. A mention of the old Renault 19. This article on http://www.carpoint.com.au is pretty nice..:renplak:
Megane comments.
- Thread starter danielsydney
- Start date
danielsydney said:
Typical motoring journo - they always have to find something. He cans the bloody CD player for chrissake...
"...All the controls are simple and easy to use, although the audio system is fiddly and lacks big dials for the volume control...."
He wants big dials.
Didn't his mum tell him he'd start to go blind? 
I can bag the audio stalk if you want IMHO, the stalk in the Megane I was better, especially as it had a far larger preset wheel. The buttons on the new stalk are tiny.
I drove the 2.0 6 speed manual after lunch today. Powertrain is fairly similar to the 307 2.0 in response and delivery, except there is a 6th gear. The gearbox is far less notchy than the 307s (the HDi I drove last week had a horrid gearshift action), but I struggled with the clutch, which seemed to have an extremely abrupt takeoff point. The 307 seems much easier to judge in this respect.
Based on the trip computer output, the fuel economy on the 2.0 looks promising, it's definately lower than the 307's 2.0 engine. The engine is probably slightly noisier than the 307's, or at least its note isn't as smooth. Overall the car is slightly quieter than the 307.
The car rode well for 17" 205/50 tyres. I don't think the criticism of an over zealous self centering steering action is warranted, it didn't seem that bad to me. Steering has nice weighting, it does become quite a bit heavier moving to freeway speed from parking speed. Typical of most electric systems, it isn't feedback rich. It started pouring and with the salesman onboard, I wasn't going to push the car - handling seemed fine in normal driving, frankly quite similar to the 307. I could tell, even in normal driving, than a Focus feels sharper.
I think I've mentioned how the 307 feels much roomier and that was made especially apparent for me after driving a Megane equipped with a sunroof (it's been a while since my head sat against the headlining in the front of a car). The Megane has much better trim materials though and a classier ambience.
A good car, just one that places form ahead of function.
IMHO, the stalk in the Megane I was better, especially as it had a far larger preset wheel. The buttons on the new stalk are tiny.I drove the 2.0 6 speed manual after lunch today. Powertrain is fairly similar to the 307 2.0 in response and delivery, except there is a 6th gear. The gearbox is far less notchy than the 307s (the HDi I drove last week had a horrid gearshift action), but I struggled with the clutch, which seemed to have an extremely abrupt takeoff point. The 307 seems much easier to judge in this respect.
Based on the trip computer output, the fuel economy on the 2.0 looks promising, it's definately lower than the 307's 2.0 engine. The engine is probably slightly noisier than the 307's, or at least its note isn't as smooth. Overall the car is slightly quieter than the 307.
The car rode well for 17" 205/50 tyres. I don't think the criticism of an over zealous self centering steering action is warranted, it didn't seem that bad to me. Steering has nice weighting, it does become quite a bit heavier moving to freeway speed from parking speed. Typical of most electric systems, it isn't feedback rich. It started pouring and with the salesman onboard, I wasn't going to push the car - handling seemed fine in normal driving, frankly quite similar to the 307. I could tell, even in normal driving, than a Focus feels sharper.
I think I've mentioned how the 307 feels much roomier and that was made especially apparent for me after driving a Megane equipped with a sunroof (it's been a while since my head sat against the headlining in the front of a car). The Megane has much better trim materials though and a classier ambience.
A good car, just one that places form ahead of function.
Even after lowering the seat?Pug307 said:
(Simon this sounds like another strike against the Megane for you!)
Wouldn't suit me ... you've seen my driving position Pug307.Pug307 said:
- XTC206 -
Well last night I went to the Hornsby launch of the new Megane. There was was quite a few in the yard and all the others have been nearly relegated to the rear of the yard now.
I had lots of smoked salmon and pate which was lovely.Then I got down to business. I asked to take an auto for a drive. 2.0 16V. First impressions. I prefer the 4 door car to the 2 door as the dealer said it has a slightly different wheelbase.
First impressions: the car is very solid. I have driven a 307 not long ago and it feels more solid that this. The car I drove had the aircon disabled for some reason??
