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Driver Power Award 2024: Dacia Duster Mk2

The Dacia Duster Mk2 is the winner of our 2024 Auto Express Driver Power Award

There's nowhere for cars to hide in our Driver Power survey, which collates the views of thousands of customers on their new models – how good they are to own, and where they fall short. The results are processed with proper statistical weighting applied, too, with the goal of providing a proper representative picture of purchasers’ views across the nation.

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It’s a real seal of approval, then, for a car to secure the number-one spot in our rundown of the top 50 new cars to own – and that’s certainly the case with this year’s winner, the Dacia Duster Mk2, which pipped strong offerings from Tesla (Model 3) and Toyota (Yaris) to the title.

As the model that defined the Dacia brand’s relaunch under Renault Group ownership in the modern era, the Duster has been the talisman for its manufacturer for more than a decade. This second-generation Duster is about to be replaced by an all-new version, but buyers have given it a resounding send-off in Driver Power.

The Dacia remains a no-nonsense proposition, right down to the brand’s no-haggle policy during the buying process. But the car’s Driver Power triumph is secured through high scores for considerably more than just value for money. Owners also back its straightforward cabin layout and user friendliness (proof positive that car users still love simple switches, buttons and knobs), plus the SUV’s practicality, particularly its rear legroom and boot capacity.

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Customers also highly rate the car’s driving dynamics, with praise for its steering response and comfort. In a world where you could argue that cars are at risk of becoming appliances, people genuinely fall in love with the Duster, and everything that it does for them.

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You can find all the information on our New Car Awards 2024 winners and the reasons why we chose them on the pages below. Just follow the links to read more…

New Car Awards 2024: the winners

Special edition of Auto Express

Auto Express Issue 1,838

For the full New Car Awards experience, make sure you pick up a copy of our special 2024 New Car Awards collectors' edition of the Auto Express magazine, which is available in shops now.

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Editor-at-large

John started journalism reporting on motorsport – specifically rallying, which he had followed avidly since he was a boy. After a stint as editor of weekly motorsport bible Autosport, he moved across to testing road cars. He’s now been reviewing cars and writing news stories about them for almost 20 years.

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