Overview

The Dacia Duster was the Romanian company’s first model to arrive in the UK in 2013 – and went on to become the firm’s bestselling car in the UK appealing to families looking for space and robustness. These qualities make it one of the best used cars for less than £5,000.

Available with two- or four-wheel drive, the Duster is a rival to crossovers such as the Skoda Yeti, Suzuki Vitara and Nissan Qashqai. With compellingly low prices for the entry-level two-wheel drive version, it undercut the competition by some margin.

It hasn’t had a detrimental effect on the quality, although some plastics feel on the cheap side. At the same time, all but entry-level Access models get plenty of kit as standard.

The Duster was available with a choice of two petrols and one diesel engine – all found elsewhere in various Renault models. All of them can be specified with either two- or four-wheel drive.

There’s a 115hp 1.6-litre naturally-aspirated petrol powering Access and Ambiance models – badged SCe 115, while higher-spec Laureate and Prestige Dusters come with a 125hp 1.2-litre turbocharged petrol badged TCe 125.

The former emits between 145g/km and 155g/km of CO2 depending on whether you opt for two- or four-wheel drive, while the turbo petrol emits between 138g/km and 145g/km.

The SCe 115 returns 44.1mpg and 41.5mpg in two- and four-wheel drive forms respectively, and the TCe returns a claimed 46.3mpg in 4×2 form, while the 4×4 is thirstier at 44.1mpg.

Opt for a diesel and you get a familiar Renault-sourced 1.5-litre dCi unit producing 110hp which is by far the cleanest and most economical engine in the Duster range, with claimed fuel economy of 64.2mpg for the 4×2 and 60.1mpg for the 4×4. CO2 emissions range from 115g/km to 123g/km. It’s also the only engine available with an automatic gearbox – the rest all feature manual ‘boxes.

One of the main selling points of the Duster, along with being cheap, is the decent kit list. For the entry 4×2 Access model, potential buyers get 16-inch steel wheels, roof bars, electric front windows, four airbags, emergency spare wheel, height-adjustable steering wheel and remote central locking.

Go up to Ambiance and you get added treats like a radio/CD player with aux-in, Bluetooth and USB connection plus the added practicality of 60/40 split rear seats. The range-topping and expected to be the best-selling Laureate models get the luxuries of air con, 16-inch alloys, electric rear windows, leather steering wheel and trip computer.