Review
/5
- Pros:
- Excellent build quality
- Most models are comfortable
- Good value for money
- Cons:
- Five-door’s styling is a little bland
- Not as practical as some rivals
- Confusing array of trim levels
reviewed by Carbuyer
"Renault's Megane is stylish, and has an improving reputation for quality and reliability."
At a glance
- The greenest
- Bizu 1.6 100 5dr
£11,805 - The cheapest
- Bizu 1.6 100 5dr
£11,805 - The fastest
- Bizu 1.6 100 5dr
£11,805 - Top of the range
- Bizu 1.6 100 5dr
£11,805
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The five-door Megane is taller and more practical than the three-door version, and it gets different front end styling to mark it out. Both cars have the same dashboard layout however, and the quality of the interior is better than anything Renault has ever built before. A raft of updates in 2012 have breathed new life in to the Megane, including a new engine, the 1.2 TCe petrol, that is capable of 53.3mpg.
Drive
The Megane is a comfortable motorway car
While the Coupe has stiff suspension, the five-door is very comfortable, especially on the motorway, with wind, engine and tyre noise kept out of the cabin. The driving position is excellent, too, with pedals, seat and steering wheel all offering a wide range of adjustment. The smaller engines - the 1.5 dCi 86 diesel and 1.6 VVT 100 petrol - feel slow, but the remaining engines provide enough power for nippy performance. Unlike the rival VW Golf GTI and Ford Focus ST, the high performance Renaultsport model is only available in the three-door Coupe body style.
Comfort
Lower spec cars are more comfortable than GT flagship
In general the Megane is comfortable, although just how comfortable depends very much on the specification you go for. Low and medium cars (Extreme, Expression and Dynamique trim) are set up for comfort and float smoothly over all but the most demanding of road surfaces. The top-spec GT model uses the same suspension but is extremely stiff and uncomfortable in comparison.
Reliability
It feels like a quality product from the moment you get in
Renault's reputation for quality is steadily improving, and that's in part due to the Megane. It feels like a quality product from the moment you get in. The Megane's showing in the 2010 Driver Power buyer owner survey, which ranked the car 11th for reliability and fifth in the overall standings, backs up the feeling that things have improved.
Practicality
The Megane is no class leader, when it comes to practicality
There's a 372-litre boot, but the hatchback is no class leader for practicality. It beats the VW Golf (350 litres), but the Ford Focus has more room (385 litres), and it's positively dwarfed by the Honda Civic (485 litres). Thankfully, the rear hatch has a wider opening than the three-door Coupe's.
Value for money
All models are well equipped
The hatchback offers good value for money, but it doesn't hold its value as well as the Coupe. All models are well equipped, with air-conditioning across the range. TomTom models come with integrated satellite-navigation as standard.
Running costs
Engines are powerful and economical
Renault's entire engine range is relatively frugal, but the best balance of price and performance is found in the 128bhp petrol and diesel engines. They’re powerful enough that they don’t need to be worked hard, so you should get close to their claimed economy figures: 55mpg for the diesel and 42mpg for the quieter petrol. As ever, diesel is cheaper for Road Tax and company car tax because emissions are lower. The new 1.2 TCe turbo petrol engine is highly impressive as it returns 53.3mpg and gives plenty of low down shove.
*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.
