# Why buy Renault?



## Carpenter (12 Feb 2007)

I've been very interested in the (mostly) negative comment regarding Renault on this site and in the motoring media, which makes me wonder: why do people buy Renault at all (or Citroen for that matter)?  I have a friend who bought a Scenic from new two years ago and has had nothing but trouble with it, now faced with changing the car the depreciation is horrendous.  I'm not sure that the Renault dealerships are great either- expensive parts and labour charges seem to be the order of the day.  Are there any satisfied Renault drivers out there??  It's a pity because the Scenic would be a great family car otherwise....


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## Mr2 (12 Feb 2007)

Renault Sells safety. That's why most people buy them. If you were in an accident and lived because the Renault had something another brand didn't. You can't put a price on a saving a life buy you can on a Renault.

Citroen like all other French cars, Sell high levels of comfort, People think there un-reliable, But they beat the germans hands down.


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## RonanC (12 Feb 2007)

Renault sales have plumeted in Ireland recently. Dealerships are under considerable pressure to increase sales. Maybe Renault should look at the cars themselves first !!!


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## Cyrstal (12 Feb 2007)

Have to say I love Renault cars - I like the extras that they have as standard....and that they're safe is important now too since we had our new baby!


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## CrazyWater (12 Feb 2007)

Back in the early 90's I had a Renault 19 1.9D as a company car. I loved it. But never did convince myself to part with my own money for one.


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## roy123 (12 Feb 2007)

I am trying to trade in my 2005 Scenic at the minute and the best price I can get is 1/2 what I paid for it, abosolutely horrendous. This is definately the last Renault I will ever buy.


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## Carpenter (12 Feb 2007)

roy123 said:


> I am trying to trade in my 2005 Scenic at the minute and the best price I can get is 1/2 what I paid for it, abosolutely horrendous. This is definately the last Renault I will ever buy.


 
How do Renault expect to hold/ increase market share with this sort of carry on?


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## Mr2 (12 Feb 2007)

What can be done? The car is only worth what people are willing to pay for it! Roy123 bought the wrong engine in the car he got. When your buying a new car you have to think what is going to help sell this when I want rid of it? If you just buy what suits you, You can get roasted! Buy a few extras and help make your car a little different, A polish every now and then wouldn't hurt. You have to bear in mind that these are all for usually carring a load of kid's, Which usually means replace all the broken stuff in the back and sometimes replacing the back seat cover. If you abuse or sometimes just don't clean a car it's going to cost you.


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## Guest125 (13 Feb 2007)

"But they beat the germans hands down".In what? trade in value or do you mean in the safety statistics? I'd rather be trying to get a trade in deal on a vw than on a Renault/Citroen


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## tosullivan (13 Feb 2007)

I think the only reason is due to their high safety NCAP ratings


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## Slaphead (13 Feb 2007)

It was safety for us anyway, the missus had a big say in it, and it was a cheaper than a Toyota which we would otherise have went for.


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## huskerdu (13 Feb 2007)

I bought a 3 year old Laguna, because of price, safety and extras. 
Resale price was not important to me as I bought it to have for 5-7 years. 
At 8 years old, its getting more expensive to run, as parts are not cheap. 
Wont be replacing it with another one, as the newer Laguna have a reputation
for very expensive parts. 
Mind you, I hired one abroad recently and it was a lovely drive.


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## bacchus (13 Feb 2007)

While Renault cars were the first to get a 5 stars NCAP rating year ago, competition have reacted and many manufacturers (incl. FIAT!) now have 5 stars NCAP rated cars.
May be time to create a 6th star to raise the bar.

So, buying Renault for safety does not stand anymore in my opinion.
Though, these cars spend so much time in garages that the "accident exposure time" is  dramatically reduced


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## Carpenter (13 Feb 2007)

bacchus said:


> buying Renault for safety does not stand anymore in my opinion.


 
A quick peek on Euro NCAP site gives the non -Laguna drivers like me (obviously I mustn't care enough about my family's safety?) some comfort.  Strange that the other marques don't beat their drums so much about their NCAP ratings??


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## Bnage (13 Feb 2007)

A Renault probably wont do your street cred the world of good but at least you will be confident in its safety. I use to drive a laguna (company car) It was slow but I was happy enough with it. I dont think Id spend my own money on one though!


