Renault Scenic (2016 – 2019) Review

Renault Scenic (2016 – 2019) At A Glance

Practical back row and large boot. Generous level of standard safety technology. Easy to drive. 5 year 100,000 mile warranty from December 2019.

Standard-fit 20-inch wheels impact ride quality. Tyres are an unusual size. High tech electronic mean heating and ventilation is controlled by a vertical touch screen.

Real MPG average for a Renault Scenic (2016 – 2019)

Real MPG was created following thousands of readers telling us that their cars could not match the official figures.

Real MPG gives real world data from drivers like you to show how much fuel a vehicle really uses.

Diesel or petrol? If you're unsure whether to go for a petrol or diesel (or even an electric model if it's available), then you need our Petrol or Diesel? calculator. It does the maths on petrols, diesels and electric cars to show which is best suited to you.

Satisfaction Index

Reviews for Renault Scenic (2016 – 2019)'s top 3 rivals

Volkswagen Touran

Hugely practical with large boot. Seven-seater versions are well-suited for family life. Flexible seating...

Citroen C4 SpaceTourer

New name for C4 Picasso but with same practical and flexible interior. Available with excellent Puretech...

SEAT Ateca

Very comfortable and refined with impressive ride quality. Lots of room for those in the back along with...

Ask Honest John

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

Why isn't my heater working?

"The heater in my Renault Scenic has stopping working. I've checked the fuse, but it's working fine. Any suggestions?"

Have you checked the coolant level? When you say it has stopped, is that the fan motor (is it blowing cold air)? Check the heater pipes/hoses going into the bulkhead (to the heater matrix). See if they're both hot or if one is hot and one is cold. If one is cold then it could be that the heater matrix is blocked.

Answered by Alan Ross

What is the EDC gearbox in the Renault Scenic like?

"I like the look of the new model Renault Scenic and am considering changing my lovely BMW E89 Z4 M Sport auto for one. The Dynamique S Nav appears to be a good spec with fold down seats for my RC helicopters. However, I would want a Scenic automatic, which Renault call an EDC gearbox. Can you give any information on this automatic? How robust is it, any likely problems? Is it as smooth as my BMW 8 gear auto or is this just an automated manual?"

EDC means 'Efficient Dual Clutch', like a DSG or as Powershift. Not available with higher power engines, which suggests it might be dry clutch rather than oil clutch. But I can't remember any complaints of failures. (I'd also take a look at a Citroen C4 Picasso and a Peugeot 3008, both with PSA's 1.2 PureTech 130 petrol engine and the compact EAT6 torque converter auto.)

Answered by Honest John

On the inside of an Renault Scenic (2016 – 2019)

• Euro NCAP rating of five stars

The Scenic may have stylish looks, but Renault hasn’t let practicality slip. There is a large boot and spacious rear seats, plus three Isofix mounts – two in the back row and one for the front passenger seat. Standard equipment is impressive too, with important safety kit like auto emergency brakes on all versions.

Wide-opening rear doors make access to the back row easy. There is space for a pair of adults to sit in comfort, or ample room for three children. Those who need to carry even more passengers can opt for the seven-seat Grand Scenic, which has two fold-up seats in the load area.

There is a clever, sliding centre console in all but basic Expression+ versions, which can be moved back so rear seat occupants can access the storage and charger/USB sockets, or slid forward to free up middle seat rear leg room and provide storage access for those up front.

Material quality is good on the whole, with a mixture of soft-touch plastics high up and hardwearing materials low down. That said, there are some cheap-looking details, like the unpleasant switch for enabling the speed limiter and the drab, uninspired centre stack.

The boot has a flat, low deck and a 572-litre capacity. That’s plenty for pushchairs or whatever else a growing family might need, though the position of the rear bumper means it’s likely to get scuffed up when unloading. On the plus side, a two-layer boot floor provides an extra storage space for valuables like laptops or things like picnic blankets.

The rear seats can be folded flat, freeing up a huge 1554 litres of space, which is ideal for flat packs or garden centre trips. On all but entry-grade models, the seats can be folded electronically either via one-touch buttons in the boot, or via the touchscreen system up front when parked.

All versions of the Scenic come with DAB radio and Bluetooth as standard, along with a touchscreen in either 7-inch or 8.7-inch. It’s responsive and easy-to-use when parked, but on the move it can be a bit of a fiddle to get the desired screen. Fortunately, the climate and volume controls are easy to find, so you can keep your eyes on the road.

