Megane - Micro - Mini Test (not a test at all actually).

As in - never even drove it.

Went with a workmate last week to buy a Megane for his wife. The current model. (That's the car, not the wife).

First one we saw, he was gushing over it until I told hime to walk quietly away.

When we got back to the car he was wondering what the problem had been at which point I pointed out that the bumper was a different colour to the wings and bonnet and didn't line up with any of them. In other words, it's seen a bit of action.

Next dealer. Oh look, it's the bonnet that's been hit on this one - low on one side with the wing. High on the other side. It fits where it hits.

Next car, same dealer. Oops, this one's been smacked up the back. Rear bumper different colour, doesn't line up with quarter panels.

Continue the above theme ad nauseum through several cars until we eventually reached the conclusion that none of them had been in a shunt - they had left the factory like that.

In short, don't expect quality shutlines or high build standard in a Fat Bottomed Megane because it aint there.

Hardly earth shattering news, but there you go. That's how it is.

And people still wonder why French and Italian cars retain less value than - and I hesitate to say this - German or Swedish ones.

They do have a trendy card thingy for the ignition though...

Reply to
Bob Sherunckle
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I actually like the look of that shaped Megane in 3 door form. It is one of the few french cars I would entertain further than "you aren't getting me in one of them".

Reply to
Elder

When erindoors said she wanted a BMW we visited every dealer in the area and a few quite a way outside the area. It was impossible to find a

3-series that didn't have orange-peel paint. She wasn't going to accept a car with substandard paint, and at one place a salesman tried to convince her that this was normal. Basic argument was "BMW's are the best car in the world, right? So if a BMW has orange peel paint, that's the way it was designed to be and it's the best finish possible."

We walked away.

Reply to
Steve Firth

Yea even though they're let's face it, really ugly, I must admit, the 3 doors, especially the sporty ones somehow look good. Also, have you been in a 225? They feel insanely brisk....

Reply to
Iridium

I've had one, they are...

Reply to
Abo

Most cars seem to have orange peel to some extent. It's particularly obvious on those Vauxhall / Suzuki Kei car box things. I think it's due to environmentally nice paint.

Reply to
Doki

there was a definite period when they switched to water based process when the paint was of very poor quality on BMW. Friends five series bonnet just flaked, was resprayed but then never matched, in the end they replaced the car.

Similar aged Volvos are the same - it was a product of early adoption of enviro-pandering paints - they have it sorted now.

Reply to
Tim S Kemp

....but only when not broken, which yours was, most of the time. How many recovery trucks..?!

Tim..

Reply to
Tim..

Lol two, in (IIRC) four days... And one of the dealers put a 120 mile 'test drive' on it over the weekend, the dodgy bastards.

It was rapid when it worked though but I'd never have another because of the reliability factor, and because the boot is completely useless compared with 'traditionally' styled hatchback; that bulgy shape wastes loads of space.

The vertical rear window attracts road filth like an estate car does, but because it's so small it has a tiny wiper which can't wipe the whole window, so the view out of the (already restricted) rear is just s**te when you've been on the road for a couple of hours.

And the seating position was too high, with no headroom, flattened my spikes lol. And the seat backs didn't come up high enough.

But it was a fast car. Torque steered like f*ck, but it was totally predictable and you got used to it straight away.

If I was in the market for a hot hatch today I'm not sure what I'd go for; the Astra VXR is attractive but I had a standard one for a month or so while waiting for the Megane and the lack of things like cup holders pissed me off. And I didn't like the dash design, the way the clock/radio display spikes up out of the middle was just silly IMHO.

Focus ST? I'm sure it's a good car but it's too popular with people who wear Ford rally jackets and chavs, plus I thought they were a bit cramped (I'm a big fat 6'2" which won't help)

Civic Type R maybe?

Can't see me getting a hot hatch though, not as my 'main' car.

Reply to
Abo

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