[Vid6639]

Originally Posted by ravee_nk

What kind of exterior paint protection is feasible, desirable for Duster? I'll much appreciate any suggestions. Cheers

Teflon coat is a gimmick. Basically what you would need is a nice coating of wax over the body to have the duster (california duster, no pun intended) glide over the body.

Either one can wax themselves or hop over to the 3M store in HSR and get a new car paint protection treatment done.

Also, for regular cleaning you can get a rinseless wash like like Optimum. Your welcome to try mine. I just did it yesterday.

[BUXX]

Originally Posted by h.s.r

Please elaborate what kind of problem you are facing with the door opener.

Came back from 2700 Kms trip to one of the most extreme places in India.
Duster performed superbly.
Will post pictures later.

hi ,

The door opener handle is not working properly.. I have to try multiple times at it, before the door opens.

[nkrishnap]

Originally Posted by BUXX

hi ,

The door opener handle is not working properly.. I have to try multiple times at it, before the door opens.

Seems to be that the cable inside is not fixed properly. It should be a quick fix and do check the lock alignment too, that can cause a bit of hardship to open and close the door.

[Waxeloquent]

Originally Posted by Vid6639

Teflon coat is a gimmick. Basically what you would need is a nice coating of wax over the body to have the duster (california duster, no pun intended) glide over the body.

Either one can wax themselves or hop over to the 3M store in HSR and get a new car paint protection treatment done.

Also, for regular cleaning you can get a rinseless wash like like Optimum. Your welcome to try mine. I just did it yesterday.

Thanks Vid May be it was psychological but felt with Teflon coating the cleaning was easier. Anyway talked to Mr. Sidhu at 3M HSR and he suggested pretty much what you have said. Will get it done today. Cheers

[indian21r]

Originally Posted by amitdan

have narrowed down to the Duster and the Vento. This pattern is surprisingly consistent.

We are also in a Similar dilemma now. The car is for my Brother in law. He likes Vento/Rapid(Most probably will lean towards Vento for the steering mounted controls, And Rapid is working out as expensive as Vento) While my Dad is suggesting a Duster (I was keen on Yeti but dropped it after seeing the price). Having test driven both of them back to back I found both of them good to drive. Either of them will meet our requirement for city drive and occasional Highway drive.

Duster 85 has 4 months waiting while 110 has 1-2 months. For Vento there is immediate delivery with decent discounts too. Now there is chance of increase in both VAT and road tax from 1st April, net hike of 5%. I am wondering if the wait for the Duster will be worth it. As of now Price difference between 85ps and vento is close to 2 lakhs. After March it may increase to 2.6 lakhs or more if Renault hikes again . Some of my observations

• Mileage etc are not a problem. Will be happy to see 13-14 kmpl in City drive.
• Maintenance wise Duster is supposed to cost around Rs 3k for every 10000 km while it will be around Rs 10k for every 15000 km on Vento.
• Finish wise Vento is better than the Duster. Prefer a car without rattles
• Vento AC was good with Climate Control. Duster test drive AC was non working and it was hell to drive.
• One stop Auto Touch down windows is a nice feature on Vento. Duster lacks this for even the driver
• Duster good street presence and handled really well. Good pick up as well. Leaning towards 110 for some additional features. But ours being majority city driving what is recommended 85 or 110.
• How is the review for the Hyderabad Service center. Are they competent enough to tackle all the problems
• Rear legroom with the rear air conditioner vent (110ps) feels the same in both and makes them 4 seater only. Both have really huge Boot Capacity.

I know we are comparing 2 different cars but since we have narrowed down to them, I would like opinion of the team here.

[Clouseau]

Originally Posted by BUXX

Hi Clouseau: where are you getting the vehicle serviced and how's the experience been? I went to the Renault South Delhi/GGN workshop for the first service and it was pathetic. Planning to go soon to the Noida one and see if its any better. This rattle/creaking issue is bugging me a lot and I dunno whether Renault A$4 can actually solve anything.

