Alternative to Land Rover products.

Hi
I never really considered an Audi. Are the newer VAG diesel engines and emission systems reliable? I think they offer a petrol too.
I was in Puebla Mexico 2016 for the Q5s production transfer from Ingolstadt Germany to a newly built factory there in the middle of nowhere due to most of the production going up to the states with far less for the rest of the world. The comments I was hearing often was that the quality will take them 10 years to get to the old German level.
 
Iv got the 21 plate and tbh Dacia are useless cancelled my order for the new one. Wouldn’t waste my cash on another.

OP. The new Santa fae looks decent
Was it just customer service or did you suffer other problems ? I`ve been quite tempted to get the new Dacia Bigster, although It won`t be able to tow the weight my Disco 2 can.
 
Was it just customer service or did you suffer other problems ? I`ve been quite tempted to get the new Dacia Bigster, although It won`t be able to tow the weight my Disco 2 can.

Long story short bought a 21 plate from a non Dacia garage. Had some issues quickly felt like clutch or possibly software.

Called Dacia who said as it was only 2.5 years old with 26k they would do the software update foc. Which they duly did and not been right since it’s been back to Dacia 4 times roughly once every month because they have literally no service staff and you can’t book it in.

Now it’s out of warranty and they just tried to charge me £500 for a diagnostics tes and whatever else is wrong will be extra. Though graciously they may and it’s a may help with the cost of parts. An example of this was it needed a new clutch hose whilst all this was going on was told their warranty won’t cover it and had to pay full whack. Wasn’t much but was enough to annoy me.

Have to say not impressed overall but I can only partially lay the blame at Dacia door as I think I just bought a lemon.

So now I’m stuck with a car I can’t move on, dash is lit up like a Xmas tree and all told probably be £2k to fix on a 12.5k car 😂.

Other than that it’s a great little car albeit a bit tight when you got reds on the back haha.
 
Hi
I never really considered an Audi. Are the newer VAG diesel engines and emission systems reliable? I think they offer a petrol too.
Yes there are petrol versions too but I have had no engine or emmission issues with the 3ltr diesel engines I have had even secondhand.
 
Get a Touareg I have had one since 2015 that I gave my folks it’s now done 115k and aside from consumable parts it’s never missed a beat and even on the low profile tyres it’s been capable of everything I have thrown at it off road including 4 years living in the mountains of Europe, if it had proper tyres would be very good granted not capable like a truck or Land Rover but wins in other places. Economy is solid for a big car and remapped at 300bhp it’s got a ton of poke and could probably pull an ocean liner.

Wouldn’t have a Porsche ( not that there not good vehicles) for the simple reason anything Porsche that requires main dealer or approved garage is bloody expensive as my mate with a macan just found out. VW in comparison always been reasonable.
My Cayenne is no more expensive to run than my Discoveries were for servicing. In my experience with a V8 diesel over 6 years the dealers don't lie in the same way LR ones do, I can have a new car equivalent warranty on an old car that works out at about £1Kpa, I have seen over 40mpg but I didn't buy it for its economy it is much more fun with the loud pedal and without doubt the most comfortable car I have ever owned even on 21" wheels (it does have air suspension). I did drive it over the fells in the Lake District with no problem but I don't take it offroad. Most importantly it gives me a huge grin every time I drive it.
 
I was on the first Cayenne cockpit development in Germany 2000-2002 with weekly visits to the joint Cayenne/Touareg design office, I had spent a year in the Porsche styling studio in 1990 and could not understand why they wanted to go SUV. I think you might have shown me why (never been off road) :stir:
 
It’s a sports car not an off-roader is how Porsche described it to me. It’s a great family car to me that is fun to drive, 0-60 in 5.2s and sticks to the road in way a big car shouldn’t they did a great job imho.
 
Just a silly question, but has anybody tried a 4x4 Fiat Panda. Just for the odd deer? I know one lad who says they are good off road.
Asking for the wife (but I'll probably use it too🤣).
 
Long story short bought a 21 plate from a non Dacia garage. Had some issues quickly felt like clutch or possibly software.

Called Dacia who said as it was only 2.5 years old with 26k they would do the software update foc. Which they duly did and not been right since it’s been back to Dacia 4 times roughly once every month because they have literally no service staff and you can’t book it in.

Now it’s out of warranty and they just tried to charge me £500 for a diagnostics tes and whatever else is wrong will be extra. Though graciously they may and it’s a may help with the cost of parts. An example of this was it needed a new clutch hose whilst all this was going on was told their warranty won’t cover it and had to pay full whack. Wasn’t much but was enough to annoy me.

Have to say not impressed overall but I can only partially lay the blame at Dacia door as I think I just bought a lemon.

So now I’m stuck with a car I can’t move on, dash is lit up like a Xmas tree and all told probably be £2k to fix on a 12.5k car 😂.

Other than that it’s a great little car albeit a bit tight when you got reds on the back haha.
Thank`s, I appreciate you letting us know & it`s good to know how they handle issues. As you say though, you may of just been unlucky buying someone else`s problem car they had offloaded to a non dealer.
 
Thank`s, I appreciate you letting us know & it`s good to know how they handle issues. As you say though, you may of just been unlucky buying someone else`s problem car they had offloaded to a non dealer.

Undoubtedly I have bought a lemon but their CS isn’t great but I guess when they have to sell cars so cheap there’s got to be compromises.
 
Just a silly question, but has anybody tried a 4x4 Fiat Panda. Just for the odd deer? I know one lad who says they are good off road.
Asking for the wife (but I'll probably use it too🤣).
Fantastic things with big nobbly snow tyres. The only thing is Tony will need to be onsite to keep putting it back together. Similar to LR they seem determined to fall apart.
 
I'm having great trouble finding anything compact, 4.3m ish, new and in diesel thats not a JLR vehicle. The anti diesel eco fascists seem to have got everything else off the market
 
Just a silly question, but has anybody tried a 4x4 Fiat Panda. Just for the odd deer? I know one lad who says they are good off road.
Asking for the wife (but I'll probably use it too🤣).
There is a guy on YouTube with a channel called Pedro the Panda and he has done some mods to his but it's definitely capable looking at some of his videos.
 
Back
Top