013 | Current mileage: 822 | Claimed economy: 48.7mpg | Actual economy: 43.1mpg
Two weeks in with Britain's cheapest car, and we're still enjoying the feeling of beating the system. Our £5995 family hold-all is a talking point wherever we go, and we've already taken it on a long journey, four-up, with few complaints. On a quick run to Yorkshire at repmobile speed, the Sandero quietly impressed all of us - and the lack of a stereo was a great opportunity to play 'I-Spy'.
The 1.2-litre 16V is smooth at idle, revs cleanly, and feels willing when you put your foot down. No it's not quick, with a 0-60mph time of 14.5 seconds, but you can run with fast-flowing traffic without undue stress, thanks to the engine's willingness to rev. It never feels strained when chasing hard-charging TDIs in the outside lane. Of course, it's early days, with less than 1000 miles on the clock, it's bound to need some more running-in before it gives its best. But with each passing mile, the Sandero feels more potent and smoother. Fuel consumption has improved on the most recent top-up, too.
Steel wheels and 185/65 TR15 tyres are a very sensible choice for city driving
The black bumpers and naked steel wheels are a constant reminder of our decision to buy the entry-level model. I personally like them, as they suit the car's down to earth nature - as well as give you a little more confidence in town, as they look tough and not easily damaged. Hopefully, we'll not need to find out. I think they have a hidden positive bonus, too - in the outside lane, slower moving cars seem unusually willing to move over. Perhaps it looks like a small van, or it's fresh from a visit to the body shop.
As well as being competent at ferrying businessmen around, the Sandero feels family friendly, too. The charcoal black interior trim feels tough and looks like it will shrug off rough treatment, while the solid feeling dashboard controls look like they'll take plenty of abuse. Out of the entire control set, only the heating and ventilation knobs feel particularly cheap - but they're chunky and are probably just as hard wearing as the rest of the car. The dashboard plastics aren't the slush-moulded, soft-feel affairs you get in cars twice the price and there are one or two sharp edges if you go looking, but it all feels reasonably solid and cohesive. And not shorn down to a price.
But the Sandero's USP has to be its size and practicality - especially when you take price into account. At this end of the market, natural rivals are few - you could negotiate a Suzuki Alto, Nissan Pixo or Perodua Myvi down to this kind of money, but no family would be able to seriously live with cars so small. The Sandero is quite the opposite - in terms of accommodation, it straddles the small and family hatchback markets and any young family willl quite happily be able to live with a car with four wide-opening doors, good rear leg and headroom, and a truly generously-sized boot. The glovebox and door pockets are roomy - and being the stereo-less example - there's also a big cubby hole nicely to hand in the middle of the dash. Shame that it's going...
Rear seat legroom is generous - this is with the front seats in their rear-most position
ICE and easy? Sort of...
It's been a quiet couple of weeks, but there's also a peace inside, which we hoped would have been broken by now.
Date: 12 August 2013 | Current mileage: 923 | Claimed economy: 48.7mpg | Actual economy: 44.2mpg
I've not put many miles on the Sandero the past couple of weeks. Thanks to a family holiday and a couple of interesting classic test cars knocking around, our prime example of the cheapest car in Britain has covered little more than 100 miles during the past couple of weeks. However, while twiddling my thumbs one afternoon, I decided that I could no longer put off cracking open the dashboard and fitting a stereo to my car...
The Sandero is described as being pre-wired for radio installation, and at first glance it looks a doddle to get a head unit in to fill that useful hole in the dashboard. The aerial is already installed in the roof, and there are two large speaker grilles in the front doors (I'll get back to that). Seeing as this is a brand new car, and I want to keep it up to spec, I headed for the local Renault dealer, Richard Sanders in Kettering, in order to buy a mounting kit. I'd assumed I could pick one up, and be away within minutes. Not so. The parts manager took my registration number, and came back saying that there's no equivalent part on the system... but to leave it with him. So I left, empty handed.
An hour or so later, he called me to say that after researching the matter extensively, my best bet would be to buy a kit off eBay for about £30, while pointing me in the direction of the very useful Dacia owners' forum for instructions. And after a bit of reading up on the matter, installation looked straightforward enough, and the mounting kit (which includes facia panel and adaptor leads) was readily available. So I bought the kit, and held my breath.
A couple of days later, I found myself sat in the Sandero, with a couple of screwdrivers and a Torx set, a new Alpine CDE-131R, and a mounting kit. Disassembly was easy - you prise off the centre dash surround (it's a push-fit item), and undo the cubby hole, which is fixed in with four T20 Torx screws. The most hair-raising part of this operation is pulling the surround away from its mountings - I swore it was going to snap. The pre-wiring is cleverly afixed to the back of the dashboard shelf, so there's no need to go fishing in the back of the dash.
