Estate 1.5 dCi 90 Laureate 5dr Estate

An excellent car, despite what some "professional" reviewers think.

Update 2023: I bought my Dacia Logan MCV in Dec 2018, after a lot of research into various estate cars. Particularly Skoda Octavia and Kia Ceed. So far I've done over 100,000 miles and the car itself is nearly at 200k.

I must say I'm (still) impressed with this car and glad I bought this over others. It's perfect for the motorist who sees their car as a tool to get from A to B rather than a designer fashion item. The boot size, fuel economy and tax make it very practical with the ability to haul a large load with ease. While it's no BMW when it comes to interior, it's not particularly ugly or unattractive. The upholstery is comfortable and also easy to clean, the controls are functional and easy to use, and it's actually very pleasant to drive.

I've seen this car criticised in areas such as "ride-comfort", "quality of plastics" and not being "fun" to drive. I would pay no attention to such reviews. There is nothing uncomfortable about the car, driver seating adjustment options are a bit limited but I'm quite fussy about the way I sit when driving and even I could find a comfortable position.
The plastics are not the high-end "soft-feel" plastics that you get in premium brand cars but they're hard wearing and not really an issue for me.
I actually find the car quite fun to drive and have no issue accelerating to overtake traffic on the motorway or cornering on backroads.

As for the exterior, I suppose it's a matter of opinion but I actually quite like the chunky and rugged look of the car.

The big plus of this car is the amazing MPG you get and the huge boot size. The engine is the same 1.5 DCI that's in the Renault Fluence and Nissan Qashqai. It's also a perfect choice for a family with kids as there's ample room to store the various items that are necessary for family trips. Or for hobby enthusiasts such as surfers or kayakers, who need a large boot for gear. I regularly drive it with two kayaks on the roof rack and a full load of gear in the boot and I never notice a massive drop in MPG.
It's often compared to the Fabia and Astra estate but in reality the boot is more on a par with an Octavia or Insignia.

In nearly five years of ownership I've only had one or two issues. The indicator stalk needed to be replaced due to a wiring fault and I replaced a wishbone due to a ball joint failing.
Also had to do rear and front brakes but I don't really count that as it's a service item really.

The one negative of this car is that the front dipped headlights tend to be angled very low and don't actually provide great illumination. This is easily remedied by changing the bulbs and adjusting the lights upward slightly.


In summary, while this isn't a luxury car by any means, it's also not as bad or unrefined as some reviewers would make out and it's excellent value for money. It's also extremely satisfying to have a car that is so practical and cost-effective. Bottom line: I'm very happy with it, and I would definitely consider buying this car again.
I plan to keep the car until it dies as it's still running well.

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