New Renaults (5/7) - Finally something to DeZir?... (Post #47)

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Build. Feel. Fit and finish. Materials. Paint quality. Lack of squeaks and rattles.

Well, my Megane doesn't have any of those either. Sorry.


I would also argue that if you made a poll and asked people what they though were the different aspects that resulted in "quality" you would get a very large percentage that included all of the ones listed above.


Semantics really. Renaults are quite cheap cars and it would be wrong to expect BMW or Lexus quality at half the price.
 
Well, my Megane doesn't have any of those either. Sorry.

Your 2005 Megane is essentially the same as a 2002 Megane. Which is older than the 5-ish years I mentioned that Renaults have been improving over. The Megane's facelift was in 2006 and if you read tests from around that time you'll see that improvements were made even then. And the new Megane is even better, if not quite as characterful.

More to the point - why on earth are you driving a car you seem to dislike so much?

I would also argue that if you made a poll and asked people what they though were the different aspects that resulted in "quality" you would get a very large percentage that included all of the ones listed above.

Are you saying you agree with the factors I consider to make up quality? I'm not quite sure I follow you.

Semantics really. Renaults are quite cheap cars and it would be wrong to expect BMW or Lexus quality at half the price.

Tell me where I said they were up with BMW or Lexus...
 
More to the point - why on earth are you driving a car you seem to dislike so much?

Because with another baby on the way I just can't prioritize a new car right now. Believe you me, I would if I could.

homeforsummer
Are you saying you agree with the factors I consider to make up quality? I'm not quite sure I follow you.

In your first post to me you said that Renaults are of the same quality as most other cars and it was then my impression from your following post that you did not include these factors in the concept of quality. If I misunderstood I apologise.

homeforsummer
Tell me where I said they were up with BMW or Lexus...

No that was me saying that :). The point being that I'm aware that you can't expect Lexus quality for half the price. (OTOH, standard Toyotas are almost as good as their sisterbrand and doesn't cost much more than a Renault so go figure)


Edit: I know that Renault have spent billions in recent years to improve quality and reliability and I seriously hope that they achieve that goal. It just not showing in the statistics yet. It seems to me that their french competitors in PSA are having better luck, the new Citroen C5 feels very solid in a short test drive. Much more so than the new Megane or Laguna.
 
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For that Renault Megane 250, it looks great! However, I almost want to think of it as a much more stylish late model Subaru Impreza (hatchback version). Northstar3914, you mention not liking the middle exhaust much? Well, I'm not really into the "mustache" look like with the RenaultSport Clio 200 Cup. Getting rid of the black color under the headlights and the miniscule grill may make the car look plain, but I've just never really liked this look.
 
Focus RS - think you're hard enough?...



Sutters admits he had to push pretty hard to keep up with the Focus but still - for a 100bhp defecit that's a pretty impressive showing. I think the Clio might now be the hot hatch I'd most like to own, even if it's not as quick outright as some of the mental turbocharged ones.

And I still like the styling, especially in that green.
 
That was BADASS when the Focus lifted the left rear tire into the left-hander about 1/3 of the way into the video.
 
It's a familiar stance for short-wheelbase, stiffly-sprung cars. Older Clios are known for it but probably most famous for "tripodding" are old Golf GTIs.
 
Some guy on another forum says that that stance is a bad thing. Can't figure out why, most sporting hatches seem to lift up that leg....
 
There's nothing wrong with it at all. Let's face it, the inside rear does the least work in a FWD car when cornering very hard as all the weight is off it anyway. It makes next to no difference whether it then lifts up completely. Given that race cars such as Touring Cars do it all the time, I'd say that it's clearly not a bad thing...
 
I don't know what you consider modern but my Megane Touring 2005 has been nothing but trouble since I bought it new and Renaults are at the very bottom of the table when it comes to customer satisfaction in the yearly survey of both of the major swedish car magazines as well as in the statistics from the state vehicle inspection. I know no one who is satisfied with the quality of their new Renaults. They are cheap cars that are even cheaper made.

What is quality if not reliability?

The condeser in the car AC broke. Renault wants the equivalent of 2600 US dollars to fix it. This in a four year old car that has 47000 miles on it.

I will never ever buy a Renault again.
 
Aircon condensers are expensive in any car. Probably more likely to break in French ones of course, but the price can't be blamed on Renault.
 
Aircon condensers are expensive in any car.

They are indeed. Here are some examples I have found:

Mazda 6: $700
Peugeot 406: $830
Volvo V70: $700
Ford Mondeo: $735
Skoda Octavia: $1100


And, just to reiterate; Renault Megane: $2600...


Who me, bitter?
 
