• Economy

    Value

    3 out of 5 3.0

    Apart from Jap imports, cannot get a better rate.

    Costs

    1 out of 5 1.0

    Petrol very expensive if not doing any Motorway cruising. Parts average. Beware of the heater matrix, quite common fault and expensive if in at a garage.

  • On the road

    Driving

    3 out of 5 3.0

    Typical van-like on corners, but great on the motorway.

    Performance

    4 out of 5 4.0

    Very quick. Acceleration is as quick as most hot hatches which surprises them.

  • Living with it

    Reliability

    3 out of 5 3.0

    Generally good, but if it goes wrong it does in a big way.

    Image

    4 out of 5 4.0

    Dark metalic colours good. Need to take care of matt roof, otherwise looks tacky.

    Comfort

    5 out of 5 5.0

    Cannot do better on taking 6 people with luggage to the south of France.

  • Security and Service

    Security

    3 out of 5 3.0

    RXE has Cat 1 as standard. Nowhere to store valuables easily though.

    Service

    1 out of 5 1.0

    Do not go to a main dealer, they are shocking. Plenty of French specialists, but you need to find one that is prepared to work on an Espace.

  • Problems and Ownership

    Problems

    Engine

    Other

    Heater - as mentioned earlier, matrix is common fault. Air con rad has been replaced as well.

    Ownership

    Did you buy the car new?

    Used

    Would you buy the same model again?

    Yes

    Did you buy from the same manufacturer again?

    Yes