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## michaelm (13 Feb 2007)

Slaphead said:


> It was safety for us anyway, the missus had a big say in it, and it was a cheaper than a Toyota which we would otherise have went for.


Ditto.  We have a 2 year old Grand Scenic (bought new) and really can't fault it so far, although now that the warranty is up . . let's see.  We bought it because it suited our needs, was a handy price, and the Dealer we finally bought from was only up the road.  We would intend to keep it for 10 years.


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## ford jedi (13 Feb 2007)

as not been a fan of all cars french mainly citroen, renaults arent the worlds worst,some parts may be dear but most of the stuff can be got at gsf for half the price ,the one thing in french car makers favour is the do make proabably the best diesels in saying that they dont make them easy to work on.
i am a mechanic and i can safely say my only gripe with french cars unlike the japs is they are so badly laid out mechanicly which is where the big labour costs come in and most mechanics shy away from them due to the heartache of working on them.
but alot of people dont realise all most of the new ford diesels and smaxs and galaxys and focus are using french engines so hope fully the This post will be deleted if not edited to remove bad language wont drop out of them ,
i dispice most french cars but i defo think i would take one over a vw or skoda or even bmw as they seem to be the most bland cars in the world and defo do not not have reliability on their side either.


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## bacchus (14 Feb 2007)

Carpenter said:


> Strange that the other marques don't beat their drums so much about their NCAP ratings??



For instance, Fiat's ad on TV for Grande Punto uses it as a selling point. Not that i like this car, but a nice Simple Minds song is played in the ad music and caught my attention.
I think they actually do in their paper ads.


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## Niallymac (14 Feb 2007)

I bought a 3 yrs old Renault Scenic for Mrs Mac when our family expanded from 1 to 3 (twins), and to cut a long story short, it has cost on average €700 in repairs per annum for three years. And to top that all off, I have been quoted.... wait for it ....€975 for the routine 40k replacement of timing belt and water pump, not including a service.

Steer clear, altough there is so much understeer you'd be hard pressed to do that !


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## RS2K (14 Feb 2007)

As an aside Citroen and Peugeot are no better either.


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## ollie323 (24 Jun 2007)

I think renaults sell because the jap cars tend not to do what families need, ie: three back seats. I had to buy a scenic for this reason. I wanted a honda stream but the back seat wouldn't take 3 child seats. And its a 1.7 auto. The scenic i have is a 1.4, gutless but i'm not in the wrc rally. I always wished japs would take over french and italian car companies. Then we would have good looking cars that were RELIABLE. I had a 206 once. I replaced top gear cog, roll bar, front wheel bearing and drive shaft, gearbox, WHOLE BACK AXLE!!, door seal, brake caliper, brake discs. That was in 3 years from new. I now also drive a 92 civic with 274k on the clock and it only needs petrol and the odd service. Enough said


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## Bronte (25 Jun 2007)

My other half has an Espace, his second one and he's ordering a 3rd one.  He'd really prefer an Audi (it's a man thing!) but family of 3 = Espace.  Not really into cars myself but it's perfect for long drives and going to parks with bikes etc for the kids, plus it's so big we can split up the kids so they can't fight and they're quite far back so we can't hear them!  Means we can have a conversation without getting interrupted.   We've never had to get repairs done but it's a company car so we wouldn't have to worry about the cost of repairs.  Feel really safe in it on the motorway.  Real solid piece of metal.


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## Kendr (25 Jun 2007)

I wouldn't like to dismiss NCAP star ratings on any car, but I always get a little worried about people putting great faith in the fact they've purchased a car with '5 stars' and 'now the kids are safe'.

The safest car on the road is the one that never hits another one.

Just remember - NCAP full frontal test is carried out at 60km/40mph, side impact at 30mph, pole impact 20mph.

In a head on collision with another vehicle at 100kmh each, combined impact speed of 200kmh - the NCAP 5 star rating means nothing. Unless you're in a tank, both vehicles will be completely smashed.

Drive safe.


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## Carpenter (25 Jun 2007)

Good point Kendr, still more and more SUVs are being sold each year, presumably because "they're safer"....


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## Guest125 (25 Jun 2007)

Why do you need an espace for a family of 3 ??? Do Audi not have 3 seats??


