Outline · [ Standard ] · Linear+ DACIA DUSTER: product evaluation - owners feedback

Hi all, I took the initiative to create this topic in order to enable owners to post their experiences and their overall opinion about the DUSTER. I think that many potential buyers will appreciate this topic and they will be helped to take a better decision about buying or not the specific car. Let me begin with a few comments after having the car for a few days. We have already a few thousands kms on the clock. We have the 1.6 petrol engine. Fuel Consumption on heavy traffic jams: ~ 8.0-8.5 lt / 100 km (sometimes when my wife drives it it reached 9 lt /100 km) On high way while travelling 120-140 km, it consumes 6.5-7.2 lt / 100 km. The brakes are more than satisfactory for the character of this car since they are durable and have nice feeling and they are strong. The handbrake is quite strong when used in difficult situations. The gear box...is simply marvelous, with very smooth stick, nicely allocated ratios, 1st & 2nd are very short and when I performed a few tests on quite demanding sites the car reminded me almost our jimny when using the short ratio lever and starting with 2nd gear. The 4x4 system is quite clever in the auto setup, I haven't tested in LOCK yet. On weekend I plan to test the car in difficult sand, I have already drove in fairly easy sand and it goes really nice despite the on-road tyres. On highway...it's really GOOD! It travels very smothly like a nice family french sedan. It reaches easy illegal high speed (>160) even though I don't think it's supposed to be used like that. Nice handling, nice cornering. Overall, up to now...we have not regreted for our choice. This post has been edited by antonis: 15 Apr 2011, 11:07

Hi all,

I took the initiative to create this topic in order to enable owners to post their experiences and their overall opinion about the DUSTER.

I think that many potential buyers will appreciate this topic and they will be helped to take a better decision about buying or not the specific car.

Let me begin with a few comments after having the car for a few days.
We have already a few thousands kms on the clock.

We have the 1.6 petrol engine.
Fuel Consumption on heavy traffic jams: ~ 8.0-8.5 lt / 100 km (sometimes when my wife drives it it reached 9 lt /100 km)
On high way while travelling 120-140 km, it consumes 6.5-7.2 lt / 100 km.

The brakes are more than satisfactory for the character of this car since they are durable and have nice feeling and they are strong.

The handbrake is quite strong when used in difficult situations.
The gear box...is simply marvelous, with very smooth stick, nicely allocated ratios,
1st & 2nd are very short and when I performed a few tests on quite demanding sites the car reminded me almost our jimny when using the short ratio lever and starting with 2nd gear.

The 4x4 system is quite clever in the auto setup, I haven't tested in LOCK yet.
On weekend I plan to test the car in difficult sand, I have already drove in fairly easy sand and it goes really nice despite the on-road tyres.


On highway...it's really GOOD!
It travels very smothly like a nice family french sedan.
It reaches easy illegal high speed (>160) even though I don't think it's supposed to be used like that.

Nice handling, nice cornering.

Overall, up to now...we have not regreted for our choice.


This post has been edited by antonis: 15 Apr 2011, 11:07

little update:

top speed I have got so far: 180 km on the tachometer fairly easy I would say.
worst fuel consumption on heavy traffic-jam: 9.8-10 lt so far but driving a bit naughty....

on medium difficulty sand, we got it really nice with the dusty, from same place an sx4 was determined to show us what a better car is it...but... the owner got some problems.....and we gave him a nice hand by pulling him out


I hope I didn't injure my clutch cause the sx4 was a pane to pull out.
The driver wasn't co-operating very much.... I should have asked him to leave the car itself instead of sitting inside and adding extra weight and pushing the brakes at various instances....with no reason as if he would try to create more problems with the sand.

once again I got the same problem when we were having an old Vitara, I was trying to help a guy with a 106 pegeuot, he was such a bad driver...and we later found out he was a pilot!!!

Having said that, I wouldn't be extremely happy to have him as my captain....during a flight.... ha...ha...ha...

This post has been edited by antonis: 21 Apr 2011, 16:09

Samthing is wrong. At 175 km/h the electronic speed limitation mast stop the increase of speed.
I suggest you to go to the car service, in order to fix the problem into the warranty period.

Samthing is wrong. At 175 km/h the electronic speed limitation mast stop the increase of speed.
I suggest you to go to the car service, in order to fix the problem into the warranty period.

my friend, are you sure that all dusters must have electronic speed limiter?
I am 100% that I have reached more than 180 quite a few times up to now.

Having said that, I have noticed some vibration from below when the speed is greater than 170 km/hour.

Any ideas what is the source of these vibrations?
rear wheel balancing maybe?

update:

the problem is rectified, it was nothing serious we rebalanced wheel and everything is fine.


Up to now, we are very happy with this car.
Consumption is quite logical, long trips are very relaxing with this car, suspension is excellent with extremely nice comfort and good progressive handling,
brakes are more than enough for the potential of this car, handbrake is very strong and the lever is soft, I mean...I can't ask much more for an everyday car with low price and huge spacious interior.

Bravo Dacia!!
Excellent Value FOR OUR MONEY!!

It does exactly what it says!!

Hi "antonis"

More info about Duster's capabilities you may find at the following link:

http://www.forumduster.ro/iesire-soft-off-...lpina-t306.html

We (4 Duster owners) have done this track last weekend. In order to see all the pictures and the movies please browse all thread pages.

I don't see many people writing on this topic.

Hi all,

I've been driving my Duster since end of June now and have experienced two issues up to now.

1) Low frequency humming noise inside the passenger area which is not audible on the outside. This noise stops about two seconds after the engine has been shut down.
Upon visiting my dealer it was shown that actually the electrical servo pump for the steering is responsible for this.
This pump is located just behind the headlight on the right hand side (only on models with aircon fitted).
Funny enough on the outside of the car one only hears a high pitched noise originating from the pump, no low frequency hum.

This low frequency hum is quite annoying really, especially when driving in the city at low speeds or when stuck in traffic jams (we have plenty of those in Belgium).

I've noticed that the servo pump is already mounted on silent blocks and my dealer told me that some sort of shielding kit exist to remedy this problem, however this kit was in back order and will only be delivered after mid-august.

I'm just wondering meanwhile if anyone on the forum here has already experienced this problem ?

2) When manouvering there is a knocking noise coming from below the car each time I hit the brakes (not hard).
This is most audible when reversing.
My dealer will look into this problem when I send in the car for installation of the fix on the servo pump.

Other than that I'm quite happy with the Duster (but the humming noise I find really annoying ).

Picked up the Dacia Duster Laureate 1.5 dCi 110 bg Euro 5 - 4x4 last week - cost here in Turkey was 51,500TL on the road including government 3rd part insurance (currently equates to €20,785, £18,220 or $28,000) - this was for a white model with all the extras except leather seats.

So far overall pleased with it, mostly used locally - fuel consumptions seems much higher than advertised at about 8.6 L/100km (UK 33mpg, US 44mpg) - what are other people experiencing with the Diesel version?

Should be taking it on a longer run this weekend so I'll see how that works out.

Also looking for an English manual to work out just how the trip computer works - any help would be appreciated.