Faults:

Remote central locking didn't always work, I never found out why, I just used the key in the lock.

The car was hesitating under acceleration, this turned out to be a worn rotor arm, which was fixed by my local garage for under £50.

General Comments:

I really loved this car, and if someone hadn't reversed into it while it was parked and written it off, I think I would still have it.

They are very pretty cars, and this one, being the RT model had body coloured bumpers, which added to the good looks.

It also had Remote central locking and electric windows. I understand that they are also available with power steering and ABS, mine didn't have these, but the steering was pretty light anyway.

It handled really well and was a fun drive. I liked the gearshift and it was also a pretty quick car, with smooth acceleration, and a top speed of about 110mph, if not slightly more.

Altogether, this was a superb car, with no major faults during my ownership. It was always a joy to drive and never let me down.

Faults:

The engine died at 85,000 km. I got another (used) one for replacement.

Exhaust system rusts away every two years.

Engines never ran smoothly. (Bumpy acceleration, shaking at min rpm)

Some smaller parts (like switches etc.) died very often.

Ignition cables loosen quite often.

General Comments:

Easy to drive, compact car.

Renault service really does not know how to deal with clients as well as cars.

Faults:

In the first year of ownership I've had to replace front disks and pads, as they had worn unevenly and failed the MOT.

I also had to buy a new rear exhaust section after the original fell off.

This year I've had to replace the radiator fan thermostat, as it stopped switching the fan on. The overheating caused by this slightly ruptured the head gasket and exposed a hole in one of the coolant pipes. The head gasket is running OK, but losing water to an unknown location (the local mechanics cannot find where it's going...), and the coolant pipe needed replacing.

The number 3 setting on the internal fans has always been intermittent, and in this last week the 1 and 2 settings have stopped working altogether. Upon investigation, the multi-plug into the fan unit has melted and distorted, breaking the electrical connections.

General Comments:

The car drives very nicely, isn't too hungry on petrol, and sits 4 people very well considering its size.

I find the engine compartment too crowded to do any work in it, and the rear-facing bonnet opening makes engine work especially tricky.

It's dead easy to park though, with good visibility all around.

Faults:

I've had problems with the electrical connections on the starter engine. Twice!

That resulted in a lot of push-starts. No major problems otherwise.

General Comments:

It has been a nice ride on short and semi-long trips. I have not tried very long trips.

Seats would not be comfortable for long rides.

Faults:

There quite some rust near my rear wheels (common problem for these cars).

General Comments:

This car is very nice in traffic light sprints, and extremely nice in turns. Its grip is phenomenal and when it breaks loose (in turns) it's easy to control your 'drift'. I really had to learn to drive again with this car because you can reach very high curve speeds (especially compared to the Laguna, my previous car). Suspension is stiff, and with the 16" wheels it's not comfortable on the road without asphalt. What's very nice are the meters for oil pressure, oil temperature and engine temperature, very useful when you are a sporty driver (Now you know when you can step on it). A bad thing about this car is its oil usage: 1 liter for 3000 kilometers is no exception... Chip-tuning is a good option for this car to make it even faster.

You shouldn't get this car if you want a comfy smooth ride because it's rather noisy and the seats are not very good either. You should buy this car if you want a fast racy car, which won't cost you the world.