Dacia Sandero

Reviews:

The things I like about the car stretch into the hundreds which include some very clever and unique features. Overall I rate the car very highly. There are always some unavoidable usually personal niggles though: the A posts are very thick which restrict visibility when pulling out of junctions, not being able to add a spare wheel to the order, the driver vigilance system being fooled if I wear sunglasses and going off constantly and the touch screen onboard management system isn’t the best ( the radio didn’t work properly for the first two months and I still don’t know if the car has a built in sat nav because I just end up in a tech doom loop every time I go into it) Minor niggles to me, maybe not to others.

Why six gears ? Previous Stepways that I owned had 5 and reverse was where 6th gear is now this I found a lot easier in use . Also the arm rest cover between driver and passenger extends too far and is in the way when reaching for the handbrake/seat belt latch if this was reduced by an inch or so it would still perform the job and be less of a hinderence ! I also find driver lane assist an irritation especially as it has to be switched off everytime you start the car. Lane assist may be useful on a long motorway trip but for a normal city journey never. Like the rear view camera for parking that's useful. A proper hatch back version would be a better small family car too.

Car does what I want but one or two quality control issues. Compared to my other car (a Renault Clio) the finish is a little inferior but acceptable at the price point. I am happy with the more plasticky interior panelling because it’s wipe clean although little niggles like the end panel of the dashboard not fitting properly will need sorting. Performance is surprisingly OK with 5th and 6th gear hardly used on my short runs. Cold running is a little jerky until the automatic choke (or whatever) has shut down. As with all modern cars Driver Assist can be annoying with unexpected emergency braking and lane assist steering needing to be turned off. Best feature is luggage space. The back seat folds flat if the central headrest is removed and there’s acres of room. To protect the cheap seat back fabric I fitted a sheet of plywood and rubber matting and lo and behold I’ve got as much storage space as an estate car!

Dislikes :- The proximity alarms are too loud even on the lowest volume setting as is the welcome aboard. The indents in the boot lid for closing the boot are at the wrong angle, so that you have to use the other hand on the outside of the boot lid to finally close it. The DAB Radio does not work most of the time The central computer display is too large and intrudes on the line of sight for short drivers. The drivers display has a lot of wasted space and would be better off with conventional dials for speed and engine revs. The lack of an owners manual means spending hours on line looking for what you want to do. The central arm rest is in the way of putting on the seat belts, making it very difficult to buckle up. The gearbox selection is very notchy almost to the point of missing gears during changes up or down. The electronic hand brake is downright dangerous as it switched iself off when on slight inclines causing the car to roll either forward or backwards. The door aperture is on the short side, compared to the Sandero, meaning even short people can hit their head getting in to the car. Lane Control. Like :- The colour of the car. The engine responsiveness. The buttons for switching off lane control.

It is a very nice car but not as nice as the 2022 car I had before. More noise, the infotainment system is a bit glitchy and needs resetting every day or so. Engine power up so a bit more peppy but shorter gear ratio's make it a bit restrictive when commuting. I set my personal assistance and it resets ever time I turn the engine off - please update it to stay on Personal settings. Overall it is great but as I said, my old 2022 Stepway was nicer to drive. Just a little bit.

Car meets expectations except for a few points.... 1) Electric handbrake cannot be put on and released very quickly like the old manual handbrake. There are times, like junctions or steep inclines when you need to do this very quickly. No longer possible. Control is taken away from driver!! 2) Overspeed alert goes off even if doing just 1 mph over speed limit. I would like an option to alert when doing over 10% over speed limit instead. 3) Not enough storage in front area. I had to buy additional storage to mount in un-utilised areas. 4) Built in phone holder does not fit larger phones and phones with robust cases. Either this should be designed so that it does fit all OR is customisable at car purchase OR is removable by at car purchase.

The car is well engineered and fulfils my ‘on the road’ expectations. I think the ‘eco’ option works well. Loses one star in my rating as the multimedia system keeps losing the radio setting on start-up, so reboot is required most days. Suspect it needs a software update but cannot find a way of doing this myself. The ‘losing attention’ notification is too sensitive but not sure how to switch it off. A couple of other minor niggles on the ‘apps’.

I previously ordered a Stepway in 2022 but either due to a mistake by the dealer or Dacia, after waiting four months, a new Sandero was delivered. As I didn't want to wait another four months I accepted the Sandero. I now have what I originally ordered i.e a Stepway. This is my fifth Dacia and is undoubtably the best. I originally bought my first Dacia, which was a Stepway, around twelve years ago and although I was happy with that car, this new Stepway is a vast improvement. This new model is a vast improvement on the old Stepway being more stylish, better performing with a greatly improved interior with all the accessories like satnav, speed limiter, reversing camera, heated seats and improved upholstery. I was happy with the old model and accepted the rather basic interior and exterior because of the low price. The new model in the Extreme format has addressed all the failings of the previous one but obviously at a considerably higher price. I still feel it is good value for money. I gave this car five stars because I finally have the car I wanted which is even better than I expected. I have one minor complaint which I am learning to live with. The seat belt is very difficult to engage on this Stepway Extreme model as the female socket is hidden under the central armrest/glovebox. I would like to know if this problem has been addressed and if there is an available modification. I have also owned two Dacia Dusters, the Mk1 and Mk2. Likewise the improvement over the two models was dramatic. When I purchased my current Stepway there was a new Duster in the showroom which is absolutely beautiful but I couldn't afford it and at my age 80 the Stepway is easier to park, insure and is ideal for my requirements. The New Duster was in Cedar Green and I satisfied myself buying my new Stepway in this beautiful colour. This is another improvement in the Dacia range i.e a better colour choice.

