2005 Renault Megane Reviews

Possibly because there is no front lawn, but more likely because spending time on a car is seen as an activity pursued only by the most fanatical of motoring enthusiasts.In an attempt to hide the dirt, motorists with little care for washing their cars choose drab grey, black, olive green or military blue paintwork.But there are exceptions, because Europe is, as a whole, an exception.Like the marmalade Renault Sport Megane 225, complete with Fanta-drenched seatbelts.Previously on test there was a Renault Sport Clio in bright blue. With silver seatbelts.All designed to stand out in a crowd. Not only that, but designed to have stand-out street cred, because the Renault Sport badge indicates something exceptional.The Renault Sport Clio tested in January was smart, spirited and soulful.The Megane 225 is a more adult interpretation, with bias on comfort and cabin room.It is basically a Megane hatch, with more oomph, tauter suspension, bigger wheels and more luxury items.The Megane hatch's distinctive bum remains, as does the vertical rear window and wheel-at-each-corner stance.Look closer, past the orange paintwork, and you see it sits squat on the road, with an attitude that shouts aggression.Though a tad odd in appearance, it grows on you in a macho sort of way. That aside, it's likely you'll be convincing the wife it looks nice, possibly for the rest of your life. Once inside, however, she would agree that the seats are wide and very supple, as is the ride and quietness.Equipment includes auto up/down windows all around, clever under-floor storage areas and well-placed front armrests.The standard kit list is exhaustive, leaving virtually nothing on the option list.Even the turbocharger is standard, at least on the $42,000-plus 225 version tested. The 225 refers to the horsepower.Mated with a slick, six-speed manual box, the 2-litre engine is a sparkler that will give most cars a run for their money.Though turbocharged, the engine feels very understressed and is noted more for its stump-pulling low-speed torque than its ability to sing at high revs.For this reason, it is an easy and almost lazy car to drive. It's quick off the mark, but its real forte is mid-range strength.Handling is good, but only up to a point. It has a tendency to show increasing degrees of understeer precisely when you think it's actually tracking the corner very well.As such, handling rates as very good, with the disclaimer that this is a nose-heavy vehicle. Excellent for the country, but a bit of a handful in tight corners.In that manner, it is most unlike its nimble and virtually fault-free Clio Sport, which handles like a Mini Cooper S used to.And though it doesn't show it, it can get very dirty when pushed hard.

Which is a shame for Marianne Faithfull's tragic musical madame because Paris – and indeed most of Europe – is very convertible-friendly, thanks to a summer sun less severe than Perth's.Which is why the French are getting pretty good at making cars that survive the tortures of the city and yet let you get your head into the warm air.Peugeot did a steel droptop car in the mid-1930s, which it followed up with the more recent 206CC (stands for coupe-cabriolet, not corn chips) and 307CC.Now it's Renault's turn. The Megane CC is the second-generation model that replaces the smaller, 1.6-engined convertible which had a fabric roof.The new car is bigger, comes with a bigger engine, is heavier and has the folding steel hat.It is an exceptionally comfortable to drive, with good dynamics of handling. The engine is willing but though it's a perfect cruiser, it feels the body's weight when pushed hard.The boot is simply huge, which accounts for the CC's huge bum, but when the roof is up it shrinks to a shallow cargo area.Though the car has four seats, there's precious little legroom to fit any human in those beautifully sculptured leather rear chairs.Drive over uneven bitumen with the roof down and you will note some body shakes, indicating more chassis strengthening is needed. It's not bad, but it can be disconcerting.But the good outweighs the bad.The roof is actually a thick slab of laminated glass that has been heavily tinted.It comes with a shadecloth affair which, despite all good intentions, will still try to cook your pate on a long drive on a hot Perth day.It takes only 22 seconds to get the top off, though a cover within the boot must be in place before the electrics activate. It's this cover that allows room for the retracting steel hood and is responsible for the dramatic reduction in cargo-carrying space.The Megane CC has a lot of interesting features – the broad and spacious door pockets for water bottles and other stuff, the hidden spaces beneath the door armrests, the comprehensive trip computer, the moveable cigarette ashtray, the oh-so-comfy seats, and the clarity of the main dials.The engine likes to rev and delivers strong torque to encourage the four-speed auto to work the front wheels.The gearbox has a semi-manual mode, but this wasn't really the type of car to encourage sports driving.It also has an annoying pause before engaging first or reverse, but I've been told that delay is deliberate to minimise transmission damage.The steering is very light at parking speeds but it firms up on the highway. The brakes are over-boosted in typical Renault style.In fact, it's a nice drive and not overly complicated in the way that French engineers enjoy.The credit-card size ignition key is unusual, along with the stop/start button, though it works well and the plastic card is a lot easier to carry in your back pocket than a cluster of metallic keys.The Megane CC has a few rivals and is not especially cheap, though it is an alluring machine. Just don't bring the children.

