Review
/5
- Pros:
- Handsome looks
- Cabin materials have a quality feel
- Comfortable to drive
- Cons:
- Poor resale values
- Lower powered engines struggle with a full load
- GT version isn’t as sporty as its name suggests
reviewed by Carbuyer
"The Megane Sport Tourer isn’t overly sporty. This is an estate that's first and foremost practical and comfortable."
At a glance
- The greenest
- Bizu 1.6 100 5dr
£12,605 - The cheapest
- Bizu 1.6 100 5dr
£12,605 - The fastest
- Bizu 1.6 100 5dr
£12,605 - Top of the range
- Bizu 1.6 100 5dr
£12,605
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The grandly named Renault Megane Sport Tourer is an affordable, practical estate car. With light, yet accurate steering it drives nicely enough, but its appeal lies in the comfort offered by its smooth suspension. Choice across the range is bewildering, with 10 engines, five trim levels and four gearboxes on offer. Diesels are best, and all but the cheapest 1.5 dCi 86 have lots of pulling power, which is useful when the boot is full of heavy luggage.
Drive
Handling doesn't live up to Sport Tourer name
Despite its name, the Megane Sport Tourer is a comfortable cruiser. There is a sporty GT version, but this car offers more show than go. At higher speeds the car lacks the composure of its rivals, particularly on undulating roads. It has light steering, an easy gear change and a group of engines that are mostly quiet and powerful. The cheapest 1.5 dCi diesel and 1.6-litre petrol engines should be avoided if you intend to use this car as a workhorse. They are simply not powerful enough.
Comfort
The Megane is one of the most comfortable estates
The Megane is one of the most comfortable small estates on the market, and there's plenty of head and legroom. The seats themselves are comfortable too. GT cars have tight-fitting bucket shaped seats, designed to clamp you firmly in place. The all-round comfort of the Megane is excellent, with wind and tyre noise minimal.
Reliability
Megane sets new standard for Renaults
Renault has suffered a poor reputation for quality over the years, but the new Megane is a revelation, according to the 2010 Driver Power customer satisfaction survey. The car placed fifth out of 100 in the overall ranking and came an impressive 11th in the reliability section. Renault prides itself on the safety record of its cars, and the Sport Tourer is no exception, achieving five stars in the Euro NCAP test.
Practicality
False boot floor boosts practicality
There's a 491-litre boot, which also offers secure storage hidden under a false floor – this is ideal for storing for valuables. With the rear seats folded there's a useful 1,567 litres of cargo capacity, which is about the same as the VW Golf and Ford Focus Estates - but dwarfed by the massive 2,149 litres of the class-leading Peugeot 308 SW.
Value for money
Dynamique TomTom models are well equipped
The very cheapest Extreme and Expression models get cheap-looking plastic wheel trims as standard and don’t offer brilliant value. However, all cars get air-conditioning and Dynamique TomTom versions are generously equipped, including automatic lights and windscreen wipers, cruise control, a Bluetooth phone connection and satellite-navigation.
Running costs
Diesels offer best mix of performance and low costs
Servicing and maintenance aside, the 128bhp 1.9 dCi diesel offers the cheapest ride, returning 55mpg economy. By comparison, the 128bhp 1.4-litre TCe petrol can only muster 42mpg. As ever, the diesels are the best option for cheap Road Tax, with the 1.5 dCi 110 diesel producing 114g/km, which means you’ll pay £30 a year for a tax disc.
*Our monthly finance prices are updated on a regular basis, but due to the dynamic nature of the market are not guaranteed accurate. You can always confirm the monthly finance price with FinanceAcar.
