The Dacia Sandero III represents a monumental leap forward for the Romanian brand. Migrating to the modern Renault-Nissan CMF-B LS (Low Spec) platform—shared with the Renault Clio V—it drastically improves in driving dynamics, crash safety, and overall refinement compared to its predecessor. Available as a standard hatchback and the highly popular, raised Stepway variant, it has consistently been one of Europe's best-selling cars to retail customers. For this third generation, Dacia completely abandoned diesel engines, focusing exclusively on 1.0-liter three-cylinder petrol and bi-fuel (LPG) powertrains. It remains the undisputed king of budget motoring, offering unbeatable value for money despite slight price increases over its lifespan.
The Dacia Sandero III is an outstanding budget vehicle that no longer feels like a penalty box. By utilizing modern Renault architecture, it delivers a safe, spacious, and comfortable experience. Reliability is generally very good, as the 1.0-liter engines are proven and lack overly complex emissions equipment (no diesel DPFs or complex hybrid systems). The 1.0 TCe 100 ECO-G is the absolute sweet spot of the range, offering diesel-like running costs without the associated reliability risks, provided you have local access to LPG. While you must accept cheap interior plastics and some wind noise, the Sandero III is a highly recommended purchase.