Facia panel removed, making stereo installation nice and simple
The leads that come with the kit make everything nice and DIN standard, meaning you can fit any stereo that takes your fancy. I went with the entry-level Alpine, because of previous good experiences, and for £100 (probably less now if you shop around), you get iPhone/iPod compatability, USB and MP3 functionality. All that's missing is DAB, and I'm yet to be convinced about this, given the scratchy sound quality, and less than blanket coverage.
So, I connect all the cables, and test-plug in the new head unit, and it fires up first time. Then, I seek out a radio station by auto scanning, and it finds (the default) Radio 2 first, no problems at all. But then, once locked, and with the sound on the head unit turned up, I'm still greeted by silence. So there are no speakers fitted. Ah.
I had suspected there were no speakers beforehand, but hoped my hunch was wrong. Information on the subject is sketchy, with most Dacia forum members saying that their Sandero and Duster Access models were pre-fitted with speakers. I guess that may have changed in recent weeks. It's a shame - my understanding of pre-wiring (based on admittedly out of date thinking from the days in the 1980s and '90s when BMWs and Mercedes-Benzes were sold thus equipped) was that there would be at least a pair of door speakers thrown in to keep the customer happy.
Not to worry - I've fitted plenty of stereo systems before, and one of the joys of working on a new car is that everything comes apart and goes back together nice and easily. But I'm going to research a little before finishing this installation - I suspect the wiring will be accessible and complete, leaving me little to do other than take off the door cards, and screw in some new speakers. And before doing that, I just want to make sure I'm doing it all correctly.
Stay tuned...
Alpine head unit prior to plugging in. It works, but it's silent right now
We have sound!
The Sandero's been quiet so far, thanks to the lack of a stereo, but after picking up a few more bits, and taking an hour out, it's all in and we have music on the go!
Date: 30 August 2013 | Current mileage: 1583 | Claimed economy: 48.7mpg | Actual economy: 43.8mpg
Regular readers will be well aware that we plumped for the basic Dacia Sandero in order to see if it were really possible for you and your family to live with an entry-level car that you could buy off the shelf for less than £6000. And so far, in 1500 miles of give-and-take driving which takes in motorways, urban commuting, and the odd longer journey, it's been more than acceptable. And it's one of those cars you do keep remiding yourself just how cheap it was whenever you drive it.
The Sandero Access model's lack of equipment hasn't really bothered me too much so far, other than there being no stereo. So, a couple of weeks back, I set about fitting a new stereo, using the guide online published by the Dacia owners' forum. It was all good stuff - the wiring loom for the head unit in the dashboard's all there, and installing the stereo using a kit from eBay was easy enough. But a lack of speakers meant no sound.
So, phase two of the installation begins. Actually, the good news is for Dacia owners is that all the parts you need to get your Sandero singing are available off the shelf (you can use it for your posher Sandero's rear speakers as well as the Access' fronts). Kenwood will supply a pair of decent quality 17cm two-speakers, and the wiring loom to connect them to the Dacia's wiring making the whole job potentially a plug-and-play operation.
Simple circlip removal tool from Draper
The first thing you need to do is remove the door card. Although it might look like the speaker grilles are detachable, but they are moulded into the panel (I assume to avoid rattles and creaks), and the only way to get those speakers is to take the whole lot off. Given it has wind-up windows, you need to get those handles off first. To save time and effort, I use a circlip removal tool to get it off (above), which makes the operation child's play - you basically, slide in the tool, wiggle it around, the circlip pings off, and the winder then just comes away from the door.
Then, all that's holding in the door card are three Torx-headed screws, which Dacia made no attempt to hide. Oh, the joys of budget motoring. With those off, you literally have to pull the door card from the door - followed by a dozen or so one-way push-fit clips. Doing this is a bit of a leap of faith because you have to pull at the door card very hard indeed, and it feels like the hard plastic trim itself is going to snap. Knowing that it won't is very important.
With the door card now off - while breathing a sigh of relief for it all working with no breakages - it's just a matter of plugging in the new loom to the existing one in the car. Again, Dacia has been quite thoughtful here because the multiplug is clipped to the back of the grommet plugging the hole where your speaker cables go through on the A-post. Take this off, pierce it, feed the loom through, and plug them together. Then replace the grommet, and the repeat the procedure for the grommet on the inner door skin.