In any event, there are many buyers – young and not-so-young – who just love well-sorted quickies.Hence the market for compact performance cars, which can be driven for economy around the city or set alight, in the right environment, for some fun motoring.The BMC Mini – particularly the Cooper S – gave birth to the segment.More recently, Subaru has set the standard for affordable performance with its WRX – a top performer with a sub-six-second sprint time at a sub-$40,000 price.Peugeot's 206 GTi is $5000 cheaper and only 1.5 seconds slower. And the new Mini Cooper S is a full financial member of the category at only $710 more than the WRX with a 0-100km/h time of 7.2 seconds.Renault has added the Sport Megane 225 to the hot hatch class to which it was already a member with the Clio Sport.The quick Megane is fully credentialled with a 0-100km/h dash in 6.5 seconds, a standing 400m in 14.6 seconds and a top speed of 236km/h. At $42,990, it is not the cheapest car in the class but it does come with sufficient kit to justify the price. The Megane is not a small car in the truest sense – and is highly individualistic in its styling.The Sport Megane 225 hatch is powered by a 16-valve turbocharged two-litre four, which generates a wholesome 165kW of power and 300Nm of torque to the front wheels via a really slick six-speed manual gearbox. The motor is the work of the brand's motorsport arm, Renault Sport Technologies, which was given the task of producing a performance motor suitable for daily use.The engine finds an ideal home in the Megane hatch, which has been modified to match the firepower of the engine.The Sport Megane body is enhanced with a wide air intake grille to ensure that the intercooled turbo gets plenty of fresh air. The rear bumper skirting is cut away to make way for the large-bore twin-pipe exhaust outlets.A spoiler, integrated in the upper part of the rear hatch, boosts stability at high speeds.The Sport runs 17in alloy wheels, which fill the wheel arches nicely, maximising the model's muscular looks.The sporty driving theme continues inside through the use of leather steering wheel, aluminium pedal pads and a graphic treatment of the instrumentation. The Sport shares the same round-backed hatch body with naturally aspirated versions of the five-door hatch Megane line-up – unlike the Impreza WRX which is available in both hatch and sedan forms.Buyers will love the rump or hate it, with very few "don't knows". But enthusiast drivers attracted by the dynamics of the car will not be put off by the rear styling.After all, previous "Rex" models were not all that pretty either.Now for what the Sport Megane has to offer.The "blown" two-litre is a willing worker off the line without any lag, which flaws so many turbo models.The addition of a full complement of stability kit ensures that there is very little torque steer – the tendency of a performance front drive car to pull to one side – under full load.Power peaks at 5500rpm but the 300Nm of torque is reached at 3000rpm.The twin-scroll-type turbocharger delivers the goods throughout the various rev ranges without any flat spots.The engine is a real joy to fire into action and the six-speed, close-ratio manual transmission is a sheer joy to flick from cog to cog with the short, sporty shift.The car rides on a proficient chassis, which is firm but not brutal and keeps the body from undue movement under severe cornering forces. The Sport Megane comes standard with anti-lock brakes, stability control, emergency brake assist and understeer control. Everything works according to the plot to ensure the car is nowhere as skittish as hot cars of days gone.Anyone who gets into trouble has the backing of five-star Euro crash test rating, double volume dual airbags, side airbags and curtain airbags plus seat belt pretensioners front and rear. Variable power assisted steering gives the car a good road feel – particularly during cornering when directional correction is required.The Sport comes with a long list of standard items, including cruise control with a speed limiter, six-speaker CD sound system, electrochromic interior mirror, automatic headlights and automatic windscreen wipers, variable depending on the amount of rain.An optional LX pack which consists of a sunroof, a six CD stacker and full leather trim is available for $4000.AT A GLANCEThe Sport Megane is one of those cars which can make your day – day after day.Anyone who appreciates affordable power will be enthralled by what the car has to offer.Forget the rounded rump – this is a sports hatch which should be driven and considered by anyone in the market for a hot not-so-little number.

