Eccentric with a fat arse but I still love her

Choosing a car for a family of six is an expensive and somewhat limited task. Amongst the rather limited list of Multi Purpose vehicles several are instantly omitted as being five-seater and several more as simply being massively overpriced. Fortunately, thanks to the motability scheme we were able to narrow it down to two cars, the Renault Grand Scenic and Vauxhall Zafira. Let me explain why we plumped for the Renault. Being on the motability scheme we were given an option of colour (we chose jet black) but were limited to the 1.6 Dynamique Grand Scenic which, is one above the basic model. However, this was still more than we are used to with the best we had driven before an L reg Renault Espace!In the MPV field the Renault Grand Scenic is a relative newcomer and one I had certainly never heard of. Initial appearances were not favourable with this being a Renault Megane Scenic with what can only be described as a fat arse. The look is identical with a smooth rounded shell with the only difference being the sloped rear of the Megane replaced by a straighter more estate style rear. Not being a fan of the futuristic 70's spacecraft styling of Renaults in general the look of the Grand Scenic is not particularly appealing. However, what sold this car to me over the Vauxhall Zafira, Ford Galaxy etc was that the Grand Scenic is a sizeable compared to regular cars. But, this being a direct conversion of the Megane allows a more "carlike" feel and certainly benefits from not having the minibus/white van feel of the Vauxhall Zafira. In effect you have the benefits of the MPV with the feel of owning a real car.
With a high ride height and adjustable seats including headrests everything is at hand to make your drive be it driver or passenger as comfortable as possible. There is a refreshing ease of use to all the various levers and pulleys with none of the effort I associate with an MPV. Certainly when we examine the Zafira everything seemed a lot more difficult to adjust and manoeuvre. Despite the seemingly compact exterior the interior is roomy to say the least particularly in driver and passenger seat were you can fully stretch your legs and even your arms with none of the knee knocking and elbow jogging I could have reasonably expected from a car this small. Seating is comfortable and the whole interior is neutral in light brown with a rather uninspired grey dash. The middle three passenger seats have a fair amount of legroom too, certainly enough for two of my children although my teen finds it more roomy in one of the collapsible rear seats in the boot area. The last seat in the middle is reserved for my toddlers car seat and this is refreshingly high up and with the good legroom makes it nice and easy to take the car seat and the child in and out. With an impressive headroom there is none of the stooping and banging of heads and legs there is a lack of tantrums we previously got trying to get her in and out our Vauxhall Astra! Nice to see that the middle seatbelt is a full on shoulder one too rather than the lap strap we have encountered in other MPV's.As I have mentioned the Grand Scenic has generous space on the interior. However, it does suffer from lack of boot space with seven seats up. Renault.co.uk claim it is 200litres of space (500 with both seats down) but this only equates to about four or five carrier bags of shopping nestled precariously. Certainly there is not the room for a pram and shopping. This is perhaps the only thing that larger MPV's such as the Vauxhall Zafira have over the Scenic. Fortunately, we are a family of six not seven and as such one seat is permanently down (although they are easy to pull up and collapse something the Zafira was not!). This gives us the room for a pram and four or five bags of shopping although that is about it. Renault have provided the Grand Scenic with a massive glove box and several storage compartments in the floor and doorspace but you, as we do may still find yourself having shopping under your feet taking up your legroom.
Driving the Grand Scenic is a strange experience. For a start there is not key but rather a credit card sized piece of plastic. You open and close the doors with it and put it into a slot to start the car with a button. No more flooding of the engine for me! The car starts with little fuss and is very quiet. The steering wheel seems to small for a car of this size and the gearstick is high up on the dashboard which makes this almost like the dashboard of a truck. Fortunately, the Grand Scenic drives very much like a car and is smoothness in itself. The high ride and massive windscreen coupled with the strange positioning of the gearstick does take some getting used to but the 1.6 petrol engine and power steering coupled with very little noise around town makes this very much like driving any hatchback. Being a 1.6 I expected it to have plenty of acceleration but unfortunately perhaps due to the extra weight of the vehicle this is lacking. No speeding away when the lights turn green for me. Instead I receive more of a gentle meander towards forty. It is no surprise this car drives well around towns and cities with responsive steering and as such easy parking but our particular model struggles on the motorway and becomes quite noisy at seventy. Steering also feels a bit loose at speed despite the supposed understeer control. Incidentally one of the strangest things about the Grand Scenic is a lack of a traditional handbrake altogether. At first you will be seemingly forever searching for it in the traditional middle aisle but it is actually a small lever to the right of your steering wheel. What is good though is that it turns itself off when you drive off so you barely have to use it.High fuel consumption is one of the few things that the 1.6 Grand Scenic has against it. Although it is not bad at around twenty four miles per gallon with a full crew inside it is certainly a thirstier engine than we are used to. Then again I would expect this is the price you pay for driving a car with six people, a pram and shopping! Those concerned should perhaps consider the 1.9 diesel model as we will if our motability offer comes to an end. At least Renault have included a fuel indicator which is digital and tells you exactly how many miles to go until you need to refuel.