Taking the door panel off the door - not for the faint-hearted on a brand new car!
Then it's just a case of feeding the new loom through the door, making sure the wiring is tidy, and leaving enough room for the window to slide around it inside the door. Fitting the speakers is easy too - first, screw in the adaptor mounts, making sure it's tight and aligned. Then, it's just a case of fastening the spade connectors at the end of the loom to the speakers themselves, and then screwing them into the adaptor mounts.
A quick test of the radio to see if this has worked, and yes! The Dacia now has sound. Refitting the door card is - as they say - a reversal of the removal procedure, and it's straightforward for anyone with even minimal DIY experience. I reckon from start to finish, the job has taken about 45 minutes - and that's with me being especially careful and considerate - it is a new car after all. Being used to fitting stereos to older cars, I found working on the Dacia ended up being a being bit of a joy - probably because I'm not having to undo other people's bodges and horrors. I am working on the car as it came out of the factory.
If there's only one criticism I'd level at the whole process is that Dacia describes the Sandero Access as being pre-wired for stereo. That's half-true. Yes, it is to the doors, but in order to make it all work, you will need to supply the wiring for inside the doors to the speakers yourself.
Some people may ask why we didn't just cough up the additional £700 for the Ambiante model, and enjoy the stereo that's fitted as standard to that model. And we'll ponder at the next update. But for now, it's just nice to sit back, plug in my iPhone to the Alpine head unit and listen to some music while I drive. It's amazing how much you take these small pleasures for granted until they've gone...
A kit from Kenwood included in-door looms and spacer to allow the cone to squeeze into the oddly sized hole in the door
Centrally awkward
Not having central locking is one thing - we can live with that - but why make it so awkward to use? Still, we're enjoying great economy right now, and that goes a long way to making it up...
Date: 15 September 2013 | Current mileage: 1720 | Claimed economy: 48.7mpg | Actual economy: 45.8mpg
Yes, it seems odd that it looks like we're whingeing about the Sandero's lack of central locking, when we took it on knowing full well that the car was as basic as it's possible to be. In fact, we'd go further by adding that central to the Sandero Access' charms are that it celebrates its bargain basement price, by not trying to look more expensive than it is - those black bumpers and steel wheels are pure austerity chic. And we love it for that.
But just because you have to do your own locking and open the car with a key doesn’t mean that it shouldn't be painless. And the way the handles and locks work leads us to suspect that no one in Dacia actually expects people to buy the Access model.
Allow us to explain - in the old days on a car with no central locking, you were pretty much universally able to lock the car without using the key. Either you dropped the plunger and closed the door, or in most cases pulled the handle, dropped the plunger and closed the door, as in the image below. Simple, painless, and easy. However, in the Sandero's case, neither of these actions are possible, and the only way of locking it, is with the key. Okay, that's not a big deal, you think, but on a cold, dark, rainy night, it will be. And remember that using the key, there's now twice as many opportunities to scratch and mark that shiny white paint...
It gets worse with the back doors, which are also stuck with the same limitation. You simply can't drop the plunger with the door open no matter what, so the only way to lock them is with the doors closed. Infuriating at times. Luckily, although the Sandero is a commodious car that's properly Golf-sized, you can reach all of the lock plungers from the driver's seat - so as long as you're the last one out, when you carry passengers, locking up after them is easy.
So for those gentlemen who like to open and close the Sandero's doors for their passengers, this car is a definite no-no. Still, at least Dacia as a solution - it's called paying £700 extra for the Ambiante model, with many, many more toys than the Access.
(Lack of) central locking irritations aside, we're still loving our time with the Sandero. It's one of those cars that has you reminding yourself of its cost, especially when you're flying down the M1's overtaking lane with the management types in their Audi A4s and BMW 3 Series. On the motorway, that willing little 1.2-litre 16V engine really does deliver its best, spinning happily away at around 4000rpm at the legal limit. Sounds high, but because it's smooth and well insulated, it's not that noisy. Just a culture shock for anyone used to diesels.
But it's fun driving a car that you need to rev to get the best out of it. Interestingly, I'd been expecting the fuel consumption to suffer in a car that encourages you to drive it like a rental, but at the last fill-up, the Sandero averaged 47mpg. Given the easing of petrol prices, and the widening of the differential with diesel - at around 8p at the moment - it's proving that austerity chic can also be very easy on the pocket, too.
Dacia - not as new as you'd think
They might have only gone on sale in the UK in January 2013, but Dacia has been around a lot longer than that.