My Sandero Stepway is nice and smart looking as well as being very economical. I like the modular roof bars that can be easily turned to make a roof rack. I really appreciate the keyless entry especially when it’s dark. I’m sure that I’ll aLeo enjoy the heated front seats during the colder months. The only negative for me, is the minimal sound- proofing, making it somewhat noisy to drive when the road surface isn’t pristine.

1st Stepway, 9 and a 1/2 years and 110K miles, only issue, new front disks at 75K. This gave me the confidence to buy another, MY26 and to push the boat out to Extreme Spec. New model a far superior car in all respects (Quicker, Smoother, Six Speed and more economical 47 to 54mpg. Problems, it has no bonnet rams and the Infotainment screen is a bit glitchy. My wife's Mild Hybrid Duster is in another league but I still prefer my MY26 Stepway great little allrounder.

I rate the new Dacia Sandero highly; it is a great car as I'm sure you have heard. I am however, critical of the after sales service I received at the Dacia Startin Showroom. Shortly after collection of my vehicle, I noticed a small paint defect under the tail light and an issue with it over condensing. Startin refused to fix this under warranty claiming it was damaged I caused it by driving over something which is a complete fabrication with no evidence. In conclusion: great car - shoddy service from Startin which makes the brand look bad.

Not everything works every time. Sometimes doors open and close with key, sometimes they don’t. Major problems with radio etc. Again it sometimes comes on but later the same day, it doesn’t. Been to the garage 3/4 times and they are helpful but problems not solved. I was told that of the numerous cars sold since I got mine, that I was the only person who had a problem - that was in a phone call and was not helpful. Also told that intermittent faults difficult to identify. Not happy with the car and fed up contacting the garage so just putting up with it.

I love our Dacia Sandero stepway extreme I drove from Scotland to England 2 days after getting it, it drove really nice and very smooth. Love the rear camera never had one before, I’m glad I made the purchase and love the turbo for a small engine it has a lot of power.

I have to carry a backup sat-nav because the built in sat-nav, which I use a lot, sometimes takes a *very* long time (over an hour on one occasion) to accept a new destination. The radio has never worked properly, usually requiring a system reset to turn it on. I have been promised a replacement, but it took weeks for the part to be available, then weeks before it could be fitted. I believe that all sorts of individual driver set-up can be done, but no proper manual is supplied. The car also gives weird messages while driving - "Vigililance monit. to check" is the most frequent, but a reminder to stop for a break after only a few minutes driving is also a bit puzzling. Despite quite a bit of effort I still haven't been able to link the My Dacia app to the car. Perhaps the dealer will help when the car is in to have the radio replaced.

The vehicle certainly represents good value overall, however the radio on mine is very temperamental, as there's often no audio when starting the engine, which can only be cured by "rebooting" it using the power button & it also suffers from frequent signal "drop-outs" on DAB/FM channels. In addition, changing gears is not as smooth as some other manufacturers' products, the Dacia's being what I'd describe as rather "notchy".

Now that the Media Nav Live software has had a major update 3hrs. It's great. Engine good power/acceleration and economical. Good size inside, feels roomy, very pleasant. Driver display very clear and customisable. Has now got all the safety feature. Very happy now. Thank

We've found the Sandero to be just right for us. Our latest purchase was missing two things. The first was the 6th gear, we got so used to it and it was great for the economy. Still good now but not as good. The second is the internet connection. Previously, this connected without having to have a cable - now it is a requirement, but the socket you have to use is at the top of the dash, where you can't rest your phone.

The radio needs resetting nearly every day, as it says it playing, but it isn't. On the dashboard, where the speed limit of the current road is displayed, sometimes is greyed out and an exclamation mark next to it. No idea why. The nearside rear wheel arch lining has been fitted incorrectly, and is virtually touching the inside of the tyre. The boot lid has not been fitted properly, so there is a gap between the nearside light cluster and the boot lid, but rubs on the offside rear light cluster. Who thought it was a good idea to partially obscure the manual handbrake with a pointless armrest?

My radio on media nav keeps stopping working.othewise car is really good.am just thinking when is radio going off.have had car now for 92 days radio only worked for 20 days.so as i say hopefully will stay on now.when goes off go to dealer then they book it it in for 2weeks later.by which time is back on.one time screenwent totally blank.it needs looking at when not working not 2l weeks later.one girl even stated but the car is driveable when i s Aid about the 19000 we paid for it.like i say always at back of my mind that it will go off. R

We were treated as friends not customers. Nothing was too much trouble and we were kept informed all the way through from ordering to collecting the car. No question was silly to them. Great experience and being older it was made simple and not overwhelming.