Of course there is no point getting a spanking new car if you cannot boast about the gimmicks and mod cons and the Grand Scenic is full of them. Air conditioning is standard and our model has a CD/radio which is operated by a click wheel fingertip control on the steering wheel. There are sunscreens built in to all the passenger windows which negates the need for our bagpuss stick on ones and fold down tables too. The handbrake comes on and off automatically on stopping the engine and starting then driving off and of course the windows are electric. Perhaps the best feature though is the fact the car heats up really quickly and as such defrosts all the windows within minutes. No more de-icer, warm water and ice scrapers for me. However, for every ying there is a yang and this is the automatic halogen headlights which seem to come on at random on full beam in the daytime. It is nice not having to remember to turn them on and off though. The windscreen wipes seem to flick water back onto the window too. Electronically the dashboard indicators are entirely digital from speedo to temperature. Add to this an oil and water level check on start and the Grand Scenic seems to cover all the bases.I am not going to pretend security and safety was a primary reason for buying this car. After owning several second hand cars none above M reg the only security features I am used to is no one would want to nick it and the nearest I got to an air bag is an inflatable pillow! However, it is reassuring that the Grand Scenic has an immobiliser and dead locking and airbags as standard front and rear. Also nice is the fact you can turn the airbag of on the front passenger seat for car seats. With the high ride and Renaults impressive safety record (five stars in the Euro NCAP safety tests) I feel safer driving this car than I have in any other.
As you can see I have nothing but love for our Grand Scenic. It is not perfect thanks to limited boot space and its various eccentricities but it is the closest thing you will get to the refinement of driving a high specification car combined with the features and space of an MPV. At its £15,320 price it is horrendously out of our price range for the future but hopefully second hand at less than £10,000 we will one day be able to own one of our own. It is certainly competitive price wise with a new Vauxhall Zafira and in many ways superior to it.Technical specifications i.e. boot space taken from:

You Will Love The Lady in Red….

You Will Love The Lady in Red….
My Fiesta had been stolen from my front door one November night in 2002 and after a month it still wasn't found so it was time to look for a replacement. I had hired a Renault Clio for the month so I had decided that perhaps this just might be the car, off to the showroom and have a look…There is just something about a car salesman that intimidates me, it's just the fact that every single car he shows you is flawless. I find that worrying and after looking at about seven different cars I was still deep in thought. Then over in a corner I spotted her, just sitting there gleaming but begging for some attention….
She was a 1997 Renault Clio 1.2, red in colour with only 43,000 miles on the clock. I gave her a long inpection, running my eyes up and down every single part of her slinky body. She was perfect in looks but did she have the personality to be part of my life for a few years, a test drive would determine that….She was a three door but that didn't bother me as my Fiesta was the same and that £2995 figure was looking better by the minute……..The Clio is certainly not the fastest of cars but I guess the fact it is a small car with a small engine would determine that anyway. She struggled for power going up a steep hill and her acceleration from stop left a lot to be desired but on a long drive she had a nice steady speed. The plus factor was she was good on petrol consumption and was giving me 100 miles to ten pounds in traffic and about 20 miles more on a good run. With the price of petrol at the moment finding a similar diesel model might just be a better option…
The faults I have found over the few years are to make sure you change the timing belt at 60,000 miles. I didn't and she just ground to a halt one rainy day and left me with a nasty bill of over £300 to repair engine damage. So do make sure that if your Clio is nearing that mileage to leave her in for a service. The Clio also has a key that is totally unique to your car, which is handy in stopping your car being stolen but not handy if the ignition barrel needs replaced or your battery runs out…My ignition barrel just went without warning and it cost £100 for the barrel to be sent from Renault and further money for the labour. One thing that can happen which didn't happen to me is the little battery inside the key running done. I once came across an elderly couple that this had happened to and they couldn't even open their car. Good idea is to replace the battery in your spare key once a year and carry them with you, or hide them somewhere in the car with you…..
