1. Dacia Jogger
The cost of living crisis isn’t getting any easier for families, which is why the existence of the Dacia Jogger is great news for buyers on a budget.
A genuine seven-seat family car you can buy for less than £15,000, the Romanian people carrier truly is a car for our times. Yet there’s so much more to this versatile machine than its bargain basement price.
Sure the Jogger isn’t the biggest, cleverest or most versatile car in its class, but once you get down to brass tacks you’ll discover that it’s arguably all the car your growing brood really needs.
It offers five decent-sized seats and a couple of more kiddy-sized ones in the boot, but the latter can easily be lifted out entirely when you’ve got big loads to carry.
Others are more glamorous, faster and offer greater technological geegaws, yet drive the Jogger and you’ll realise that you don’t need any of these extras. In fact, you’re arguably better off without them.
The Jogger shares its model platform with the Dacia Sandero supermini (which in turn is based on the latest Renault Clio) as well as its 1.0-litre, 109bhp petrol engine.
Outright performance is pretty modest, but also more than adequate, the thrummy three-cylinder delivering reasonable torque for mid-range hauling, while a tall top gear serves up economical long-distance driving.
Its bubbly energy takes a hit when you’re seven-up and fully loaded, but you’ll always be able to keep up with the flow.
There’s also now the option of the 1.6-litre petrol-electric hybrid (essentially the Renault E-TECH system), which delivers 138bhp and some eye-catching fuel economy figures.
Performance is a little stronger (but not much), while the automatic-only gearbox option will appeal to many. However, in the real world, it is barely any faster or more frugal than the 1.0-litre, so unless you must have a hybrid then we’d stick to the standard car.
Ride and handling are every bit as capable as you’d expect, with the longish travel suspension doing a decent of soaking away pockmarked surfaces.
The steering is accurate and despite comical levels of body roll when pushing on the Jogger clings on tenaciously. Yes, the Dacia is built in Romania, but there’s a loping, easy-going vibe about the Jogger that’s reminiscent of parent brand Renault’s comfier offerings.
The cabin is pretty sparsely fitted out in the case of lower-trim models, in which there’s simply a built-in smartphone holder for in-car entertainment and navigation – but upper-level ones offer a fitted touchscreen system and factory navigation as standard. And there are even clever roof bars which can convert into a roof rack of their own, for the storage of bikes and roof boxes.
There hasn’t been a new MPV with the potential to rejuvenate interest in this flagging class for a decade or more; but the Jogger’s value alone could do that.