Ever heard of budget car brand Dacia? Nope, neither had we until recently. Well, they are the Ryanair of the car industry, and specialise in selling incredibly cheap, no frills basic cars which by and large do without the luxuries found in most cars. We got the chance to check out the Sandero Stepway recently, a raised up supermini with 4x4 styling, and which has a list price of just €12,290.
Firstly, why are these cars so cheap? Is there a catch? Well, Dacia is a Romanian company owned by Renault, and Renault supplies Dacia with the technology from their old models for their cars. The Sandero Stepway in our pictures shares its DNA with the Renault Clio from 2006. Dacia cars are perfectly suited to families who want a new car but only have the money for a second hand one from most other car brands.
It is true to say that the Sandero Stepway is old fashioned looking inside. However, Mum’s will love just how simple all of the controls are to find and use. There is literally nothing to driving the Stepway – no complicated computers or fiddly touch screens, and the important controls for the radio and air are big and easy to reach. The raised ride height means that drivers can see everything around them, and it feels much less cramped than many smaller cars which cost thousands more. Two growing teenagers and a smaller child will fit comfortably in the back together.
School car parks and muddy football pitches will be no problem in the Stepway – the car sits a couple of inches higher off the ground than most small family cars, so there’s no risk of damaging it if you have to drive up onto a kerb or a ledge. It has protective rubber panels on the wheel arches and bumpers to prevent against damage. It is well prepared for the rough and tumble of family life.
The other big benefit with the Stepway is the remarkably low running costs. The 1.5 diesel engine is one of the cheapest family cars to run, and unlike some it uses very little fuel around town. You can expect to travel up to 500 miles on €50 diesel at today’s prices (€1.20 a litre) depending on your driving conditions, and the diesel engine has more than enough power to get you past slow moving traffic on the open road too.
€12,290 for a brand new car large enough to accommodate a family of four plus luggage which is cheap to run and comes with a three year warranty is going to tempt many Mum’s. The generous specification and raised ride height which gives driver and kids a great view out the windows is the icing on the cake. Old fashioned it may be, but who says that’s a bad thing?
Is there loads of storage space?
The boot is not far off what you would expect to find in a Volkswagen Golf, and it is easy to access and lift things out of because the Stepway sits a little higher off the ground than a regular hatchback. The door bins will take a flask so that commuting Mum’s can refuel on the go, and there’s a good glove box which will accommodate books and small toys.
Is it baby friendly?
Surprisingly so, yes. The high ceiling means lifting your little one in and out is not too much of a chore, and because the seats are covered in hard wearing materials the inevitable ‘baby stains’ won’t destroy your interior. All door plastics are tough and hard, and the grey colouring does not show scratches, which is perfect for normal family life. There are ISOFIX child seat mounts on the two outer rear seats, and you can fit a baby seat in the front too as the airbag can be turned off.
Is parking easy?
The Stepway is every Mums car park dream. It is shorter than most hatch backs, with a large back window, wide mirrors and a short bonnet, so fitting into a tight space is no problem. There’s also parking sensors on the higher specification model. However we honestly think this is a car that they are not an absolute must on, this car is really quite easy to park even without them.
What about safety?
Euro Ncap safety testing gave the Stepway four stars, one shy of the five that most family cars are awarded these days. Its crash protection scores are actually quite acceptable (80% for an adult and 79% for a child). Where it falls down is on the modern driving equipment. For example the absence of a seat belt warning chime for the rear seats, and also hill start assist meant the Stepway lost a mark.
Verdict:
Thumbs Up:
Unbelievably cheap
Simple to drive and park
Equally suitable for shorter and longer drives
Loading and unloading children and luggage is easy
Thumbs down
‘Tis a wee bit dull the truth be told
Does without hill-start assist which is a useful feature on modern cars
Mummypages Ratings:
Baby friendliness: 4/5
Safety: 3.5/5
Cool rating: 2/5
Passenger and storage space: 4/5
Car park friendliness: 4/5
Value for money: 5/5
Overall rating: 22.5/30
Statistics: (Republic of Ireland market)
Price (starting from / our test car): €12,290 / €15,690
Average Fuel Economy and tax: 71 mpg / €190 per year
Warranty: 3 years / 100,000 kilometres
Isofix baby seat mounts: 2
Seats suitable for adults (excl driver): 3
Seats suitable for kids only: 1
