Megane mk1

[sierraman]

See quite a few of these about at the £3-500 mark usually 1.4/1.6 with a lengthy test in them. I realise it won't be a keeper or provide years of trouble free service, however for that sort of money as a disposable car it doesn't look like you could go wrong. Or could you? What should I be looking at problem wise?

[HH-R]

They're based on the old 19 IIRC and probably pretty tough.

 

I've always liked the look of them.

[Cavcraft]

Brilliant on fuel, rear arches rust and they always look like a prime dole cheat's car.

[dieselassist]

had one for awhile; got it in ex- for a weeks work; this was when they were 5 or 6 years old- a 99 mk1 megane 1.4 - I had to get another key from the dealer for it - it was an ex-repossession ; there is some 'trick' to the immobiliser - the led light on the middle of the dash - they can deadlock themselves, and become just a large paperweight...

 

...The only thing I had to replace was the l/h stalk as the dim/dipp was inoperable - I fitted one from a safrane...

 

Sold it to my brothers mate, who drove it relentlessly all over the country for the next 3 years n never serviced it - the drivers window regulator failed, and being a carpenter he jammed a wedge of wood in the door seal to keep it up...

Eventually, He let the test n tax lapse, n left it n forgot about it, in his flat  basement car  park complex - the pikeys, helped themselves to it n two or 3 other cars, but it was about 2 weeks after they'd lifted it, he was told casually by one of his neighbours...

 

They do seem well competent n longlasting, the 1.4 8v, tho they are a bit slow....

[DVee8]

A mate bought one from Reg Vardy(even halshaw)at 3 years old fuck all down £99 a month for 5 years P reg a dull lifeless blue colour.A 1.4 baseish model with no get up'n'go. Just shite when do you get it and when is the raffle?

[Craig the Princess]

Seem to be the very very bottom of the market along with Hyundai Accents. With them so cheap and basically reliable try and find one that has had its oil changed under a Cameron government as most have been abused to destruction.

[twosmoke300]

The 1.4 / 1.6 is a good motor but a bit fiddly to do a cambelt on ( you HAVE to have the tools)

Rust on the back end is a problem as well as the bit of box section that ties the rear arm mounts together . This is available from Renault for 30 quid so not worth pissing about welding up .

These aren't bad cars tbh and as much as it pains me to say it the big ass migraine Petrols don't cause me too much grief

[sierraman]

Id just seen loads about thats all. I've actually driven one new 10 years ago, a 1.4 16v, went nicely, had a good stereo in it. It had been my dads he bought it new lost something insane like £7000 on it in 3 years. I wondered if time has proved them tough or not.

[sierraman]

Seem to be the very very bottom of the market along with Hyundai Accents. With them so cheap and basically reliable try and find one that has had its oil changed under a Cameron government as most have been abused to destruction.

So in the last 3 months then?

[Barry Cade]

Our 1.6 Coupe gave us a years trouble free service, 45MPG, working air con ,and really quite a decent drive for 250 notes.. Now passed on to my daughter for whom it is cheaper to insure than a 1.2 8v Punto. Rear cross beam thingy isn't an MOT failure. Timing belts are a bit of a pain to change and the value of the cars means most folk wont bother,and they do snap. When they do it's diy-able and less than £150 in parts.

[sierraman]

http://www.autotrader.co.uk/classified/advert/201508065830571?channel=cars&quicksearch=true&sort=atcustom&model=megane&postcode=s201dw&onesearchad=used%2Cnearlynew%2Cnew&page=1&search-target=usedcars&price-to=1000&make=renault&radius=25&logcode=p

 

Oof look at this bad boy! £250!!! Tested for a year as well! Im half hoping for imminent car implosion so I can get one.

[theorganist]

We had a P reg 1.6RT.

 

It was quick, comfortable, roomy and had plenty of equipment. It had had quite a bit of welding in the past and needed some after we had it. It never let us down mechanically though.

 

I think they are really nice looking cars and more interesting than a lot of mid to late 90's hatchbacks.

 

We later had the same engine and trim but as a Scenic on a R plate.

