Renault Megane Saloon (1996 - 2003) 1.6e RN Classic Liberte 4d Owner Review

Slight technicality before we begin! My dad bought the car new in Jan 99 which then became mine in 2014 after I passed my driving test so I have full knowledge of the car's history and reliability. The seats are comfy, the gears are smooth and most importantly it has been and continues to be reliable. Other than changing oil at services, it's never needed top ups in between. That doesn't mean it hasn't had problems but these have all been age related which could happen to any make of car (ie: HT leads, ignition coils, radiator leak and hose deterioration) and at 156,000 miles, it has had a new clutch after the original was on the way out. Even with problems, it has still gotten me home on all occasions so it kind of speaks for itself. The best thing is that even when a problem has sprung up, the parts have been cheap and there's lots of room under the bonnet for the diy mechanic to get stuck in. Renault gets a bad wrap for it's interior electrical reliability these days (especially in the 2nd hand market) but this one hasn't had any electrical issues to speak of, mainly because it doesn't have any. What it does have is keep fit windows, no remote central locking and no real luxuries (Other than AC). What you get is a car that goes from A to B and does it well. In terms of saloon practicality, other than maybe a similarly aged Volvo, you'll struggle to find a car with a boot as large. It seats 5 comfortably enough and it can tow a trailer happily too. There's also enough room with the rear seats folded flat and fronts all the way forward to sleep 2 (one being 6ft) in the back should your tent get flooded on a camping holiday like mine did... (Take that Austin Maxi!) . Economy isn't too bad either for an older vehicle. 38MPG Urban, 44MPG Mixed and 53MPG motorway and out of town. To drive, there are more exciting cars out there and there are more luxurious cars out there but in terms of practicality, comfort and economy for the money, I don't think I could have gotten much better. Would I recommend this car? Yes but good luck finding one as there aren't many left. If you do find one, watch out for rust on the rear wheel arches.