I love the powersteering in the Clio but she's a bit bumpy. She's not the roomiest of cars and not a car for a family over 4 but she is ideal for my needs. The boot isn't the biggest and the spare tyre is underneath the car and that my friends is something you should check out. When I got my first puncture it took me nearly an hour to get the spare tyre released as the metal on the releasing nut had rusted. My advice if you buy a Clio is to check that out, put a bit of wd40 on it to keep it from rusting. It will stop you from being stranded miles from home straining to release the spare tyre…Overall I love my Clio, she has cost me a few pounds over the last three years but she has mainly been reliable. She doesn't have electric windows and I had to fit a cd player into her. The interior is pretty basic and the wheel trims are nothing to write home about. The fastest she has ever gone has been about 70mph but I am a tight git anyway and like to travel at cruise speed to save on petrol so I am happy with her speed.
The standard things like the tyres and wipers etc, I have only had to change the tyres once in the last few years but I don't do a big mileage. The rain in Belfast makes sure that the wipers have to be replaced once a year but they are cheap and the tyres for the Clio are pretty cheap as well. They don't need the air topping up that regular and I have only changed the oil once so it's thumbs up all round.The rear window heater, fog lights and hazzard lights are situated right bang in the centre of the dashboard and did I mention the trendy sunroof. The other controls like your indictators, lights etc are on your steering wheel and you also have an electric control for your front lights. This is situated to the right of the car, just tucked under the dashboard and slowly raises your main headlights. If you ever have to change a sidelight be careful as you can easily break this little baby and that my friends will cost you a cool £70 to replace….
So the question remains, can I recommend a Renault Clio to you. Let's just say when I am finished with this car I intend to buy a newer Clio. I dread the day that me and this little lady in red have to part, but for now she's deffinitely the best car I have had to date……..Thanks for reading and enjoy your weekend.......................Art...

Kylie - The Clio 1.2 16v Dynamique

Performance:Engine - 1.2 16v 4cyl MPI (multipoint injection)Power - 75bhpTorque - 105Nm0-60 - 12.6secsTop Speed - 106mphGearbox - 5 speed manual
Interior:Sports seatsDigital Climate ControlElectric Sunroof with sunblindElectric windows (one touch on drivers)Electrically Adjustable Heated MirrorsRadio/CD Player with fingertip controls on steering wheel (with 6 speakers)Leather Steering wheel and gear knobSplit folding rear seatsAuto dimming interior lightTrip computerAluminium door handles, handbrake button and gear stick insertSpeed sensitive PAS (power assisted steering)
Exterior:Automatic headlightsAutomatic wipersColoured front/rear bumpersColour coded mirrorsColour coded rear spoiler15" Alloy wheelsFog lightsHeat reflective windscreen
Safety:Euro NCAP 4 StarsDriver and passenger airbagsSide airbagsABS(antilock braking system) EBD (electronic brake force distribution)EBA (emergency brake assist)Disk brakes on frontDrum brakes on rear
Environment & Costs:Insurance Group 3Tax Band C 142g/kmEUROIII EngineCombined fuel economy 45mpgUnleaded petrol18,000miles servicing intervals
The car itself was a dream to drive, handles really well and for a 1.2 16v with only 75bhp was quite nippy, although it was rather slow if you were carrying any weight.
The power delivery of the engine is very smooth and gradual and the gearbox is also smooth although the clutch is very light, maybe a little too light.As for the brakes, they are absolutely fantastic, not at all what you would expect on a 1.2 Clio!
For a car of such a small price it has lots of extras such as the Climate Control, Auto Lights, Auto wipers, features that you would only expect to find on large more expensive cars.As standard the Clio's (2004 on) come with Michelin energy tyres fitted that are really good, I replaced the tyres on my Clio with Michelin Pilot Exalto PE2 tyres that were far better than the standards but when they are getting more out the compound seems to degrade quite badly making them very un-trustable, so I'd recommend sticking with the energy's.
