RENAULT LAGUNA 2.0 dCi Dynamique 5dr (2008)

Recommended, just about!

There were some niggling problems, which at first made me think I might have landed a real lemon, and I was really worried when I saw some reviews of older Renault Lagunas which read like real horror stories. It worked out ok though. One of the problems was sorted with an update to the software (this was news to me, who knew cars had software??). There were some other little bits like catches not catching and a rattling noise, but these were all sorted out by the dealer.

Again I've heard horror stories of bad dealers, but our one is friendly and honest, from what I can tell. They did all the work nice and swiftly. Maybe that's the exception. Hope not.

I chose not to get the Renault Laguna with the integrated satnav, because I though it would probably go out of date within the lifetime of the car, and maybe just look old hat and pointless by the time I come to sell it. I'm not really sure if I made the right decision. It is pretty annoying having to remember the old standalone unit every time I go out in the car. I don't really want to leave it in the car, although it does seem well equipped with safety features. It's a bit too safety conscious actually, the alarm has gone off in the night a couple of times, and we're quite rural so it was probably just a fox jumping on it or something.

It's a good car to drive, and I'm chuffed to be returning mid 40s MPG in a 2 litre. You don't really notice that it's a diesel, not from the inside at least. It obviously gives a slightly different sound outside, but really you do need to concentrate to tell the difference most of the time. It's powerful enough for overtaking on the A roads at pretty much any speed, and that's all I ask of it.

I also didn't go for the air conditioning option, which I do regret now. It seemed quite pricey at the time, and although the dealers were friendly, they were also getting a bit pushy about up selling more extras. During the summer, and especially the last week which has been really sweltering, I really kicked myself for not having the AC. I wouldn't use it much but I would really appreciate it when I did want it on.

It's a clever car for storage as well, that was a main thing we were after because we both have merchandise to move around with work. The back seats flip down dead easy, and there are handles to strap things on to in the back as well. It's well thought out.

I suppose we've only had it about two years so it's hard to say how it'll fare longer term. Maybe some of these horror stories will eventually come true for us too. At least our dealer will be good about it all.