Dacia Logan MCV (2013 – 2019) Review

Dacia Logan MCV (2013 – 2019) At A Glance

4/5
Honest John Overall Rating
Go for the Dacia Logan MCV and you're not buying a stylish, or prestigious car, but it's an honest package that chimes nicely with these times of austerity-led belt-tightening.

+Impressive value for a new car, cheap to run, easy to drive.

-Feels cheap, miserly specification on base model, prices creeping up.

Insurance Groups are between 3–12
On average it achieves 80% of the official MPG figure

The Dacia Logan MCV is one of the cheapest estate cars on sale today, and in terms of space it competes with the likes of the Skoda Fabia Estate, the Ford Focus Estate and the Vauxhall Astra Sports Tourer despite being significantly cheaper than any of them. It takes a similar no-frills approach to the rest of the Dacia range, but in MCV form offers more space than any other offering from the brand. If you have to buy new but need the space, then the Logan MCV offers strong value and plenty of room, even if the rest of the package is somewhat less impressive.

The Dacia Logan MCV five-seater estate was launched in Europe in March 2012 but it took more than a year to arrive on the UK market. However it has managed to make a significant impact, being able to lay claim that in its most basic Access form, it's the cheapest estate car money can buy.

The MCV (for Maximum Capacity Vehicle) is a more conventional estate than its predecessor. That car sat on a long-wheelbase and could double as a seven seater.

This one, which sits on the same platform as the Sandero, can't quite do that, but it's still a commodious estate, with a 573-litre load bay with the rear seats up - and 1518 litres with them down. You're looking at Focus/Astra levels of room at sub-Fiesta money.

Dacia are more keen on you purchasing a higher-specification Essential or Comfort model for more money, but the bottom line is that the Access strips out all kinds of standard equipment in order to deliver that remarkable price tag of £8,495.

Go for this option and it’s almost a case of what you don’t get as standard rather than what you do; there’s no electric windows, air conditioning, electric mirrors or even a stereo system - just the pre-wiring so you can fit your own.

Similarly the mechanical specification is adequate rather than game-changing, all in the name of keeping costs down. As a part of tUnder the bonnet the Logan MCV can be fitted with one of a number of well-proven Renault engines.

The earliest models came with a choice of a 1.2-litre petrol, a 0.9-litre turbocharged petrol and a 1.5-litre diesel, and in 2016 the 1.2-litre petrol was replaced with a more efficient 0.9-litre petrol. All of the engine options are here for efficiency reasons only; performance is modest, but fuel economy is strong whichever version you go for.

Driving the Logan MCV isn’t a hardship, but there’s not much pleasure to be gained from it either. The engines aren’t too noisy and offer reasonable performance, but the ride quality is middling and there’s no pay-off with good handling either.

It does the job required of it without protest, but it doesn’t exactly welcome you into undertaking a journey in it with the promise of comfort or fun. If you choose to try and press on, the Logan MCV has modest grip and little in the way of steering feel, so it discourages you from messing around.

And that makes it a compelling buy. Even in its most loaded Laureate form, which costs £10,795, it undercuts all of its rivals by a significant margin. 

Looking for a second opinion? Read heycar's Dacia Logan MCV review.

Ask Honest John

The roof in my Dacia Logan MCV has come loose, how do I fix it?

"We bought this car from new, and have basically been very pleased with it, as it's reliable and cheap to run, but over the last few months, the 'loose' roof lining has caused a horrible thumping noise which can only be stopped by a rear seated passenger pushing up on the ceiling. It seems light the inner soft material has come 'unstuck' from the metal roof or something causing a sort of vibration? I did contact Dacia at Basingstoke where we bought it about this, but they only wanted to look at it if they charge for the time, and as they weren't sure how long it would, or what was required to fix it, they would give an idea of cost, so we couldn't do that. "
It is common practice for main dealers and garages to charge for their time when examining a problem, as until they physically examine a fault they are unable to determine how much time it will take to fix. If you need to make the repair yourself, you will need to examine the area between the roof lining and the roof to determine if there is something loose or if it is just a matter of the roof lining becoming detatched. You may require new clips to secure the roof lining into position, or alternatively contact adhesive may be a better option.
Answered by David Ross

What SUV has a low boot floor for my elderly dog?

"What SUV would you recommend for a new purchase with no boot sill and low ground to boot floor measurement for a labrador to jump in? Not too high sills on passenger side for elderly passenger with dodgy knees. On average about 6000 miles driven a year."
Generally speaking SUVs have higher loading heights than conventional cars on account of their taller bodies and higher ride heights, so if you are looking for the lowest possible entry point to the boot area we would suggest looking at cars like the Skoda Fabia Estate or Octavia Estate, the Dacia Logan MCV or Vauxhall Astra Estate.
Answered by David Ross

My partner has a phobia of modern technology - can you recommend a suitable replacement for their ageing Audi?

"My partner drives a 2003 Audi A6 Avant TDi with 200+ miles on the clock and has a phobia of change. Which modern estate car: a) has a large flat load area (>1800 mm L x 1000 mm W between arches). b) is fun and does not feel correspondingly massive to drive. c) has a mostly analogue feel and is not overburdened with 'drive-by' software."
A Dacia Logan MCV will probably be the best car for your partner. It isn't as plush or as fun to drive as the latest Audis, but you do get old school interior with lots of physical buttons and dials. The load width between rear wheel arches is 990mm and you get 1850mm of loadspace when you lower the rear seats: https://www.honestjohn.co.uk/carbycar/dacia/logan-mcv-2013/ If your partner needs more space and a better driving experience then they will need to overcome their phobia of change and find a Skoda Octavia Estate. It's a much better car than the Dacia but has lots of tech that your partner may need to adapt to: https://www.honestjohn.co.uk/carbycar/skoda/octavia-estate-2013/
Answered by Dan Powell

We need a reliable 'dogmobile' with a low load height for our Labrador. Can you suggest something cheap?

"I'm looking for a 'cheap' estate with a very low boot lip to use a a dogmobile for our Labrador. She’s reluctant to jump into anything too high. What’s a reliable runner for around £5000? It will be a second car only for dog use. Cheers."
Estate versions of the Skoda Fabia or the bigger Octavia could be a good choice. They're very practical for their size, have low boot lips and offer good value for money. Avoid diesel engines, though, as they can be unreliable if used for short journeys. A Vauxhall Astra Estate represents excellent value for money, too, as does a Dacia Logan MCV.
Answered by Andrew Brady
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