It had done 600 miles when I picked it up - now 1200!
Man at non-self service petrol station in Northumberland commiserated on how ugly it was (when I agreed, he asked me why on earth iI was driving it). Delivery man from hire place commented on how ugly it was too. Passengers were embarassed to get into it..........
And the automatic headlights & windscreen wipers; together with the fiendishly complicated central locking and trip 'computer' must make depreciation unbelievable. Would you want it at 10 years old?
The brakes were unbelievable. First few miles I drove it I thought I was going to go over the handlebars ech time I stopped!
I didn't think it pulled at all under 4000 rpm, maybe it's the way I drive, but I wouldn't normally take any car (except a 2CV!) above those sorts of revs!
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Sorry to hear your Merc's gone again - weren't you going to get a tracker or somesuch fitted to this one?
-Was your Megane definitely the estate? Cos most people think it's nicer-looking than the hatchback.
-Renaults traditionally have sharp brakes.
-Wouldn't normally take a car above 4000 rpm? Sounds like a "Welcome!" to the world of the 16v petrol engine during the last decade! They don't get going properly until they've passed that figure - it really does sound like you should have got them to hire you the turbodiesel version instead!
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I didn't think it pulled at all under 4000 rpm, maybe it's the way I drive, but I wouldn't normally take any car (except a 2CV!) above those sorts of revs!
Mapmaker,
Modern 16v petrol engines are supposed to be revved. If you look at the power and torque curves you will see that such engines are just getting into their stride at 4000 rpm. As long as you allow the engine to warm up properly first, you are not 'thrashing' it by taking it to the red line - just using it in the way it was designed to be used.
If, like my parther, you have a real problem with doing this, maybe a turbodiesel would suit your driving style better.
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look at it this way mapmaker, a car that ugly will never get stolen........
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Going to get a a tracker... future tense. Future perfect now. Never had the time to get it done.
I think RF has come up with the solution! Perhaps he ought to talk to Renault to have ugliness fitted as an option to all their cars. :)
Oh well, if it was supposed to be taken above 4k revs I no longer feel bad about the way I drove it. But it ended up sounding like a sewing machine (or a 2CV - but that's French too...)
I think something else must be in order. Maybe a Legacy, or an Audi.
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I saw a new Megane Coupe (?) the other day and I think it is the ugliest car I've ever seen - ridiculous piece of machinery.
About the 4000RPM, most of the power, in most cars is available below 4000, 4000-5500 is where the peak power is.
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Is this the car that you were unhappy with 'cos of the oil consumption?
Hawkeye
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Stranger in a strange land
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I think that it is a bit unfair to compare a Renault Megane to your now stolen Merc. (Sorry to hear it)
SWMBO has got a Megane 1.9Dci and while I must admit that the styling is a bit marmite (love it or hate it) the diesel engine was one of the best I have ever driven.
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One of those steering wheel locks (the disklok type) is also a good deterrant. A fake dog poo on the driver's seat, preferably with a slight squishy appearance might also make the thief think twice.....
Are you going to risk buying a 3rd one (perhaps with doorhandles wired up to 240v ac ;-) ) I would also ask local plod to keep an eye out for it or other mercs of that age in the local area as there is a good chance that they'll come back for more of them.
teabelly
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I hated the look of the new Megane when I saw early photos of it but it's kind of grown on me. The company is obviously sensitive about consumer resistance to the controversial rear end design - why else would they produce a TV commercial, the sole purpose of which was to compare its bustle with those of attractive young ladies?
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The company is obviously sensitive about consumer resistance to the controversial rear end design - why else would they produce a TV commercial, the sole purpose of which was to compare its bustle with those of attractive young ladies?
Maybe someone at Renault wants to reverse the trend of cars being increasingly bought by women?
Or at least to stop their cars being bought by women.
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It's ok, the Scenic is worse, and erm all the other Renaults. Their best was the Laguna and look at what they're doing to it!
Neat handbrake [on Megan [sic]] though. I AM an airplane pilot!
Kev
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>> The company is obviously sensitive about consumer resistance to the controversial >> rear end design - why else would they produce a TV >> commercial, the sole purpose of which was to compare its bustle >> with those of attractive young ladies? Maybe someone at Renault wants to reverse the trend of cars being increasingly bought by women? Or at least to stop their cars being bought by women.
