Our Renault Sandero Stepway is more than halfway through it’s required 20 000 km long-term test, but all I’ve been able to do with the hard-working econohatch so far is the daily trundle to and from work and maybe a short out of town trip in-between. But next week will be the first time that I take it further than 100 km outside of the city, and I’m not sure if I’m looking forward to it or not.
I love road trips, especially the route that I will tackle next week. The Garden Route is one of my favourite places to visit in the Western Cape. Getting there is easy if you take the N2 all the way. That is my preferred route. However… Sir Lowry’s in the Stepway is not sitting well with me.
We have mentioned in previous updates that the Stepway feels a bit underpowered. This is highlighted even more when travelling uphill. The best would be to stick it in third gear and plant your foot firmly in the right corner of the footwell and NEVER lift, for fear of losing momentum. But then the engine gets really loud and intrusive. It’s a lose-lose situation, really.
Lately the three of us who share this car (myself, Kyle Kock and Juliet McGuire) have noticed that the accelerator feels sticky when the car is cold. We have to push a little harder on it than usual to get it unstuck. There are some rattles and squeaks that have announced themselves as well. The more we drive it, the more things we find wrong with it, so I’m a bit nervous about next week’s road trip to Mossel Bay. Despite its shortfalls, I’ve become a bit attached to the Stepway and I don’t want anything else to go wrong for her (her name is Sandy). She’s quietly climbed into my heart…
Come Monday, I will fill her up, pack her boot, check her tyres and transport two of my nearest and dearest with her. Maybe if I get a great road trip playlist together I won’t notice any more little niggles. It’s her first “big” trip… I want it to go well.