Should you buy one?

Do you want a brand-new, affordable small car? If the answer is ‘yes’, then we wholeheartedly recommend the Dacia Sandero. Few other new cars offer this much talent at such a slimline cost and its breadth of no-nonsense abilities is seriously impressive. The Sandero is rugged enough to shrug off Britain’s neglected roads and cramped parking, without worrying about your expensive car being car-park dented or getting all mucky doing tip runs and taking the kids to the beach.

The Dacia Sandero really is everything you need, but it’s also evolving to be the kind of car you’d want; it has an appeal beyond merely being cheap. And if you want more butch styling, don’t forget you can upgrade the Sandero hatchback for a Sandero Stepway crossover vibe.

What we like

The Sandero represents cracking value – its lowly entry price is a real talking point. We lived with one for half a year and never tired of asking curious friends to guess its price (and then ask them how much the cheapest Ford Fiesta costs!). It’s a lot of car bursting with sensible, well-engineered features for the money – but also one that provides a spirited and fun drive.

What we don’t like

Some will scoff at the badge: we think they are missing the point, especially in these straitened times. In only a few places will you notice cost-cutting – but we think the cheap plastic tailgate handle and simple, undamped glovebox lid are a price worth paying for that low RRP.

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