Dacia Duster vs used Nissan Qashqai

So the new Duster makes a strong case for itself against new car rivals. But with prices starting from £8,995, it could even be considered an alternative to a used car.

Using our 1.5 dCi Laureate’s £12,995 list price as a guide, we scoured the classifieds to find out what kind of second-hand compact SUV you could get for the same sort of money. And our hunt turned up a model that has much in common with the Dacia SUV.

The Nissan Qashqai is a similar size to the Duster, is available with the same Renault-sourced 1.5 dCi diesel and comes with a choice of two or four-wheel drive.

Our £13,000 budget turned up a 2010 post-facelift Qashqai 1.5 dCi 2WD in Acenta trim from a main dealer, with just under 20,000 miles on the clock.

Both cars can be classed as crossovers, but while the Duster has a more rugged 4x4 look, the Qashqai’s less chunky lines still appear fresh. However, unlike the car in our pictures, Acenta models don’t come with roof rails. The Duster is taller, wider and has a slightly longer wheelbase than its Nissan cousin, too, so there’s a touch more passenger space inside.

In the boot, the Qashqai trails for space, with 410 litres (compared with the Dacia’s 475 litres) and 1,513 litres with the seats folded (against the new car’s 1,636 litres).

However, while the Duster’s boot seems only half-finished, the Nissan’s is fully lined with carpet and plastic trim, and has a lower load lip, too. And while the seats don’t fold completely flat, carpet covers the join between the seatbacks and boot floor to leave a tidier finish than in the Dacia.

On the road, the Qashqai has the measure of the Duster in corners. Despite its tall ride height, it feels every bit as agile as a conventional hatchback, but this doesn’t come at the expense of comfort, as the Nissan does a decent job of soaking up bumps.

Although both these cars use the same 1.5-litre dCi turbodiesel engine, the Duster weighs a significant 200kg less. So it’s faster in a straight line, and is marginally more efficient, too, returning 39.8mpg on our test versus the Qashqai’s 38.1mpg.

But the biggest difference between these two is what you get for your money. While the flagship Duster has a decent level of kit, an Acenta-spec Qashqai is frankly luxurious. The car we found had everything from a six-disc CD changer, climate control and auto lights and wipers to a multifunction steering wheel, cruise control, rear parking sensors and standard stability control.

Of course, you could get an older Qashqai in a higher trim level for even less money than a Duster – high-mileage, pre-facelift models in Visia trim start at £7,000. But while an approved used Qashqai from a dealer will have a year’s warranty, the Duster will be brand new and have three years’ cover, so there’s no previous history to worry about. For some, that peace of mind is worth more than a long kit list.