Dacia Logan MCV: car review

Price from £6,995
MPG up to 74.3
Top speed 97mph

Last week we had an immigrant living with us. He may have had a style bypass, but he was strong, eager and looking for work. He's the fourth in his family to arrive on these shores and judging by how his siblings Duster, Sandero and Sandero Stepway have got on, Logan could well be here for the long haul.

Logan MCV (Maximum Capacity Vehicle or, as we say over here, an "estate") is from Romania and is made by Dacia – the unpretentious and workmanlike manufacturer that for the past dozen years has been Renault's ever-growing budget arm, playing the same role Skoda does for Volkswagen. The problem is that Skodas have started to go up in the world. They're still cheap and colossally good value, but you could not rightly describe them as budget any more than you'd call Made in Chelsea a gritty reality show. This has left the door open to Renault which has sniffed out a rung at the bottom of the motoring ladder, so drivers who prioritise low-cost motoring over, say, performance, or handling, or a radio, have found a new champion.

Already a hit in mainland Europe, Romania's runaway success has finally arrived in the UK, so pennywise Brits now have the chance to both drive and save money.

The Logan MCV is the least expensive new estate car on the road. In its entry-level "Access" trim, you can drive one away for £6,995. I poshed up and opted for the range-topping "Laureate", which at £10,795 is still more than three grand cheaper than the equivalent vehicle from Skoda or Seat. It comes with a touchscreen satnav, air-con, electric mirrors, Bluetooth and cruise control.

But don't let this soft packaging sucker you into thinking you are driving anything other than a utilitarian toiler. It's so basic, the plastics so tough, the panelling so unrefined, that it feels indestructible – it will elicit a grudging respect from you in the way a Greggs' sarnie does. The car's two other selling points are its colossal rear (only Volvo's V70 has a bigger loading bay) and its fuel-saving consumption (the 1.5-litre diesel does a claimed 74.3mpg.)

From the outside the car is fairly anonymous. You could probably park it anywhere as the wardens wouldn't notice it. You will also be immune from road rage. When my wife "accidentally" jumped a long queue no one batted an eyelid. As a Dacia driver she was clearly one of the people. Had she been in a Porsche there would have been an outcry.

Inside it's fine. It's a Travelodge on wheels. You know it's cheap, but it never pretended it wasn't. There's no central locking for the boot. The drive is straight out of the 70s. It pitches and rolls on corners, the acceleration is feeble, the engine rattles and the thin gearstick offers as much feedback as a spirtle in a pan of semi-set porridge. But what did you expect for less than seven grand?

I wasn't heartbroken to give the Logan back. But I am sure its keen price and its honest diligence means it'll find plenty of work over here.

Cars in the sun

If looking at lovely old cars and staying in a beautiful hotel is your idea of fun, you might want to check out Reid's Palace in Madeira which is hosting its third annual Classic Auto Show from 10–11 May 2014. More than 400 rare and restored cars, motorbikes and scooters are expected to line the Estrada Monumental during the event. The show focuses on restoration, originality and elegance, and some of the best known cars on display in previous years including a Stanguellini Formula Júnior, Moretti, HRG Aerodinamyc, Ford T Pick up 1925, Rolls Royce 20/25 and a Bentley Derby.

In 1904, a guest of Reid's Palace brought the first ever car to Madeira, and the festival celebrates the important contribution the hotel played in kick-starting the island's love affair with the auto trade. All cars on show belong to local Madeirans, with cars having been acquired from all over the world.

Email Martin at martin.love@observer.co.uk or follow him on Twitter @MartinLove166