Should I buy a 3 year old Renault Duster petrol CVT

We are generally sedate drivers. Maintaining constant speed of 100-120 kmph on highways.

BHPian Vasanth recently shared this with other enthusiasts.

Is a used Renault Duster a good buy?

So we have always admired the Duster. From its looks, capability, road presence, and most importantly enormous boot space. The Duster would be our first pick in the compact SUV shopping market. (Also we’ve never driven or owned an SUV ever before)

Our garage:

• Honda Brio (2016).
• Mercedes-Benz CLA 200 CDI (2017).

Let me share some info about the car. It belongs to our relative. He is looking forward to upgrade to a bigger vehicle:

• Model: RXS.
• Engine: 1.5 petrol.
• Gearbox: CVT.
• Has covered: <19,000 km.
• 2019 model (3 years old).
• Price: Rs. 9 lakhs (negotiable).

Neither me or dad has driven the car. So it would be really helpful if members of this forum share opinions based on your ownership or driving experience.

The 1.5 L petrol engine output looks meek on paper. Is that adequate on the highway? Does it feel underpowered? We have plans for a Himalayas road trip in the future. We are capable of driving continuously for 15 hours.

How is the fuel consumption for a petrol Duster? Our driving would be on the highway for 80% of the time.

We have not driven a CVT equipped car before. We are generally sedate drivers. Maintaining constant speed of 100-120 kmph on highways. How well does it respond if we need to do a quick overtaking?

Is 9 lakhs for a well maintained 3 year old car little too expensive?

We do not care much about the cheap plastics used on the dash and steering wheel. No regrets about not having sunroof, cooled seats, air purifiers, and ambient lighting. We love the old school charm of the Duster as it is.

Other alternative: New Tata Nexon. (but we’re not very fond of the rear end styling). We love that car too. But not as much as the Duster. What are the pros and cons while choosing between Duster and Nexon?

• Big No to Korean sisters.
• Brezza and S-Cross: They is too common.
• Kushaq: Too many issues. And it’s also overpriced.
• XUV300: Good car but the boot space is a joke.

Please feel free to share about cons and pros of the Duster, what to expect and what not to expect, driving dynamics, reliability concerns if any.

Thank you.

Here's what BHPian Freerevvingguy had to say on the matter:

Hi Vasanth,

My brother in law has a 2017 Renault Duster. The car is good as such. It is very capable, though I found the suspension to be a bit stiff. Maintenance is a bit on a higher side especially if you take it for company service. Before making the final decision, please research about the service experience of other owners. If you are from Kerala, I will 100% not recommend Renault if you plan to give for company service as the TVS service is the worst here. Don't know about outside Kerala though. Anyways all the best.

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