Date: 1 October 2013 | Current mileage: 1983 | Claimed economy: 48.7mpg | Actual economy: 45.6mpg
When the advertising for Dacia ramped up in the UK during 2012, many people assumed it was a relatively new player on the market. Yes, some of our readers with longer memories, might remember the Denem and Duster of the 1980s, and there had been many mentions on Top Gear, thanks to James May's 'good news!' proclaimations, but in Britain, it's 2013 that has been the year of Dacia.
Unless you're a regular traveller in Eastern Europe, you're probably unlkely to know that Dacia actually dates back to 1969. The company was founded in Colibaşi (now known as Mioveni), near Piteşti. in Romania, and following an agreement with Renault, began preparing for production of the R12. Before production of that car was up and running, it sold the R8, badged as the Dacia 1100, built up from kits sent from France.
In 1970, Romanians could buy their own locally-built Renault 12
The Renault 12-clone's production line was ready by August 1969, and in early 1970, the first locally made Dacia 1300s went on sale. The car was little changed from the Renault 12 we all know and love, and as Iron curtain motors went, the Dacia 1300 lined up well against the Fiat-based Lada and Zastava. But to have a Dacia in the early days, you needed to be a big wheel in Romania, as it was reserved for Communist Party nomenklatura.
The Dacia 1300 ended up being offered as an estate, pick-up and two-door coupe, and amazingly, remained in production in little-modified form until 2004. Along the way, Dacia also built kit versions of the Renault 18 and 20, but as far as the West was concerned, Dacia ended up becoming to prominence on the UK market in 1981, then it was imported here as the 'Very Acceptable' Denem, which was a rebadged version of the 1979 facelift model, not known as the Dacia 1310 in its home market.
Needless to say it didn't sell strongly in the UK. priced out by more well-established challengers from Lada and Skoda. The Denem might have lasted a mere 18 months here, but a pick-up version remained in the price lists until 1990, while a Dacia-badged version of the ARO 10 off-roader sold reasonably well here. You might remember it as the Dacia Duster (right).
The first all-new Dacia in almost 25 years went on sale in 1993. We didn't get the Nova in the UK, and that's probably no bad thing. It was a five-door hatchback, with a bustle-back rear end, rather like the Peugeot 309 or Ford Escort Mk3 - and in reality, it hit the market 10 years late thanks to a chronic lack of cash by its maker.
Production of the original 1300, now in its third facelift form began to wind down, now it had been eclipsed by the new model. But it gamely hung on for another decade - the last one rolled off the line on 21 July 2004, with a total of 1,979,730 made.
Back in 1999, Dacia's fortunes were to about to change. The company was bought-out by Renault, bringing much-needed investment to Romania. Renault needed a budget brand to aid its expansion into Central and Eastern Europe, and and Dacia - with its history intertwined with Renault - was perfect. The cars quickly improved - the Nova became the SuperNova in 2000, before evolving into the much-improved Solenza in 2003.
The Logan was a turning point for Dacia in 2004
But it didn't last long. In 2004 Dacia launched the Logan, a new budget saloon, cleverly-designed for low-cost build. It might have been cheap to buy, but it was well-made, solid and roomy. And as well as proving a hit in its home market, the Logan soon proved a hit in Western Europe - right up to Berlin taxi drivers, who began a long relationship with the commodious MCV estate version.
In 2008, the story comes up to date, when the Logan was spun into a five-door hatchback, known as the Sandero. The first-generation car, proved even more Euro-friendly, chiming with a market that was downsizing in the post-global economic crisis world. Its low price, rugged build and roominess soon had it winning friends across Europe, from Portugal to Germany.
And since then - it's been a massive success story for Dacia. So when someone say to you that your new Duster, Sandero or MCV is built by a new maker, you can no put them straight - it has decades of value car production behind it...
Longing for some colour
Now winter's well and truly upon us, Keith's wishing he'd chosen a brighter Sandero for its grey days
Date: 11 November 2013 | Current mileage: 2586 | Claimed economy: 48.7mpg | Actual economy: 44.1mpg
When speccing-up my Dacia Sandero Access back in March 2013, there weren't exactly many options to tick. The joy of buying the cheapest car in the UK is that rather like Henry Ford's Model T back in 1913, you can buy your Sandero Access in any colour you like as long as it's... WHITE. And going into this in spring, with blue skies above, that does not seem like too brutal an economy at all.
