RENAULT MEGANE 1.6 VVT Privilege 5dr (2002)

The running costs are amazing

I had a big Scenic before this so the Megane didn’t have much to live up to on the performance front. Shockingly, I think the Scenic was actually a better drive. There just seems to be very little power available and it always feels like you only ever make slow progress. I think the gear shift can be quite a bumpy experience too. The brakes, on the other hand, I actually think are quite good. So performance and handling actually leave quite a lot to be desired. A shame but nonetheless...

The interior is quite small, and it feels small as well. The roof is actually quite low which means that head room is a little hindered, particularly if you're six foot tall. I’ve never had three people in the back but I imagine it would be quite a squeeze if all were adults. On the upside, the boot is a good size and can swallow a decent amount of stuff. The one thing that almost brings our Megane back from the above is the high-quality interior and useful storage areas, these really do come in very handy.

There is no denying that the Megane is probably a safe car, it has loads of safety kit and the five star rating but until you actually have a crash, I think this is quite difficult to review.

The running costs however, are the highlight and this is why we have kept it despite all of its shortcomings. The insurance is cheap, as is the road tax, there are massive service internals and the economy really is very good indeed.