Dacia Logan MCV 2013-2020 review | A small car with a huge boot

What is the Dacia Logan MCV?

If you think of Dacia as the Aldi of the motoring world, then you would probably find the Logan MCV next to the misshapen veg and broken biscuits. Ok, so that’s probably a bit harsh, especially given the minuscule amounts of money involved here.

When new, the Logan MCV undercut cars like the Vauxhall Astra and Ford Focus estates by thousands of pounds, and even though Dacias hang onto their value surprisingly well, you’ll still pick up a much younger/lower-mileage version of the Logan for a lot less than an equivalently mainstream rival.

In the UK, the Logan was only ever offered in estate form. It’s a no-nonsense car that focuses on practicality with no attempt to outdo the neighbours.

How practical is it?

This is where the Logan really scores big. As well as being big on value, it’s exceedingly big on space. The boot is mighty impressive, measuring 573 litres. To give that figure context, that’s actually three litres more than you get in a BMW 5 Series Touring estate, a huge car that sits several size classes up and costs four times as much. What's more, the boot space expands to 1,518 with the 60/40 split rear seats folded down.

It’s easy to pack, too, thanks to the flush load lip, although it's not the last word in practicality, because the tailgate can only be opened using the ignition key or a lever by the driver’s seat – there’s no button or handle on the tailgate itself. There are other niggles too; the rear seatbacks don’t sit totally flat when folded, and the parcel shelf is quite awkward to remove.

At least that near-horizontal roofline and lengthy wheelbase provides plenty of head- and legroom for four adults. We say four, because the middle seat cushion of the rear bench seat is narrow, a tunnel in the floor limits foot space, and the central seatbelt needs to be pulled down from the roof rather than from the seat itself.

What's it like to drive?

Underneath, the Logan was cobbled together from a collection of Renault's cast-offs, but despite that, it’s an easy car to bimble around in, thanks to its light steering and accessible performance.

That said, the suspension is not the most comfortable or the most cultured, making a choppy meal of poor surfaces a lot of the time, while heading onto the motorway ups the levels of wind- and road noise by a significant amount.

No one expects the Logan to turn into a track terrier when the road turns twisty, but even gentle turns of the steering wheel result in plenty of body roll, and things feel all the more roly-poly due to the squidgy, unsupportive quality of the seats.

Next to the vintage foundations, the engine line up looks positively space age. A relatively modern pair of three-cylinder petrol engines – a 1.0-litre and a 0.9-litre turbo – are supplemented by a 1.5-litre diesel that delivers strong low- and mid-range pull and a surprising turn of pace when required. The entry-level engine in early cars was an ancient and breathless 1.2-litre petrol, though, and this is worth avoiding when buying used.

The bad news is, because of the fundamental lack of soundproofing, all of the engines can get pretty vocal, and they also transmit plenty of vibration through the pedals and the steering wheel.

As with the rest of the Dacia range, however, these criticisms of the Logan need to be taken in context. Even when it was brand new, the Logan wasn’t much more than half the price that you could spend on some cars that were notionally its competitors. And although it lags behind in a lot of areas, it remains a perfectly usable car for not a lot of money.

Technology, equipment & infotainment

Technology isn’t really a word that you associate with the Logan. The base-spec Access model originally didn’t even come with a radio. It did, however, give you hill start-assist, electronic stability control, traction control, LED lights and - wait for it - a 12-volt socket.

Not what you were looking for? Well, the Ambiance model offers a significant step up, with air conditioning, Bluetooth and USB connectivity for the stereo, plus DAB radio and a height-adjustable driver's seat.

Given the relatively low prices across the board, it’s well worth stretching to the top-spec Laureate model. This adds cruise control, rear parking sensors, electrically adjustable door mirrors, height adjustment for the driver's seat and steering wheel and a MediaNav Evolution touchscreen, which includes satnav, Apple CarPlay/Android Auto smartphone connectivity and voice command recognition. The most desirable options, including leather seats, were also only available with this model.

Later on, some of the trim levels were renamed so that the range included Access, Essential and Comfort versions, but kit levels remained broadly similar.

Pick carefully, and you should be able to find a Logan with all the mod cons that you could reasonably expect from a budget car, when it comes to comfort and entertainment. Our only fundamental gripe is the lack of safety kit. You have to think that four airbags isn’t really enough in what is ostensibly a family vehicle, and so did Euro NCAP when it dished out a stingingly critical three-star rating; scoring the Logan just 57% for Adult Occupancy Protection.

Dacia Logan MCV running costs

As a new car, the most compelling thing about the Logan was its almost unbelievably low pricing. Getting a full-sized, five-seat estate car for the same kind of cash more usually associated with city cars or superminis seemed almost too good to be true.

And, although Dacias retain their value surprisingly well, prices were so low to begin with that they are also incredible value as used buys. With low-mileage examples of the Logan changing hands for about the same price as a winter Caribbean cruise, it’s easy to see why you might be tempted.

The 1.0-litre engine returns a very reasonable 52.3mpg on the official combined cycle, but because of its turbocharging technology, the TCe 90 0.9-litre petrol engine is far more potent, and officially it also returns 57 mpg.

Although it's rather agricultural, the turbo diesel-engined dCi 90 posts hugely impressive fuel economy figure of between 60mpg and 80mpg, so it’s sure to pop up on the radar of many taxi drivers. As well as being cheap to fuel, the Logan will cost you very little to insure, with groupings ranging from just 2 to 12.

Recommended service intervals for Dacias stand at one year or 12,000 miles, whichever comes first. This includes an oil and filter change, a new cabin filter, a top-up of all fluid levels, including air-conditioning, brakes and an all-round inspection of all the vehicle's features, including brake wear and battery health.

The timing belt and water pump will also need changing every five years or between 60,000 and 160,000 miles, and you may also have to budget for shock absorber changes, which Dacia recommends should be changed every 48,000 miles or four years.

Dacia even has its own approved used programme, which includes a 12-month warranty and 12 months’ breakdown cover on vehicles of all ages.

Dacia Logan MCV reliability

The Logan is based on extremely basic Renault mechanical parts that have been tried and tested over many years in many different models. This relative lack of mechanical and electrical complexity contributes massively to its sturdy reliability.

Having said that, the earliest Logan MCVs are now more than 10 years old, and given their relatively cheap componentry, it's no surprise that they're starting to suffer from niggly problems like trim rattles and water leaks.

Some faults with the catalytic converters and engine management systems have been reported by owners, but even replacing these items isn’t going to break the bank. That's because Dacias are easy to work on, so labour rates are low, and also, parts are easily sourced and affordable.

Logans are also cheap to fix if you happen to incur any body damage, which, along with their limited performance, goes a long way towards explaining why insurance rates are so low.