Inside the car is very comfortable for long and short journeys and is well laid out with all buttons within reach, the Climate control is particularly good at maintaining temperature and is exceptional in summer. The sports seats that are fitted are very supportive and are well complemented by the silver seatbelts which in my opinion add a nice little touch to the look of the inside.Even though the standard stereo is excellent I did replace it with a Renault option stereo the Sony CDX-MP40 which worked with the Clio display and Steering wheel controls.
Despite all the technology and gadgets in the car I was always disappointed that there wasn't a light in the glove box despite the fact that the glove box was also air-conditioned.On occasions the sports suspension fitted to the car as standard (being as it's a Dynamique model) did feel a little hard, but only really on bumpy roads, the stiffness of it did really help towards it's brilliant nimble handling.
The Clio also has twin rear foglights and twin reverse lights that lots of cars these days seem to be missing (i.e. only having one of each).I bought the car with 42,000 miles on it and sold it 11 months later with 62,000 miles on and in that time it was totally reliable having never broken down or gone wrong, the only reason we sold the car was because we needed a larger car for the dogs (2003 Laguna DCi Estate)
In that time I had it serviced once which cost £150 from a Renault Dealer which I didn't think was too bad for dealer prices.The only real complaints I'd have about the car would be about the sunroof, it did occasionally rattle and in heavy rain would leak, my previous Clio also had this problem which Renault tried to fix several times unsuccessfully so it would seem a common fault that Renault know about but don't yet have a cure for.
The bonnet catch problem (highlighted by BBC's watchdog program) never caused me any issues with either of my Clio's being as it was (as advised) regularly lubricated.All in all I thought the Clio was a fantastic little car and would highly recommend it (as I have many times) to anyone that's looking for a small hatchback that's nippy and economical and also pretty good looking too! I would however advise going for the DCI 80 version which is just as quick but far more economical.

Clio 1.2 RN 3 door (1998)

After buying an old VW Polo on EBAY that I had to scrap my wife and eye decided that we would look for a car for her to drive that would be reliable and easy to repair should the need arise.After much debate we found her a little T reg Clio with 52,000 miles on the clock.
One of the prerequisites of buying a replacement was that I could fit in it and be able to drive it comfortably. I am 6ft 3" and need to be able to drive it once or twice a week.COLOUR
The first thing that struck us about the car was the general quality of it bearing in mind it was made back in 98. Once you get over the fact that it is gold the car grows on you. Whilst these cars come in a multitude of colours we though a gold one would be different and uncommon. Alas, now that we have it there are at least three in the same area. Why does that always happen…..EXTERIOR
The MK2 Clio changed quite a bit from the MK1. The general looks of the car have been brought up to date to make it stand out on the road whilst still fitting in with the other manufacturers. Our Clio is the RN edition. I am not really sure what that means. 90% of the body panels are painted with standard black trim covering the door strips, front and rear bumper strips and finally the mirrors. Its nice to see a cheap car that isn't absolutely covered in standard black plastic. The one thing that is annoying is when you come to polish the car. Polish on black trim is a nightmare to get off so you end up spending an extra 20 minutes cleaning all those. It would have been nice if they had painted them to.
The body panels have some good lines to them that help break up the appearance o the car. As standard amongst quite a few Renaults these days the front wings are made of plastic. Now I know this is done for safety reasons but as an owner it is a pain. Plastic panels shrink over time whilst flexing can cause flecks in the paint work. Our Clio is not to bad on this front so far but you can see a few marks where someone has pushed a little to hard whilst cleaning.We also had the misfortune to have an accident within 24 hours of owning the car. Not good. The most annoying thing was that it was parked ¾ on to the pavement and we were not even in it. The neighbour across the road (drunk) decided to reverse his car out and in to the Clio causing £2000 worth of damage. But there was only one dent about 9" across just above the rear wheel. Anyway, what I am trying to say is even though your buying a cheap car make sure you insure it fully comp. £2000 for that dent was a lot of money and if I'd had to pay it I probably would have though twice about keeping it, so beware.
Remembering that this is a T plate there is little to no rust on the car. There was a little around the fuel cap area and the door seals but nothing to worry about and nothing that a little bit of touch up paint could not sort.Our Clio also has a nice set of 14" alloys. Not to big and not to small. They provide that bit of extra on the looks front.
