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And the curtain draws to a close

Fell in love with it, the got my hands on it in May 2014. I don't think there are too many cars that handles rough indian roads like this one. In fact, fell for the suspension. Done about 1,47,000 km. It has been reliable. Changed the first set of tyres(Apollo stock) at 83,000 km to 235/60 R16 Yoko Geolander SUV rubber, which is still is on the rims. Returns fuel figures(top-up to top-up testing) between 11 kmpl(lowest) in city to 21.3 kmpl(best) on the highway. I somehow can't think of an upgrade and I really hope this one stays with me for much longer. And, I really hope there will be spares available in the market for a long long time despite the company stopping its production.

I feel that this car remains an unsung hero of the Indian auto scene. It is a shame that Renault chose to let it go without a fight. I just hope that they improve the after sales service. Wishing you another million miles!

Hi BHPians

What is your opinion on below used Duster from Cars24, please?

2018 Renault Duster RXS CVT 105 PS AUTOMATIC
17k kms
Petrol
1st Owner
KA-50
Asking price ₹9,82,799(No negotiation at Cars24)

What would be the fuel efficiency, in City and highway?

Ref : https://www.cars24.com/buy-used-rena...ru-1024393864/

In my humble opinion, I would consider duster at this point in time only if its an 85ps diesel for its reliability ( 110ps one has injector issues) and 1.3turbo CVT only if offered an crazy deal. else i guess we have better options in market.

My BIL owns one, and in BLR city traffic, he is getting between 7-9 kmpl. On the highway, he is getting 12-13 kmpl.

As far as the performance is concerned, I find it quite underpowered on the highway. Also, the model you mentioned, I think the asking price is a bit high.

Thanks for the reply:)
Is your BIL owns the same model (cvt automatic)?

Due to Renault-Nissan alliance, the CVT used in the Duster (1.5L or the 1.3L Turbo petrol) or any other car is the infamous Nissan (Jatco Sourced) CVT. It is a very poor design and fails prematurely in almost all applications (Sentra, Rouge, Kicks, Qashqai, Cube etc.).

Only way to keep it healthy is to maybe replace the transmission oil every 20/30k kms if you want to extract a long life or reliability out of it. Signs of premature failure are jerks in lower gears. The manufacturer says it does not need an oil change and that is why even if you want to get that done voluntarily the service centers will not support you.

It is not merely an oil change, you have to open the sump and drain out the entire oil (every last drop) clean the filter, replace the sump gasket and fill fresh oil. Everything done properly makes it more costly than an engine oil and filter change.

I can only think of people who have the option of writing off a vehicle as a business expense to take chances with non localised power trains and end of life products. Its too risky for me to indulge in, irrespective of the mouthwatering prices on offer.

Yes, the same RXS CVT 2017 model.

I was under the impression that JATCO had come out of their reliability issues and this "XTRONIC" CVT offered is one of the best in industry in terms of masking the "rubber band effect". The initial batches of JATCO transmissions had issues, especially in North American market. Is the case same now also?

I agree to the requirement of transmission oil change but isn't 30,000 kms too early. The information corroborated from internet suggest change every 70-80k Kms.

I am not an expert on the subject, just putting my two cents. Thank you

Thanks guys for your suggestions.:thumbs up

I think, it is the look of Duster which keeps taking me back to it.

What is your opinion on below used Duster from cartrade.com, please?:)

2021 Renault Duster turbo CVT
3,813 Kms on the ODO
Petrol
1st Owner
Thane registered
Asking price ₹ 11.49 Lacs

What would be the fuel efficiency of this model, in City and highway?
I live in Bangalore and have my in laws in Thane.
If the car is in good condition, is it worth getting the NOC in MH and getting it to Bangalore?

Ref https://www.cartrade.com/buy-used-ca...1137.html?dc=0

This looks like a far better deal. By paying just 1.5L extra you are almost getting a new car. Plus this engine is super fun to drive.

In city expect the mileage to be around 8-10 km/L and on highways with light foot driving you should get 13-14 km/L.

A couple of negatives-

As the 1.3 turbo petrol has not been sold much in India, plus Duster's production has been stopped, you may face problems to get spare parts in the long run.

With a heavy foot, this engine is a guzzler.

If you plan to buy this car, do get it checked from a Renault Authorized service center for any accidental history or any other issue. :thumbs up

Missed the opportunity. This one got sold, before my BIL was not quick enough for test drive.:Frustrati
Now exploring other options in Bangalore and test drove below :)
Please share your thoughts.:thumbs up

Option1
2017 December Diesel Orange Renault Duster RXZ DCI AT (110PS)
Single owner , First party insurance, Automatic transmission, Dual airbags , ABS , Alloy wheels , Brand new tyres , Auto AC , Cruise control , On road price 17 lakhs , Run only 42500 kms done.
Insurance Type: Comprehensive
Registration Place: KA
Asking price : 8.85 lacs

Option2
2019 September Petrol white Renault Duster RXS(O) CVT
Single owner , First party insurance , Dual Airbags , ABS , Alloy wheels , Touch screen system, Run 18000 kms done.
Registration Place: KA
Asking price : 9.60 lacs

This one will be more fun to drive, plus diesel is cheaper than petrol and will return a better mileage too. The AMT wont be as smooth as the CVT, but I have not heard of any reliability issue with the AMT either. Plus this is the RXZ variant so it's fully loaded.

On the flip side-
This car is already 5 years old and have run 42,000 km. So few upcoming expenses like tyres, shockabsorbers, rear wheel cylinder leakage may be on the way. Plus the 110 diesel may suffer from the dreaded injector issue! 5 years old, means this car must be out of warranty & purchasing anytime warranty is costly. Each Injector costs around 30k, while the fuel pump costs between 55-60k! If any of these parts give up, it's going to be a big blow.

You can have extended warranty till 2024, that's a peace of mind. Less run = no upcoming expenses like tyres or shock absorbers if driven sanely by the previous owner. The CVT will be smoother than the AMT. It's the 2019 model, so most probably you will get android auto & apple car play too.

On the flip side -
This petrol motor is not much fun on open roads, this will be thirstier than the diesel with petrol being the more costlier fuel. Petrol will have less resale value than diesel at the time of selling.

So it's pretty difficult to choose one among the two, I will suggest you to take a test drive and pick one. If you solely ask my choice, I will choose the petrol over the diesel just because it's a newer car, will have company warranty, no tension of NGT ban on petrols in the long run, plus it's the CVT over the AMT.
But if your running is going to be high then look at the diesel. The K9K barring the injector is a pretty reliable motor which can do 2L+ km easily.

Whichever car you decide, please get the car thoroughly checked from Renault authorized service center before the purchase & take a copy of the service history for which parts have been replaced.

First of all, thanks for your reply.

On the Diesel AMT, the previous owner has changed 4 tyres.
And they seemed to be in good condition.



I test drove both cars and they both seems to be good.
Also the car dealer has shared service history of both vehicles. I will go through them thoroughly.:thumbs up