Hi BUXX,

For the only service so far (1st) I went to the same Renault Ggn workshop. It wasn't great - essentially fluid level checks and a washing/cleaning. We could try Noida (as you suggested) or the West Delhi one. Any feedback on these two options - anyone?

Cheers!

[jkdas]

Originally Posted by indian21r

We are also in a Similar dilemma now. The car is for my Brother in law. He likes Vento/Rapid(Most probably will lean towards Vento for the steering mounted controls, And Rapid is working out as expensive as Vento) While my Dad is suggesting a Duster (I was keen on Yeti but dropped it after seeing the price). Having test driven both of them back to back I found both of them good to drive. Either of them will meet our requirement for city drive and occasional Highway drive.

Duster 85 has 4 months waiting while 110 has 1-2 months. For Vento there is immediate delivery with decent discounts too. Now there is chance of increase in both VAT and road tax from 1st April, net hike of 5%. I am wondering if the wait for the Duster will be worth it. As of now Price difference between 85ps and vento is close to 2 lakhs. After March it may increase to 2.6 lakhs or more if Renault hikes again . Some of my observations
I know we are comparing 2 different cars but since we have narrowed down to them, I would like opinion of the team here.

The 85bhp one will be easier to drive coz of lesser turbo lag and the 110 on highway as per user reports here. Ampere's posts should help you.

The engine in Renault's will be better too and its almost like the 2nd national engine after DDIS.

And in case your feel for some highway crusie, you should be happier in a Duster.

[Clouseau]

Originally Posted by srameshdelhi

Got the first service done today of my RXL 85 ps.

Unlike others, I did not have any issues with the car worthy to report. But the Renault Delhi West work shop is one hell of a cramped place. I wonder how Renault agreed for such a cramped place to be kept as their authorised service centre for a city like Delhi....Can anybody suggest how to change from one folder to another folder when using a USB drive?

Ramesh

Hi Ramesh,

So it seems Renault West Delhi service centre isn't better than Renault Gurgaon. Now let's wait for feedback for the Noida one!
BTW my 85 is giving me 18+ in the city. Got a trip to Rajasthan this week so let's see what the highway mileage is.
The USB folder issue was a problem for me too so I just copied all the songs into the root directory (all in the same directory) of the pen drive. that took care of that!

Cheers!

[BUXX]

There is one more option: the Renault East Delhi .. They have their workshop on the Delhi-Meerut road (near to the Toyota showroom) about 10kms from Dabur/Indirapuram)

I am planning to visit the Noida workshop around the 5K mark for a general check and a hopeful shot at resolving multiple issues (Door handle, multiple rattles, extra horn, seat creaking)

[ampere]

Originally Posted by indian21r

• Mileage etc are not a problem. Will be happy to see 13-14 kmpl in City drive.
• Maintenance wise Duster is supposed to cost around Rs 3k for every 10000 km while it will be around Rs 10k for every 15000 km on Vento.
• Finish wise Vento is better than the Duster. Prefer a car without rattles
• Vento AC was good with Climate Control. Duster test drive AC was non working and it was hell to drive.
• One stop Auto Touch down windows is a nice feature on Vento. Duster lacks this for even the driver
• Duster good street presence and handled really well. Good pick up as well. Leaning towards 110 for some additional features. But ours being majority city driving what is recommended 85 or 110.
• How is the review for the Hyderabad Service center. Are they competent enough to tackle all the problems
• Rear legroom with the rear air conditioner vent (110ps) feels the same in both and makes them 4 seater only. Both have really huge Boot Capacity.

I know we are comparing 2 different cars but since we have narrowed down to them, I would like opinion of the team here.

- Do you need high seating or a fast sedan. I guess thats the decision you need to make.
- 85bhp drives like a petrol car. Turbo kicks at almost 1200 rpm itself!
- But dont expect it to be quick on the highway. If you drive sedate and you are contended at 80-100kmph, then the Duster 85 is for you.
- But once you decide on this, then you cannot debate about plastics of one versus the other. True: the sedan (Vento) is more plush, but then stick to which priority you would like to adhere to.
- You can also later drape Duster with leather, to make it look more premium.
- The Duster 85 should return an FE anything from 15-19 depending on traffic and AC usage.

