Dacia Jogger against VW Caddy: not sporty, but great

Money makes the world go round. But if you are already thinking about the coal when you think of our two box vans, we ask for a little patience. Let’s first look at the format of our two candidates.

Seats six and seven can be easily removed. Higher loading sill (67.5 cm), loading floor with elevations, the bike does not fit in the Jogger standing up.

The jogger is only a touch longer than the caddy, which in turn is a whole seven centimeters wider and, above all, stretches a whopping 20 centimeters higher. The dimensions already give a foretaste of what awaits the passengers after opening the doors. Worth mentioning: Caddy drivers squat an impressive 68 centimeters high and thus nine centimeters higher than at the wheel of the Jogger.

Caddy with sliding doors

Nevertheless, if you are over 1.80 meters tall, you feel the desire to lower the driver’s seat in the Jogger a little further – but this is not possible. Things fit better in the Caddy, and the higher windshield offers a better view of the road.

Only 56 cm high loading sill without offset and a consistently level floor in the Caddy. Up to 2.5 cubic meters of space is enough for several bikes.

The advantages mentioned in terms of width and height pay off in the rear for the Volkswagen, and despite the almost five centimeters shorter body there are also airy advantages for knees and feet.

The Jogger came to the test as a seven-seater, the Caddy waived this option. So we squeeze past the raised rear seat in the Dacia. The exercise is not without problems for adults. Arrived at the back, there is little reason for complaints. In terms of space, adults can also cope here.

Mechanism with frights

The side windows can also be opened – nice. When folding back the second row of seats (requirement for every journey), the massive metal pins of the heavy bench crash into their anchorage – extremely dangerous, especially for children’s feet!

A damper is missing here that takes the fear out of the treacherous mechanism. The rear seat of the Caddy, which can be set up in the same way, is blessed with one of these, which significantly reduces the risk of injuries.

The Jogger comes with a separate climate control that is easy on the nerves.

Dacia only six years warranty against perforation

However, if you are wondering why Dacia only offers a six-year guarantee against perforation, you should take a look at the underbody: simple welds, little insulation and many nests for moisture and dirt. The Caddy underbody looks much more solid, even to the uninitiated. Hence our recommendation for jogger buyers: Invest in subsequent underbody sealing.

Please get rid of it: The sliders under the central screen of the Caddy constantly lead to incorrect operation.

The three-cylinder of the Dacia is much more present right after the start, works with more vibrations, but at a quite tolerable level. On the other hand, its sleepy torque build-up is a bit disturbing. Only at 2900 revs does the full power of its 200 Newton meters come into play. The response behavior of the turbocharger obviously still offers potential for optimization.

After all, the jogger compensates for its displacement and torque deficit thanks to its significantly lower curb weight. Or to put it another way: The Caddy, which is only four hp stronger, does not fall behind despite almost 300 kilograms more weight. At least not in terms of performance, where both are about the same. The Jogger is subjectively a bit more ambitious to work, but that is mainly due to the more subtle working four-cylinder of the Caddy.

Jogger benefits from diet

When it comes to consumption, however, joggers still benefit from their diet. He consumed almost half a liter less on our test lap. In stingy mode, the difference can be increased to just under a liter: 5.2 liters of savings are worth mentioning for a petrol engine with seven seats and no savings technology.

Chassis, seats, insulation and numerous assistants – the Caddy offers more comfort. The jogger is better equipped.

The jogger informs its occupants more urgently than the VW about badly damaged passages on the country road. However, the Caddy tends to make more body movements when driving through dips, while the Jogger does not rebound quite as impetuously. Overall, the VW is slightly ahead when it comes to suspension comfort.

You can somehow expect that from the much more expensive Wolfsburg. There are almost two joggers for the base price of the Caddy. Adjusted for equipment, the Caddy still costs over 11,000 euros more in the end.

The cheaper insurance and the longer maintenance intervals bring the VW an even clearer victory in the end. In view of his qualities, he deserves it. The 36 point difference to the jogger only sounds harsh, as long as we don’t talk about money. And that also rules the car world.

1. VW Caddy: 530 points

Clear point victory for the Wolfsburg, who skillfully plays the strengths of his box format. And I like the comfort too.

2. Dacia Jogger: 494 points

Smaller and less polished than the Caddy, but 40 percent cheaper in the basic price. You can only like the jogger for that.