Well earlier today i took delivery of a new shape laguna 2.0 dCi on a long weekend test drive and i thought i'd let you know my initial impressions.
Well looks wise it's nothing amazing, not particularly beautiful but not exactly ugly either. Not sure on exact horsepower level but it pulls well through the gears. Interior isn't too bad either but the dash creaks worse than my 10 year old xsara coupe and already the trim on the centre console by your clutch foot is broken.
I'll let you know how i get on.
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Renault have lost the plot, the basic shape is fine, handsome even, but the detailing and lights turns it into one ugly sister. If you see the tourer in profile you realise how close it came to being a princess.
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< Ulla>
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Lag 111 - First thoughts?
"Oh no; not another one...."
[Weren't the first two evil enough? I've got to fix these things....]
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Visually very dissapointing. It's a medium size french car so presumably it will have loads of room, average build quality, great diesel engine, soft ride, comfy interior and loose value faster than Northern Rock............
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Shame really
i was looking at a mk 2 today and what a nice looking mota
unfortunately the owner had covered half the idiot lights on the dash with black tape.a sad indictement on the car really
dammed shame
hope the new one has the gremlins sorted even if the starting card passed the oven test
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i loved my 2.2 na diesel mk1. 1996
it went on forever from 4yrs old i kept it 5yrs and never had a problem with it and i thought it was very well built but very slow
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Guy next door had a '96 version - swore by it and not at it. He sold it recently and its still around.
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One of my mates bought a P reg 1.8 petrol from auction. It was a 3yr old car straight off a lease company with about 90,000 miles on it and was very cheap.
I remember the front end design being very striking at the time, with the pronounced line of the bonnet across the top of the lights, and the long thin aperture between lights and bumper. It was just different, and still quite handsome today to my mind. Looks far less dated and bland than most of its rivals from the same era.
Despite being driven very enthusiastically it never gave him any problems beyond the odd minor niggle you get on any 100,000 mile car.
Cheers
DP
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04 Grand Scenic 1.9 dCi Dynamique
00 Mondeo 1.8TD LX
Edited by DP on 14/12/2007 at 22:56
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yes, against the Mondeo and vectra the mk1 Laguna still looks good today.
i like the hatch and estate.
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This sounds like the Scenic demonstrator I drove in the summer - rattles all over and trim falling off. Yet I had a 1998 V6 Laguna mark 1 for 3 years and 100,000 miles and nothing went wrong or fell off.
Renault's drop in quality from 2000 on is well-documented: I had thought things were improving but BH's demonstrator doesn't sound good.
Does anyone know why this has happened? If it's cost-cutting it's very stupid short-termism as a poor reputation (and therefore poor residuals) lead to weaker sales in the long run.
Edited by Avant on 14/12/2007 at 23:51
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well i've been out for a bit of a drive in it and have some more thoughts.
Am loving the cruise control - nice simple steering wheel controls which are easy to use and once set i got the feeling it could quite nicely munch the miles. in 6th it sat at 85 and took it in its stride. The other controls are fairly easy to get along with too although the radio is a bit fiddly and the AM radio reception is pretty bad.
The one thing that is annoying me to death about it though and is a major reason why i wouldn't buy one is the daft noise the indicators make. It really does sound like your playing Pong on an old Atari games console when you turn them on. One other gripe is whilst the size of the loadspace in the boot is pretty good there is little height to it.
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Certainly is an ugly car, ugly in a way only the French can do, also the new Twingo which looks nasty in real life. Is the new Laguna all new or just a facelift, as the bodyshell looks the same as the old model?
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It's a totally new car as far as i'm aware.
One thing which i had forgotton about that i don't like on it is the stupid electronic handbrake, it makes hill starts tricky as you need to have your foot on the footbrake when you release it so then have to jump onto the clutch and accelerator. And of course one more piece of french electrics to go wrong!
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my c4 piccaso has the electronic handbrake and after a few days use it gets to be second nature. the handbrake releases when you start to pull of and on hill once the handbrake is off the brakes will hold it in place for 2 seconds to stop you rolling backwards
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The electronic handbrake fitted to our Scenic is of course completely unnecessary, but works really well and does become second nature as bigbirdy says.
I really didn't want an MPV, but it makes the step easier when it's loaded with toys.
Cheers
DP
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04 Grand Scenic 1.9 dCi Dynamique
00 Mondeo 1.8TD LX
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I want this car to perform well - a nice alternative to the German onslaught but one ponders the ultimate reliability over the long term.
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Always a gamble with a Renault, but equally with any other car too.
My brother-in-law's experience with a 2001 VW Passat TDI is worse than any tale I've heard about Renault. The most unreliable car I've ever owned was a Polo. I even know someone who had a nightmare with a Mercedes. Same goes for all makes - I've had a string of excellent Fords, but my mum's has been terrible and look at all the TDCi horror stories. Badge guarantees nothing.
Buying German guarantees nothing apart from a more expensive feeling, and more durable interior. If reliability is your primary concern, your best bet is to go Japanese
Cheers
DP
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04 Grand Scenic 1.9 dCi Dynamique
00 Mondeo 1.8TD LX
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I like the looks!
I also like the Laguna II looks though as with the Rover 800 I have just commented on the facelift lost the plot.
However a 2001 Laguna II tourer if launched today would look bang on!
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Agree with cheddar. The goona 2 at launch in both hatch and tourer form was one of the nicest looking mainstream cars released in the last 10 years. Proportion, shape, detailing were all damn near perfect and very handsome.
When I look at the Aventime, the "botty" megane, the Laguna 2, really good looking and fresh and different cars, and I look at the messy visuals that Renault is now turning up, I can only conclude that the cleaning lady in the design department has taken over.
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< Ulla>
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Reckon lots of new cars are fussy in detailing, the clear rear light trent stared by Lexus being largely to blame, the new Mondeo lights are a bit OTT.
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I agree. And what about those LED sidelights on the front of the Audi R8 which look like a string of Christmas lights?
Mind you, that's probably all there is to dislike about the entire car. That, and the fact that I can't afford one. ;-)
Cheers
DP
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04 Grand Scenic 1.9 dCi Dynamique
00 Mondeo 1.8TD LX
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i really like the elongated lights on the rear of my c4 piccaso. equally bright from the side and the rear
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I've always liked the sleek, low look of the previous two Lagunas but this one is just a bit ungainly for my tastes.
Having said that, still wouldn't touc h one with a barge pole even if it looked like a Alfa 159.
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I had a 1996 laguna (2.0 RT) from new to 80k miles. Possibly the best car I've ever owned.
Personally I'm looking forward to the Laguna Coupe due soon. From the advance photos it looks stunning.
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