Dacia Sandero TCe 90 Bi-Fuel – 2017 – 281,386 km – Clock Around

Isn’t even an electric car cheaper to drive? At least not on the basis of energy costs. Even a Dacia Spring is less affordable than the Sandero on LPG, although you do not pay motor vehicle tax for the EV and spend less on maintenance. Based on 20,000 km per year, the petrol Sandero is just under €60 per month more expensive than the gas variant. The difference in mrb is only a tenner per month. “Riding as cheaply as possible was the approach for me,” admits Sietse candidly. “Well, it could have been even cheaper if I hadn’t gone for the most luxurious version, but a little pampering should be possible. That is why I also opted for leather upholstery as an extra option.” Sietse’s previous car was a gas-powered Mitsubishi Colt. Also nice and economical, but unfortunately the cylinder head turned out not to be very resistant to LPG. “But otherwise it was a very reliable cart.” Even his first car ran on gas, a Fiat 133. Sietse installed the LPG himself at the time. “I remember very well that I drove to Budapest in one day, which was more than 1,600 kilometers. The first ride with the Sandero was also a big one, namely to Montpellier. In 2017 you filled up for 45 cents per litre, now that is around 85 cents. The difference with petrol has always been about one euro.”

With the caravan behind the Sandero to the North Cape

That Sietse likes to tinker himself becomes clear when we talk about his hobby project, an old Volkswagen Caddy pick-up with a camper construction. The original engine was replaced by a five-speed turbo diesel with intercooler. “Nice to tinker with and fun to be on the road with. Nevertheless, I made my trip to the North Cape with the Sandero. I always thought it was special to be able to read a book in daylight in the middle of the night. So I hitched a small caravan to the hitch and set off for the far north. As little as possible with the boat and as much driving as possible, that was the approach.” On return, the counter was 7,000 kilometers further. Sometimes Sietse drove on petrol, but LPG is available here and there in Norway. He had to update the navigation beforehand because not all the map material was in the memory. But the journey itself went smoothly and the pulling power of that three-cylinder did not disappoint Sietse. “Apart from normal maintenance, I once had a problem. A cooling hose wore through, in my opinion a construction defect. The dealer and the importer saw that differently and he had just come out of the warranty period. It did not cost any money, but a little leniency would have been nice in my opinion.”

Turbo kicks in slowly

If we take a look at the technology, it is striking that a gas spring pushes the bonnet open. And that for a car that had to stay as cheap as possible! Judge Tim de Leeuw immediately starts working with a special measuring instrument to check the operation of the turbo. “I just read the computer via the OBD, I already see various error messages,” says Tim. “While driving, it was immediately noticeable that the turbo is slow to start. It looks like it has been worked on in the past. You feel that the engine lacks power.” Sietse can confirm that. “It is not a fast car anyway. It has been running in malfunction for quite a long time and that sluggish throttle response has always been, I don’t know any better. To be honest it doesn’t bother me, I drive a lot of long distances and that’s fine. I never drive faster than 100 km/h, even if that is allowed.” The additional consumption at 130 is Sietse not worth the small time gain.

Even on lpg 1 to 15 with the Sandero

For example, he almost always gets 1 in 15 and he only needs to refuel after six hundred kilometers. “I do that via the trip meter, because those LEDs near the gas button are not to be trusted at all.” The maintenance costs will be higher from now on due to the mileage, thinks Sietse. “I aim to complete the 500,000 kilometers, so another five years of driving. I recently viewed the Dacia Jogger Hybrid because I would really like an automatic transmission. But I don’t need more than that.”

Now on to the 500,000 kilometers

A Dacia on LPG is just about the cheapest way to drive a car. Someone who took this to heart is Sietse Sinnema. He bought a brand new Sandero in 2017 and is now almost three hundred thousand further. So far without extremely high costs and he is, just like us, curious whether the white piggy bank can continue to half a million.

What’s wrong with it?

• Front shock absorbers swing all the way to the end stop
• Turbo comes up to pressure much too late
• Car is very dirty outside and inside
• Clutch engages very late
• Bonk under the seat (paint can)
• Bonnet jammed when opened
• Rear brakes squeal
• Fault on turbo pressure control, accelerator pedal position sensor and cylinder 2 misfire
• Brake fluid is very dark in color
• Control valve at the turbo is loose
• Front shock absorber bump stops are cracked and decayed
• Tires Are Old (2014)

The opinion of Carrec Technocenter

“The car is pretty dirty on the outside and especially on the inside. Although the mileage is not very high and the car is just under six years old, it no longer drives well. In particular, the slow throttle response, the almost worn clutch and the worn front shock absorbers ruin the driving experience. But he is worth making right.”