The front seats are very soft but firm enough to be snug. The pump action lever was an interesting item however. Moving the seats forwards and backwards via the two handles on the seat was not good they really felt like they were weak and eventually might break off.The driving position was very good with plenty of leg room and I had plenty of room above my head. The lumbar adjustment was a bit hard to reach with my left hand and the centre console in the way a bit but no more than the armrest down abd trying to clip up my seatbelt in the C3. Would just take getting used too. Plenty of vision on the front end and the windscreen seemed clean,clear and very large and pretty far away from the face like the C3. I liked that. I asked if we should just take the car round the block. The dealer replied,"nah man take it down the f3 freeway and downa bit and then come back to me on the old pacific highway. Thats what we did.
The auto gear shift was very smooth for a Renault & after starting could not hear the engine at all. IT WAS LIKE IT WAS OFF. I put it into drive and put my foot down and wasnt used to the power of that throbbing 83KW. It felt like it was a little rocket. The handbrake was a very nice touch and not notchy in the slightest, very smooth.
The rear room with the seats pretty much all the way back was appalling really there was not much room in there at all but I normally only have 2 anyway.
The card ignition start was very good & a very nice touch(i have driven a laguna to byron from sydney remember).
The gearchange was so smooth and the car changed up and down smoothly. I got onto the freeway and the car was going well. It hit 80kmh with no worries then I put my foot to the floor.The car was reving at about 1600 on 120kmh with no worries in the world. I recall overtaking 2 semi trailers and the old guys looked down with shock I think. Rear vision thru the mirrors was all fine and looking from the centre mirror back was pretty cool. Good vision but was like looking thru a tunnel type situation as the interior looking back kind of is smaller like on the laguna.(hard to explain).
Engine went well up hills & did not struggle at all. Was happy getting to 120kmh, even more than that. Lights come on automatically as it gets darl like the C3 and C5.
IN SUMMARY: I love the car, and if your after a car that gets plenty of looks this is the car for you. More suited to couples with small babies I think...I love it though.
I had lots of smoked salmon and pate which was lovely.Then I got down to business. I asked to take an auto for a drive. 2.0 16V. First impressions. I prefer the 4 door car to the 2 door as the dealer said it has a slightly different wheelbase.
First impressions: the car is very solid. I have driven a 307 not long ago and it feels more solid that this. The car I drove had the aircon disabled for some reason??
The front seats are very soft but firm enough to be snug. The pump action lever was an interesting item however. Moving the seats forwards and backwards via the two handles on the seat was not good they really felt like they were weak and eventually might break off.The driving position was very good with plenty of leg room and I had plenty of room above my head. The lumbar adjustment was a bit hard to reach with my left hand and the centre console in the way a bit but no more than the armrest down abd trying to clip up my seatbelt in the C3. Would just take getting used too. Plenty of vision on the front end and the windscreen seemed clean,clear and very large and pretty far away from the face like the C3. I liked that. I asked if we should just take the car round the block. The dealer replied,"nah man take it down the f3 freeway and downa bit and then come back to me on the old pacific highway. Thats what we did.
The auto gear shift was very smooth for a Renault & after starting could not hear the engine at all. IT WAS LIKE IT WAS OFF. I put it into drive and put my foot down and wasnt used to the power of that throbbing 83KW. It felt like it was a little rocket. The handbrake was a very nice touch and not notchy in the slightest, very smooth.
The rear room with the seats pretty much all the way back was appalling really there was not much room in there at all but I normally only have 2 anyway.
The card ignition start was very good & a very nice touch(i have driven a laguna to byron from sydney remember).
The gearchange was so smooth and the car changed up and down smoothly. I got onto the freeway and the car was going well. It hit 80kmh with no worries then I put my foot to the floor.The car was reving at about 1600 on 120kmh with no worries in the world. I recall overtaking 2 semi trailers and the old guys looked down with shock I think. Rear vision thru the mirrors was all fine and looking from the centre mirror back was pretty cool. Good vision but was like looking thru a tunnel type situation as the interior looking back kind of is smaller like on the laguna.(hard to explain).
Engine went well up hills & did not struggle at all. Was happy getting to 120kmh, even more than that. Lights come on automatically as it gets darl like the C3 and C5.
IN SUMMARY: I love the car, and if your after a car that gets plenty of looks this is the car for you. More suited to couples with small babies I think...I love it though.
