Dacia Logan MCV Review (2013-2020)
Dacia Logan MCV cars for sale
3.0
Expert review
Pros
Lots of luggage space
Very affordable to buy
Easy to drive
Cons
Poorly finished cabin
Meagre standard kit
Noisy and unrefined
The CarGurus verdict
You don’t buy a Logan MCV because of its flash looks, or its silky refinement, or because it’s the most exhilarating thing to drive. You buy one because it’s super-affordable. While the cabin is assembled from very basic components, including the seats, switches and swathes of no-nonsense plastic trim, the upside to this utilitarian approach is you won’t feel too upset if things get used and abused by slobbering hounds or bashed about when coaxing lawnmowers and sacks of garden rubbish in and out of the mega-sized load bay.
That shoe-string build quality does have a significant impact on mechanical refinement, however, and it also plays a big part in letting lots of external noise to infiltrate the cabin. Don’t go expecting much in the way of modern advancements, either, such as steering wheel or seat height adjustment, unless you go for a high-spec model, or niceties such as adequate safety kit. Let’s not kid anyone, though, like all Dacias, the Logan is a family car designed to appeal to your purse strings rather than your heartstrings. And that it does very well.
What is the Dacia Logan MCV?
If you think of Dacia as the Aldi of the motoring world, then you would probably find the Logan MCV next to the misshapen veg and broken biscuits. Ok, so that’s probably a bit harsh, especially given the minuscule amounts of money involved here.
When new, the Logan MCV undercut cars like the Vauxhall Astra and Ford Focus estates by thousands of pounds, and even though Dacias hang onto their value surprisingly well, you’ll still pick up a much younger/lower-mileage version of the Logan for a lot less than an equivalently mainstream rival.
In the UK, the Logan was only ever offered in estate form. It’s a no-nonsense car that focuses on practicality with no attempt to outdo the neighbours.
How practical is it?
This is where the Logan really scores big. As well as being big on value, it’s exceedingly big on space. The boot is mighty impressive, measuring 573 litres. To give that figure context, that’s actually three litres more than you get in a BMW 5 Series Touring estate, a huge car that sits several size classes up and costs four times as much. What's more, the boot space expands to 1,518 with the 60/40 split rear seats folded down.
It’s easy to pack, too, thanks to the flush load lip, although it's not the last word in practicality, because the tailgate can only be opened using the ignition key or a lever by the driver’s seat. There are other niggles too; the rear seatbacks don’t sit totally flat when folded, and the parcel shelf is quite awkward to remove.
At least that near-horizontal roofline and lengthy wheelbase provides plenty of head- and legroom for four adults. We say four, because the middle seat cushion of the rear bench seat is narrow, a tunnel in the floor limits foot space, and the central seatbelt needs to be pulled down from the roof rather than from the seat itself.
What's it like to drive?
Underneath, the Logan may be cobbled together from a collection of Renault's cast-offs, but it is an easy car to bimble around in, thanks to its light steering and accessible performance. That said, the suspension is not the most comfortable or the most cultured, making a choppy meal of poor surfaces a lot of the time, while heading onto the motorway ups the levels of wind- and road noise by a significant amount.
No one expects the Logan to turn into a track terrier when the road turns twisty, but even gentle turns of the steering wheel result in plenty of body roll, and things feel all the more roly-poly due to the squidgy, unsupportive quality of the seats.
Next to the vintage foundations, the engine line up looks positively space age. A relatively new generation of 1.0-litre three-cylinder petrol engines are supplemented by a 1.5-litre diesel that delivers strong low- and mid-range pull and a surprising turn of pace when required. The entry-level engine in early cars was an ancient and breathless 1.2-litre petrol, though, and this is worth avoiding when buying used.
The bad news is, because of the fundamental lack of soundproofing, all of the engines sound pretty vocal, and they also transmit plenty of vibration through the pedals and the steering wheel.
As with the rest of the Dacia range, however, these criticisms of the Logan need to be taken in context. Even when it was brand new, the Logan wasn’t much more than half the price that you could spend on some cars that were notionally its competitors. And although it lags behind in a lot of areas, it remains a perfectly usable car for not a lot of money.
Technology, equipment and infotainment
Technology isn’t really a word that you associate with the Logan. The base-spec Access model originally didn’t even come with a radio. It did, however, give you hill start-assist, electronic stability control, traction control, LED lights and - wait for it - a 12-volt socket.
Not what you were looking for? Well, the Ambiance model offers a significant step up, with air conditioning, Bluetooth and USB connectivity for the stereo, plus DAB radio and a height-adjustable driver's seat.
Given the relatively low prices across the board, it’s well worth stretching to the top-spec Laureate model. This adds cruise control, rear parking sensors, electrically adjustable door mirrors, height adjustment for the driver's seat and steering wheel and a MediaNav Evolution touchscreen, which includes satnav, Apple CarPlay/Android Auto smartphone connectivity and voice command recognition. The most desirable options, including leather seats, were also only available with this model.
Later on, some of the trim levels were renamed so that the range included Access, Essential and Comfort versions, but kit levels remained broadly similar.
Pick carefully, and you should be able to find a Logan with all the mod cons that you could reasonably expect from a budget car, when it comes to comfort and entertainment. Our only fundamental gripe is the lack of safety kit. You have to think that four airbags isn’t really enough in what is ostensibly a family vehicle, and so did Euro NCAP when it dished out a stingingly critical three-star rating; scoring the Logan just 57% for Adult Occupancy Protection.
