By Cam Tait \/ Thursday, 31 August 2023 \/ Loading comments<\/p>\n
I must admit, I wasn\u2019t jumping with joy when Ben told me that my ride to this year\u2019s 24 Hours of Le Mans race would be his long-term Dacia Duster. A sudden change of plan meant the car I was due to take to the centenary race was no longer on the cards, and while I was keen to take my very own Ford Fiesta ST150, it was just a bit too small to fit in everything we\u2019d need \u2013 and nor did I have the confidence it\u2019d make it there in the first place.<\/p>\n
None of that would be an issue in the Dacia, of course. Besides, if it weren\u2019t for the Duster, I\u2019d have missed arguably one of the greatest Le Mans 24s there\u2019s ever been. Now, before you get the wrong idea, I\u2019m a big fan of bargain motoring and it doesn\u2019t get more bang-for-buck than a Dacia. And I must admit there\u2019s something very appealing in a go-mostly-anywhere car without worrying about nicking the paint or plastic. It just so happens that the Dacias I\u2019ve driven before have been somewhat gutless, with floppy manuals and little in the way of tech. Fine for a daily runabout, less enticing as a continental cruiser.<\/p>\n
However, if you\u2019ve read Ben\u2019s previous PH Fleet updates on the Duster, you\u2019ll know this ain\u2019t no boggo Dacia. It\u2019s the 1.3-litre, turbocharged four-cylinder petrol version with a whopping 150hp and six speeds of automatic bliss. Don\u2019t get me wrong, I\u2019d always prefer to be in control of the gearbox, but given that the manual \u2018box in a Jogger I drove a couple of years ago felt more like churning butter than anything mechanical, the auto is simply the better option here.<\/p>\n
The soft, tall ride took some getting used to after spending most of my time driving the stiffly sprung PH Project Car, but I was right at home by the time I got to the EuroTunnel. Boarding the train was an absolute breeze, too, because the giant sidewalls around the 17-inch wheels means you won\u2019t get caught out by the infuriating kerbs that jut out in the middle of every carriage.<\/p>\n
The only time I longed for something more refined was when an impatient guard told me to get close to the car in front, but a lack of transmission creep meant slowly applying the throttle until the car lurched forwards and then swiftly applying the brake. This naturally made my passenger \u2013 PH\u2019s Dave Marsden \u2013 quite ill.<\/p>\n
From Calais to Le Mans, it was smooth sailing in the good ship Duster. Of course, the roads in France are vastly better than they are at home, but the plucky Dacia was surprisingly refined regardless. Wind and road noise is mostly isolated bar some buffeting around the wing mirrors, while it comfortably returned a fuel economy in the mid 40s even taking into account a scenic detour to dodge Rouen\u2019s low emission zone. Coming to think of it, I only needed to fill it up once to cover off the entire 680-mile round trip.<\/p>\n
Once we arrived at the PH campsite, I unloaded my things and moved them into the tent provided. Dave, meanwhile, decided against sharing a tent and instead opted to call the Duster home for the next three days. If you tuned in to the race, you\u2019ll know it chucked it down several times causing absolute chaos on track. Meanwhile, at the campsite, I was busy bailing water out of my tent while Dave smugly looked on from the sanctum of the Duster. Turns out it makes a rather good car to camp in, not least because it\u2019s watertight.<\/p>\n
Admittedly, the Duster did blend into the background somewhat next to our neighbours: a Porsche Cayenne Coupe Turbo S e-Hybrid, an Alpina B3 S Touring and a nicely patinaed Rolls-Royce. I did however see a metallic orange Duster serving as the campsite\u2019s support vehicle, which just sums up the Dacia\u2019s role in all of this perfectly. It\u2019s not glamorous, nor is it the first car that comes to mind for a dream drive, but it\u2019s a dependable workhorse when you need it.<\/p>\n
Moreover, I shouldn\u2019t have been so quick to dismiss it. Sure, it was the excellent company and action-packed racing that made this year\u2019s PH Le Mans trip so memorable, but the Duster ensured that the drive back was comfortable and, importantly, cheap. If anything, I\u2019d become quite attached to it and was disappointed to hand it back – of course, it didn\u2019t help that the ST\u2019s air con decided to pack in on the drive home on one of the hottest days of the year.<\/p>\n
Car:<\/strong> 2023 Dacia Duster Journey TCe 150 Auto 4×2 EDC
Price as tested:<\/strong> \u00a323,095 comprising urban grey paint (\u00a3650) and spare wheel (\u00a3300)
Run by: <\/strong>Ben Lowden
On fleet since: <\/strong>March 2023
Mileage: <\/strong>5,164 (delivered on 633)<\/p>\n