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Dacia Duster HM is like a chronic manifestation. Started out pretty well but ended up quite short.

Just like the original Duster, it broke the market's back because it was a very interesting proposal and was the go-to budget cross-over. It was a cheap and cheerful "car", until the facelift and the financial crisis came and it became an expensive car and, the love dwindled. But in the glory days of 2018, you could buy a new Duster for only 12,000 pounds and the 4×4 version started from an smidge over 14 grand. And today the Duster starts at 18,000 pounds in base trim and the cheapest 4×4 is 21,650 pounds at the time I wrote this review.

Why did they up the price so much?

Because until 2021, when Renault made the decision to move Dacia from the low-cost zone to the "best buy" zone, money was talking. And money are still talking but I can't hear them. And that's why the Duster has become too expensive, and the Sandero is #2 in sales in Europe at the moment because, guess what, the Sandero is still a cheap car (it starts from 11,900 euros in France because they still have the simple Sandero, we only have Sandero Stepway because we are too poor to buy something cheap). Yes, the 4×4 version is still sold because it is still among the cheapest 4×4 on the market, but as a city crossover, the light has gone out and not in a good way.

But let's also cry about the car.

Because we have something to cry about. Dacia Duster HM was a huge leap from the first Duster, even if we basically have the same 1.6 aspirated petrol as the base engine and, the piece of resistance, the same 1.5 diesel, with the same 4×4 system. And because we are in an online toilet where we discuss used cars, a Duster 1.5 diesel 4×4 is a very good purchase in the 12-15,000 pounds area and in the 10-12,000 pounds area it is already unbeatable. I mean, a 4×4 crossover from 2018 for 12 grand? Sure, it won't be no Porsche Cayenne, but for this money and for the work it's made to do, it's unbeatable. Of course, the quality is not necessarily the best, but some Dusters can even come with upper class options, such as the 360 ​​camera, sunroof, heated seats, induction phone charging support and many other options that the first Duster never dreamed of. It just depends on how much money you are willing to part with.

Dacia Duster HM Engines

Petrol

• 1.0 Turbo H5D of 90 and 100 horsepower - We open the list with a Dacia Sandero on the way, because that is exactly what the Dacia Duster 1.0 Eco-G is. An excellent car for the city, but that's about it, because it's essentially a raised Sandero. Front wheel drive only, manual gearbox only. As for reliability, we only have to mention the sensor from the LPG installation, which should already be changed following the recall, but you never know. There was also a non-LPG version of 90 horsepower, but in this case you're better off with a Sandero.


• 1.2 Turbo H5Ft of 125 horsepower - The seed of discord between Nissan and Renault and which made some waves in the courtrooms also for Dacia. In the case of Renault, the oil consumption is a "maybe", at Dacia it is "probable" and at Nissan it is "certain". If you're the type of person who often uses the "I'm feeling lucky" option on Google, this is the engine for you.


• 1.3 Turbo H5Ht of 130 and 150 horsepower - Fabulous engine. If it weren't so expensive. The petrol-powered village bicycle of the Renault village somehow ended up on the Duster but didn't go lower on the Logan and/or Sandero because otherwise you would have no reason to buy the Megane, Juke, Qashqai and most of the cars equipped with this 1.33 Turbo? Fabulous engine for the Duster, if you can afford it.


• 1.6 SCe H4M of 115 horses – The old aspirated 1.6 MPI sings it's final hurrah. An unpretentious engine, which does its job with dignity and without specific issues. Late in life he developed an addiction to oil, just as I am also addicted to the compilations of the great master performer Bomba Tomba.

Diesel

1.5 dCi K9K of 90, 95 and 115 horsepower – The legendary 1.5 dCi K9K which has been used since 1840 and actually fitted to everything from the Micra to the Megane to the Mercedes CLA. An engine at the end of its life, with all problems solved except for two. The first and only real problem is the AdBlue installation on the BluedCi versions (not all engines have AdBlue). And the second problem is the actual power of the engine,which isn't alot. Seriously, with a 1.5 dCi the fun ends at about 110 km/h, no matter what people write in the comments. Especially on the 90 horsepower version. But maybe you are not interested in going 150-180-200 km/h. Maybe you are happy to drive around constantly at 69 km/h, like me.

Dacia Duster HM Reliability Issues

• The EDC automatic box is reliable because the second generation Duster comes with the second generation EDC automagic, but there is also a dubious CVT gearbox in the lineup, that I would avoid.


• Quality issues on the interior and not only the interior, this is one of the main themes of complaints about the Duster. The concept of "quality control" is not really applied by the Dacia factories as it seems. So before you buy the car you will have to press all the buttons and pull all the plastics.


• The rust below collects like flies gather up at manure. It is usually superficial, but it is advisable to check it underneath before buying it.

Dacia Duster HM Verdict

Before the 2021 facelift that loaded it with equipment but also loaded it's price, Dacia Duster HM was still a cheap workhorse. What the Duster should be. In fact, if you ask me, the Duster is worth it in only two variants. The working man's 4×4 for those who want a work car, and the 1.0 turbo manual 4×2 version for a city cross-over. But 25,300 GBP for a 1.3 turbo manual 4×4? For me it is not justified. But it is good to know that it exists.

Which engines do I recommend? Honestly? I usually recommend a diesel and a petrol, but here all the engines are good except for the 1.2 Tce. Personally, I would choose the 1.6 SCe and it's 115 naturally aspirated horsepower, but any engine does its job honorably, for which it was made. A 1.0 Turbo is a city engine and it has nothing to do on a long road or rough terrain, just as a 1.5 dCi has nothing to do in the city.