My thoughts on the Dacia Jogger during a 2 week hire
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- čas přidán 27. 07. 2023
- I've recently spent two weeks in Portugal, where I hired a Dacia Jogger from Europcar. I usually drive a Citroen C4 Grand Picasso, so there is an interesting contrast here - both cars are seven-seater MPVs, but handle very differently.
In this video, I consider some of the shortcomings of the Dacia Jogger (including its temperamental Android Auto integration). - Auta a dopravní prostředky
We drove on holiday with my dacia jogger, fully packed with 4 adults, 1 child, a lange dog in the back and a rooftop Box on the roof through the hills and the car did a great job. You just don't have to be lazy with shifting. My brother in law couldn't believe that my car just have 100 HP and thought it should have at least 150 for the agility it showed in the hills.
Interesting that you say the complete opposite of every Jogger road test I've seen so far... can't help but think that the problem may not be the car...
I've just come back from a holiday in the Alps with the LPG Jogger (100 HP), and a trailer behind it. 5 persons inside. We never had any problems with hills. As already said, you have to use the gears proactively. When you see a hill, shift down and the Jogger goes up without any problem. If you're accustomed to drive continuously in sixth gear, yes, then the Jogger wille definitely feel very sluggish. We drove up some very twisty and steep mountain roads without problems, other than the oncoming traffic.
I haven't noticed any problem with the turning circle of my Jogger Extreme SE, nor any problem with hills, in fact I would go so far as saying that it flies up hills and I have never noticed any lack of power. Yes you do have to use lower gears on steep hills but the little turbo charged engine has plenty of go in it and soon makes short work of any hill that I have encountered. Also for long distance touring and motorway work it just eats the miles in relatively good refined comfort. In fact I have driven many much more expensive cars which don't really offer a lot more, except maybe extra buttons switches and gadgets which have never interested me in the slightest.
Regarding the USB cable. There should have been a smartphone holder in the glove box that clips into the side of the media screen. You'll see a little cover that you pop off and it's there where you plug in the holder.
Thanks Chris. That makes sense.
Definitely wasn't there (kept the hire docs in the glove box), presumably broken by a previous user and discarded.
As a jogger owner myself these issues are not an issue at all
Android auto issue is wireless and the jogger itself has a built in phone holder that clips onto the side of that, that issue ia a europcar issue, android auto once updated also works perfectly so think you have been given a car which has not been updated
As for hills my 1.6 hybrid eats hills like they are a snack
Mine also turns on a 6 pence
Thank's for your review friend....I think you need a Duster(hybrid/4×4) and that should solve all your problems...about the same amount of money
It's a case of 'horses for courses'. If you live in a very hilly area, go for the more powerful hybrid version. There is also the option to go for another car brand, and pay more than twice the price for a vehicle that depreciates at a shocking rate. Dacia's are noted for their high residual value. All cars come with compromises in certain areas. Dacia's are also well known for their reliability compared to many other brands, and that is a very good thing indeed.
The very back seats tip up fully like middle row The area is never big enough for a car like the jogger with a long wheel base.. It has a bigger wheel base than your C4 making the turning circle 11.7 m. It may not be longer but that wheel base makes the car have more room for its length . As for hills, cant comment as i have the hybrid and it powers up them. USB socket , I agree , but there is a Dacia phone holder that slots in to the infotainment system. I don't like it so opted for a magnetic phone holder and run a belkin usb cable underneath the infotainment system. Looks very neat and tidy. The problem with the phone etc is more than likely Android Auto. In my previous cars. Android auto up dates would make things temperamental. You be using android auto and it would just cut out. The belkin cable i am using has been flawless. My Jogger is Wireless, but i plug in as i like to charge the phone on the move.
I agree that the 'change gear' indicator is a little too subtle. Worse, when in cruise control on an incline, it can tell you to change up, and then when you changed up, immediately tells you to change down.
On the other hand, I don't think that you can complain to Dacia that the system was set up in Portugese when hiring a car in Portugal. The hire company should have offered to switch it for you.
