What do users think of this super spacious MPV?
Budget brand Dacia has a number of fixed values and a few models that come and go. The Dacia Lodgy falls into the second category: arrived in 2012, gone in 2021. The Lodgy needs little text and explanation, a picture is enough to tell its story. Indeed: it is above all ridiculously square and therefore at least as ridiculously spacious. What you don’t see in the picture is how the car works in practice. That’s why we check the user reviews. What we find? In any case, a copy with 450,000 kilometers on the counter…
The Dacia recipe hardly needs any explanation. The models are built with proven Renault technology, given a pragmatic look. Where the current Duster and Sandero still do their best to keep up with the fashion trends, the Lodgy has been developed according to the original philosophy: lots of space, little money. Initially, a TCe 115, a well-known 1.2-liter four-cylinder, is housed under the hood. From 2019, the TCe 130 will take over: it is the at least as well-known 1.3 with also four cylinders. Are you curious about the fuel consumption of a Lodgy? You can read more about that in this article.
Lodgy: spacious, but how spacious?
Users hardly need to emphasize that the Lodgy, with a trunk space of 827 litres, is spacious. The driver of a 2012 copy: “The interior of the Dacia Lodgy is extremely spacious. The car is not very wide, but it is high and has a very long wheelbase. Three growing children fit perfectly on the (somewhat hard) rear seat, behind which fit another two people in the third row. And they don’t necessarily have to be children, even adults can still sit reasonably well in the back.”
The owner is clear about the interior: “It is quite basic. Reminiscent of the cars of the late 90’s. Lots of hard plastic, which is a bit too sharp in places. Not very pretty, but functional and solid.”
The driver of a 2013 Lodgy also shares his experience: “The six of us have now gone camping for a long weekend and luckily the luggage still fits in every nook and cranny. The roof box was not (yet) necessary,” said the owner. He also has a tip for other Lodgy drivers: “Mount (if seven seats are in use) an elastic net vertically in the back of the luggage compartment. There is still a lot of space in the concavity of the tailgate! You can also stack the luggage, without everything lying on the street when you open the hatch…”
What’s the catch?
So there is plenty of space, but can that space also be used comfortably? “The front seats are sufficient, we don’t get bothered ourselves, even on long journeys,” reports the owner who previously called the rear seats a bit hard, “but at the same time they are also somewhat narrow and not super comfortable. Simply functional.”
Another driver, who owns a five-seater, is a bit harder himself: “The seats in the front are not comfortable. The seats are too short and provide little lateral support. Longer rides are tiring. On the other hand, you can sit well in the back. Lots of legroom and a completely flat floor.” One owner especially praises his physicality after a marathon ride: “My back endured 1,400 kilometers in one day in the mediocre seat.”
In 2017, the Dacia Lodgy received an update, with both the appearance and the interior being overhauled. That meant good news for the Lodgy driver, according to the owner of such a model who is now driving his third copy of this type. “The seats clearly provide better support. I found them more than sufficient in the previous Lodgy, but this is a step up in terms of comfort.”
The driving noise is experienced less comfortably, especially at highway speed, wind noise penetrates the cabin. “I have removed one star from comfort, because of the noises in the interior at 120-130 km/h. These make conversations with rear passengers more difficult. It doesn’t bother me myself, but colleagues clearly notice it, that’s why.”
How do you experience the driving experience?
Speaking of the opinion of others: “You won’t make the neighbors jealous with this,” writes the owner of a 2013 Dacia Lodgy Prestige. “I actually didn’t even like it. It was the test drive that convinced me. The Lodgy is quiet, much stronger than you would expect with that 1200 and pulls the caravan without any problems, even with six people in the car.”
Another Lodgy TCe 115 driver is less convinced. “The driving is unfortunately not very good. Although the engine has sufficient power, the car does not always accelerate consistently. Sometimes you seem to suffer from turbo lag, but not always. Difficult if you want to accelerate quickly. The car is ‘searchy’ in the steering wheel and does not brake properly. The braking point of the pedal always seems to be in a different place. Sometimes you think: ‘when will it finally brake’, sometimes you’re sitting with your nose against the windshield.”
This inconsistent behavior is not endorsed by other users, but there is no doubt that the Lodgy takes some getting used to and trust. “I now take corners just as smoothly as with the Ford Focus. No problem in terms of handling, but of course the (high) car leans a bit more”, explains a Lodgy DCi driver. He also points out a downside: “The crosswind sensitivity in really strong winds/gusts. You really have to be more alert, while the Focus always drives stable regardless of the weather.”
This wind sensitivity is mentioned by several owners. It therefore happens more than once that auxiliary springs are mounted. “Because the car is quite sensitive to crosswinds and tends to lean back a lot when it is heavily loaded, I had help springs mounted after advice, costing about 250 euros. I should have done that sooner. Driving with wind is now much more comfortable and even a heavily loaded car, with six people for winter sports, sags much less,” said the owner of a seven-seater Lodgy TCe 115 from 2013. The conclusion is clear: you can also change the handling of the Lodgy. determine based on the photos.
How sensitive is the Dacia Lodgy?
It is no secret that the Dacia Lodgy is aimed at a lower budget, but is it still well put together? Well, if we are to believe owners, that is not disappointing. The biggest problem turned out to be a defective distribution chain of a TCe 115, which gave up the ghost after about 80,000 kilometers. “Long story short, the whole engine had to come out for a new chain set. Fortunately under leniency… 85% discount. I was ready for about 300 euros,” said the owner who happened to this.
Other problems – which were also not mentioned structurally – concern the ignition lock and the multimedia system. “After a year the ignition lock was stuck (not on the steering wheel lock) and after a year and a half the MediaNav. Both repaired under warranty.” This driver proves that a Dacia Lodgy can also get very far with minimal accident and low costs: after 9.5 years and almost 480,000 kilometers, he traded in his Lodgy 1.5 DCi 90. The only serious expense: a gearbox overhaul at 316,000 kilometers. Up to 300,000 kilometers, the unexpected costs were limited to 170 euros for a differential seal at the gearbox.
Judging by the user experiences, it is a pity that Dacia does not grant the Lodgy a second generation. Well, the new Jogger also offers space for seven people, but it cannot match the Lodgy in that respect. The fact that the handling is so-so and the furniture could be a bit better are properties that hardly affect the buyer. If you want to reduce the car phenomenon to its essence, the Dacia Lodgy seems to have succeeded.
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– Thanks for information from Autoweek.nl