Why buy Renault?
- Thread starter Carpenter
- Start date
The obvious choice is the Focus in 1.6 Zetec guise. It is the logical choice from the list of competitors for all sorts of reasons.
But buying a car isn't always about making the logical choices...
...that's why so many people buy Alfa Romeos
It really depends on what you're looking for.
Something stylish, fun to drive? good reliability? very high resale/low depreciation? Go for a MINI every time.
Something more practical? Ford Focus. Toyota.
Like something stylish, and have a sense of humour and a fatalistic view on life? Alfa Romeo.
For a stylish, cheap to run city runabout, the new Fiat 500 looks promising.
If everyone had same requirements, there'd be far fewer choices around....
That link says it all really.
Reliability and Quality 4 stars - should cope with the rigours of family life well
Reader review rating of 2 stars out of 5 compared to whatcars 4 out of 5. These reviews are always done before the car has been launched. They are not retrospective like you will find on www.peachorlemon.co.uk
I agree with MalMc. www.parkers.co.uk or www.honestjohn.co.uk are also pretty good.
You're missing the point: the question was why do people buy Renaults. You claimed it was "pure ignorance and lack of knowledge". My point was they have plenty of good points (see Whatcar and other reviews): it all depends on your priorities.
I'm not claiming that their reliability is the best: far from it. But for people buying new with two and three year warrenties, maybe it isn't their highest priority. As for resale, you can mitigate against poor resale by getting a good discount when buying.
By the way, anecdotal evidence is pretty useless for judging a car's reliability: you really need proper stats from surveys or hard evidence from warrenty claims. You can always find someone to say their car's brilliant or a dog. Likewise, people who post reviews to places like Whatcar will tend to be those either hugely delighted with their car (unlikely for run-of-the-mill stuff that Renault makes), or who've had very bad experiences.
JD Power is better than anecdotal "evidence", but I'd have my doubts about it. As far as I know, it's survey based, and self-selected at that (i.e. it's the very satisfied and very disatisfied who respond, not the ones in the middle). Also, people's expectations come into play: I know if I'd bought a €80k Merc I'd be completely intollerent of any minor problem on it that I might let pass on a €12k Fiat.
I think what would be really interesting would be the service and warrenty records of cars operated by large fleets (hire companies etc.).
I think what would be really interesting would be the service and warrenty records of cars operated by large fleets (hire companies etc.).
R
r2d2
Guest
Just catching up with this thread now....I've had no direct experience with Renault but I noticed the OP's reference to Citroen....Since 1988 I've had a Citroen AX (and my wife had one as her first car somewhere around 1995), I've also had a BX GTi and a Xantia......Haven't had a Citroen since I started to go for more expensive cars and was therefore more concerned about residuals but I liked the unusual nature of Citroen. I loved the hyrdropneumatic suspension (was that what it was called?)....And, I never had any mechanical or reliability problems (save the situation with the Xantia handbrake issue).....
r2d2
r2d2
I think you may have been fortunate.
Its pretty much numerous testimonies like this that have seen Citroen, Peugeot and Fiat sales plummet in Ireland this year. They are currently at their lowest level for nearly 20years. You can only fool so many people before the quality of the car catches up with you. People talk and in most cases the phrase once bitten twice shy applies.
Maybe that explains why Fiat's sales rose 18% last year in Europe, the largest increase of any manufacturer? They obviously haven't been bitten yet....
Or why Citroen make it into the top 10 of the Warrenty Direct most reliable car makes (based in warrenty claims actually made)?
"I think what would be really interesting would be the service and warrenty records of cars operated by large fleets (hire companies etc.)."
agreed - try [broken link removed]
but again like most of these surveys you have to read between the lines - this is based on
"index takes into account all factors of a repair, the cost of the parts and the frequency of failures"
- but I see porsche comes out near top of 'worst performers' - yet these are generally regarded as bullet proof - but obviously if somethnig goes wrong it will cost a lot, both in time and money to get it sorted - hence the high index rating.
also, toyota corolla comes 91st out of 100 in this - very surprising!