Dacia Logan MCV running costs
As a new car, the most compelling thing about the Logan was its almost unbelievably low pricing. Getting a full-sized, five-seat estate car for the same kind of cash more usually associated with city cars or superminis seemed almost too good to be true.
And, although Dacias retain their value surprisingly well, prices were so low to begin with that they are also incredible value as used buys. With low-mileage examples of the Logan changing hands for about the same price as a winter Caribbean cruise, it’s easy to see why you might be tempted.
The 1.0-litre engine returns a very reasonable 52.3mpg on the official combined cycle, but because of its turbocharging technology, the TCe 90 0.9-litre petrol engine is far more potent, and officially it also returns 57 mpg.
Although it's rather agricultural, the turbo diesel-engined dCi 90 posts hugely impressive fuel economy figure of between 60mpg and 80mpg, so it’s sure to pop up on the radar of many taxi drivers. As well as being cheap to fuel, the Logan will cost you very little to insure, with groupings ranging from just 2 to 12.
Recommended service intervals for Dacias stand at one year or 12,000 miles, whichever comes first. This includes an oil and filter change, a new cabin filter, a top-up of all fluid levels, including air-conditioning, brakes and an all-round inspection of all the vehicle's features, including brake wear and battery health. The timing belt and water pump will also need changing every five years or between 60,000 and 160,000 miles, and you may also have to budget for shock absorber changes, which Dacia recommends should be changed every 48,000 miles or four years.
Dacia even has its own approved used programme, which includes a 12-month warranty and 12 months’ breakdown cover on vehicles of all ages.
Dacia Logan MCV reliability
The Logan is based on extremely basic Renault mechanical parts that have been tried and tested over many years in many different models. No doubt this relative lack of mechanical and electrical complexity contributes massively to its sturdy reliability. Yes, most of the trim is very brittle and the cabin can suffer from squeaks and rattles as a consequence, but major problems seem reassuringly rare on vehicles that have been serviced in accordance with Dacia’s schedules.
Some faults with the catalytic converters and engine management systems have been reported by owners, but even replacing these items isn’t going to break the bank. That's because Dacias are easy to work on, so labour rates are low, and also, parts are easily sourced and affordable.
Logans are also cheap to fix if you happen to incur any body damage, which, along with their limited performance, goes a long way towards explaining why insurance rates are so low.
The fact Dacia also finished higher than the likes of BMW, Audi, Jaguar and Land Rover in the 2019 JD Power Customer Satisfaction Survey just goes to prove that spending lots of cash on a used car doesn’t necessarily result in fewer problems. If you look on the various Dacia online forums, you’ll find very few disgruntled owners, with most saying you get what you pay for.
- The Dacia company was established in Romania back in the 1960s and many of its models were effectively re-badged Renaults. In 1999, Renault took a controlling stake in the company and set about building a range of cars that would undercut rival manufacturers products not just by hundreds, but by thousands of pounds. This recycling of new-old Renault parts was the polar opposite approach to firms like Toyota and Nissan, who clung to the idea that more luxurious versions of its cars sold as Lexus and Infiniti, respectively, would be more profitable. And in Infiniti’s case, that didn't end well.
- When launched in the UK, Dacia showrooms were sited cheek by jowl with Renault showrooms, but unlike Renault, Dacia sales staff were banned from offering discounts. It proved to be a pretty successful strategy, too, as prices were calculated to take advantage of UK buyer’s inherent dislike of haggling.
- Along with the contomporary Sandero and Duster models, the Logan is based on what is fundamentally a stretched version of a late 1990s Renault Clio platform. Although this is not immediately apparent given the masses of space you find in the Logan, it is noticeable in terms of shoulder room, which is quite snug compared to cars like the Vauxhall Astra and Ford Focus. Of course, this relative lack of girth can be viewed as a positive, especially if you spend much of your time darting through rat-run shortcuts and slotting in and out of busy traffic jams. The Logan’s engines are also supplied by Renault, including the perennial 1.5-litre four-cylinder diesel engine and the more up-to-date three-cylinder petrol engines.
- If you really want to squeeze the pips out of the budget: The Logan’s super-low second-hand prices are undoubtedly the car's biggest draw, but we’d still recommend you avoid the basic Access model, as its equipment is simply too basic.
- If you’re a dog owner: If you don’t like the idea of travelling with the windows wound down to keep your pooch cool, then you need the Essential or Ambiance trims. These bring more creature comforts, including air-conditioning, which is essential if you want to keep the cabin mist-free and maintain a steady temperature. It also adds electric front windows, central locking, a DAB radio, complete with Bluetooth connectivity and a USB connection.
- If you’re willing to stretch yourself a bit: The Logan MCV Stepway is worth considering. With black plastic bumpers and side sills, faux skid plates and a slightly raised ride height, it’s arguably a far more attractive car, looking more akin to junior SUV than the workhorse estate it is based on. It was roughly £4,000 more expensive than the cheapest standard Logan when new, and it was only available in high-spec trim along with the more powerful engines. The price difference has flattened out more now that the MCV is exclusively a used car, so it could very well be the pick of the range as a used buy.
