Renault Megane 2004 Review

As a new mother, my priorities have changed. All of a sudden, everything is about the baby.

For example, I picked up my black sleek number from the dealership and hit the freeway.

In my pre-bubs days, I would have grabbed the hubby and headed for destination anywhere-we-feel-like. Somehow a Tupperware party just doesn't have the same ring to it, but that's motherhood for you. Again, it's all about baby.

In my pre-baby days, I would not have settled for anything less than the more sexy Megane hatch.

Now, looks take a back seat to practicality and, of course, safety.

In my pre-baby days, I didn't care how big the boot was because I never used it. Now, it's one of the first things I look for because it's just annoying trying to squeeze a pram into the boot while junior is screaming. The Megane's boot is so big it could probably fit two prams (but I'm getting ahead of myself).

In my pre-baby days, a cup holder was all the storage I cared about.

Now, as all parents would know, storage compartments are all the rage and you just can't get enough of them. The Megane sedan has so many little storage surprises that I was still discovering them days after my first drive. There's one under the driver's floor, ditto on the front passenger side, one at the rear window and in the side doors, and then some.

About all that was missing was the "Baby on Board" sticker, but I just couldn't do it to her. She's too cute and classy for that.

But for those simply looking for a good car without the post-baby features in mind, Megane delivers.

Forget the frustration of finding your car keys in the bottomless pit (aka handbag), the Megane has developed a simple feature that quite frankly every car should adopt.

The key is designed like a credit card. You just insert it in the slot and press the start button.

To switch on the lights, all you have to do is start the car. There are no knobs to turn. It's all done automatically – and likewise when you switch off the car.

And for the leadfoots, say goodbye to your speeding-fine woes. The speed-limiter function means once you set your maximum speed, the car won't let you go over that. And, no, there are no annoying beeps warning you every time you pass the desired speed – she just won't let you speed.

The Privilege model, like its name suggests, gives you a few extras such as a leather steering wheel and chrome door handles but, let's face it, they are not essential and for a few grand less you could do without.

But even though the Megane passed my stringent baby-friendly check, you won't see my three-month-old in the back seat. A woman's gotta have some luxuries to her own, doesn't she?