Renault Megane - Good and bad points?

[FrenchieBoy]

I have just scrapped my Freelander as it needed too much spent on it for it's next MOT so I am looking at buying a smaller car. I have my eye on a Renault Megane with a 2.0 L petrol engine which is fairly local to me. Before I go to look at the Megane do any of you own or have reasonable knowledge of Meganes that might be able to give me a few pointers to watch out for when I look at and test drive the car I am thinking of buying please - i.e. Bad/problem points such as known potential rust spots or mechanical "problems or issues" etc.
Thanks in advance!

 

[WH308]

The French tend to get plenty of wine and cheese on board before they do their automotive wiring..............

 

[FrenchieBoy]

The French tend to get plenty of wine and cheese on board before they do their automotive wiring..............

Is that suggesting that there can be common problems with the wiring or is that just your sense of humour kicking in please? If the latter of the two then I will happily laugh with you!

 

[WH308]

Is that suggesting that there can be common problems with the wiring or is that just your sense of humour kicking in please? If the latter of the two then I will happily laugh with you!

My general experience of french cars (mainly Peugeot) has led me to believe that they make decent cars from a mechanical point of view but they can be troubled by electrical gremlins. Poor switches / buttons etc. Easily tested by checking everything that has a switch works. It was a heads up more than anything.

 

[LeftHandGuy]

My general experience of french cars (mainly Peugeot) has led me to believe that they make decent cars from a mechanical point of view but they can be troubled by electrical gremlins. Poor switches / buttons etc. Easily tested by checking everything that has a switch works. It was a heads up more than anything.

I can second this - I had a 2003 Megane for approximately a year in 2014-2015. It was the turbo diesel. Drove very nicely, good acceleration, nice gear box, and pretty decent on mileage, but everything electronic was a PITA. The windows stopped working, it ate bulbs for breakfast and it had one of those stupid card slots instead of a normal ignition key, oh, and closing the boot auto-triggered the central locking leading to a particularly embarrassing moment on the range at Pirbright where I managed to lock my key in the boot with my rifle (it was in my range bag so I didn't drop it whilst shooting!). Ended up having to take a hammer to one of the windows because even the RAC man couldn't break into the car.

Don't know what age the vehicle you're looking at is, but my experience would make me shy of buying another one at least one as old as the one I did. Perhaps less old would have meant fewer issues. I would have traded some of the better driving experience for greater reliability.

 

[tozzybum]

Ex wife's Megane had 3 back lights replaced after the holders melting .And 2 relays burnt out before the Cambelt let go at 72,000 miles .
Made for a price ,electrically shite .
Rear Windows leaked in a car wash ,save your money Pete atb

 

[WH308]

Get a Jimney and a gallon of waxoyl!

 

[enfieldspares]

Good points. Like all French cars it will have superb suspension. That's fact not a fiction. Many French roads....even the Champs d'Elysees are "pave" (with an accent) as on paved and rural France is...well rural...so again slightly more rough and ready once off the beaten track. Boot capacity will be generous.

My late mother had a Peugeot 405 saloon. It laughed at rough roads, poor tracks and, even, if dry and firm, fields.

Bad points. Like all designed as LHD the brake servo usually is on the left side so there may (or may not) be a complicated series of linkages to connect a RHD brake pedal to your left hand side mounted brake servo. Less precision less "instant". I tried one RHD (British) French car and IMHO it was dangerous because of that.

 

[fallow me]

Pray to God you never have a head light blow, because unless you have a hand the size of a baby, and arm bones that are made of rubber and ideally have an eye on the end of your fingers its almost impossible to change the bulb

 

[parkyboy]

Diamond of death..stay well clear ....

 

[kes]

The only French cars I would consider buying are the Deux Chevaux and the massive cheese wedge with the air suspension - Citroen. My advice would be a secondhand Japanese anything rather than a Megane.
I remember once advising a young lady not to buy a Renault hot hatch but to buy a golf GTI instead - she was grateful.
Cheese now that's different.

 

[Sampo]

Missus had one years ago and had issues with the key card almost every other time. It would start every other time or play dead. Doesn't help when you have to get somewhere and its cold.
Look out for electrical/ electronic issues and walk away at any sense of trouble. Also don't expect much resale value.

I would go for Japanese cars if I wanted something smaller as they are a lot more reliable in my view.

 

[enfieldspares]

I would go for Japanese cars if I wanted something smaller as they are a lot more reliable in my view.

If God made cars they'd be late 2000s onwards made Japanese cars.

 

[tozzybum]

Get a Nissan micra or Toyota carina small ,well made ,reliable and lots of choice

 

[Skietindiekop]

Pray to God you never have a head light blow, because unless you have a hand the size of a baby, and arm bones that are made of rubber and ideally have an eye on the end of your fingers its almost impossible to change the bulb

Daughter had one fail an mot for a headlight bulb, excessive corrosion of front discs and handbrake efficiency low. It took less time to replace all of the brakes than replace the bulb! Had to remove the bumper to get the headlight out.
POS design and very uninspiring to drive and luckily she sold it to get a Skoda Octavia which is far better

 

[Koenig]

I too would avoid it and go for something similar but made in Japan. Nothing wrong with French engines - especially the diesels it’s just everything else.

 

[FrenchieBoy]

Thanks for all of the replies guys.
In light of the faults that have been pointed out (Especially the card reader problems) i have decided to steer clear of the Megane!

 

[BryanDC]

As someone already said the headlights on some models were a nightmare if the bulb went. Some dealers were charging hundreds to replace them as they had to take the wings off

 

[gixer1]

Go Japanese if you are looking for something littler, Honda jazz, civic (or if 4x4 the CRV’s are good) if larger and up the cost scale go German for the quality and drive.

In my opinion the last good french cars were the old Peugeot’s (309’s, 205’s) and even they weren’t good by comparison to other brands.

regards,
Gixer

 

[vmaxphil]

Also look at Kia's had my soul for 7 years just needed tyres wiper blades and 2 bulbs cheap as chips especially the 1.6 diesel