Dacia Jogger long-term test: report 5
The Dacia Jogger is one of the cheapest seven-seaters you can buy, but how will it fare as a photographer's apprentice? We're living with one to find out...
The car Dacia Jogger 1.0 TCe 110 Extreme SE Run by Max Edleston, senior photographer
Why it’s here To show that you don’t need to spend a lot of money to get a spacious and practical seven-seater
Needs to be Capable of swallowing all of my luggage, comfortable over long distances and able to function as a mobile office when needed
Mileage 13,597 List price £22,595 Target Price £22,595 Price as tested £22,595 Test economy 42.1mpg Official economy 48.7mpg
15 December 2023 – Added value
You’ll already know from my previous reports that my Dacia Jogger is immensely practical. I’ve used it to help friends move house, and it’s carried all of my photography equipment with ease. And when it’s not being used as a van, it’s been spacious transport for friends and family.
But none of that would mean much if my car weren’t able to move along – which brings me to the engine. It might only be a 1.0-litre three-cylinder petrol, but even when I’ve loaded my car to the gunwhales with luggage, it has never felt too slow to keep up with the ebb and flow of traffic.
I do need to work the six-speed manual gearbox hard to keep the engine in its sweet spot – and there’s some noticeable lag at lower speeds when I need to wait for the turbocharger to spin up – but on the whole I’ve been impressed.
While there’s a louder hum from the engine when I’m cruising on the motorway or joining faster roads than I’ve experienced in other seven-seaters, my music choices on the stereo can quickly drown it out.
If I spent most of my time driving around town, then I might opt for the more powerful 138bhp 1.6-litre hybrid model, which is more hushed and also allows the Jogger to run for short distances using only electric power.
However, doing so would push the price of my car up by £3400 in range-topping Extreme trim, and in our real-world testing the fuel economy of my 1.0-litre engined car didn’t fall far behind its hybrid counterpart.
Speaking of fuel economy, while I haven’t been able to manage the Jogger’s official fuel economy figure of 48.1mpg, my 42mpg so far isn’t bad at all – especially given the number of motorway miles I’ve been doing recently, travelling literally across the country to bring home the best pictures for What Car? magazine and Whatcar.com.
Different buyers judge value in different ways, but whether value to you means a low price, low running costs, acres of space or, perhaps, a mixture of all three, I think my Jogger offers it in spades.
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