And as any major manufacturer will tell you, white is currently in vogue. Okay, it will never challenge the boring and very retail-friendly grey or silver for domination of the new car sales palette, but white cars aren't an unusual sight anymore - with plenty of owners opting to go down this route. Personally I've never really understood this - yes, white cars look great in the Italian mountains, on the beaches of Spain or dotted along the Côte d'Azur, where the light is intense, and the skies are blue. In hotter countries, too, white cars make a great deal of sense - they're loved in the Middle East and Australia, mainly because they reflect, rather than absorb, the heat.
But here in England, I don't really get it. It never gets that hot here, and on average, it rains more than 100 days per year according to the met office. And outside of a few glorious days in spring and summer when the skies clear, it tends to be grey and cloudy in the UK. Of course, that's probably me being a little beset by the winter blues, but whenever there's cloud, white cars just look flat and dull. Especially in the case of our Sandero Access, thanks to its big, black bumpers.
What is lacks is colour,
Don't let your Sandero Access get too dirty, or the muck will start to streak.
Not that I should be complaining too much - the Sandero is forgiven most of these foibles on account of that super-low list price. It would be nice, just once in a while, not to be reminded too much that I was too tight to go for the similarly powered Ambiante model, which comes in at an additional £700... along with a range of colour options.
We're still covering miles far more slowly than we'd hoped - as the odometer crawls towards 3000, I keep promising myself, and the car, to take it on a nice long trip. Now the engine's bedded-in nicely, covering miles is reasonably fuss-free experience, although it does end up revving a little too busily once you've passed 70mph. We can't fault the fuel consumption, either - and considering this is a relatively low-tech 16V four-pot, that's pulling a rather large body, an average of 45mpg really isn't to be sneezed at.
Handing the car over to photographer friend, and car nut, Richard Kilpatrick for the first time, he was amazed at the mechanical refinement. His thoughts were just how nicely all of the controls operate - the slick shifting gearbox and responsive steering coming in for particular comment, But also the engine - after years of turbodiesel conditioning - jumping back into a nicely set-up petrol is a real joy, thanks to its quiet idle and linear power delivery.
His partner, who is considering buying one, exclaimed with a giggle, 'isn't it massive!' when she first clapped eyes on the Sandero parked outside of her house. She's a seasoned supermini driver, and had expected the Sandero to be rather smaller than it is - another reminder of just how good value these cars really are, and how much metal you get for the money. Even if it is just white metal...
Ah, here's some colour! The classy-looking orange-backlit instruments.
A landmark reached
As the winter deepens, we're finally beginning to rack-up decent mileage in our bargain Dacia Sandero
Date: 2 December 2013 | Current mileage: 3023 | Claimed economy: 48.7mpg | Actual economy: 43.5mpg
Now we're in the depths of the British winter, most sane owners of classic cars have tucked up their cherished motors for winter. So, what that means for me - the editor of Honest John Classics - is that my regular gig of testing older cars for our sister website is now pretty much over until spring. And that means, finally, I'm able to spend some proper time in, what us classic car people call, 'my daily', the Dacia Sandero.
Main main overriding impression every time I return to the Franco-Romanian hatchback from an enforced period of absence is just how no-nonsense it all is. The black and grey interior might lack a little in the terms of style, but there's no denying its ruggedness and functionality. Even compared with the most modest of 1980s and '90s cars, the Sandero Access is almost brutally basic, but as I've repeatedly said, I quite admire this honest, budget, approach, even if it means I'm having to employ elbow power to get those windows up and down, as well as applying something called a key to get into the thing, as well as open the boot, and - heaven forbid - start it in the morning.
But thanks to the fitment of a nice Alpine stereo and a good pair of front speakers, my enjoyment of the Sandero has been significantly enhanced. I already enjoy the fact that I can fling this car around corners, and drive it like a hire car, because its 1.2-litre 16-valve power unit is willing, likes to rev, and you need to use copious amounts of throttle to keep up with the flow. And although that's far from relaxing (70mph on the motorway sees the tacho registering around 4000rpm, for a start), it is a lot of fun, because it's seen me really bond with the car. After all, isn't this what driving was like years ago?
Using a key to get into the boot? How quaint.
Of course, driving like this can result in the average fuel consumption figure falling. I'm now averaging 43mpg, and I suspect that this might start falling further as the winter progresses.
Despite my best efforts, I'm still struggling with the lack of central locking. I've already moaned about the fact that the manual locking system doesn't work as well as it should, so won't belabour the point too much, but it's getting embarrassing the number of times I return to the car to find that I might well have left a door or two unlocked. Good job I have off-street parking.
