Renault Scenic (2016 – 2019) Review

Renault Scenic (2016 – 2019) At A Glance

3/5
Honest John Overall Rating
The Renault Scenic is a good-looking people carrier that comes with plenty of safety equipment, and also offers decent fuel economy. However, the ride comfort won’t be to all tastes.

+Practical back row and large boot. Generous level of standard safety technology. Easy to drive.

-Standard-fit 20-inch wheels impact ride quality. Tyres are an unusual size. Heater controls worked through fiddly infotainment screen.

Insurance Groups are between 10–20
On average it achieves 74% of the official MPG figure

The Renault Scenic pulled off the trick of being an MPV that was really rather stylish. It helped it rode on 20-inch wheels as standard, although they did nothing for the ride comfort. However, it was practical inside and gave the likes of the Toyota Verso, French rival the Citroen C4 Picasso and the Volkswagen Touran a close fight. Read on for our full Renault Scenic review.

With its standard big wheels and chunky, SUV-inspired styling, the Renault Scenic was a far cry from dull MPVs of the past when launched in 2016.

But, despite its radical new look, it still proved a sensible and capable family car, with loads of cabin space, a big boot and some clever touches.

The rear seats are comfortable, with enough head and legroom for adults or, more importantly, for three children. The wide-opening rear doors provide easy access, plus there are two rear Isofix points and one on the front passenger seat. On all but entry-level models, the rear seats fold with one-touch buttons in the boot.

For those who have a bigger family there is a Renault Grand Scenic, which is slightly longer to accommodate a pair of occasional-use seats that fold out of the boot to make it a seven-seater.

The boot capacity in the standard Renault Scenic is 572 litres with the rear seats in place, and the load deck is flat to make filling up easier.

Pushchairs, shopping and other family bits and pieces will fit easily, and there is a false floor for hiding small items like tablet computers. The only issue is the chunky rear bumper, which will likely get scuffed when sliding things in and out.

Bluetooth and DAB are standard, as is a large, crisp touchscreen system. On all but basic Expression+ models, it comes with TomTom navigation and includes live services, such as traffic alerts.

Importantly, standard safety tech includes auto emergency braking, lane departure warning, traffic sign recognition and cruise control on all versions.  

The engine range includes 110PS, 130PS and 160PS diesels, plus there is a 1.2-litre TCe petrol with either 115PS or 130PS. Of these the 1.5 dCi 110PS diesel is probably the best bet, since it blends low emissions and official economy of more than 70mpg with decent performance and good refinement.

On the road, the Renault Scenic is easy to drive, with light controls and quiet engines, but the big wheels mean ride quality is a little unsettled over rough surfaces and there is some road noise on coarse British tarmac. On the motorway or around town this is no real issue, though.

With its generous level of standard safety kit, stylish looks and practical cabin, the Renault Scenic is a real contender next to rival used cars. The Kia Carens is better value and the Ford C-MAX is superior to drive, but there’s still every reason to give the Renault Scenic a look.

Need more seats? Read heycar’s Renault Grand Scenic review.

Ask Honest John

Is the Ghost security system any good?

"Can you give me your opinion on the Ghost security system please? I put a disklok security lock on my Renault Scenic (not a value target - I know - but hard worked for - and keep my car keys in a metal tin) What would a Ghost security system cost to have fitted?"
We do not have any personal experience of the Ghost security system, but in its favour the fact that it is a CAN bus immobiliser system should make it difficult to defeat. You would need to contact a supplier of this system for a quote for your specific vehicle, but fitted prices start at £500.
Answered by David Ross

Can you recommend a car that will fit a wheelchair?

"I have a Ford Galaxy with a lowered floor that can accommodate my wife’s wheelchair but her new wheelchair will not fit in. Obviously, I will have to check out any new vehicle but I want something that looks like a car and not a van and will do 0-60mph in around 10 seconds. My budget is £30-35k. Do you have any suggestions? Many thanks."
Most carmakers have moved away from these type of cars in favour of SUVs and/or van-based MPVs. Personally, I think a van-based MPV would be the best choice for you. The interior quality of these vehicles has improved a lot in recent years, which means they look and feel more car-like than ever before. Both the Citroen Berlingo MPV and Volkswagen Caddy Life are excellent cars. However, if you want something more car-like, you will need to find a Volkswagen Sharan or Renault Grand Scenic. However, if your wife's wheelchair is struggling to fit in the Ford Galaxy, neither of these vehicles may be suitable. And that means a van-based MPV may be your only option.
Answered by Dan Powell

Can you recommend a plug-in hybrid for us?

"My wife and I are both in our 70s and we have two cars (a Renault Scenic and a Citroen C3) but we would like to go down to one. This will probably be our last car and we would like a plug-in hybrid as we both feel that an electric car would be too inflexible. We would like something no bigger (and preferably smaller) than the Scenic but reasonably high in order to make getting in and out of it easy. What would you recommend?"
I'd be tempted to avoid the plug-in hybrid and choose a self-charging hybrid. The latter doesn't have any plugs or leads to worry about and you'll get a lot more for your money, as plug-hybrids tend to be quite expensive. My recommendations would be: Toyota Corolla Touring Sports estate 1.8 hybrid: https://www.honestjohn.co.uk/carbycar/toyota/corolla-touring-sport-2019/ Or the C-HR crossover: https://www.honestjohn.co.uk/carbycar/toyota/c-hr-2016/ Lexus NX: https://www.honestjohn.co.uk/carbycar/lexus/nx-2014/ I'd also recommend looking at nearly new examples of the above cars, we there are lots of low-mileage 2020 and 2019 cars on the used market right now: https://www.honestjohn.co.uk/cars-for-sale/search/?age=1&l=0&miles=1000
Answered by Dan Powell

I'm replacing my Renault Grand Modus soon - is it smart to stick with a diesel or swap to an electric car?

"I've owned a Renault Grand Modus for the last 7years. I Iike the car very much, but it's showing it's age. I have £7000 - £10,000 to spend on a used car and I have been offered £1000 for my Modus against a 2016 diesel Renault Scenic, £700 for a 2016 diesel Citroen C3 Picasso and £500-£700 against a 2013 Renault Zoe. I cannot decide which car to buy. My heart says go for the Renault Zoe for the environment, but with the Zoe, it would be the early models with a range of only 100 miles. On the other hand, I could stick to a diesel - which I'm used to. I would appreciate your advice in helping two old codgers (late 70's) who enjoy driving."
It depends on the mileage you do, really. If you mainly do short journeys around town and can charge at home, a Zoe would work a lot better than a diesel. It won't be as practical as the other cars you're looking at, though. I'd avoid a diesel unless you cover high motorway miles. As an alternative, I'd suggest a petrol Honda Jazz. It's very versatile, reliable and cheap to run.
Answered by Andrew Brady
More Questions

What does a Renault Scenic (2016 – 2019) cost?