INTERIORThe interior of our Clio comes with a grey patterned effect which almost feels like velvet. Its quite a neutral colour and pattern whilst being quite dark which is a major bonus on the stain front. All of the interior equipment etc is also in grey. I prefer black for looks but grey is better for practicality as it hides dust etc quite well.
When your driving the seats provide a comfortable ride. You have to remember that this is a 1.2 and not a sport machine so with normal driving the seats are up to the job. Driving long distances can be a little uncomfortable through lack of back support in the seats, they are quite soft to sit in. Having said that, I drive the car once or twice a week on a 40 mile trip and it is a calm and comfortable drive.Our Clio came fitted with CD player and steering wheel controls and to my surprise with 4 speakers. Radio / CD quality is always very good with a reasonable sound quality. The must to have is the steering wheel controls, very useful and something that I wish I had on my VW.
The standard speedo etc are mounted in front of the driver and are well laid out for easy viewing. One thing I come across being so tall in small cars is that sometimes the view of the dials can be hindered by the position of the steering wheel. No such problem here. The steering wheel can also be adjusted in height should you need it.We don't have AC in ours and to be honest you don't need it. The standard blower unit and rear clear are up to the task.
The sunroof in the Clio is a little basic and reminds me of those cheap after market ones you used to get in the 80's. It tends to rattle quite a bit and needs a little tlc every now and again. It has to open positions along with the prospect of being take out and put in the boot, not the most practical thing but…In the back of the Clio there is a fair bit of leg room for a small car. Getting in to the back is a little difficult as it is only a 3 door but possible without to much trouble. There are 3 belts in the back but I can never imagine taking 5 people in this car as it just isn't powerful enough or big enough to take the weight.
Windows in the car are all winder only, not a bad thing. The winder handle did break but a quick trip to the scrap yard sorted that one out for 50p.DRIVING
I have to say that for a cheap and aged car the Clio drives very well. Road handling may be improved by the bigger alloys. Driving the car through corners can be good fun, plenty of grip. Steering whilst cornering is sharp and responsive but on the odd occasion can be influenced by the soft suspension.Pedals in the car are well spaced so you should have no troubles with catching your feet on the wrong pedal. Having big feet makes this a problem for me sometimes but not in the Clio.
The Clio provides good all round visibility whilst driving and blind spots are minimal. Reversing is also very good in the Clio. There is one thing I hate about this car. The back window at the top has a very large curve in it which always distorts the rear view so you can never really tell how close the guy behind is or the wall is when you reverse. Saying that, its not a problem if you are shorter than me as your below the curve.
PARTS AND PROBLEMSReliability wise the Clio has been good to us. Nothing has broken that would not be standard. The exhaust went on the car but it was the original which had seen 50000 miles. A full replacement cost me (not the wife) £105. I thought that was very good. I also decided to buy 4 new tyres costing around the £95 for all 4. The only other thing is the handbrake cable has stretched but nothing serious there.
Unlike a lot of modern cars the Clio is easy to service. I would never think of doing my VW, just to much trouble, but the Clio engine bay is clutter free and easy to work on. Plugs are easily accessible as is the air and oil filters. You would be able to service it with parts for about £40.ANYTHING ELSE
Most of the work I have had to do on this car is mileage related and because I forgot to check the obvious things when we bought it, exhaust etc. Be careful of a car that has around 50,000 miles on it. Standard parts wear out at this point depending on how its been looked after.Otherwise a very sound small car / runabout. There are airbags for passenger and driver giving you that little bit of extra safety.
Boot space is good for a small car. We recently drove 110 miles to Newcastle on holiday with 2 weeks worth of luggage and managed to fit it all in the boot with space to spare. The car still drove very well with the additions but was a little slow on the hills.This model is fitted with a 1.2, 8 valve engine. Nothing fantastic, I think it produces about 65 bhp. That's enough for light loads but not for heavy. If you get the later model this increased to around 75bhp which is better. .Still the 1. is a reliable engine and without any of the new fangled electronics in the new megane and new clio.
I am not sure what the fuel economy is on the car but I would guess its not far off 40MPG. £15 in the tank the other day put it up well over half a tank.All in, I would get another Clio if I needed one. I may tend to go for the 1.4 engine but 1.2 in fine for what we need.
Sadly we sold this car on as we needed a bigger car. Still, I will say that for an older car the paint work still came up with a good shine.