It would though be handy to be able to switch the digital speed display from KM to miles when crosssing the channel and should cost nothing to implement.
Just bought a Jogger. And coincidentally, it's replacing a Citroen C4 Grand Picasso (earlier model)! The Jogger has a bit bigger turning circle - by 30 centimeters (looking at manufacturer provided specs). I don't really notice the difference.
Appreciate all your comments, thank you. Very happy to hear from the Dacia fans!
The last petrol MPV I owned was a Vauxhall Zafira, which I never found to have problems on hills (I live in North Yorkshire so it had plenty of practice) and the hired Jogger - which appeared to be relatively new - just didn't have the same punch.
Now, I'm no doubt spoiled by nearly a decade of diesel Citroen GPs, but I just expected a bit more from the Dacia. I considered the car might have been run ragged by other users, but then again, it was fast on the flats, and cornered well compared to my GP.
I have some other (non-auto) videos planned for upload, I hope you'll find them as interesting.
I have driven a Lodgy since Sept 2012 and it drives fab up hills and even handling. As others have suggested, the prob may not be with the car…
As you said, it doesn't like hill climbs.
Could you tell me what engine type was in it ?
Was it the 83 HP or the 110 HP version or was it the Hybrid ?
This was the 110 version, but there was little difference between empty and fully laden on hills.
(I realise I should have pointed this out in the video, but this is the first time I've talked in any detail about a car outside of a pub...)
It "may" be underpowered, depending on the version you had- I have just traded up (waaaay up...) from a Sandero 3 bi-fuel. 90 BHP petrol, 101 BHP LPG. I rarely found it underpowered, very occasionally I found myself wishing for 10 or 15 HP more, but other than that it was a phenomenal little car, amply suited to my needs. my wife drives a Duster with the same engine, and that is deffo underpowered, even on LPG. Of course, ir's a good bit heavier than my ex-Sandero from the get-go, I find myself switching the A/C off on a lot of hills. That being said, they make very fine, affordable cars, much more refined than Dacias of old. Miss my little red Sandeo, despite the undeniable upgrade.
Have you been drinking?
The is problem with rear hood. Dents appear in area of that black plastic element over the plates. Designed wrong or quality issue. This hired has this issue also. After some time of using dents appear. Second thing you can get one with very noisy gearbox. You can easy chcec it. Just pick 6th gear and brake with engine frome 110 kmh to 70 kmh. You will hear whistle noise. Despite that it's really functional car. If you do not have wirless android auto there should be phone grip behinde the screen.
🤣 the cradle for your mobile has been removed by the hire company. A three inch cable is sufficient. It has 108bhp and not really intended for tracks, that said you seem to have arrived at your destination safely. The large wheel base providing internal space compromises the turning circle. This 7 seater is around about half the price of any other 7 seater that can be bought. I wonder why you chose this car - perhaps because it was a lot less expensive and did a fair job for a two week holiday? Anyway, I hope you all had a great trip.
I am considering buying a Jogger, one of my concerns is the one litre engine in lets face it quite a large car, hopefully Dacia will offer a more powerful engine in the not to distant future.
There's a hybrid available now with a 1.6 petrol engine and 140hp. The weight of the car is 1265kg, it's actually slightly lighter than a Renault Megane hatchback which is around 1300kg.
I have a jogger 1 litre, I think it drives and performs well. I had a 90bhp duster before which was OK but the jogger definitely outperforms it and does a bit more to the gallon of petrol
About turning circle if you say jogger is a 747 what about a 3 t van 😂😂?
A bit of moan the jogger hates you mate. 😂
A boring old BMW badge snobby 😅driver well there is people who would drive them if they were given out for free and would be very happy with this motor.
Why didn't you rented a BMW? That car had 100hp and 1 donkey when you rented it...
If I'd had a choice, I would have. From the Eurocar site I was expecting a Citroen or Renault, but you get what they give...
Amazingly Dacia is Renault! So you did get a Renault in a roundabout way