They have that covered, there was one blokes tush in that advert. It was one of their F1 drivers I think.
I nearly complained. Fancy putting mens bottoms on television, it's just pornography! ;)
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Never driven one the current Meganes but it's Europe's best selling car so some people must like it.
I think there is also actually a waiting list for the Estate version.
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Never driven one the current Meganes but it's Europe's best selling car so some people must like it.
Yes, but that's because Europe is full of Johnny Foreigner, too poor and backward to drive a real car, like the Rover 25.....
If anyone thinks this is a serious remark, please leave now.
:o)
ND
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I think I would expect a brand spanking new Megane (cost 12k??) to be a 'nicer' drive than a 20 year old merc with 205k on the clock and that had cost me £400 (including 5 months tax (£65) & a tank of petrol (£55) - so total real cost £280). I also expected to get more like 45mpg than 34mpg.
If it's not a nicer drive, why bother spending that extra £11,720 buying the Megane?
No, it wasn't the one that drank oil - that went back to the bloke who sold it as a 'superb' example when I mentioned SOGA to him.
It was in fact the next one in a very fetching silver metallic.
Mains electric fences are generally viewed to be a bit too much like a concentration camp for general use, aren't they? I'm probably looking for an old shape lada estate on the grounds that it won't be nickable - anybody help? (They're really nice simple practical cars.)
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Rather than removing the dizzy cap on your next car, why not simply put an inline isolator switch off the back of the ignition circuit? If you make the break after the fusebox but just before the bulkhead it will be invisible to anyone hotwiring the car. You can get a 12v/45amp rated microswitch for pennies from places like Maplin and place it somewhere discrete, such as at the back of the ashtray or on the underside the door-pull.
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Now why didn't I think of that? Answer: because I didn't have time to think of it! I think I might modify it slightly, as I like the idea of putting the switch under the door handle (outside) whilst making it live, and putting it the other side of the coil with the ignition on. That will make 'em jump.
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Except that Maplin don't do 12v 45amp microswitches. Who else does? Tandy don't seem to exist anymore.
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ND: Searching on the internet, I found a page on the Guardian website on 'how to hotwire a car'
How to hotwire a car:
1. Open the hood and locate the coil wire.
2. Run a wire from the positive battery terminal to the positive side of the coil. Locate the solenoid. Cross the two with pliers. ALTERNATIVELY go to any young offenders' institution and offer $5 to an inmate to do it for you.
Now it seems to me that rather dangerously this person is proposing to hotwire a car by bypassing the fusebox. That's very naughty of him indeed. So how does putting a switch between the fusebox and the bulkhead help me if they take their line back to the battery?
Secondly, once the door locks have been trashed with a screwdriver, and possibly the dashboard/steering column smashed up to get at the wires, I'm not certain I want to get the car back!
How does an immobiliser work? Where does it make the car immobile?
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How to hotwire a car: 1. Open the hood and locate the coil wire. 2. Run a wire from the positive battery terminal to the positive side of the coil. Locate the solenoid. So how does putting a switch between the fusebox and the bulkhead help me if they take their line back to the battery? How does an immobiliser work? Where does it make the car immobile?
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Try fitting a "hood lock". Google gives 9.5K hits on the subject. Very popular in the US.
Mine had an armoured cable from under the dash, through the bulkhead to a bolt that locked the bonnet.
Push to lock and a key to unlock.
It had a switch incorporated that you could use to break the ignition, or starter motor circuit.
Also site says it stops battery theft.
Not seen them over here so that is an advantage.
I suspect a crowbar would help bypass it but no starter motor would fool most.
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Mark and I were chatting about this early this evening. They are going to enormous lengths to get cars that they can own legitimately for a few hundred quid. Bizarre, the criminal mind.
You're right of course. If they want your car that much, they'll have it. An isolation switch will deter the casual attempt, but these guys probably wouldn't stop at anything.
Apologies for the egg-sucking lesson. I'll just nip over to the cloakroom and see where my coat has got to......