The controversial "I like big butts" campaign, which launched the Megane in Australia has ensured the ample derriere of this sports car is well known. The round botty of the Megane is at once retro and ultra-modern.Of course, protruding bottoms are a matter of personal taste and for some people, fat-bottomed girls make the world go around.This one certainly pushed all my buttons even as I was pushing her's. Renault uses a credit-card sized card and an old-fashioned "start" button in place of a key. It takes a little getting used to but is yet another point of difference that sets this little pocket rocket apart from other cars her size.The keycard also operates the remote central locking and boot mechanism. Automatic windscreen wipers and light-sensing headlights help you to concentrate on the driving. But she's not just all show and speed.The Megane has a five-star safety rating from the Euro/NCAP safety program. The list of safety and security appointments is longer than all the other features and includes six airbags and emergency assist braking. The Megane even tucks you in by reassuringly locking all the doors once you've pulled away from the kerb.This is a car for drivers who love to drive, with its six-speed gearbox (manual only) and the fastest response time of any of the cars I have tested. All the extras are there, too. The rally-style seats immediately put you in the mood and the orange seat belts and stitching along with alloy-drilled foot pedals are constant reminders that this is no ordinary commuter vehicle.Renault is keen to point out that its experience in building and racing Formula 1 cars is why the Renault sports range, including the turbo Megane, is so racy.The boot space is healthy enough to accommodate a family load of shopping but you'd expect that, wouldn't you? Nifty and convenient storage is all part of the package.Other drivers certainly got a good view of the distinctive rear ... they were left well and truly behind at the green light. Well, a girl's gotta strut her stuff a little. As I cruised by, I thought I could hear drivers and pedestrians chant: "I see you, baby, shakin' that ass". Hey, if you've got it, flaunt it.LOVE IT LEAVE ITRenault Megane Turbo 225LOVE ITORANGE seat belts and stitching. Fastest take-off on the block – seriously fast. Start button – it's quirky.LEAVE ITREAR vision a little restricted. Long-legged passengers can be cramped.

Convertibles, cabrios, roadsters, call them what you will, are OK for Aussie conditions but definitely not the go on hot days.The notion of "fun in the sun" driving is wrong because it ain't fun blistering away in a car under a searing sun.This issue and being caught in a flash thunderstorm have been addressed by fast opening and closing roofs of either metal or vinyl.It's cool to have a roofless car that's for sure, great for the ego, an image maker. And on cooler days, in the evening or early morning they are a treat.Renault has entered the fray with something different – a glass roof cabriolet.The Megane Coupe-Cabriolet's roof is in two pieces and folds quickly into the boot leaving minimal luggage space. With the roof up, the boot is a good size.It's a four seater of sorts with the rear pews suitable for kids due to a lack of legroom.Access is by large doors and there's plenty of room inside the Megane for two and head clearance is good thanks to a manual a seat though head clearance could be an issue for taller drivers or people with a bouffant hairstyle.The Megane shares its face with other Meganes (sedan and hatch) but pretty well all other body panels are unique on the Coupe-Cabriolet.Underneath, it's all standard Megane – a 2.0-litre four cylinder petrol engine, five speed manual or four speed auto transmission, front wheel drive, electric power steering, strut and torsion beam suspension, all mainstream stuff.Power output is 98kW with 191Nm of torque. It is adequate to push the 1430kg Megane along at a decent clip with the manual obviously having more punch.Safety is a high priority these days and the Megane doesn't fall short with a five star European NCAP crash test rating – the highest.And Renault has ensured Megane Coupe-Cabriolet buyers will be pampered with an extensive range of luxury equipment like leather upholstery, rain sensing wipers auto headlights, good audio, climate control and plenty more.Renault persists with the annoying card and push button ignition system.It is a stylish car from all angles but the consensus around the office was that women more than men would like the styling.And that's precisely where Renault is pitching this $47,990 cabrio – at wealthy women. Just like most of the other players in the market.