Dacia Duster
FIFTH REPORT Budget SUV impresses on Glastonbury Festival outing
OUR Dacia Duster spends the majority of its time ferrying around no more than two passengers at a time. So whenever I have the opportunity to get the car fully loaded, I love to give it a good run out.
When I was lucky enough to get tickets to this year’s Glastonbury Festival, I put my hand up and opted to be the designated driver, because I knew that the Duster would be perfect for the task. It had to carry four passengers, plus their tents and all the necessary gear, from home in London to the South West for a brilliant festival weekend.
Starting out in the capital, I set off from Forest Gate in east London and headed down the M3 to Bournemouth, where I collected my passengers and their cargo.
The wide door openings, including the hatchback, meant that we were loaded up and good to go in less than 20 minutes, ready to head for the world-famous farm via Dorchester and Yeovil. The Duster’s 478-litre boot swallowed up the majority
Running costs 53.0mpg (on test) £65 fill-up/£145 or 31% tax
of our luggage, with the remaining items ending up on the middle of the back seat. My passengers had the door bins in full use for drinks and other smaller items. But the hard plastics showed themselves up a bit here, because there was quite a rattle as the car shifted about at speed.
Motorway miles are normally where the Duster shines, and at full capacity it didn’t skip a beat. There was plenty of room and comfort for everyone on board, even with extra gear on the back seat. And while the stereo isn’t exactly a match for the set-up on the Pyramid Stage, it was good enough to keep us all entertained on the journey down.
Once we got off the main roads and headed across some of the West Country’s smaller lanes, the engine required a few more revs than I’m used to from time to time; hill climbs and descents needed a bit more attention with all the extra weight on board.
Once we arrived, I was prepared for the worst conditions that Glastonbury is
Performance 0-62mph/top speed 10.5 seconds/111mph
famous for – but with the recent hot weather, the car park was relatively dry and we parked up easily. The scorching weather meant that we had a great time listening to our favourite bands and acts over the next few days.
When it was time to leave, I was glad to drop back into the Duster’s driver’s seat. It’s not the greatest driving position in the world, but I’ve become used to it and I can get comfortable quickly enough.
Good visibility means the Dacia is easy to drive, and navigating out of the car park and back to the main roads was no problem.
Despite its humble roots, or perhaps because of them, the Duster is constantly growing on me. The more time I spend behind the wheel, the more I appreciate just how much car you get for your money here. It does everything that you ask of it, and the only sacrifice you have to make is enduring a few rattles from the hard plastic trim.