Review
/5
- Pros:
- Practical, well-built interior
- Good value for money
- Five and seven-seat options
- Cons:
- Limited resale value
- Not particularly attractive
- Limited badge appeal
pictured:
Renault Scenic mini MPV 2012 profile
reviewed by Carbuyer
“The Renault Scenic and Grand Scenic offer good value for money and are designed to take whatever family life can throw at them.”
At a glance
- The greenest
- Dynamique TomTom 1.5 dCi 110 S/S eco2 5dr
£20,225 - The cheapest
- Bizu 1.6 VVT 110 5dr
£12,810 - The fastest
- Dynamique TomTom 1.6 dCi 130 S/S eco2 5dr
£21,325 - Top of the range
- Dynamique TomTom 1.5 dCi 110 EDC Auto 5dr
£21,325
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The Scenic first arrived in 1996, and was the first car to blend the practicality of an MPV with the compact dimensions of a family car. Both the five-seat Scenic and seven-seat Grand Scenic are practical and comfortable. They are well suited to family life and represent good value for money, which is why we also named it best MPV in our 2011 Car of the Year awards.
Drive
A smooth ride and reassuring handling
The Scenic offers reassuring handling, with a smooth ride and accurate steering. What's more, the high driving position means all-round visibility is good. The entry-level 1.5 dCi diesel offers adequate performance and is inexpensive to run. The larger 1.9 and 2.0 dCi diesels offer a more relaxed driving experience, and are better suited to the motorway. The 1.6-litre petrol engine is underpowered, while the 2.0-litre petrol is only available with an automatic gearbox. The pick of the range however is the new 1.6 dCi turbodiesel which delivers punchy performance and is incredibly quiet at idle and motorway speeds.
Comfort
There's lots of room for passengers
There is more space inside the Scenic than ever before. It's longer, so all passengers benefit from extra leg and knee room over the previous model. Comfort is excellent, while wind and road noise is limited. The clever dashboard layout places the instruments as far back towards the windscreen as possible, which frees up extra room in the front for the driver and passenger.
Reliability
Renault's sketchy reliability record is improving
Renault's reliability has been sketchy to say the least, but things are improving. The cabin quality inside the Scenic is better than it ever has been - the car feels very classy and robust. The latest Scenic should fare better than the woeful reliability scores its predecessor scored in the Driver Power survey.
Practicality
There's lots of cubbyholes in the cabin
The Scenic's rear seats slide back and forth, allowing drivers to adjust the amount of boot space on offer. However, if you want a completely flat floor, you need to remove the rear seats completely, and you’ll need somewhere to store them. There are plenty of cubbyholes dotted around the cabin. The only blot on the Scenic's record is that the rear seats are heavy and cumbersome to refit.
Value for money
Scenic offers good-value family motoring
List prices are very competitive throughout the Scenic range, so there's no doubt that it offers good-value family motoring. It's always worth trying to haggle at the dealership, as Renault showroom staff will frequently offer good deals. Poor resale values can be a problem for Renaults, but practical people carriers are more desirable second-hand than most other models.
Running costs
Diesels offer good mix of economy and pulling power
Renault's 1.6 dCi diesel is very efficient and will return 63mpg producing only 117g/km of CO2. The bigger diesel engines are less economical, but they are certainly worth a look if you need to transport lots of passengers very often, thanks to their extra power. The 1.4 TCe petrol engine is also worth considering. It isn't quite as economical with 39.8mpg, but is quite powerful and smoother than most of the diesel units.
*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.