They are indeed. Here are some examples I have found:

Mazda 6: $700
Peugeot 406: $830
Volvo V70: $700
Ford Mondeo: $735
Skoda Octavia: $1100


And, just to reiterate; Renault Megane: $2600...


Who me, bitter?

With a simple google of 'Renault', 'Megane' and 'Air conditioning compressor'...


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http://www.automotive-air-condition...els-for=RENAULT&Model=MEGANE&part=Compressors




Hmm...
 
But is he getting it done at a dealer? Hm...

and it's the condenser, not the compressor. Wrong end of the heat Cycle :3
 
They are indeed. Here are some examples I have found:

Mazda 6: $700
Peugeot 406: $830
Volvo V70: $700
Ford Mondeo: $735
Skoda Octavia: $1100

And, just to reiterate; Renault Megane: $2600...

That would be the dealer taking you for a ride. If your car is four years old it's more than likely out of warranty and it'd be a bit silly taking it to a dealer for a repair like that. Find a specialist who'd probably do it for even less than the $700 you can get the Mazda6 done for.

Incidentally, I'd suspect most aircon systems in cars are made by external companies. Find out who yours is made by, what else the unit is used in, and then go find whoever is cheapest to service them.
 
That would be the dealer taking you for a ride. If your car is four years old it's more than likely out of warranty and it'd be a bit silly taking it to a dealer for a repair like that. Find a specialist who'd probably do it for even less than the $700 you can get the Mazda6 done for.

Incidentally, I'd suspect most aircon systems in cars are made by external companies. Find out who yours is made by, what else the unit is used in, and then go find whoever is cheapest to service them.

Yes I know I can almost certainly get the job done for half the quoted price at another shop. The thing is that the other quoted prices are also the dealer prices respecively. I just don't get it.

Anyway, the car is going to be sold ASAP. I'm just debating with myself whether I should fix this first or sell it as is at a lower price.

Edit: Thanks for the link though Jondot. I found the condenser for my car for €124 (or $178), the dealer quoted me a price for that part alone of $1260 (€874)
 
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New Renault concept - the DeZir

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It’s the stunning sports car that puts the va va voom back into Renault! Meet the DeZir – an incredible new electric concept that’s set to debut at the Paris Motor Show in October.

The first model under new design chief Laurens van den Acker, it points to how all forthcoming Renaults will look. The beautifully sculpted body is similar in size to Audi’s R8 e-tron electric supercar, and gives the coupé a contrasting and fresh new image to replace the geometric shapes of the company’s current range.

A full-width front grille features a large Renault diamond badge, and is flanked by distinctive prism headlights and LED ‘eyelids’ which provide a hi-tech, menacing appearance.

Expect this to be the face of future Renault models, such as the next-generation Laguna. Scissor doors add to the dramatic exterior appearance, while the rear window is replaced by two cameras that produce a panoramic rearward view for the driver.

Inside, the red exterior makes way for a one-piece bench trimmed in contrasting white leather, designed to represent the attraction between two people.

Power comes from a vertically mounted 24kWh rechargeable lithium-ion battery, fed to a 148bhp mid-mounted electric motor. This gives Audi e-tron-rivalling performance, with 0-60mph in only five seconds and a top speed of 112mph.

Aiding the pace is a ightweight tubular steel chassis – the DeZir tips the scales at only 830kg – and a drag coefficient of only 0.25Cd. It also promises a range of 100 miles.

Weight is further reduced by the use of Kevlar for the body, while a double-wishbone suspension set-up gives the car genuinely sporty handling.

The DeZir concept joins the firm’s upcoming line-up of battery-powered vehicles, such as the Fluence saloon. Formula One-inspired KERS technology features. This stores energy lost under deceleration in the battery, where it can be accessed for a short power boost.

The styling and technology are set to grace forthcoming Renault sports cars, although bosses have no plans to put the DeZir into production.

Source: AutoExpress

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Have to say, I rather like it. Very sleek, quite a simple design, and they seem to have gone for quite a classical approach to supercars in giving it curves rather than sharp creases, which I quite appreciate.

Interior is typical Renault concept craziness, but pretty cool.

The massive badge on the front is a bit big, but then it's a concept and manufacturers are never known for their subtlety with that sort of thing. Renault just needs the guts to put it into production like they did with stuff like the Avantime or Clio V6 that most people thought would never get any further than a motor show turntable. Laguna Coupe aside they've lost their way with styling a bit recently (on road cars, at least - their concepts are often easy on the eye), so nice to see a genuinely good looking car is still possible.
 
Don't like those bumps in the side, nor the "Sideblade" styling cue or the fact that it looks like it's been out too late from the front. Otherwise, not bad at all. if only there weren't the electric hitch...and the puzzle of why an electric car needs that much ventilation, anyway.
 
That front end would be amazing if it weren't for those ridiculous fog lights in the middle!
 
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