Whats wrong with Mk1 Lagunas?

[Stanky]

So, a fairly spurious question, but in the last 10 days I have seen an R-Reg Laguna in John Major grey with 8 months MOT and 3 months tax for £375 just round the corner from my house which I thought was a bit of a bargain. 1.8 8v with unknown miles.

 

Today, there is a 2.0 burgundy one parked outside of my office for £250 with tax to the end of May and 9 months MOT. Both have been tickled with the welder on the backs of the sills but other than that appear sound, good tyres, no obvious rust.

 

Why are they so cheap? I didn't think they suffered with as much in the way of electrical gizmos compared with later ones and I recall being driven to school about 15 years ago in one and thought it was quite nice and very rapid.

 

I won't be buying either of these, as I've just forked out £180 for four new tyres for the Nissan, but I'm just wondering why they are so cheap? all old renaults R shit?

[Pete-M]

Gearbox made from brie.

[beko1987]

I've always fancied a nice mk1 laguna, I presume an equivilant mondeo would be more reliable but WCPGW with an old, hated renault?

[Partridge]

They're big, old and French. There's your problem.

[Volksy]

My experience of Mk1 Lagunas has been pretty good. We ran a couple of 1.8's out in France for a few year, constantly abused, serviced only when they broke (which to be fair wasn't that often). They were pov specs, so not that much to go wrong.

[Micrashed]

Heater matrix was the only thing that went FUBAR on ours.

[dean36014]

Had 2.2 diesel estate, fantastic car. Crap heater, and the resistors for the heater fans kept packing up. 

[CortinaDave]

1.8/2 litre family saloons of the late 90s are generally all in the same "worth sod all" boat.

 

an R reg Vectra/Mondeo/Primera/Laguna/406 etc is pretty much bridge money only, regardless of how good or bad they are, because in the eyes of joe public its deemed a big thirsty engine married to a social leprosy R registration.

 

They're also at that stage where they're not interesting enough for most shiters, when something less reliable but more interesting from the 80s can be had for not much more

 

I had a near mint R reg primera a couple of years ago. Bloody bulletproof car, couldnt give it away.

[oman5]

not much, really. they are cheap because they have zero image and nobody likes large old renaults. which is exactly the sort of reason to buy one. a lot of car fo little money.

[Bobthebeard]

Any mainstream car pre 2002 ish is seen to be pretty much worthless by now. Great if you are buying one, not so great if selling.

I keep buying 'em and Mrs Beard wishes I would sell them.

[bub2006]

My ex Mrs had a p plate executive 2.0. Full leather and all the Goodys including talking computer thingy. Surprisingly everything worked and never failed to start. Comfy and good on fuel for its size. Immobiliser was a pain though as if you unlocked car and loaded shopping etc it would re activate immobiliser if key wasn't in ignition within 30 seconds. I think a lot of Renaults that age had the same type of immobiliser though.

[Bren]

Heater matrix can leak.

 

Avoid the auto models like the plague.

[jonny69]

Gearbox made from brie.

 

That was the auto. The manual has no problems.

 

Renault's problems all started with the Mk2. The Mk1 was screwed together pretty well and was plush and comfy inside. We had a Mk1 Scenic and no matter how badly I treated it, it still soldiered on, even with a half dead auto. It did about 35mpg round town and 42mpg on a run with the 2.0 auto, so it can only be better in the smaller lighter Laguna. We only scrapped ours because the battery died and nobody would buy it for scrap money. They can misfire sometimes and it's a sign that the coil pack needs replacing. I don't know that that means.

 

Just get one so that everyone can laugh at you about having an old French car. You'll laugh in their face because I bet it'll never let you down.

 

Edit: ignore all what I've said, I've confused it with the Megane which shares most of its parts with the Scenic.

[RoadworkUK]

I have it on good authority (from somebody who I will not name) that a manual V6 MK1 Laguna is for winnaz.

[Rusty_Rocket]

I thought the manual gearboxes were weak too.  Certainly, Mother_Rusty had a '96 Laguna that lunched its 'box when it was five years old.  For absolutely no apparent reason.

[Partridge]

I like 90's family cars because I think of this.

[cort16]

I've heard these are good if you steer away from the autos. Probably just cheap because they're old an French .

