Faults:

The radiator.

Heater matrix.

Front wheel bearings.

Front shock rubber bushings.

Power steering fluid pipes needed replacing.

General Comments:

I'm about to trade the car in part exchange on a nearly new Laguna Sport Tourer. I'm going to stick with Renault because although I read some negative reviews, my Laguna has made it to 232K miles with original clutch, gearbox, engine, head gasket etc - which I find simply amazing.

It starts every time, first time, and has never let me down. It's taken me and my family all over France, Scotland, Ireland, Cornwall. It's still very economical - I get between 42 and 44 mpg - which is what I got when I bought the car.

I'm really impressed with this car, and I'll be sorry to see it go, but it's got to the stage where it has no monetary value, and would instantly be written off in the event of an accident.

I have been offered a small sum as a trade in against the new car, so it's time to go for it and wave a fond fair well to a very good, reliable, and trusty family car.

Faults:

Cam-belt needs replacing - Renault main dealers want £300 for this!

Exhaust needed replacing (rear and centre sections).

Seats are starting to show signs of age.

Rear passenger foot well (behind the driver) turns into a swimming pool when it rains.

Rusty coolant water.

Sunroof will only tilt open (not slide).

Suspension sounds very noisy over bumps.

Airbag light is flashing - started intermittently when I bought the car, and now never goes out completely - and I'm not paying for a dealer to tell me he can't fix it.

General Comments:

Coming to the Laguna from a sporty 205 was a bit of a change, but I needed a car to cope with lots of motorway driving. Handling is surprising good, and the car copes well enough with A-roads and some B-road work, although the suspension is a bit too soft. It is too short of power though for much in the way of A-road overtaking. Once you get out of second and into third gear, the performance drops off significantly. Brakes work well, and seem resistant to fade, although I have renewed the front pads and brake fluid.

On the motorway the car is superb - quiet, comfortable ride, and will happily cruise at whatever speed you choose all day long. Economy isn't too bad for a car this size either (~35/36 MPG cruising at ~80mph)

The problems I've had with the car have so far been wear-and-tear issues, although I'm shocked by the cost of a replacement cam-belt (it's not much cheaper at an independent garage). The brakes also need replacing, and parts like rear drums can be difficult to find. The best place I've found is Euro Car parts - www.eurocarparts.com, who seems to stock most things at a good price. Don't go to a dealer unless you've got money to burn.

Although I've listed a few faults, day to day the car has been very reliable, and has performed as I need it to. The boot is huge, and for the size of car/engine, the economy is reasonable (average ~33 MPG). I wouldn't buy another one though, because the handling and performance aren't quite enough to make the car fun.