If your budget and your caravan are small, this might be the one, says Euan Doig
INFLATION. RECESSION. Cost of living. All words guaranteed to have you looking out for a bargain if you’re on the hunt for a pre-owned tow car.
Let’s face it, plenty more people will be searching for one these days. And a brand likely to pop up frequently in search results when you’re looking for ‘bargain tow car’ will be Dacia.
The Logan MCV is a prime example of Dacia doing what it does best – namely, providing simple, practical and worthy transport for an absurdly low price.
And that was when the car was new. Now it’s been on the used market for a decade or so, there are plenty of lightly used, cheaply priced examples out there.
What’s it like inside?
You can carry yourself and four others, and that’s it. However, the good news is that everyone will have a fair amount of space. Yes, if the rear-seat passengers are particularly tall, they might find their knees hitting the backs of the front seats, but that’s only if those seats have been moved far back. There’s plenty of shoulder space for two adults (three would have to be on fairly convivial terms), although three kids would have no problem.
The boot is a good size, too, offering 573 litres when the rear seats are in use, and 1518 litres when they’re folded down. There’s a step in the boot floor when the seats are down, but the low loading height makes sliding in large items pretty easy anyway.
Entry-level ‘Access’ trim is best avoided, because it came with pretty much nothing. For example, there isn’t even an audio system, just the wiring for one. A far better option is the mid-spec ‘Ambiance’, with central locking, Bluetooth, CD/radio, and electrically powered front windows.
If you want to shell out a bit more, the ‘Laureate’ trim is for you, because it adds alloy wheels, air conditioning, electrically adjustable (and heated) door mirrors, cruise control and electrically operated rear windows.
How does it drive?
The Dacia Logan MCV was initially offered with a couple of petrol engines – a 73bhp 1.2-litre engine which gives the car the verve of a glacier, and an 89bhp 0.9-litre turbo that’s much more enthusiastic.
However, if you tow regularly, the 1.5dCi diesel that arrived a few months down the line is the
