Renault Megane Hatch

Renault design is always unique, and Megane III continues with such a trend. I have been an owner of Megane II for 5 years, before switching to Megane III. Is not a bad car after all. Design is unique, solidly built, very stable when cruising at high speed, but the biggest disappointment is the poor pickup. The transmission is still the old dated 4 A/T technology. Overall it is a good B&B car, if you are not looking for some exciting in its performance.

Step out of a Clio and into the Megane and you'll see how times have changed and the Megane hasn't. It's too basic and flimsy inside, although higher-end models look and feel a little better after a mid-life facelift. There's something to be said for not owning a Golf, and the Megane's styling seems pretty cool on Singapore roads choking with German and Japanese boxes. It's a Megane though. How cool can that ever be? Renault is desperate for its cars to be seen as VW rivals and so has worked hard on the interior's quality. As a result the perceived quality is above average in the class, although the new Golf still has the edge. So as your fingers rove over the many buttons, you'll enjoy the satisfying damped switch actions and soft surfaces cladding a solidly built interior. Biggest improvement over the old model is the steering, which is accurate, progressive and nicely weighted. It even has some road feel, which these electro-assistance systems rarely manage. The handling is amusingly pliable too, and there's a strong sense of the rear wheels helping you round the turn. However, i did find the tail drifting outward when we lifted off the accelerator in a tight downhill bend, with the ESP on too. Yet the comfort is still okay, the Megane dealing nicely with the sharp potholes of town driving. The only issue is a lot of side rocking on fast, straight roads. Plenty of room up front but the back seats have limited headroom for adults due to the sloping roofline. The three-door Megane coupe is even worse. However, the boot is large and is a practical shape.