 

You could notice the difference in performance and I didn't find it as comfortable as the car version. It also had had a small amount of welding but not much. Mechanically it was good apart from needing an alternator and a crankshaft motion sensor.

 

I fancy another Megane, preferable the Sport or RXE.

[bub2006]

Never had a megane but I've just picked up a y plate scenic 1.4 16v on a y plate with mot till April for 290. Not sure how they fair side by side to an early megane but the engine in mine is very responsive for its size and has a good amount of guts too. Getting around 42 mpg round the doors. Very comfy and spacious inside. Mine is the bog standard alize trim level. No ac,no alloys or electric roof but has got leccy windows and mirrors with remote locking. Bonus is for me the clutch is very light,no auto cars close by cheap when the vectra died. Road tax is high though for this one.

[Pillock]

My mum had two, a 1.9dti RT mk1 (she wanted a 19 but by the time the company car order went through they'd binned them off) and then a 1.9dti Sport Alizé. That was nice, spoilers and alloys and all.

 

I was 17 when she had her first, hence I can confidently state they are the fastest cars in the world and will beat off a 911 Turbo.

[cort16]

They're tough but slamming the door sounds like two chinese takeaway trays being slammed together.

Most of the pre laguna II generation of Renault's are pretty hardy cars. 

[HH-R]

The 1.4 8v (E7J?) is down on powah from the 19 and has a lardier arse to haul round.

[Noel Tidybeard]

the 1.4 8v in a n-n-n-19 is aparently good for 104 mph!!!

 

you just get that carnt-be-arsed-with-traffic-lights-gp-action atitude in it and adopt a more relaxed driving style (i even wore a hat the other day!)

[dieselassist]

...I only had that 99 migrane for about 2 or 3 months, from memory - I seem to remember me flogging the 1.4 8v up a straight, overtaking 2 or 3 cars, n I 'over'shoed' it with right foot  in 4th- revved'  it near  5500rpm-  low n behold it slipped back to neutral- my workmate - in the car at the time n scared to death reckoned it was some sort of a rev-limiter /engine saving fail safe.... very scary at the time; the only really way around other cars, in terms of overtaking was to flog it a bit....

 

...the other memory I have of it is the auxillary belt squealing all the time n it being impossible to set the tension right; like no other car with the 'bend upto to 90 degree' tension - the Renaults need some sort of SIMI gauge or something- hence why these turn up for sale with 'jiggered /noisey alternator bearing' needs doin issues - they can throw off their auxillary belts in a strop - I used to roll with a spare one, but never had to get the spanners out to fit it in the short time I had it...

[twosmoke300]

Our 1.6 Coupe gave us a years trouble free service, 45MPG, working air con ,and really quite a decent drive for 250 notes.. Now passed on to my daughter for whom it is cheaper to insure than a 1.2 8v Punto. Rear cross beam thingy isn't an MOT failure. Timing belts are a bit of a pain to change and the value of the cars means most folk wont bother,and they do snap. When they do it's diy-able and less than £150 in parts.

I always thought it was a fail as it's corrosion within 30cm of the suspension mounts . Seen plenty with it missing but I've always changed them . Must be there for a reason

[Barry Cade]

I think its in the vsi ,but remember reading it , will check at work in a bit.

[fordperv]

Dont the manifolds crack on these as well? I distinctly remember obtaining manifolds for customers when I worked in parts, as theirs cracked, i can't remember what engine size though.

[Barry Cade]

Here it is in the vsi on the mot computer..

[Sigmund Fraud]

I've had the nat-asp dizzler version for a little bit over two years now... Bought for £300 with FSH, it's done 40K and has needed very little apart from fuel, tyres and oil changes. It also returns 48MPG and doesn't mind a drink of sunflower oil.

 

As far as I'm concerned, it's the BEST CAR IN THE WORLD. It certainly is not a car for the self-conscious, though. People do give you pity looks at the lights, and new acquaintances always assume you've been on the dole for quite some time...

[twosmoke300]

Cheers mr Cade , interesting

[J-Rod]

People do give you pity looks at the lights, and new acquaintances always assume you've been on the dole for quite some time...

This gives me an idea for a thread...