Renault Scenic. Must have family vehicle or just a van with windows? (Renault Scenic in general)

Member Name: Steve80

Product:	Renault Scenic in general
Date:	28/05/09 (97 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: Practical interior

Disadvantages: Everything apart from practical interior

The Renault Scenic became a run away sales success for Renault after they spotted a gap in the market for a mini MPV.
There was little like it at the time, and it appealed to all those who have young families.
Such is the success of this "car" that you have either owned one yourself of know someone who has one.
So for those of you who are considering a Scenic as a used buy, I thought I would put a little something together for you.

The model tested is a 1999-2003 facelift, 1.6 litre petrol.
When Renault launched the Scenic, the main focus of their advertising campaign was that this was the perfect vehicle for families, as it provides a hugely practical interior, has lots of luggage space but unlike large people carriers, drives like a car too.
So does the Scenic live up to those expectations? And how has it coped with 90,000 miles of hard work?
Here goes.

Exterior.
Although this model is now 10 years old it still manages to look quite fresh, whether that's because we tend to see literally millions of them milling about everyday I don't know. But it is still quite a good looking "car". Its curvy shape is quite inoffensive and welcoming, but also has nothing about it that excites.

Interior.
There are a lot of hard plastic surfaces in the Scenic, but given the type of abuse it will be subject to from young children, this is probably no bad thing. The dash and instruments really do look dated now (it's amazing how far interior car design has moved on in 10 years), but everything is quite logically laid out and easy to find, which again is a good thing as you want to be able to shout at your kids and operate switches at the same time.
There are useful extra storage spaces under the floor, and the backs of the front seats have a handy flip up tray which no doubt your children will try to balance a drink on as you go round a corner!
The high roof and double sunroofs help make the inside feel very spacious and open. The middle seat also slides forward so a passenger can have more shoulder room.
The boot is quite a good size and the rear seats can fold flat, fold up to the front seats, or be taken out altogether.
So it certainly is versatile.
The seats for passengers are rather comfortable and travelling in the Scenic is quite pleasant, apart form the wallowing ride, (hence lots of throwing up from the children in the back!) It's not the same story for the driver though. The seat lacks support.
Which takes us onto what it's like to drive?

Driving.
This is where the Scenic fails miserably. It's supposed to be the MPV that drives just like a car. Yeah right!!
Because of its size it has a very high driving position (just like a van). It feels very top heavy and wallows badly in corners (just like a van). You have to reach down a long way to reach the handbrake (just like a van). In cars you push the accelerator and brake pedals forward towards the bulkhead, in the Scenic you push them downwards (just like a van).
In fact I've driven large vans that have felt more car like than a Renault Scenic!
It really is an awful thing to drive. No wonder that most men I see driving them look so miserable.
Okay. Try to find some positives.
Erm..........
The 1.6 litre petrol engine performs ok when you drive it in "car" mode, i.e with 4 passengers on board, but when loaded with people and luggage, it really struggles to get up to speed. If you do lug around a lot of equipment very often and use it more as a van, then I would go for the 1.9 diesel.
That's about the best thing I can find about how it drives.

Reliability.
Now you have to remember that this is a French car, so expect lots of things to go wrong. The Scenic has suffered particular problems with the auto gearbox, the ignition coils (1.6 engine especially, including the one I drove) and suspension troubles. Used buyers should look out also for poorly-fitting panels, over-heating and signs of head gasket failure, electrical glitches, engine management faults (cutting out, poor starting) and even, on some of the earlier cars, the beginnings of rust.
So not the most reliable then!

Safety and Security.
Finally! Something for the Scenic to shout about!
The Scenic scored four stars in the Euro NCAP crash tests, good for a design this old. Twin front and side airbags are standard on all models, and all have standard-fit anti-lock brakes. An immobiliser is standard; annoyingly, it sets itself after a short time even if the car is unlocked. The centre rear seat has its own shoulder strap, which retracts neatly into the roof.
So at least your little treasures will be safe in an accident. Sorry collision. (Not allowed to call them accidents anymore.)

Cost.
You can get a 1999-2003 model Scenic from about £1500, but these are quite scruffy and hard worked. £2700 upward should get you a decent cared for example.


So. Would I recommend a Renault Scenic as a good used buy?
Erm.... No!
Mainly because it only has 5 seats like any normal car. If you need more then the Vauxhall Zafira with its 7 seats is a much better buy.
But if 5 seats is enough, then an Estate car will be just as, if not more, practical than a Scenic, and because and Estate car is a car, it will drive like a car too.
For similar money to a decent Scenic, you can get a Skoda Octavia Estate, or a slightly older VW Passat Estate. Both very good cars with massive load space.
Be aware that many used Scenic's will have been used hard, especially with young families, and as a lot of mothers drive these too, check for supermarket parking bumps and scrapes, and curbed alloys. If wheels show signs of heavy curbing then check the wear on the tyres to see if there could be wheel alignment problems.
For me, people who buy mini MPV's have either given up on life, or hate driving.
If you see a Dad driving one, you can be sure his family are enjoying a nice comfortable ride while Dad is dieing inside and dreaming of low sleek and powerful sports cars, or a divorce!

Summary: Get a good Estate car instead!

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