| Product: |
Renault Twingo |
| Date: |
26.11.05 (1187 review reads) |
| Rating: |
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Advantages: Economical, spacious, a womans car.
Disadvantages: None.
I have owned a Twingo for nearly 4 years now, and feel well qualified to comment upon its performance and reliability, as well as servicing costs and running costs.
What initially attracted me to this car was its looks. Mine is a baby blue. It is sleek, modern and an extremely attractive vehicle, and the only comparison really in my price range was the Clio which I dismissed on the grounds that it was more like a small car pretending to be big than the Twingo, with its plush upholstery and its actual feel that I found claustrophobic.
Getting into the Twingo, you get an immediate feeling of space, because of the very large glazed area of the car, which also gives amazing visibility, and here again, the visibility is better than the Clio, because the Clio's back window is higher and more restrictive.
The servicing of the vehicle works out cheaper than the Clio as well, and I have followed the manufacturers instructions here to a tee, and find that the services that are recommended by Renault are not excessive, and that it amazes me just how many kilometers you can drive between services.
The interior design of the vehicle is such that everything that needs to be in easy reach of the driver is, i.e. electric mirror adjustments, making the headlights higher when you are fully loaded, buttons for both passenger side and drivers side electric mirrors, and also the functions like signalling, etc., seem to have been designed with the woman driver in mind.
This car is super economical and I can get down to Toulouse from where I live in Brittany on a tank and a half of petrol, making it even more tempting to those drivers that look for comfort but at the same time, economy.
I like the way that the twingo is so versatile. For example, if you are carrying passengers but have little in the way of luggage, then the back seat can be pushed back to give your passengers more leg room, or if you want to use the car as an estate, the back seats fold flat to give you ample room for rather a lot of shopping.
The engine in the Twingo is not an overly powerful one at 1200 c.c. but the only time that you notice any lack of speed is really on uphill driving, though the gearchanging is simple and feels comfortable, and changing down in situations like this give it the acceleration that it needs.
Although my Twingo comes with air bags, I cannot vouch for the safety of these, since I have never had the misfortune of having had to use them, although I like the idea that they are there.
This is one neat car, and in town consumption is higher than on long runs, though still staggeringly high when you compare it to other unleaded small cars, as I have done both with the Clio and the new Mini, which both consume more petrol.
I believe of all the cars that Renault have produced, this is the best it gets for a lady driver. It's a classy vehicle with a well thought out and versatile interior, plenty of room in the boot, and certainly very comfortable, with adjustment in both driver and passenger seats being such that a good lumber support can be achieved easily. Ideal from many points of view as a feminine car, and the biggest plus for me is actually not needing to look under the bonnet often, as if serviced as detailed in the instruction booklet that comes with it, it is neither thirsty on oil, water, or brake fluid between services.
Snags ? None that I know of or that actually make me believe that there is a better alternative. Pricewise : New from around Seven Thousand Pounds, although mine was cheaper as it was a year old.
Value : First rate.
Summary: An economical lady's car.
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