I hope the windscreen was clean & clear on a new car!danielsydney said:
Most windscreens I've come across are fairly clear Actually, it was a throbbing 98.5kW if you drove the 2.0danielsydney said:
I guess most cars feel pretty zippy after coming from the C3 auto I've been told the 83kW 1.6 isn't arriving till January.
I thought it was a bit gimmicky, it wouldn't be fun out on the skidpan - it makes handbrake turns a bit more difficultdanielsydney said:
Serious!Noticed it has a fairly short travel too.
120km/h @ 1600???danielsydney said:
Are you sure? That's better than little diesel & Falcadore territory! I drove the 6sp manual and 1600rpm wouldn't even take you into triple digits.
Bollocks to the dealer.. Wheelbase is the same as below:
Version: Berline
A (Wheelbase): 2625
B (Overall length): 4209
C (Front overhang): 842
D (Rear overhang): 742
E (Front track with 15"/16" tyres): 1518/1510
F (Rear track with 15"/16" tyres): 1514/1506
G (Overall width / w/ mirrors): 1777/2026
H (Unladen height): 1457
H1 (Unladen height w/ hatch open): 1812
J (Unladen boot sill height): 728
K (Ground clearance): 120
M (Front elbow room): 1482
M1 (Rear elbow room): 1456
N (Front shoulder room): 1409
N1 (Rear shoulder room): 1380
P (Front headroom @ 14°): 885
Q (Rear headroom @ 14°): 878
Y (Upper width of boot): 1070
Y1 (Lower width of boot): 880
Y2 (Inside width between wheel arches): 1125
Z (Rear opening height): 815
Z1 (Max loading length w/ rear seat folded): 1620
Boot volume under rear shelf: 330
Boot volume w/o rear shelf, to roof: 420
Boot volume w/ rear seats folded, to roof: 1190
Mégane II Coupé
Version: Coupé
A (Wheelbase): 2625
B (Overall length): 4209
C (Front overhang): 842
D (Rear overhang): 742
E (Front track with 15"/16" tyres): 1518/1510
F (Rear track with 15"/16" tyres): 1514/1506
G (Overall width / w/ mirrors): 1777/2026
H (Unladen height): 1457
H1 (Unladen height w/ hatch open): 1812
J (Unladen boot sill height): 728
K (Ground clearance): 120
M (Front elbow room): 1474
M1 (Rear elbow room): 1468
N (Front shoulder room): 1404
N1 (Rear shoulder room): 1390
P (Front headroom @ 14°): 885
Q (Rear headroom @ 14°): 878
Y (Upper width of boot): 1070
Y1 (Lower width of boot): 880
Y2 (Inside width between wheel arches): 1125
Z (Rear opening height): 815
Z1 (Max loading length w/ rear seat folded): 1620
Boot volume under rear shelf: 330
Boot volume w/o rear shelf, to roof: 420
Boot volume w/ rear seats folded, to roof: 1190
Version: Berline
A (Wheelbase): 2625
B (Overall length): 4209
C (Front overhang): 842
D (Rear overhang): 742
E (Front track with 15"/16" tyres): 1518/1510
F (Rear track with 15"/16" tyres): 1514/1506
G (Overall width / w/ mirrors): 1777/2026
H (Unladen height): 1457
H1 (Unladen height w/ hatch open): 1812
J (Unladen boot sill height): 728
K (Ground clearance): 120
M (Front elbow room): 1482
M1 (Rear elbow room): 1456
N (Front shoulder room): 1409
N1 (Rear shoulder room): 1380
P (Front headroom @ 14°): 885
Q (Rear headroom @ 14°): 878
Y (Upper width of boot): 1070
Y1 (Lower width of boot): 880
Y2 (Inside width between wheel arches): 1125
Z (Rear opening height): 815
Z1 (Max loading length w/ rear seat folded): 1620
Boot volume under rear shelf: 330
Boot volume w/o rear shelf, to roof: 420
Boot volume w/ rear seats folded, to roof: 1190
Mégane II Coupé
Version: Coupé
A (Wheelbase): 2625
B (Overall length): 4209
C (Front overhang): 842
D (Rear overhang): 742
E (Front track with 15"/16" tyres): 1518/1510
F (Rear track with 15"/16" tyres): 1514/1506
G (Overall width / w/ mirrors): 1777/2026
H (Unladen height): 1457
H1 (Unladen height w/ hatch open): 1812
J (Unladen boot sill height): 728
K (Ground clearance): 120
M (Front elbow room): 1474
M1 (Rear elbow room): 1468
N (Front shoulder room): 1404
N1 (Rear shoulder room): 1390
P (Front headroom @ 14°): 885
Q (Rear headroom @ 14°): 878
Y (Upper width of boot): 1070
Y1 (Lower width of boot): 880
Y2 (Inside width between wheel arches): 1125
Z (Rear opening height): 815
Z1 (Max loading length w/ rear seat folded): 1620
Boot volume under rear shelf: 330
Boot volume w/o rear shelf, to roof: 420
Boot volume w/ rear seats folded, to roof: 1190
I'm not going to opine on the road manners etc of the thing, but I did give one the once over in the Renault/KIA franchise showroom in the Tuggeranong Hyperdome just before Christmas (nice bit of marketing that...car showroom right in the middle of the mall).
