Faults:

130.000km - One of the timing belt pulleys came out and took the engine along with it. As it was already past the warranty period, the Renault dealer didn't take responsibility for what it was clearly a design flaw (the 1.4 engines that followed, the pulleys were fused into the engine block, rather than bolted to it, at least according to the mechanic who rebuilt the engine...).

170.000km - Camshaft position sensor went. 20€ on eBay for a new one.

190.000km - Replaced both front shock absorbers and engine mounts.

200.000km - One gearbox screw came loose and needed a new one. Nothing major.

215.000km - One of the heating's bulkheads started this "hammering" noise every time I started the motor. Fortunately, it was only 20€ to have it repaired.

220.000km - The rear right electric window went, mostly because a passenger closed the door a "bit" too strongly.

General Comments:

The Renault Megane Grandtour (aka Megane Break) is a very comfortable ride. Very pleasant to drive and it has proven to be a fairly reliable car throughout the 15 years I've owned it.

The 1.4 16V engine delivers 95HP, making it quite responsive and offering good acceleration and a top speed of over 200km/h (it topped 215 km/h going slightly down once, but you didn't hear it from me... :-) )

At the same time, it's very economical for a 1.4 considering its kerb weight sits at around 1200kg. I used to get 6.5lt/100km in town driving slow, and managed to get 5.5/100km on the motorway under 120km/h.

It's a great family car with a boot offering plenty of room and very comfortable 5 seats. Build quality is very good, as most materials used proved sturdy over time, even for a car that sat under the Portuguese sun for 15 years.

The only downside is that the suspension and ground clearance have been designed for comfort, so if you push it, chances are the car will understeer.

Faults:

At 180000, replacement injectors were needed.

At 200000, water pump

At 230000, rear central brake LEDs failed.

At 235000, the front seat started to open (not wear, but the string that attaches the leather panels broke) - easy fix. The seats are as new! No wear whatsoever!

Steering wheel and gear knob have completely worn out.

Nothing else!

General Comments:

I've owned it since day one.

Great sporty looks

The best thing about it is the running costs. The on board computer shows fuel consumption (confirmed) of 6.1L/100km easily!

I can get down to 5.4L/100km (running calmly). Max it goes is up to 7.3L/100Km (city crazy driving).

The driving position is very high... not sporty at all (which is a shame).

Runs quite alright. Reaches 210km/h... (but quite slow starting and recovering) - not too sporty a motor.

Goes around the corners with no understeer, which is cool. Stiff chassis!

Lots of noises from the plastic interior, but besides the steering wheel and gear knob, everything is mint condition!!! (a 12 year car!!!)

Faults:

The water pump broke down just one month after we bought the car, but was replaced under warranty. Apart from that, some minor exhaust problems, and not much else.

One thing noticed is that the rear brakes may lock if I leave the car and don't use it for more than a week or so. But as I will start using it daily after taking my test, it's not a problem.

General Comments:

Despite the low spec, it is a very good car. It's been in the family for 13 years, being very reliable, comfortable and safe.

The engine sometimes lacks some power, but instead doesn't give any problems at all.

The handling is good, and it has very good grip.

It's now 180k kilometers, and still running good.