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## Bronte (25 Jun 2007)

Sorry I should have said we're a family of 5 with 3 kids.  We travel a lot and the Espace can take a lot of luggage plus buggy, collapsable cot etc in comfort.  Travelled to Ireland and able to bring in lots of wine & cigs and come back with teabags, bisto etc.  Also to go to the park to cycle every weekend the Espace fits 1 adult bike (we take turns cycling), 2 kids bikes and buggy.  Great to go to the dump once a year or if buying furniture can remove seats and it's like a van, easy to put in the lawnmower for service etc.  When we have visitors can put in the extra seats and then 7 people can travel at once.  Also great for going to the DIY store especially if buying something awkward.   I have a very small car myself (Agila)  for going to work & creche, schools etc, easy to park and 'just' fits 3 kids in back with child seats/boosters etc.


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## glan03 (25 Jun 2007)

Had a 19 and now a laguna. Major problems: Key cards for laguna breaking at 260 euro a pop- any other makes that  have keys breaking on a regular basis? Parts. example - There are three different types of brake pads for the front and no way of telling which one is fitted except take them out and bring them to the motor factors. The mechanic who services the car spends more time back and forward getting parts. Back window wiper only availabe form renault. Owners manual dosn't specify what coolant to use, so go to renault and get ripped off. After sales dreadful. This is the short list. Never again!


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## 307 (25 Jun 2007)

"Back window wiper only availabe form renault"
I got a replacement in local motor factors last week cost all of €6


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## glan03 (25 Jun 2007)

""Back window wiper only availabe form renault"
I got a replacement in local motor factors last week cost all of €6"

Not from Halfords -not even listed in the books


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## FintanPhelan (26 Jun 2007)

Slaphead said:


> It was safety for us anyway, the missus had a big say in it, and it was a cheaper than a Toyota which we would otherise have went for.


 
Cheaper than the toyota to buy first off but if you change every two or three years you would save a lot of money on toyota's. When you consider people are losing 15grand on scenics in two years!


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## Firefly (26 Jun 2007)

With most other car manufactures bringing out 5* NCAP models, Renault better think of something else me thinks...


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## galwaytt (28 Jun 2007)

ollie323 said:


> I always wished japs would take over french and italian car companies.


 
it's already happened, Renault bought Nisssan, hence the Qashqai being a Renault RX4 take off.............. and who hasn't spotted that that the new Nissan Tiida (??) is, in fact, almost identical to the Megane....??

And all those dci engined Nissan's are Renault-engined, too.  Not necessarily a bad thing, as Nissan have had some pretty awful diesels over the years, and nothing to offer Joe Public (i.e., less than 2.2L)


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## Happy Girl (17 Jul 2007)

Went car hunting yesterday with my well looked after 1.4 Renault Megane Authentique with 23k miles thinking the world was my oyster. Looking at a new Focus and ford garage only willing to give me 10,200k. They wanted 15k for new focus with my car. Headed to Renault garage. They giving me a massive 10,300  for my megane and again looking for 15k. Car shopping so stressful and Happy Girl ain't so happy no more. No question here just venting of frustration but any observations would be greatly appreciated.


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## Danmo (17 Jul 2007)

we have just got rid of a laguna that cost 3K in servicing and repairs in 18 months. never again would we buy a renault.


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## Danmo (17 Jul 2007)

we just got rid of a laguna that cost 3K in repairs and servicing in 18 months. never again


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## Caveat (17 Jul 2007)

I think the reliability issues and depreciation apply mostly to the bigger Renaults - depreciation hits bigger cars worse in general anyway.

But that's not to say that Renault depreciation isn't greater than most.

On the reliability, It seems that the Megane is by far the worst culprit followed by the Laguna.  I suppose my point is bascially that amongst all of this, the Clio isn't a bad car.


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## Gabriel (17 Jul 2007)

Carpenter said:


> why do people buy Renault at all (or Citroen for that matter)?



Looks
Safety (heavily marketed)
Gadgets as standard
Because they know no better
That ad where you have a sexy ass shaken in your face...nearly had me buying one until I realised it was a Renault


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## MalMc (17 Jul 2007)

Dont mean to offend anyone, but my guess is that its pure ignorance and lack of knowledge that leads to so many people buying Renaults.