I have to say that I was really impressed with how it looks, much better than I had imagined and it's different enough to stand out from the pack. Sitting in the driver's seat wasn't a problem for me and I am a 6 foot two lardarse...the old grey and greasies weren't rubbing the headlining (unlike the situation in the missus's newish L series subaru......reclining Italian ape position is the only way I can drive it without banging my head)
Boot is big, interior pretty swish and comfortable, the only bit of hard to use space is the extra parcel shelf volume created by the back window.
The good looking sales chickie was pretty well versed in terms of the kind of product knowledge the average punter would want, plus she was able to talk convincingly about the driving qualities.
My guess is that Renault could sell a lot of these things if they market them right, adjust prices as need be and provide half way reasonable after sales service.
Count me in as a fan.
I have to say that I was really impressed with how it looks, much better than I had imagined and it's different enough to stand out from the pack. Sitting in the driver's seat wasn't a problem for me and I am a 6 foot two lardarse...the old grey and greasies weren't rubbing the headlining (unlike the situation in the missus's newish L series subaru......reclining Italian ape position is the only way I can drive it without banging my head)
Boot is big, interior pretty swish and comfortable, the only bit of hard to use space is the extra parcel shelf volume created by the back window.
The good looking sales chickie was pretty well versed in terms of the kind of product knowledge the average punter would want, plus she was able to talk convincingly about the driving qualities.
My guess is that Renault could sell a lot of these things if they market them right, adjust prices as need be and provide half way reasonable after sales service.
Count me in as a fan.
In France they even have these as police cars too. They are everywhere in France-seem very popular..
Two of my wife's relatives in Wales have bought the Megane - these are previously non-Renault types. Seems to be making an impact over there...
Oh go on, have a go, gotta keep the forum alive somehow. How come your pic (on the left) isn't somehow related to Peugeot?REN TIN TIN said:
Europa said:Oh go on, have a go, gotta keep the forum alive somehow. How come your pic (on the left) isn't somehow related to Peugeot?
Because I think all of the current model Peugeot's sold in Australia are even uglier than the new Megane.
Ren
hahaha! wow, OK now you need to give us an example of "good" stylingREN TIN TIN said:
or maybe the last Renault/Peugeot style you liked?
Europa said:hahaha! wow, OK now you need to give us an example of "good" styling
or maybe the last Renault/Peugeot style you liked?
Any Renault up to the the current Avatine, Vel Satis, Megane, etc.
I actually don't mind the rump on them too much, it's the back roof line that doesn't appear in harmony with the rest of the car IMHO. particularly the 3 door version of the Megane.
Even the earlier Renault models, if judged by the standards of the the day, had a certain style about them. They must have done something right, a lot of them were in production for a very long time (R4, R12, R16, etc.)
Peugeot styling, well I best leave that to the Pugilists to discuss in their forum. I could get in trouble.
Ren
Ren
I wonder what people said about the R16, specifically the "roof rails" - I know it was pretty universally derided as ugly (but capable!)
Ah, the R16, yes, this was considered by some to be ugly. The roof rails, the scallop on the doors & guards, the dropped section in the centre on the bonnet, differing wheelbases, etc. were considered strange in their day.
Asone who's owned a couple of R16's, I think that the lines do flow and that the 16 is quite an attractive vehicle.
Ren
Asone who's owned a couple of R16's, I think that the lines do flow and that the 16 is quite an attractive vehicle.
Ren