[srameshdelhi]

Originally Posted by Clouseau

Hi Ramesh,

So it seems Renault West Delhi service centre isn't better than Renault Gurgaon. Now let's wait for feedback for the Noida one!
BTW my 85 is giving me 18+ in the city. Got a trip to Rajasthan this week so let's see what the highway mileage is.
The USB folder issue was a problem for me too so I just copied all the songs into the root directory (all in the same directory) of the pen drive. that took care of that!

Cheers!

Thanks.

Talking about USB Drive Folders, if you copy all songs in one folder, it will make it more difficult to search, isn't it?

I have about 200 songs in total in my USB drive. They are in 10 different folders. How do I choose a specific folder to play without going through one by one song?

Can some tech savvy member comment?

Ramesh

[addyhemmige]

Originally Posted by Clouseau

The USB folder issue was a problem for me too so I just copied all the songs into the root directory (all in the same directory) of the pen drive. that took care of that!

Originally Posted by srameshdelhi

Talking about USB Drive Folders, if you copy all songs in one folder, it will make it more difficult to search, isn't it?

I have about 200 songs in total in my USB drive. They are in 10 different folders. How do I choose a specific folder to play without going through one by one song?

Can some tech savvy member comment?

Ramesh

I'm not sure what exactly you guys are telling here. Are you telling that you cannot select different folders or songs located in a different folder?

I haven't faced such a problem in my Duster. There is a 'return' button on the system. This is located below button 5 and there is a 'U' shaped arrow symbol on it. If you press this button, the display shows the previous folder or root directory. The root directory displays the list of folders or songs or both. You can use the central rotary to scroll up and down the list and to select the folder or song, you need to press the rotary. If you have sub-folders within the folders, just repeat the above steps till you reach the desired song.

I usually have songs in a couple of folders and also some sub folders and I have never faced any problem in selecting any song. You cannot do this with the remote control stalk though.

[desidino]

Format the USB drive as FAT 32. Not NTFS. Should solve the folder issue.

[torquing_points]

Originally Posted by indian21r

[*]Duster good street presence and handled really well. Good pick up as well. Leaning towards 110 for some additional features. But ours being majority city driving what is recommended 85 or 110.

I recently picked up an 85 RXL(o). For driving in the city, you *must* get the 85, not the 110. The clutch is lighter, and the second / third gear is more versatile so you dont need to shift as much.

Duster v/s Vento:

Duster Wins:
Driving position
Ground Clearance
Value for money
Resale Value
Mileage
Medium sized cabin, yet it looks large and airy
Ruggedness - rock solid reliability as proven by the Logan

Vento Wins:
Premium fit and finish
Premium brand
Sleeker looking
No door creaks
Better audio system
Handling
No cutting of corners

As you can see, the Vento and the Duster are two very different cars. When you shut your eyes and see yourself driving somewhere - what do you see? A high car ploughing through whatever you throw at the car, or a sleekish sedan running smoothly? Theyre as different as chalk and cheese.

PS - on a different note, it is alarming how many people are talking about the Duster's 4x4-like capabilities. I own one. This is *not* an off roader. This is a (great) bad-roader, but pelase please dont go off roading in this thing, particularly by yourself. At least take a real 4x4 along with you to pull you out when you invariably get stuck. The 4x4 version of the Dacia Duster might be the cheapest off-roader in the UK -- but here in India, this 4 x 2 with no LSD, locking differentials etc and sparse power could land you in a soup if you overestimate the capability of the vehicle just because of the way it looks.

[ssmani]

Hello All,

I would like to share you that Chennai Renault dealer provides "Pick-up and Drop" at your door step for regular services. I was enjoying this facility from Chevy at Bangalore. It is really handy to send your vehicle on weekdays and I no need to take off on that day.

Yesterday I have booked for 1st service (2000 km), I got a slot on Wednesday. I am happy to use this service because I can use Good Friday weekend for another long trip. Last week I had a long drive (Chennai to Mysore), Duster rocks!!! I will write a report shortly.