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There was an article in the Daily Telegraph just before Christmas about one of these going missing. Here is a link to a copy of it - and with a very sad picture of a dismantled car, as found in the port of Tilbury.
www.mercseller.com/popup.cfm?p_n=128690&p_i=128690
Having spoken to the police at the port of Tilbury, they intercepted 2 container loads last summer. Apparently 'they' only want the engines, and ship them out to Africa. A combination of duff petrol and dust means that the engines do not do too well in Africa. On the other hand, the body work (which is prone to rust in the UK) lasts for ever.
I expressed similar surprise that criminals will go to such lengths to pinch bangers, and the police said something about maximising profit margin. I am told (though have never (had need to) substantiate(d)) that there is somebody in Wales who sells second hand w123 engines for about 100 pounds. At that level perhaps there's money to be made in shipping them to Africa legally!
It has been suggested that I should go for an earlier model - a w114 or w115 as they no longer exist even in Africa! Yet are still remarkably good value.
A better option appears to be to move out of London...
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I have seen pictures of 70's and 80's Datsun vehicles being 'Hiabed' and loaded onto lorry's by criminal gangs. Apparently the thiefs then cut the roof panels off and ship them to Africa in containers. Could be the only way to stop them is to keep your car garaged if the pondlife are doing this.
Old Rear wheel drive Mercedes , Peugeots and Datsuns seem to be what they go for mostly.
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If your car doesn't have an immobiliser or you just want to make life more difficult for a thief I'd recommend that you don't use a 'hidden' isolation switch. It's much less obvious to use an existing switch or a combination of switches (if you're really paranoid.)
Eg. How many TWOCers are going realise that they need to switch on the sidelights, left hand-indicator and heated rear screen before they can start the car, even if they have the keys?
Kevin...
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If anyone thinks this is a serious remark, please leave now.
The problem with leaving is that Motorwayman may be lurking outside the doorway after his involuntary departure ...
;-)
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Every time a Megane parks beside me I keep having this bizarre expectation that a figure will pop out whose rear end exactly matches the contours of his car - almost as if the car has done a 'shrink to fit' session like a pair of 60s Levis!
(Sorry, will be talking all of this through with my 'shrink' in the morning! He says it is treatable.......)
Graeme
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How fantastic to have a C5. A real retro piece of engineering - do you have a Spectrum instead of a PS2 as well?
Totally agree about the vision of the driver's back end...
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What's the general opinion of the version with a boot? Personally I think it looks a lot better than the booted version of the Focus, but then again the Focus hatch is not a pretty thing. Now if we started slating the Focus for being ugly, well that would be Ford bashing wouldn't it? Renault bashing - now that's OK.
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Now if we started slating the Focus for being ugly, well that would be Ford bashing wouldn't it? Renault bashing - now that's OK.
Hmm, calling the Focus hatch ugly would be just silly! ;-)
Boring, perhaps, but not ugly.
(Though I agree, the Focus saloon is a visual mess)
The Megane hatch is an acquired taste. I reckon the new Scenic looks quite nice, but I haven't taken to the hatch.
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I think the Focus is an acquired taste. I don't know why it can't be termed ugly, the back end in particular.
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Now now lads, let's not squabble. They're both ugly. There you go, do you feel better now? ;)
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Now now lads, let's not squabble. They're both ugly. There you go, do you feel better now? ;)
Lads? not me! (the thought of being male makes me shudder, unless I think about the higher pay men get!)
Anyway, sorry if my ironic smiley didn't make it clear that I was joking. Must re,ber to write {grin} when I'm teasing!
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You'll have to forgive Bazza, bless him. Not only is his beloved Alfa off the road, but alfaowner.com seems to be offline at the moment.
He's going cold turkey, the poor bear.
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I've got her back now! She's lovely too, and I'm never going to let her go again.
It was getting a bit drastic for a few hours yesterday though, when I had nothing of Alfa in my life.
Nowheels, don't worry, I may be a man but even I got that bit of subtlety. Your irony was matched by my own.
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SSSSH! I've been kidding on the backroomers that I've got one of those big ugly French motors. If they find out it's really one of Mr Sinclair's finest they'll all be dead jealous.
This weekend I'm re-chipping the engine (provided I can rake a Hoover Junior out of a skip) If I get the one with the light on front I might even adapt it for use on foggy days.....
Could be a world beater (as it sweeps as it cleans)
Graeme
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