Car Review Dacia Duster 2020

Review

I bought the Duster in 2020 because I needed a car for everything — city driving, trips to the country house, winter snow, and without breaking the bank on repairs. My previous sedan (Lacetti) had worn out its welcome — too low, scraping the belly in winter, and parts were getting expensive. I looked at options, crunched the numbers — for that money, a new Duster with 4WD and manual looked like the most sensible choice. I didn't want something flashy or expensive to maintain.

When I first got in and drove off — honestly, I was a bit disappointed. The interior is basic like a tractor, everything creaks, plastic feels hard, steering is light like a toy car. But after a couple of days I got used to it and started appreciating it — it rides high, swallows potholes without issue, my old car would have wrecked its suspension on those bumps. It feels like switching from a bicycle to a tractor — solid and straightforward.

In the city it's fine, not a rocket — I let everyone go at traffic lights, but I can park anywhere, curbs are no problem. On the highway it holds 130 km/h easily, but past 140 the wind howls and you have to grip the wheel tighter. In winter, the all-wheel drive really saves the day — a couple of times I headed to the dacha when everyone else was stuck spinning, and I just drove through calmly. Fuel consumption 8-9 l/100 km on the highway, 10-11 in town — pretty decent for such a tall crossover.

In summer we went four-up with my wife, kid, and mother-in-law to the sea. Trunk packed to the brim, mother-in-law sat in the back and at first complained it was "cramped and stiff", but after an hour she calmed down and even praised it saying "it doesn't make you nauseous like in a regular car". And last year I got stuck in mud on a dirt road after rain — friends in their Priora were spinning beside me, but I switched to 4x4, hit the gas, and pulled out like nothing happened; they joked for ages that I'm a tractor driver.

The noise is annoying — over 100 km/h you have to shout to hear each other, so you turn the radio up louder. The heater takes 10-15 minutes to warm the cabin in winter, you sit in your jacket until it thaws. And those little quirks — cup holders awkward, buttons scattered illogically, sometimes you think "how could they design it like that". Plus the paint has already chipped on the hood from stones, chips are slowly rusting.

All in all, four years on — I drive it and don't really regret it. The car is simple as a crowbar, rarely breaks, repairs are cheap. I won't say it's wow and I love it to bits, but for our roads and budget — one of the best options. If I had to choose again, I'd probably take the same one, maybe with an automatic for extra cash. So we just keep going, and that's fine.