Renault Megane Sport Tourer (2009 - 2016) 1.6 dCi GT Line Nav 5d Owner Review

Bought the car from ex-demo from a dealer, 6 months old with 70 miles on the clock and a little under half the "new" price. Bargain of the century. For a "compact" estate, it is surprisingly roomy inside. Easily fits 5 adults without feeling like sardines in a tin can. Visibility is very good and it is easy to judge your position on the road, which makes narrow lanes and parallel parking a doddle. The front and rear sensors are a bit paranoid and go ballistic when you're still about 1ft away from the obstacle, so I turned them off. Rear camera is useful. 1.6dCi engine is a little gem. 130 horsepower which is about average for a family estate so its not going to break any records sprinting from 0-60 (although still sub-10 seconds thanks to the Megane's low weight), but the in gear punch for overtaking is superb. The torque from the diesel is brilliant and she pulls strongly in any gear from about 1600rpm, particularly marvellous is the 50-70 sprint in 4th or 5th which is ideal for overtaking in slightly questionable gaps. At motorway speeds it really comes into its own, wafting along at 70mph quietly and frugally. The driver's seat is so comfortable that on a 15 hour trip down to the south of France I felt more refreshed at the end of the drive than when I set off. Fuel economy is excellent, averaging around 45mpg in town and easily hitting 70mpg if you stick to 60 rather than 70 on the motorways. 6th gear could do with being slightly longer, the torque of the engine would easily handle it. Couple of downsides however. The cup holder is clearly an afterthought, you can just about fit a can of your favourite fizzy beverage and that's about it. Forget takeaway cups from Costa/ McDonalds etc. Although the boot is a decent size for a compact estate, the boot lid is quite narrow so you're limited on the width of items you can squeeze in the back. The sports seats in the GT Line don't fold completely flat either. Although I bought the car in 2016, by this point the model was around 8 years old which shows in the touch screen and media systems - bit clunky and not really suitable to be used on the move.