1994 Renault Safrane RN 2.0i from UK and Ireland

Summary:

Luxurious car, but certainly not in the BMW/Mecedes class for build quality or reliabililty

Faults:

Major oil consumption (1 pint/100 miles) especially on deceleration.

Heater not working properly.

ABS warning light always comes on on first start up.

New Discs all round.

Lots of niggling faults.

General Comments:

Extremely comfortable and effortless to drive.

Good fuel economy considering the weight.

Plenty of room.

Slick manual gearbox with no transmission noise.

Lousy visibility when parking.

Crankcase ventilation system/Oil separator is useless. Bypass the built-in separator with filler/breather from Halfords (currently £3.49).

Would you buy another car from this manufacturer? Yes

Review Date: 6th September, 2005

1994 Renault Safrane RT Executive 2.2 petrol from UK and Ireland

Summary:

Despite the minor things this car is a splendid peace of machinery

Faults:

Had to change oil pan gasket at 127000, replaced it myself.

There is a short circuit or loose contact somewhere in the air conditioning control panel, because sometimes you need to tap on the screen for it to light up.

Few times air conditioning stopped working, the display showed that the service is required, The problem's gone while I was checking the fuses, I believe, by taking one of the fuses, I reset the dash board computer.

When bought the car had to flush the water system, because previous owner drove too long with the simple water, and it got rusted.

Changed the rear shock absorbers.

Fuel injection system needs to be tuned, considering that nothing has been done for ten years.

Dash board shows the problem with the electrical circuit, but never found out what it is. I strongly believe, that on board computer needs to be checked.

At 127000 left rear wheel bearing started making noises when traveling at 70 miles per hour.

General Comments:

In overall the car is unbelievably nice and reliable.

Very comfortable seats.

High quality interior finish.

Handles very well.

Despite the 2.2 liters engine, you will not get the desired torque when starting from standing position. You will not win in drag racing.

But you will not want to get out of the car after the long journey, because it is very comfortable long distance cruiser.

The default audio system pleasantly surprises you with genuine quality sound speakers.

However petrol consumption is 21.5 miles per gallon (MPG), this index should rise to a 30 MPG after tuning the injection system.

I have sold this car recently, at this moment my wife needs the car more, and she wants a smaller one.

Would you buy another car from this manufacturer? Yes

Review Date: 11th March, 2005

12th May 2005, 11:54

Have owned a Safrane 2.2 Vti Exec. for three years and refer to it as my "Magic Carpet" Comfort, ride quality and handling are superb.Goes, and stops! very well. Eats miles on the motorway and returns 37 mpg if Iam not too heavy footed! No major problems other than those you would expect from a voiture of this age and complexity. All in all a real pleasure to own.

1994 Renault Safrane RT VI EXEC 2.2 from UK and Ireland

Summary:

5 star comfort and a smooth drive

Faults:

94,000 miles: first acquired (4th hand).

Driver's door lock doesn't work. But it is never used due to infrared controller on key.

Hazard lights do not flash when alarm is engaged/disengaged. Alarm however does work. Alarm control board needs replacing if lights are to work.

Air conditioning needs servicing. Currently doesn't work. Cost for Freon refill ~ £100.

Couple of dashboard lights weren't working. Replaced them myself. Cost for 10 bulbs £3.00.

Bad rust on undercarriage (exhaust pipe, fuel tank strap, power steering pipe, and a few other small parts). This was however due to all the car's owners having lived on Cornish coastline.

Fan belt needed replacing due to squeaking (~ £20)

95,000 miles: power steering feed pipe blew. This was quite expensive to repair (~ £350). Price however balanced the fact that the car purchase price was fairly low (~ £1400)

95,000 miles: fuel tank strap snapped. Cost £15 to replace at garage.

95,000 miles: boot lock loosens slowly. Needs tightening every now and again with spanner.

100,000 miles: gear box oil was low resulting in strong vibration throughout the car when turning corners at low speeds. Repaired myself (took about 2 hours as oil cap is very hard to access). Cost £6.00.

102,000 miles: driver's leather seat stitches have come loose. Needs re-stitching.

104,000 miles: found out that clutch was stiff because assistant spring was missing. Repaired myself. Cost of new spring, cir-clip and bolt: £8 (original Renault parts).

General Comments:

Despite all the things that have gone wrong with this car, it really is an amazing car for the space and comfort it offers.

Spacious interior means you can easily fit 5 adults comfortably inside, and the boot is truly massive.

The drive is very smooth. Handles corners well for such a large car.

The engine lacks a bit of punch, and I'm not very keen on the gear ratios for the available engine power: 1st and 2nd gear don't get you very far, and 5th gear runs quite high for the speed (currently 80 mph at 3500 rpm). It does however continue to deliver above 3500 rpm, getting you to 120 mph at 5200 rpm.

Consumption is fairly good: you can achieve 36 mpg at 70 mph (petrol). The small trips I make bring down the consumption to 25~32 mpg in town. However, this is without the air conditioning!

Finally, the audio speakers deliver surprisingly good base.

This car was clearly designed for comfort and space. Driving the car is a luxury and a very enjoyable experience. Engine power is good, but lacks punch. Do expect little things to go wrong with interior gadgetry. However, the Renault engine should last for quite a long time.

Would you buy another car from this manufacturer? Yes

Review Date: 6th June, 2004