THE rather ugly rear of the last Renault Megane hatchback spoils the look of what is otherwise a great car, but all the other bodystyles in the range look much better and all drive beautifully.
There are three and five door hatches, saloon, estate and coupe-convertible and most were available with the same range of smooth petrol and diesel engines ranging from 1.4 to 2.0-litres.
Lower powered engines don't give much in the way of performance but all the others are either good or very good.
Economy is above average, especially in the diesels, which can average over 50mpg with careful driving.
Don't buy one without service history though. Previous owners should know to do so and anyone who has not kept it up deserves not to be able to sell.
Handling and road-holding are very good and the ride is comfortable at all but the slowest speed. However, the power steering is a little lacking in feel through the corners.
Interior
All apart from the CC are practical with fold-down rear seats and a good size boot. There is room for five with a squeeze and four over any long journey.
Seats are well-shaped, the driving position is comfortable, and safety is second to none, with eight airbags and a five star NCAP rating.
FAST FACTS
Renault Megane
Price: Pay around £4,200 for an ’06 06-reg Dynamique 5dr, £6,200 for an ’08 08-reg Tech Run 5dr
Mechanical: 130bhp, 1,870cc, 4cyl diesel engine driving front wheels via 6-speed manual gearbox
Max speed: 124mph
0-62mph: 9.5 seconds
Combined mpg: 50
Insurance group: 7
CO2 emissions: 149g/km
Main rival: Peugeot 308