Their only USP in my book is their unique styling. Everyone has caught up on the safety front. If people actually took time to research what the car they propose to buy is like in terms of reliability used values etc etc - there are reliability surveys being published every few months, there are more car review websites then ever (honest john, peach or lemon etc etc), they might actually educate themselves to the fact that when you buy an Italian or French car - you are on the whole taking a chance with it.


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## ang1170 (17 Jul 2007)

Can't agree with that. Depends on where you do your reseach. For example:

[broken link removed]

Also, the comment about Italian or Franch cars is a bit out of date. Some of the least reliable cars are German (Mercedes and VW in particular), but because of their marketing (and historic, very different reputation) they manage to keep people buying them.


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## Happy Girl (17 Jul 2007)

In light of all the above what recommendations would anybody make re what new car to go for. Do very small mileage i.e. 8kp.a. and looking for something along the lines of the size of the megane i.e. 24k approx.


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## RS2K (17 Jul 2007)

Clio is ok. The rest best avoided.

If you need something bigger look at Focus, Golf, Corolla.


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## Gabriel (17 Jul 2007)

Happy Girl said:


> In light of all the above what recommendations would anybody make re what new car to go for. Do very small mileage i.e. 8kp.a. and looking for something along the lines of the size of the megane i.e. 24k approx.



The obvious choice is the Focus in 1.6 Zetec guise. It is the logical choice from the list of competitors for all sorts of reasons.

But buying a car isn't always about making the logical choices...

...that's why so many people buy Alfa Romeos


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## ang1170 (17 Jul 2007)

Happy Girl said:


> In light of all the above what recommendations would anybody make re what new car to go for. Do very small mileage i.e. 8kp.a. and looking for something along the lines of the size of the megane i.e. 24k approx.


 
It really depends on what you're looking for.

Something stylish, fun to drive? good reliability? very high resale/low depreciation? Go for a MINI every time.

Something more practical? Ford Focus. Toyota. 

Like something stylish, and have a sense of humour and a fatalistic view on life? Alfa Romeo.

For a stylish, cheap to run city runabout, the new Fiat 500 looks promising.

If everyone had same requirements, there'd be far fewer choices around....


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## MalMc (17 Jul 2007)

ang1170 said:


> Can't agree with that. Depends on where you do your reseach. For example:
> 
> [broken link removed]
> 
> Also, the comment about Italian or Franch cars is a bit out of date. Some of the least reliable cars are German (Mercedes and VW in particular), but because of their marketing (and historic, very different reputation) they manage to keep people buying them.


 

That link says it all really. 

Reliability and Quality 4 stars - should cope with the rigours of family life well

Reader review rating of 2 stars out of 5 compared to whatcars 4 out of 5. These reviews are always done before the car has been launched. They are not retrospective like you will find on www.peachorlemon.co.uk


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## RS2K (17 Jul 2007)

I agree with MalMc. www.parkers.co.uk or www.honestjohn.co.uk are also pretty good.


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## ang1170 (17 Jul 2007)

MalMc said:


> That link says it all really.
> 
> Reliability and Quality 4 stars - should cope with the rigours of family life well
> 
> Reader review rating of 2 stars out of 5 compared to whatcars 4 out of 5. These reviews are always done before the car has been launched. They are not retrospective like you will find on www.peachorlemon.co.uk


 
You're missing the point: the question was why do people buy Renaults. You claimed it was "pure ignorance and lack of knowledge". My point was they have plenty of good points (see Whatcar and other reviews): it all depends on your priorities.

I'm not claiming that their reliability is the best: far from it. But for people buying new with two and three year warrenties, maybe it isn't their highest priority. As for resale, you can mitigate against poor resale by getting a good discount when buying.

By the way, anecdotal evidence is pretty useless for judging a car's reliability: you really need proper stats from surveys or hard evidence from warrenty claims. You can always find someone to say their car's brilliant or a dog. Likewise, people who post reviews to places like Whatcar will tend to be those either hugely delighted with their car (unlikely for run-of-the-mill stuff that Renault makes), or who've had very bad experiences.


