Renault Megane

Third-generation Megane is best yet and an excellent family choice

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Rating:
Latest deal price: from £12,337 to £21,091
For : Excellent quality, smooth ride, good-value buy
Against : Bland styling, rear space, less fin than rivals

The Renault Megane is a flexible all-round family hatch designed to rival the likes of the Ford Focus and Volkswagen Golf. This third-generation is a big improvement in quality over previous models, and it comes in a dizzying array of bodystyles. There are five in total, from the sporty three-door and Renaultsport coupes, to a practical estate and a four-seater cabriolet with a folding metal roof. The five-door is available with a wide variety of engines and the 2.0-litre DCi diesels provide a good blend of performance and economy.

Our pick: Dynamique TomTom dCi 110 ECO 5dr

Video: watch CarBuyer's video review of the Renault Megane

Styling

The current Renault Megane has done away with the curvaceous and quirky styling of the previous generation in favour of a more conservative look. It still stands out, but this five-door feels a little plain compared with the sleeker coupe and ST estate models. The GT trim level helps to solve this problem, as it comes with unique paint colours and 18-inch anthracite alloy wheels, but base models make do with small steel rims.

Interior

Step behind the wheel, and you're greeted by an array of soft touch plastics that feel sturdy, but despite the clean layout some of the controls are needlessly fiddly, especially the stereo.

Driving and Performance

On the road the Megane impresses most when cruising the motorway, where the low driving position, comfortable suspension setup and lack of wind or road noise make it a pleasant place to be. The steering is accurate, but - with the exception of the stunning Renaultsport flagship - it lacks feel, and consequently fails to encourage keener drivers. The two entry-level engines – a 1.6-litre petrol with 99bhp and a 1.5-litre diesel with just 89bhp – feel sluggish and have to be worked hard. The rest of the line-up, especially the turbocharged 1.4-litre petrol and remaining diesels have enough power to provide good performance.

MPG and running costs

With capacities ranging from 1.4 to 2.0-litres, all of the Renault's engines are relatively efficient. The two that strike the best balance between performance and economy are the 1.4 TCe turbo petrol, which manages 44.8mpg and emits 145g/km, and the 1.9-litre dCi diesel, which manages 55.4mpg and 135g/km. If you want even lower tax bills, opt for the special ECO versions, which drop carbon dioxide figures as low as 106g/km.

Practicality

Unlike some rivals, the Megane allows you - with some careful manoeuvring - to flip the seat bases in the back up and away, meaning that once you fold the rear seat down, the 1,129-litre load bay is almost completely flat. With the seats up, boot space shrinks to 372-litres – a little short of the Volkswagen Golf. Up front though, some weaknesses start to show through. The glovebox is tiny, and there's just a single small cupholder in the centre console, which obstructs the stereo controls. Space in the back could be better too, with head and legroom tight for taller passengers.

Safety and reliability

Safety is a hallmark of the Renault brand and the Megane received a full five stars in Euro NCAP crash tests, with an impressive four stars for child protection. It was also one of the first cars ever to feature anti-submarine airbags, which prevent the driver and front passenger from slipping under their seatbelts during a crash. The Megane's top 40 finish in our annual Driver Power survey also proves that reliability has much improved over the previous generation. The brand itself came a respectable 24th out of 34.

For an alternative review of the latest Renault Megane visit our sister site carbuyer.co.uk