24 replies to this topic

[wacjac]

Hi folks, hope you're all well. Been a good while since I've been on here as we've had 49k miles over 3.1/2 years of trouble free motoring with the wife's remodelled '66 plate 1.5Dci Stepway Laureate.

 

We were waiting until the current situation is over with the intention of part-exchanging it against a new one....as similar as possible but different colour for a change. Our existing is zero road-tax (which I know changed as we bought at the very end of the change), and returns an average 60mpg on her 80 mile/day motorway journey. I've driven it myself on a 100 mile run purely on motorway with cruise control on at 56mph and had a very impressive 76.2mpg - see photo. 

 

Looking on Dacia's website I simply can't find any diesel engines listed....have they stopped them and been replaced by this Bi-Fuel (is it petrol/LPG?)......if so then for us this is a problem as we need the maximum mpg possible.

 

If we part company with Dacia now it's a shame as we were hoping to buy this new car to last until she retires in 4 years time than go back to nicer cars when mileage returns to normal. We've always treat this car as just something cheap to run and buy as cars are simply a commodity to us given her daily drive.

 

Attached Thumbnails

• 

[Hemlock]

Sounds like you’ve got a reliable one, keep it and drive it into the ground.


Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk

[wobblybox]

You could keep the one you have for the 4 years you intended to run your new Dacia. 49k for a Diesel engine is nothing. Serviced regularly with good quality oil it will easily do 3 times that mileage.

[dgc]

People are selling on Ebay one owner Stepway diesels with 100,000 + miles on them, so I can see our Duster and Stepway lasting a few more years.

[wacjac]

I appreciate all of your above opinions...and I have reasonable confidence that it may last a good while longer, BUT it's a question of absolute dependability and reliability - she drives 40 mile each way daily..... dark dual carriageways with no hard shoulder and in all weathers. In my 35+ years of owning many, many cars I know from experience that once cars get to this age they will start to show potential for problems. Even the car not starting on a morning and the hassle it would cause if she can't get to work is nothing short of a disaster for her. It's always been our policy to replace cars at 3 years / 60k miles...usually before first MOT and/or the warranty runs out (in actual fact have have MOT'd this once and it's on a 5-year warranty period)

 

Back to my original question - have Dacia stopped their diesel engine option?

[dgc]

There seems to be diesel options on the Duster but only petrol and bio on the Stepway, either covid or knocking diesel out of the smaller ranges.

[dgc]

Sorry not bio, it's bi-fuel, petrol / lpg

[dgc]

The nail is in the coffin. https://press.dacia.co.uk/releases/263bi-fuel to replace diesel.

[Royale431]

Here's a 2018 article from Autocar - this predates the launch of the bifuel car in the UK and might help you make up your mind if this could work for you:

https://www.autocar....ong-term-review

[dgc]

Always like the idea of bi-fuel, shame the "nearest" service station with LPG is over 10 miles away, there is a closer one at 6 miles but would have to sit in heavy traffic.

[wacjac]

Thanks again...just had a good read up on a few articles re: LPG. Something I've not really considered before this, but again, like EV technology, I just don't want to be restricted by finding places to 'fill up'. I had a look on a few of the local filling stations' websites (ESSO, Shell etc) and my nearest is 9 miles away and the opposite direct to her work. I think I'd need to have a lengthy test drive in an LPG vehicle before I could be convinced to go that radical!!

[dgc]

The idea of bi-fuel is very good and has been around for many years with early examples being simple conversion kits but now kits with their own custom ecu's etc etc. But it is still a case of finding a service station with lpg "pumps". Other countries as usual are better organised.

[Roger]

The idea of bi-fuel is very good and has been around for many years with early examples being simple conversion kits but now kits with their own custom ecu's etc etc. But it is still a case of finding a service station with lpg "pumps". Other countries as usual are better organised.

I  would like to think that if more LPG cars are produced for the UK market, the more "pumps" will appear at service stations ! 

[dgc]

We do not stand a chance look at charging points for electric cars.

[wobblybox]

I run both petrol and diesel cars, but when my diesel one finally gives up (currently has 183.580 miles on the clock) I’ll be replacing it with a petrol car. These modern day petrol cars offer a mpg not far behind their diesel stable mates. With a cheaper pump price per gallon and cheaper overall running costs that’s the route I’m going down and Ive ran diesels for 30 years.

The savings aren’t there anymore. Dearer to buy, fuels dearer, general servicing dearer and any out of warranty parts are usually dearer as there updated as diesel cars tend to be heavier.

[Manniewinaename]

We have 3 diesel Logans as taxis. All got over 200,000 miles on them. Not a puff of smoke from any of them. Oil changed every 5,000 miles, oil and filters every 10,000.

[dgc]

Wonder how far a 0.9 Tce would get if used as a taxi?

[Manniewinaename]

Wonder how far a 0.9 Tce would get if used as a taxi?

70,000 so far

[wobblybox]

Would maybe surprise you. Lol diesel engines have always been seen as the workhorse of the range. Certainly if your doing high mileage pulling trailers caravans etc. That's what they are good at. But if your just doing normal 8 to10k miles a year round tow the odd motorway journey and the few trips furher afield I'd say petrol wins.

[wobblybox]

0.9TCE as a taxi