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## RS2K (17 Jul 2007)

ang1170 said:


> ...I'm not claiming that their reliability is the best: far from it. But for people buying new with two and three year warrenties, maybe it isn't their highest priority. As for resale, you can mitigate against poor resale by getting a good discount when buying. *Just try getting 20% off a Laguna. You can't.*
> 
> By the way, anecdotal evidence is pretty useless for judging a car's reliability: you really need proper stats from surveys or hard evidence from warrenty claims. You can always find someone to say their car's brilliant or a dog. Likewise, people who post reviews to places like Whatcar will tend to be those either hugely delighted with their car (unlikely for run-of-the-mill stuff that Renault makes), or who've had very bad experiences. *I agree on this point*


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## ang1170 (17 Jul 2007)

JD Power is better than anecdotal "evidence", but I'd have my doubts about it. As far as I know, it's survey based, and self-selected at that (i.e. it's the very satisfied and very disatisfied who respond, not the ones in the middle). Also, people's expectations come into play: I know if I'd bought a €80k Merc I'd be completely intollerent of any minor problem on it that I might let pass on a €12k Fiat.

I think what would be really interesting would be the service and warrenty records of cars operated by large fleets (hire companies etc.).


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## Stevo2006 (17 Jul 2007)

Just had an 04 megane go wallop 2 weeks ago. Gearbox, clutch, bearings all went!!! Only had it serviced a couple of weeks ago and its just outside warranty!!

Useless!!


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## r2d2 (17 Jul 2007)

Just catching up with this thread now....I've had no direct experience with Renault but I noticed the OP's reference to Citroen....Since 1988 I've had a Citroen AX (and my wife had one as her first car somewhere around 1995), I've also had a BX GTi and a Xantia......Haven't had a Citroen since I started to go for more expensive cars and was therefore more concerned about residuals but I liked the unusual nature of Citroen. I loved the hyrdropneumatic suspension (was that what it was called?)....And, I never had any mechanical or reliability problems (save the situation with the Xantia handbrake issue).....

r2d2


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## RS2K (18 Jul 2007)

r2d2 said:


> Just catching up with this thread now....I've had no direct experience with Renault but I noticed the OP's reference to Citroen....Since 1988 I've had a Citroen AX (and my wife had one as her first car somewhere around 1995), I've also had a BX GTi and a Xantia......Haven't had a Citroen since I started to go for more expensive cars and was therefore more concerned about residuals but I liked the unusual nature of Citroen. I loved the hyrdropneumatic suspension (was that what it was called?)....And, I never had any mechanical or reliability problems (save the situation with the Xantia handbrake issue).....
> 
> r2d2



I think you may have been fortunate.


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## MalMc (18 Jul 2007)

Stevo2006 said:


> Just had an 04 megane go wallop 2 weeks ago. Gearbox, clutch, bearings all went!!! Only had it serviced a couple of weeks ago and its just outside warranty!!
> 
> Useless!!


 
Its pretty much numerous testimonies like this that have seen Citroen, Peugeot and Fiat sales plummet in Ireland this year. They are currently at their lowest level for nearly 20years. You can only fool so many people before the quality of the car catches up with you. People talk and in most cases the phrase once bitten twice shy applies.


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## ang1170 (18 Jul 2007)

MalMc said:


> Its pretty much numerous testimonies like this that have seen Citroen, Peugeot and Fiat sales plummet in Ireland this year. They are currently at their lowest level for nearly 20years. You can only fool so many people before the quality of the car catches up with you. People talk and in most cases the phrase once bitten twice shy applies.


 
Maybe that explains why Fiat's sales rose 18% last year in Europe, the largest increase of any manufacturer? They obviously haven't  been bitten yet....

Or why Citroen make it into the top 10 of the Warrenty Direct most reliable car makes (based in warrenty claims actually made)?


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## 900TS (18 Jul 2007)

"I think what would be really interesting would be the service and warrenty records of cars operated by large fleets (hire companies etc.)."

agreed - try [broken link removed]
but again like most of these surveys you have to read between the lines - this is based on 
"index takes into account all factors of a repair, the cost of the parts and the frequency of failures" 
- but I see porsche comes out near top of 'worst performers' - yet these are generally regarded as bullet proof - but obviously if somethnig goes wrong it will cost a lot, both in time and money to get it sorted - hence the high index rating.

also, toyota corolla comes 91st out of 100 in this - very surprising!

Useful though more as an indication of running repair costs comparison.


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## BCPK (19 Jul 2007)

do the french reliability issues also apply to the Peug 406 coupe 2.2 diesel? I'd lone but the head is saying A41.9tdi instead! will be doing alot of miles per annum


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## Marie (29 Jul 2007)

I'm  in process of buying a car at the moment and noticed the low resale-price of 03, 04, 05, stylish low-mileage Renault Megan and Peugeot 307's which seems to confirm the experiences of previous posters about high depreciation.  