Useful though more as an indication of running repair costs comparison.
agreed - try [broken link removed]
but again like most of these surveys you have to read between the lines - this is based on
"index takes into account all factors of a repair, the cost of the parts and the frequency of failures"
- but I see porsche comes out near top of 'worst performers' - yet these are generally regarded as bullet proof - but obviously if somethnig goes wrong it will cost a lot, both in time and money to get it sorted - hence the high index rating.
also, toyota corolla comes 91st out of 100 in this - very surprising!
Useful though more as an indication of running repair costs comparison.
I'm in process of buying a car at the moment and noticed the low resale-price of 03, 04, 05, stylish low-mileage Renault Megan and Peugeot 307's which seems to confirm the experiences of previous posters about high depreciation.
Perhaps one reason why people buy them are their elegance, interior space and quality finish with lots of extras and fun bits? They are georgeous. Also the French diesel is great - efficient and quiet. However a car-buff friend tells me a number of other car-manufacturers use these same diesels. On dozens on internet car review sites the much-quoted problems with the French cars are the electrics, the cost and frequency of trouble-shooting and interior fittings 'falling apart' after a few months. There is a reliability rating in "What Car? New Reg 2007" (whatcar.com) based on warranty claims per 100 vehicles. Honda Civic and CR-V, Saab 9 - 5 and Mercedes S-class and CLK all come in at 2 to 5 claims per hundred whilst Renault Laguna lists at 54 warranty claims per 100 and Renault Espace at a whopping 61 claims per 100 which statistically confirms 'these cars are trouble'.
A recent 'Guardian' article (07.07.07) reported the most dependable new (06, 07) cars are Japanese manufactured (Honda and Toyota). The most dependable older models (6 - 8 years old) are Mazdas, Suzukis, Hondas, Nissans and BMWs.
I'm reluctantly turning my back on the stylish French design back to the drawing-board and will probably settle for the more boring but reliable Honda. Looks matter but not on a grey wet cold winter morning when you can't get to work because the car won't start. The point a previous poster made about these cars working better on the continent probably has more than a grain of truth........they don't fit the climate of these western isles!
Perhaps one reason why people buy them are their elegance, interior space and quality finish with lots of extras and fun bits? They are georgeous. Also the French diesel is great - efficient and quiet. However a car-buff friend tells me a number of other car-manufacturers use these same diesels. On dozens on internet car review sites the much-quoted problems with the French cars are the electrics, the cost and frequency of trouble-shooting and interior fittings 'falling apart' after a few months. There is a reliability rating in "What Car? New Reg 2007" (whatcar.com) based on warranty claims per 100 vehicles. Honda Civic and CR-V, Saab 9 - 5 and Mercedes S-class and CLK all come in at 2 to 5 claims per hundred whilst Renault Laguna lists at 54 warranty claims per 100 and Renault Espace at a whopping 61 claims per 100 which statistically confirms 'these cars are trouble'.
A recent 'Guardian' article (07.07.07) reported the most dependable new (06, 07) cars are Japanese manufactured (Honda and Toyota). The most dependable older models (6 - 8 years old) are Mazdas, Suzukis, Hondas, Nissans and BMWs.
I'm reluctantly turning my back on the stylish French design back to the drawing-board and will probably settle for the more boring but reliable Honda. Looks matter but not on a grey wet cold winter morning when you can't get to work because the car won't start. The point a previous poster made about these cars working better on the continent probably has more than a grain of truth........they don't fit the climate of these western isles!
I drive a renault megane with coupe body (the old shape) and love it. My brother (who has a languna) did try to put me off this car but I wouldn't hear of it.
Brother says women are just cracked about this car even though its too dear but it was my money. You do only see women driving them (mostly anyway).
I'll prob drive it into the ground so re-sell isn't an issue - so far I've had no problems so fingers crossed.
Anyway when I was looking I was liking the seat leon and this is kinda sorta like a megane and a good bit cheaper. My brother and a mechanic friend were pushing for this choice at the time.
Brother says women are just cracked about this car even though its too dear but it was my money. You do only see women driving them (mostly anyway).
I'll prob drive it into the ground so re-sell isn't an issue - so far I've had no problems so fingers crossed.
Anyway when I was looking I was liking the seat leon and this is kinda sorta like a megane and a good bit cheaper. My brother and a mechanic friend were pushing for this choice at the time.