My 2017 Renault Sandero Stepway – My First Brand-New, Off-The-Showroom Floor Car

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– Posted on March 22, 2025

By October 2016, I decided to trade in our Chery Fulwin. I had also made up my mind that the new car should be something like an SUV or crossover; in short, a taller vehicle. My hips ached, and I wasn’t (and still am not) getting any younger or any slimmer. Around that time, Renault began an advertising campaign that included all the dealers in Montevideo, offering minor price rebates, improved trade-in values, and the opportunity to test-drive any model and version you wished. So, I went to the event and asked to drive two of their cars. They were very easy to get into and out of. The Stepway, being the “SUV” version, had a little more height and was even easier for me. The more expensive versions had tilting steering columns and height-adjustable seats.

On the downside, the car was too noisy—engine, wheels, body—and the steering was heavy. It was a Renault (I’d never been too enthusiastic about them), it was a Sandero (in fact, the lowest-cost car in several countries in Europe), and the ergonomics weren’t great. For example, the window switches were in two pairs: one on the driver’s door and the other on the dashboard.

Still, it was affordable. There were many competitors for this car, but none of them could be had at the same price. Understandably, it was a bestseller. My wife had told me the new car purchase was conditioned to it carrying the four of us and her father in comfort. It was time to see what she thought. We went to a dealership and sat in the back seat. I really preferred a Nissan Versa, which could be had with an automatic for the same price, but she decided that it was too tight in the rear.

There were two versions of the Sandero Stepway. The basic version didn’t have cruise control, leatherette upholstery, electric mirrors, climate control (it had manual A/C), rear electric window lifts, or a screen with several functions, which I found compelling and my son found indispensable.

This car has about 93000 km and this picture is from the Internet, CAR ONE, Montevideo. Mine was the exact same color.

A few days later, I called the dealer to inquire about my car and was told that it was just being unloaded and that I could expect delivery the next day. Then, the following day, I called again and was told that it was being loaded at the terminal to be brought to the dealer… Say again? Of course, salesmen. I have no idea whether the first car even existed, but mine was delivered about a week later than promised. Within the tolerable, we might say.

A few days later, a friend asked how I liked the car. My answer remained the same throughout my ownership: “It’s a good appliance but as a car, meh.”

It had more trunk space than you’d expect from such a small car. Its 1.6, 16V engine did a good job of moving it around, though it emptied its tank fairly quickly. I’m always a high-consumption driver because my trips are relatively short; Montevideo doesn’t have highways unless you go outside the city (which I don’t), and my usual streets are packed with stop-and-go traffic. Compared to the Chery, this engine was much more powerful, which felt great at first, and later I became accustomed to it.

The interior space was really good; you could take off your jacket in winter while sitting in the driver’s seat. The instruments were easy to read, though some were nonexistent, as in many new cars.

Yes, no temperature gauge. The car had what was called a “computer” which could tell you instant fuel consumption; km to empty, and some other things, none of which were really relevant.

On the other side, the Privilege version came with a useless privilege; its cruise control. So, you were on the highway, you set it at, let’s say, 120 km/h and the car would stay at it until it was necessary to stop or to accelerate. You got to a steep incline, and the engine would increase speed… until it became necessary to get into 4th. How would a typical car with cruise control work? Well, just downshift on its own. Here, you had to downshift manually. Of course, the moment you depressed the clutch pedal, the cruise would shut off, and you’d have to re-activate it by pressing the button again.

Lighting is another issue that wasn’t good with this car, so much so that I made sure my next car should have LED projectors. There was always a shadow around you. I even went to check my eyesight to make sure it wasn’t me. I have my years, but it wasn’t me.

I don’t really have anecdotes with this car. As I said, it was a relatively good appliance. At 40.000 km I felt the clutch begin to shudder when pressed. I went to my mechanic and he explained that he would gladly replace it, but that there wasn’t anything wrong with mine. Apparently, there was a batch that had been bending a tooth of the pressure plate. There was no risk of breaking anything, but of course, there was this shuddering. I didn’t doubt his assessment, but I hated driving the car with that issue. Also, every day the steering felt heavier and the turning ratio seemed to get larger.

There wasn’t a single real problem with the car, and from what I have seen online, other Sanderos with the same powerplant have lasted 12 years and 200.000 km or more with nothing more than regular maintenance. However, while my car was 7 years old and had about 50.000 km, I traded it in. Again, I chose to get a car that was selling very well in Uruguay, that gave me the most utility for the money, and this time had almost everything I wanted. And it wasn’t Chinese or Brazilian, but a car built on the same line as its US version.

I’ll tell you about my current car next week.

Till then!