Perhaps one reason why people buy them are their elegance, interior space and quality finish with lots of extras and fun bits?  They are georgeous.  Also the French diesel is great - efficient and quiet.  However a car-buff friend tells me a number of other car-manufacturers use these same diesels.  On dozens on internet car review sites the much-quoted problems with the French cars are the electrics, the cost and frequency of trouble-shooting and interior fittings 'falling apart' after a few months.  There is a reliability rating in "What Car? New Reg 2007" (whatcar.com) based on warranty claims per 100 vehicles.  Honda Civic and CR-V, Saab 9 - 5 and Mercedes  S-class and CLK all come in at 2 to 5 claims per hundred whilst Renault Laguna lists at 54 warranty claims per 100 and Renault Espace at a whopping 61 claims per 100 which statistically confirms 'these cars are trouble'.  

A recent 'Guardian' article (07.07.07) reported the most dependable new (06, 07) cars are Japanese manufactured (Honda and Toyota).  The most dependable older models (6 - 8 years old) are Mazdas, Suzukis, Hondas, Nissans and BMWs.

I'm reluctantly turning my back on the stylish French design back to the drawing-board and will probably settle for the more boring but reliable Honda.  Looks matter but not on a grey wet cold winter morning when you can't get to work because the car won't start.  The point a previous poster made about these cars working better on the continent probably has more than a grain of truth........they don't fit the climate of these western isles!


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## hansov (4 Jan 2008)

mrs. hansov just brought her Scenic in for service to hear at 34,000 km that she needs front and back brake pads. Is this common?


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## Pique318 (4 Jan 2008)

34000 kms and only needing pads now, that's not bad going at all. They are a 'service part' so they wear out and must be replaced.


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## hansov (4 Jan 2008)

Yeah - she was blaming me for being hard on her brakes and I rarely drive her car!! I think she was trying to get me to pay the €322 cost


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## beautfan (4 Jan 2008)

I drive a renault megane with coupe body (the old shape) and love it.  My brother (who has a languna) did try to put me off this car but I wouldn't hear of it.

Brother says women are just cracked about this car even though its too dear but it was my money.  You do only see women driving them (mostly anyway). 

I'll prob drive it into the ground so re-sell isn't an issue - so far I've had no problems so fingers crossed.  

Anyway when I was looking  I was liking the seat leon and this is kinda sorta like a megane and a good bit cheaper.  My brother and a mechanic friend were pushing for this choice at the time.


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## werner (4 Jan 2008)

RS2K said:


> As an aside Citroen and Peugeot are no better either.


 
I disagree if you are talking about the following motors.

A company I previously worked for ran a fleet of Ford Mondeo's, VW Passats and Peugeot 407's

Stats that I have seen along with costs ran like this

Mondeo & Peugeot 407's were the most reliable with the Peugeot diesels more reliable than the Ford's

The Passat's had the most costly breakdowns of the lot with loads of niggling electrical faults


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## RS2K (6 Jan 2008)

Much wider and therefore better based opinions based on real life surveys - J.D.Power, What Car etc. strongly suggest that French cars are generally relatively poorly built, and suffer a high level of unreliability and breakdowns.

There are exceptions such as the Renault Clio. 

Many Corporate fleets expressly banned the last Renault Laguna. They were diabolically unreliable.


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## werner (6 Jan 2008)

??


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## michaelm (7 Jan 2008)

hansov said:


> mrs. hansov just brought her Scenic in for service to hear at 34,000 km that she needs front and back brake pads. Is this common?


56k on our Grand Scenic, brakes are fine, never changed.  Maybe down to driving style?


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## ailbhe (7 Jan 2008)

i bought a Scenic (00) 3 years ago and have added about 40k miles with no major problems. Simply wear and tear (brake pads, tyres etc). 
I love it due to the space it gives and safety features. I saw a top gear episode where they crash tested a 3,4 and 5 star car. The difference was bigger than I thought! I love the individual seats and the big boot. The raised driving position and lifting kids in and out is easier because of the height of the car.
I have a 1.6 petrol engine which is rubbish. But I wouldn't be adverse to getting another one though I would go for a bigger, diesel engine.


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