One final thing that's really impressed me since the onset of winter is just how effective the heater is. The Sandero warms-up quickly in the morning, and once you're rolling, having it set to maximum will soon have the system blowing like a furness. If you're like me, and prone to cold feet, this is a welcome feature, because you'll be left feeling toasty wam on even the coldest winter day. There is one downside to this - and that is that it's also very effective at heating up the dashboard plastics. Rest your leg against the centre console during a long drive, and the entire panel will have heated-up alarmingly. That's a new one on me...
John Humphreys in the morning, and a toasty-warm heater. Perfect for winter commuting.
Comparative analysis
A week in a Dacia Logan MCV as well as an MG3 gives us something to think about...
Date: 23 December 2013 | Current mileage: 3617 | Claimed economy: 48.7mpg | Actual economy: 41.1mpg
Value for money is Dacia's big selling point - in the UK, the Sandero and Duster have both picked up plenty of fans for those who appreciate the keen pricing of these cars. In both cases, you get a far bigger and better equipped car than you possibly could from rival manufacturers - the Sandero Access is cheaper than tiddlers such as the Nissan Pixo and Suzuki Alto, and yet it has lounging room for four inside. As for the Duster, it costs two-thirds the price of a Skoda Yeti, and is currently the cheapest 4x4 offered on the UK market.
I've been fixated on the brutally sparse Access - but as we all know, the great majority of Dacia customers are buying the far better-equipped Ambiante and Laureate models. With this in mind, I borrowed a Dacia Logan MCV Laureate, which we had in for a road test, and put myself in the shoes of a Sandero owner who wants a cleaner, better equipped car than mine.
Despite my personal misgivings about the range-topping Sandero (sorry, Logan) feeling just a little too 'normal' after my prison-cell basic Access, there's no denying that it's monstrous value.
The launch of the second-generation Logan and Sandero in 2012 saw these two ranges converge, and that's why the first thing that needs to be said about the Logan MCV is that despite the name, it's effectively an estate version of my car. Due to the lack of popularity of small saloons in the UK, we won't be seeing the Logan four-door over here, but if you keep your eyes peeled on a European holiday, you're bound to spot one. As for the MCV, it's not the super-long wheelbase model that came before this one (and which is beloved of German taxi drivers), but a much more conventional small estate - except that it might be the size of a Golf, but it's by far the UK's cheapest estate car.
Even in Laureate trim, it's £10,795, and comes with standard air conditioning, cruise control and the excellent 99g/km 1.5-litre dCi power unit. My model had also been treated to the £250 satnav upgrade and £600 leather interior pack. Luxury indeed. And yet, on the road, it's still double the price of my Sandero Access. Amazing.
Sandero owners who move to the top of the range are treated to a very different beast. The diesel engine pretty much halves the engine revs on the motorway, and adds a degree of refinement that's so immense in comparison, it's hard to quantify. It also ups the official fuel consumption figure from 47 to 74mpg. While the addition of central locking and electric windows and all the other toys really makes life considerably easier. But despite all that civility and luxury, I do miss the feeling that you're beating the system that you get in the sub-£6000 Access. There's also a lack of fizz (despite being far faster and more efficient) from the diesel engine, compared with the revvy little 1.2-litre engine.
But despite my personal misgivings about the range-topping Sandero (sorry, Logan) feeling just a little too 'normal' after my prison-cell basic Access, there's no denying that it's monstrous value.
Another interesting comparison that came my way was the MG3. Again, it's a £10K challenger for the top-of-the-line Sandero models, but it's also sold on a value for money ticket, offering a near-compelling on-paper package for the money. On the road, it's a very different beast, too - with a far more sporting steering and suspension set-up, as well as a much more youthful pallette of colours on offer. And here's the shock for those with pre-conceptions: the Chinese-built MG3's interior is a higher quality, better looking place in which to sit.
Dacia should look over its shoulder at the MG3. Okay, currently, it's only offered with a single petrol engine (compared with Dacia's pair of petrols and single diesel), and the dealer network is sparse. And unsurprisingly, the well-marketed and well-supported Dacia range is outselling MG (15,099 Dacias versus 384 MGs for January-November 2013). But in terms of showroom appeal and on road dynamics, the MG wins hands-down in comparison with a Sandero Laureate. But as I concluded elsewhere, '...the me of 20 years ago would have loved the MG3, but the me of now would prefer to go for a specced-up Dacia Sandero instead.'
It will be interesting to see how that stands in five years' time.
The miles roll on
The holidays meant lots of trips in the Dacia Sandero Access. Is the honeymoon with Britain's cheapest car still on?
