I just can't fault Renault for their ability to make nice simple cars that go on and on and on. I was told that the basic idea behind a lot of older Renaults (and Citroens) was that you could take them to any old two-bit garage in the middle of the French countryside and be reasonably sure of them having the right part for it, because there were only about five parts in them!
Well it's just what it looks like, a lovely simple car with not very much to go wrong, so it's spent very little time in the garage over the (ahem) decades I've had it. About five years ago it needed a new steering rack. Shortly after the back section of the exhaust needed doing, and then last year the front bit also needed doing. Apart from some other little things like the wiper motor and that sort of thing it hasn't really needed anything doing that I can really remember.
I still use my Renault 5 every day, albeit usually for quite short journeys. I give it a longer run every now and again when my mum and me go shopping at Bluewater, but it's usually my runaround, and for that it's totally great. The boot gets all my shopping in just fine, I like the nice big clear windows - I sat in an Astra recently and I was amazed how much worse that is!
The only down side was that during my kids teenage years they would complain a bit about having to get into the back as it's only got two doors so that can be a bit of a pain, but they learnt to drive soon enough and off they went in their own cars.
I've recovered the seats a few times, well not recovered but put my own covers over them. They're currently sporting some very tasteful pinky purply fluffy covers which my hubby tends to try and hide with his coat!
Sadly, tragically, I think rust will be the Renault 5's downfall. I've had it in a garage all its life but still bits of rust are starting to really show up now, and the door is pretty creaky, feels like it might just fall off soon. I think I'll cry when I finally have to get rid of it, but it's been a wonderful car for us.