Renault

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Having driven this van now for almost 2 years I can honestly say it has been very reliable. But for Renault to make a stance in this country they really need to talk to there customers on some of the design issues. Like there is no room for you to stretch your left leg as you can not move your foot between the clutch pedal and console. Also the gear stick cramps up the centre seat and restricts leg room if your a big driver. Turning circle is the worse I can get a 3 ton truck to turn better. Don’t attempt to make a u turn if the road is not at least 5 metres wide. As for reversing especially if your on a steep incline forget it. You could burn out the clutch over a period of time and I dare say because most of the weight is up the front . I could go on from a drivers point of view but for a everyday van it’s still one of the better ones compared to its rivals. Probably the biggest let down was you could not buy it in auto. Sad really in this day and age especially if you are always driving around Melbourne. It has plenty of power for over taking and uphills you might get away in sixth gear as it has plenty of torque. There is lag in second so be careful when dropping gears at very low speeds. The drivers seat can be too hard if your doing a few hours of driving. There are no grab handles to get in . Some times I have to be a gentleman and help the wife to climb in. She does complain that you cannot adjust the passenger seat but she loves the storage under the seat. Exterior stying it looks good and the paint job is thick well finished and glossy. Around town you can expect upto 950-1000 Klm out of a 80 litre tank and on the open road Expect 1150k. Service is every 30,000 klms and service cost can very between $349.00 to $509.00. Cost of ownership is very good and so far it hasn’t let us down. The gear box is smooth to change and there is a symbol on the dash that shows you when to change gears so you can achieve maximum economy. There is a economy switch beside the gear lever . Don’t waste your time using it as it drops the power. If I had to buy another one I probably would but only if they fix all of the above but for now we will wait and see.

It's a cool Saturday morning. Before setting off on a spirited drive, it is widely recommended to allow the machine to warm itself up before hitting the road. I climb into the drivers seat, awkwardly as I try to limit contact with the immaculate right side bolsters. While my right foot is on the middle pedal, I trigger the engine start procedure from the centre console. The car fires into life, expelling exhaust gases through the two Akrapovic Evolution exits at the rear. The initial idle is rather lumpy. The tacho needle jumping between 500 and 1000. This is perfectly normal in my experience. It sounds raw and characterful at this stage, echoing off my double garage. I leave the engine running for 6-7 minutes to allow the engine and transmission to warm up progressively. This certainly helps with engaging reverse gear to kickoff the journey. Pottering through my estate at a normal pace, the ride is noticably firm and not for the faint hearted. The Cup Chassis specified on my car is quite busy and unforgiving when you're not 'on it'. I would certainly not recommend the car as a daily driver especially if traffic in your area is heavy. Once the engine, exhaust, gearbox and tyres are completely warmed up, the car really comes alive. The combination of the Akrapovic Evolution exhaust system and this free revving F4R 2 litre naturally aspirated engine (the same engine that is used in the open wheel racing series Formula Renault Eurocup) is the main event in my opinion. Throttle response is excellent even though an electronic throttle actuator is utilised. While WOT and with 2nd gear selected, build the revs all the way to the redline before swapping into 3rd and repeat repeat all the way up to 5th. The sound is absolutely intoxicating and addictive. A top tip is to fold the rear seats down to enhance the aural experience. Test out your heel and toe skills and blip the throttle as you downshift. But it's not just your ears that will be pleased. Find a nice set of corners with ideally smooth tarmac and prepare to be blown away by the exceptional handling. Despite having electric steering, feedback from the front wheels is astonishing. The car remains as planted through the corners as a 10000 year old gumtree. The controls comprising the thick but not too thick steering wheel, gear selector knob and pedals are perfectly placed for maximum attack. While your bottom, hips and love handles are securely positioned in the stunning leather Recaro Sportster bucket seats, the harmonious placement of all the controls provides you as the driver with supreme confidence on the road. As the final swansong of the manual transmission and naturally aspirated RenaultSport Clio's, the Mark III 200 is an extremely polished driving tool concocted from the brilliant engineers responsible for the stunning second generation Alpine A110. One negative to note is the sound quality from the standard audio system. Which is why mine is always off. :)