Date: 2 January 2014 | Current mileage: 3928 | Claimed economy: 48.7mpg | Actual economy: 39.6mpg
It's been a busy month for the Dacia Sandero Access, with a little less than 1000 miles covered during the past four weeks. Admittedly, that's probably no great shakes for most drivers these days, this is actually rather a lot for the Sandero, which currently seems to have settled into this two-car family's main car. I suspect that for most people who buy a Sandero, it will also be their main car - although I also reckon my mileage, which on current form is looking to be around 10,000 per year, is probably about average.
For those looking for headline figures, you'll have no doubt noticed that the fuel consumption has dropped to less than 40mpg since the last update. I'm currently at a slight loss as to why this is, but it may be down to the additional motorway miles the car's been clocking up - often fully laden - as well as the adverse weather conditions. Weather conditions, I hear you cry? Oh yes, when the wind picks up, and you're driving into it, you really have to drive the Sandero hard in order to maintain significant momentum.
Again, it proves to me, that driving a less-than-powerful car quickly is far more challenging than trying to maintain your averages in something with too much.
But overall, the excesses of the Christmas holidays, which saw the roomy little car packed with presents, family, and even our feisty Labrador Retriever, were shrugged off without too many complaints. A whistle-stop tour of the West Midlands during a particularly fierce storm gave no cause for concern, with all but the strongest crosswinds knocking us off course on the most exposed sections of raised motorways.
Composed in the bends, although the slow steering takes the edge off what could be a really fun little car.
But while I've been enjoying driving the Sandero, I've been reminded of the sometimes inflexible attitude of dealers when it comes to parts replacement. Regular readers will know that I fitted a stereo and front speakers in order to make those long journeys more pleasant. In order to get the door card off, I also needed to remove the window winder; and in order to do this properly, I bought a circlip removal tool, which made light work of the job.
Except that in my haste to get the window winder off, I wasn't able to catch the little circlip that held it on - when it went PING, it flew off to a new existence somewhere. After putting it all back together, the winder seemed reasonably secure without the clip, so I thought nothing more of it. But after a little while, I started to find that every time the passenger door was closed, the handle started dropped off. No problem - I paid a visit to my local Dacia-Renault dealer, and asked to buy a new circlip. But to my disappointment, the dealer wouldn't supply a circlip unless it was attached to a new winder assembly, and that was going to set me back £30.
A quick call to Dacia Customer Services confirmed this to be the case - the dealer was right to do this, and in order to maintain my Dacia experience, as well as the warranty cover, the factory part needs to be fitted. I suspect I'll live with the risk to my warranty, and get down to my local auto-factors to buy myself a generic circlip - I'd be amazed if they were more than 50p each.
So remember kids, don't lose those circlips!
Remember not to lose your circlip when removing your window winder.
Stretching the Sandero's legs
The Sandero's now working for its living, with lots of New Year miles being clocked-up in the interests of work...
Date: 4 February 2014 | Current mileage: 4798 | Claimed economy: 48.7mpg | Actual economy: 40.2mpg
We've put another few weeks' hard driving under the wheels of the Sandero and since the last report at the beginning of January, there's been little to report. The car continues to start at a flick of the key, it still runs sweetly, has managed to consume no oil or coolant and - touch wood - absolutely nothing has gone wrong.
Buzzing along the motorway, mile after mile, the gutsy little hatchback shows no sign of wilting, which in the context of its list price is a brilliant performance.
As the miles roll on during the depths of this mild and wet winter, we've come to appreciate the speed in which the engine warms up and the strong heating, although demisting without air conditioning is a little bit more laboured than it might be. In day-to-day driving, there's not too much to fault it. It feels sprightly enough from the lights, although the bulky front pillars are getting a little wearing to peer around constantly.
The paucity of equipment is still taken with good humour, as I keep reminding myself of the price, although the brutality of the product development engineer who decided what to remove really does go beyond the pale, when you consider the small additional outlay for the 1.2 Ambiance.
Heading down the M1, early one morning, sun in my eyes, glaring from the wet road surface, the lack of warning that the washer fluid was about to run out struck me as just a little bit too much. And letting a passenger in when it's dark and not have the courtesy light come on (it only works on the driver's door) is pretty mean all round. But with approaching 5000 miles on the clock, these are niggles, which can irritate, but don't seriously upset the good Karma that comes from owning Britain's cheapest car.
