Would you?

[Ratdat]

Perfect prefix on the plate for this site too. Congratulations! This must be the most modern car you've owned since that bubble micra?

It is. Wierd thing is it's actually much older than the '00 Micra was when we got it (2.5 years old) but the Vel Satis feels newer. This and the micra are the newest cars I've had by some margin. The next newest was about 15 years old. The Micra came very cheap at the time but still lost a grand within a year which put a dampener on any further desires for new-ish stuff, but I don't have to worry too much about the depreciation on this really. It's a bit scary taking on a car with so much gadetry and high tech electronics (ESP? ABS? EBA? WTF?) but hey, like I said... I can always just put it in the shed and look lovingly at it. Maybe kip in it now and then to make the most of the comfy seats.

[andrew e]

PURE SEX.

 

Does it have the seats you can adjust the width for too? 3 year ago I very nearly spunked £7000 on a beautifull metalic red Diesel 52 reg, manual box being the dissmisive

 

I will have one even my daughters point them out to me now

[Owain-328i]

Hideous, no doubt dreadfull to drive like all french cars, and full of french electrics sure to break. Splendid

[Rocket88]

Renault seem to have adopted Citreon 's mad streak, bloke at work here has just bought an Avantime.....

[Cavcraft]

100% definately but it would have to be stupidly cheap and you'd have to face facts that two days after you bought it it would be worth less than the square root of f*ck all. But you really should go for it.

[Ratdat]

Well, it's costing me some of my time but no money so I don't really care much about depreciation. Not sure about the seat adjustments. I kniow the backrest can be angle differently about half way up. It's actually really nice inside and Renault seem to have put quite a lot of thought into it. It's pale grey and cream inside...mostly the latter so it looks enourmous and indeed there is acres of space in it. Considering how thich the front seats are there's still remarkable legroom in the back. The styling is pretty wierd much like the R16 was back in it's day, although unlike the 16 I don't imagine the Vel Satis will 'mature' with age quite as well. Renault went off at a tangent with the Vel Satis and the Avantime looks wise but neither were to the taste of the dull British buyer. The Vel Satis is still sold new on the continent. Amazingly, despite being a top of the range car, it does ride as smoothly as the R16 but then few cars do other than old Citroens. It's pretty quiet and comfy though and has a decent amount of go.Having looked though it's service history, it seems the electrics have been fine. Most of the bills are for ongoing servicing. The only electrical thing that's needed doing was the ECU testing and resetting as it developed a stumble when being used for towing. That seems to have sorted the problem. I don't doubt I'll be forking out for something pricey from Renault at some point but like they say "if you want to play, you have to pay"!

[wuvvum]

Erm... whoops. I'd had a beer or so when I read your post, and I quite fancied the idea of a Vel Satis, so I went on the Bay and bid on a couple. Didn't get very far so lost interest. Now I go to my eBay summary and find that, after a last minute bid retraction, I've won one. It's a petrol 2.0 turbo with a manual box, so potentially the least troublesome of the Vels - all I have to do now is work out how I'm going to pay for it...

[pompei]

Ha ha it's the old story, don't drink and bid! Good purchase though

[Ratdat]

Erm... whoops. I'd had a beer or so when I read your post, and I quite fancied the idea of a Vel Satis, so I went on the Bay and bid on a couple. Didn't get very far so lost interest. Now I go to my eBay summary and find that, after a last minute bid retraction, I've won one. It's a petrol 2.0 turbo with a manual box, so potentially the least troublesome of the Vels - all I have to do now is work out how I'm going to pay for it...

LOL! Was that the dark grey one you bid on?

[AXrescuer]

Erm... whoops. I'd had a beer or so when I read your post, and I quite fancied the idea of a Vel Satis, so I went on the Bay and bid on a couple. Didn't get very far so lost interest. Now I go to my eBay summary and find that, after a last minute bid retraction, I've won one. It's a petrol 2.0 turbo with a manual box, so potentially the least troublesome of the Vels - all I have to do now is work out how I'm going to pay for it...

You sure you haven't been shilled? I'm always suspicious of last minute retractions.

[r.welfare]

Erm... whoops. I'd had a beer or so when I read your post, and I quite fancied the idea of a Vel Satis, so I went on the Bay and bid on a couple. Didn't get very far so lost interest. Now I go to my eBay summary and find that, after a last minute bid retraction, I've won one. It's a petrol 2.0 turbo with a manual box, so potentially the least troublesome of the Vels - all I have to do now is work out how I'm going to pay for it...

Ahh...the gravel and palm trees in the background indicate well-known shonkers "Sterling Cars" in Reading; they keep changing their eBay username and location due to being purveyors of motors which aren't quite as good as described/pictured...allegedly, anyway.If you really want it's certainly cheap enough but I'd be all over it with a toothcomb before you drive away.

[AnthonyG]

Good one rat dat, 6 year old car that must have cost something like £25K now yours for a few weeks work! The owner must like depreciation if he's bought a Koleos - I presume its actually a Xtrail or something underneath the Renault styling. IIRC there are built in Korea by Ssanysong(sp).

[Mr Lobster]

IIRC there are built in Korea by Ssanysong(sp).

Koleos is built in Korea by Samsung. renault bought Samsungs car operation some years back.

[Ratdat]

The Vel satis arrived here today and went out for a spin this evening. First thought was, OMG!... luxury the like of which I've not had in a car before! Comfortable, cosy and mega quiet. It's scarily high tech and as is to be expected the driving experience is thoroughly detached feeling and numb with feather light steering but then I don't really care, as wafting around is where it's at, not spirited driving. It's remarkable effortless to pilot but feels the size of a Transit (it weighs over 1700kg!). It feels vast inside too. It's actually a good bit nicer than I expected so it's a bit of a result methinks.

[pogweasel]

Good stuff!First report sounds encouraging. Nudges one futher up the 'to do' list.