[Vince70]

I had my fathers old 1994 Laguna RTi 16v and it was a really nice car and very we'll screwed together the only problem in all the years we both owned it was it needed a revised wiring adaption done to the fuel pump and the part from Renault only cost £2 and a gearbox seal which we luckily caught in time.

 

I really should never have got rid as it still looked and drove like a new car the only reason it was replaced by my father was that he wanted a newer car and plumped for a Laguna II which was a completely different story lol.

[Cavcraft]

Even the manuals were shit, it's just the auto was so cosmically shit anything else at all looked a better bet.

 

I have to say though there's still a fair few Mk1s about and they've aged quite well. 

[Bren]

My mates father still has one on a v plate with scandalously low miles.

[Lankytim]

I've always thought of these as grade A shit but I recon they've aged really well and are emerging from the scrapyard/ROAD WARS scene. Are the diesels any good?

[Daniel R25]

Hi,
I have got one of these. A Laguna 1 Phase 2, 2.0 16V 140 HP. I like it. No rattles, quick, economical and it handles great

 

The gearboxes can go, even the manual ones. Especially if you don't ever change the oil because Renault says it ist sealed for life (which it is not). The aux belt and its tensioners have to be spot on, because if they fail they end up messing with the timing belt resulting in bent valves. If you ever do the timing belt all belts and tensioners should be renewed.

I would recommend a Phase 2, 1,6 16V, 1.8 16V or the 2.0 16V if you are technically minded (but google F4r and dephaser before buying a 2.0 16v). The diesels are not bad either: I'd buy a 1.9 dci. And no, the dci is not as likely to grenade as the laguna 2.

Daniel

 

[Stanky]

On closer inspection the £250 one appears to have 157k on the odometer and a ding in the sill on the passenger side below the rear door, but its still a bit galling that I could have a new (to me) car for £70 more than the 4 tyres I have just bought for the Nissan.

 

The more expensive of the two has a digital odometer by the looks of it so I've no idea on the mileage of that one. they are both manual gearbox models and I agree, they have aged well. Certainly better than a lot of family saloons of a similar age.

 

for those interested - the cheaper of the two is located in Aldershite, and the more expensive (but possibly less leggy) one is located in Fareham, both fine examples of the logical conclusion of centuries of inbreeding.

[Sloth in a bowl]

I liked my Laguna Mk1, dark green with 3 spoke alloys and the 2 litre 8 valve motor.

Very comfortable, usefully efficient (about 38 mpg mixed, got 43 mpg over a tank once), big load carrying capacity.

 

The only real downer was the unreliability of odd bits, the starter motor, alternator, exhaust, fuel tank mounting, etc.

Though I never had any grief from the gearbox or main motor components.

 

I only realised it's weak points when I got the V40 which was so much better.

[Ghosty]

Old Man and I borrowed one for a weekend once - a 1.9D estate that was only used on Manchester Airport.

 

It was quite good, I thought: we both liked it, and my dad hates French stuff and drives predominantly Hondas.

[KruJoe]

A clean, early Laguna hatchback, in a nice spec and a deep metallic colour is truly a thing of beauty, amongst the prettiest cars of the 1990's, and possibly the most attractive large family car design ever.

 

 

There, I said it.

[Honey Badger]

My cousin has a fine looking x reg in dark metallic blue, 150k and is still going strong, it replaced a 2.0 n plate laguna which racked up 270k in his ownership with only service items needed during it's life, he loves his French chod.

 

He wouldn't touch a laguna 2 with someone else's shitty stick though.

[garethj]

In the mid 1990s someone had a Laguna as a company car, the manual gearbox let go on 2 occasions.  Otherwise it was quite a nice drive and I agree they look good in a dark colour.

[Partridge]

I have it on good authority (from somebody who I will not name) that a manual V6 MK1 Laguna is for winnaz.

The did a sporty version of that with a firmer suspension...one of the best driving cars of the 90's IMO.

[Bren]

I had a p plate 2.0 RT auto.

 

Cracking car save for the box.

 

The guy I bought it from admitted to spending £500 having the box repaired.

 

12 months later I spent £250 on it when 1st gear went missing.

 

At the point I put my Duncan Bannatyne head on and said "I'm out."

 

Not the flimsy French experience you would expect.

 

By the way, neglected pollen filters cause fan motor to get hot and die.