Overall, it's still doing all it needs to and thanks in big part to the excellence of the Alpine stereo I fitted, motorway journeys are no chore, even though that little 1.2-litre 16V is running at 4000rpm. In fact, you get the impression that this car would run at its maximum speed all day long and just smile at you when you come to refuel - that's how unburstable it feels. In many ways it reminds me of those Clio hire cars we all used to thrash on holiday 15 years ago.
Actually, running at UK motorway speeds does show that this car was designed for Europe's more sensible 80mph limit - because at that speed and for reasons of mechanical balance, I guess, the engine is considerably smoother than at the UK limit. It might not be a valid excuse should one get stopped for speeding, so we'll live with this.
As our long-term test nears the end, I'm increasingly impressed with the Sandero, and finding myself wanting to keep it longer. And next time, I'll tell you why...
Business-like interior offers few frills, but is rugged and solidly made
End of term report - it's top of the class!
After six months' dependable service, we finally call time on our Dacia Sandero Access. So what was it like living with Britain's cheapest car?
Date: 12 February 2014 | Current mileage: 5110 | Claimed economy: 48.7mpg | Actual economy: 42.1mpg
After six months and a little more than 5000 miles of mixed motoring, the Dacia Sandero Access will be leaving the fleet. I know it's a cliche, but I'll say it anyway - I'm going to miss this car and really wouldn't have a problem recommending it to other people. In fact, I already have. It's an honest, enjoyable hatchback that in the six months it's been in my care, hasn't missed a beat. Nothing's dropped off and the one time I had dealings with customer service, it was polite, efficient and they did all they could to help.
And ultimately, that's all you really want in a new car. I know that when I picked up the Sandero in July 2013, it was still a bit of an unknown. A new company on UK shores with new product and no preconceived ideas. It had been launched strongly with the 'You do the maths' campaign and had enjoyed plenty of support from Top Gear's James May, but ultimately, I still didn't quite know what to expect of Britain's cheapest new car.
I'd deliberately decided on the entry-level Access model, figuring that if I was to enjoy six months of budget motoring, I may as well do it properly. At £5995, it literally has no competition on the new car price lists. And in my previous running reports, I've opined about the almost complete lack of equipment, but rarely did I moan, because ultimately, what you get is a full-sized family hatchback for the price of a decent set of options on your boss's Audi A6.
Aspects about the Sandero that have impressed - in no particular order, are the smooth and revvy little 16-valve engine, it's excellent potential fuel consumption, soft and compliant ride, large and wide-opening doors, flick-wrist gearchange and rugged, wipe-clean interior. Without getting too sentimental about the Sandero, it's easy to conclude that what we have here is a 2CV or Renault 4 for modern times - a car with minimal power and performance, but which makes the absolute most of it - and as a result, it's happy to run along with the big boys on the motorway.
There are some downsides of course - the steering is too low-geared to make it an enjoyable steer on back lanes, while the lack of any kind of handle on the bootlid (you need to use the key or interior release to open it) is an infuriating failing shared with all Sandero models - not just my austerity-chic model. On longer runs, the short seat base and lack of rear travel means that those with longer legs can't get truly comfortable and the omission of rear head restraints - and no way of retro-fitting them - is an important safety oversight.
But back to the main question - could the average British family live with Britain's cheapest new car, or is it an economy too far? The answer to this question comes in two parts. The Sandero is more than up to the task in 1.2-litre form. Yes, it can struggle when fully laden, but what small car doesn't? And if you're regularly ferrying passengers around, the lack of central locking is a definite no-no.
As I've said before, it's roomy, tough, and economical. What's more, like the readers who have submitted Real MPG figures, I had no trouble matching the official result if I drove gently. It has a large boot, tried-and-tested mechanicals and despite low gearing, pulls well on motorways, while being delightful around town.
So, an unreserved recommendation? Not quite. There's a reason for its brutally basic specififcation sheet - and that's one of marketing. The price of £5995 is eye-opening, of that there is no doubt. But it's all about getting people into the showroom and upselling to a more expensive model. But the good news is that the £6795, the 1.2 Ambiance has all of the honest charm of my Access, but with so much additonal equipment, that you'd be mad not to find an extra £700.
Aside from the obvious body coloured bumper and wheeltrims, the extra equipment includes remote central locking, a factory-fit CD/MP3 player, electric front windows and much, much more. I'd probably recommend spending the additional £100 on a spare wheel to replace that tyre inflator kit - and if you're keeping it any length of time, you could do well to pay extra to to extend the warranty to five years.
But I'm going to miss the Sandero. There's a lot to be said for a no-frills car that just gets on and does what it needs to without messing around. Just do yourself a favour and buy the Ambiance instead of the Access!
