Motoring journalist, Tony Yates, recently tested the Dacia Sandero ‘Ambiance’ TCe 90.

Say the words ‘I’m going to go out and buy a Dacia Sandero’ and people will look at you like you are stark raving mad! Well, I’m here today to tell you that you are not; In fact, I’m here to tell you that the Dacia Sandero is a car that has been built to do the best it can for very little money.

Power and Efficiency:

The Sandero I had on test was powered by a three cylinder 898cc – five-speed turbocharged petrol engine that has 90HP, and a respectable top speed of around 109mph, plus a 0-62 time of 11.1 seconds - which in my book is not bad for an engine that’s built for economy and not speed. Fuel consumption is also very good with a combined figure of 57.6 mpg.

The Sandero is actually a pretty good car for very little money. Yes, it’s not hot hatch fast, but then again, it’s not supposed to be. Plus, you have to remember that the Sandero costs under £9,000 in basic form meaning it really is the bargain of the century.

On the road:

It’s a little soft, but into the corners, it feels OK. I was actually amazed how well it did perform when you look again at it’s under £9,000 price tag. As for that three-cylinder petrol engine, it plods away without grumbling that much at all. Yes, it only has 90HP, but it actually does a pretty good job of moving along in what I would call a ‘leisurely pace’.

Another plus point for the Sandero is that it has a decent amount of torque – in fact, 140Nm of it - which allows it to pull very well from pretty much any gear as long as you remember what I said earlier, that in my opinion it’s built for economy and not speed.

I must also point out that I actually liked driving it, which surprised me, as I’m not used to driving cars with less than 100HP for the morning school run, or for taking all my friends to football training on a Saturday morning - which it did a pretty good job of considering it was loaded with five huge men and all their football kit.

Design & Technology:

On the inside, the interior is ‘basic’, and some of the interior plastics do look and feel slightly ‘cheap and scratchy’. It’s not the end of the world although I would have preferred it if Dacia had spent a few quid more on the interior feel – which would have helped it feel a little less ‘basic’. But, it’s functional I suppose, and at such a low price, I’m willing to accept it.

Standard equipment in ‘Ambiance’ trim includes; body-coloured bumpers, satin chrome central console surround and instrument surrounds, 3 height-adjustable rear headrests, anti-intruder automatic door-locking system, remote central locking, eco mode, stop/start, manual air conditioning, electric front windows, DAB/FM/AM tuner with fingertip control and 4 speakers, Bluetooth connectivity, AUX input & USB connection.

To sum up:

I’m going to give the Sandero four stars in this test, not only because I like how it drives, but also because I like the price tag.

Price: £8,595 (from) MRRP