Just as when Fern Britton followed Vanessa Feltz’s lead and had a sudden, shock weight loss, the new Megane has raised eyebrows of surprise all over the country.
Mention the Megane and so synonymous is the styling with a certain ad campaign, that to a man the flippant response is, “ah yes, the one with the big boot/bum.”
So I have to disappoint them and explain that the new Megane looks svelte, sophisticated and their ridicule will have to once again be directed at the VW Beetle drivers.
This car is a game-changer for Renault, if not quite the industry. Firstly, the build quality is now as near as damn it, equal to Volkswagen and Vauxhall. It has arguably leap frogged the Ford Focus’ and Korean efforts.
Out on the motorway, the low-emissions, low fuel consumption 1.5 DCi (also found in Scenics, Nissan QashQais and others) continues to delight. It provides a smooth, fairly quite motorway cruise, plus up to 62 mpg if you take your time. The gearing means that it feels a little slow off the line, but there was power just where you need it to overtake. As with the Qash Qais and Scenics, the gear lever gates are very close, so its hard to tell if you are in 3rd or 5th, 4th or 6th. And it’s easy to grab the wrong one.
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The driving position took a little time to set-up –I was initially concerned that the Megane had been designed exclusively for the short-legged, long-armed kind of gentleman – but it proved to be comfortable for runs well over an hour, even with my gammy knee.
Like Volvo’s C30, the Megane’s bodywork, especially in polished red like the test car, has downy curves which deliver pleasure every time the corner of your eye catches one in a mirror or shop-front reflection. The Megane Coupe is a car to be proud to be seen in.
It is also a car that is easy to live with, always compensating for lacklustre driving rather than punishing you. On an uneven road surface, despite the XX” alloys, it never tramlined, but just floated above the ruts. When tired, if you grab the wrong gear, the engine’s torque is such that most passengers won’t notice. The interior feels airy without being light or cheap.
Visibility in the coupe, because of the sexy, sloping back is very slightly limited when it comes to a parallel park or tricky multi-story. But the low cut rear window means you can see enough to avoid hitting anything.
The latest Renault Sat-Nav is easy to use, and effective – up there with the market leaders. The radio and air conditioning functions are all self-explanatory and easy to use.
What’s the market like?
As with all Renaults, no sooner has a new car launched, than delivery mileage and pre-registered cars turn up on the used market. Which is fabulous news for the savvy car buyer. So far from paying the list price of £18,600 for a 2.0 TCE, you will find them with less than 5,000 miles for just under £16,000. So better than a scrappage discount.
The news is similar for the more sensible cars in the range, like the new Megane Sports Tourer with the smaller 1.4TCE engine is around £18,000 new, and can also be found for under £16,000 mark. Some specifications, as you will see in the price pages, can be found as low as £14,000 even with just a few thousand miles on the clock.
What else can this budget buy?
A £16,000 budget, to buy a nearly new car leaves most of the automotive universe open to you. The comparable hatchback-derived coupes are Vauxhall Astra, Volvo C30, Kia Cee’d, Citroen C4. There are arguably also the coupe-cabriolet offerings from Ford and Peugeot.
In value terms, the Kia and Citroen are not quite as well designed or made as the Vauxhall, Volvo and Renaults. Looking at it in straight pounds and pence differences, the Volvo is the most expensive, as nearly new used cars are holding very close to the new list price. That leaves a straight fight between Vauxhall and Renault, and you just don’t get the very new Vauxhalls entering the market as quickly or as cheaply. So like the Volvos, they hang close to new list price, leaving the savvy buyer with only one option: Renault.
Summary
A stylish hatchback and coupe. An all rounder that is pretty much as well built as VWs and Vauxhalls, that delivers across the board in terms of performance, practicality comfort and economy.
By: Matthew Tumbridge