The higher two trim levels gain a larger, vertically-mounted touchscreen which is clearer and includes navigation, complete with TomTom live services for speed camera warnings and live traffic. Unfortunately, there is no Apple CarPlay or Android Auto functionality.

Standard equipment includes autonomous emergency braking, lane departure warning, auto-dipping headlights, cruise control, speed limiter, dual-zone climate control, auto lights and auto wipers. Moving up to higher equipment grades brings extras like a larger touchscreen and colour head-up display.

Standard Equipment (from launch):

Expession+ comes with auto emergency braking, pedestrian detection, lane departure warning, traffic sign recognition, auto headlights with auto dip, auto wipers, cruise control, speed limiter, hill start assist, electronic parking brake, three Isofix mounts, 20-inch alloy wheels, seven-inch touchscreen, Bluetooth, DAB radio and a handsfree keycard.

Dynamique Nav adds fatigue alert, front and rear parking sensors, ambient lighting and drive mode selection, rear sunblinds, sliding centre console with two USB sockets, a 12V socket, AUX-input and two 500ml bottle holders, rear picnic tables, one-touch folding rear seats, 3D sound system plus TomTom navigation with Live services.

Dynamique S Nav adds head-up display, reversing camera, panoramic glass roof, auto-dipping rearview mirror and a 8.7-inch vertical R-Link 2 touchscreen.

Signature Nav adds cornering front foglights, full-LED headlights, leather upholstery along with electrically adjustable front seats with massage function.

Child seats that fit a Renault Scenic (2016 – 2019)

Our unique Car Seat Chooser shows you which child car seats will fit this car and which seat positions that they will fit, so that you don't have to check every car seat manufacturer's website for compatibility.

Which car seat will suit you?

Driving Renault Scenic (2016 – 2019)

• Engines range from 1.2 TCe 115 to 1.5 Blue dCi 120 Automatic
• Readers report Real MPG to be between 42–59 mpg

The Renault Scenic is available with a 1.2-litre TCe petrol engine producing either 110PS or 130PS. Plus there are 1.5-litre and 1.6-litre dCi diesels with outputs of 110PS, 130PS or 160PS. The most powerful diesel comes with a six-speed automatic transmission as standard, while the 1.5 dCi 110PS is also available with a seven-speed auto.

Even though the 1.2-litre TCe engine might sound small for an MPV, it's actually fine. Performance is similar to the diesel engines, but with less impressive official fuel economy figures. Both the 115PS and 130PS petrols achieve up to 48.7mpg depending on trim level.

The 1.5 dCi 110PS diesel is the pick of the engine range, though. It’s very quiet and smooth, plus it performs well at motorway speeds and its 260Nm of torque is fine for overtaking. Official economy is 72.4mpg for the manual, or 70.6mpg for the automatic. For most Scenic owners this engine provides the best blend of performance and running costs.

There is also a hybrid assist version, which has a small electric motor to help when pulling away. It means a small boost economy boost to an official 80.6mpg. Those who tend to drive long distance should consider the 130PS and 160PS 1.6-litre dCi diesels, which provide some extra grunt for the motorway.

Renault has fitted all variants of the Scenic with 20-inch wheels as standard, which might alarm some buyers – but there are three different tyre makers to choose from and Renault promises tyre prices will be no higher than for 17-inch or 18-inch wheels on earlier Scenics.

That said, the penalty for such big, stylish wheels is jittery ride quality over rough, potholed country roads, as well as tyre roar over coarse tarmac. It’s not a real problem around town or on the motorway, but if you spend a lot of time on B-roads a Ford C-MAX is probably a better bet.

Through corners the Scenic is predictable and body roll is well-controlled, but the C-MAX has more nicely-weighted and accurate steering. On the plus side, there is plenty of standard convenience technology including cruise control, a speed limiter, traffic sign recognition, auto-dipping lights and hill start assistance.

Parking Pack Premium is a £500 option and provides semi-autonomous parking. It recognises parallel, perpendicular and diagonal spaces and takes control of the steering. All the driver needs to do is control throttle, gear selection and braking, which is ideal for drivers who aren’t confident with their parking. 

Renault Scenic (2016 – 2019) Models and Specs

Currently on sale

On sale until April 2019

On sale until June 2018

On sale until April 2017

Good

Bad

What to watch out for

Model History

• March 2016: New Renault Scenic launched
• July 2017: Hybrid Assist version of Scenic launched
• December 2017: New 1.3 TCe 115 and 140 petrol engines announced
• February 2018: Renault reduces warranty from four years to three years
• December 2019