Experiences with Renault Laguna?

qwerty321

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Although the main car I am looking for is a Megane, Ive seen a few Lagunas locally which have the same engine (1.9 dCi) for a decent price that fall within my budget.

Just wondering what people find these cars like, it is the Laguna II and Ill probably get something around 04 so the 120 BHP one.

I prefer the Megane as Im 20 and the Laguna doesnt strike me as a young persons car. However, it will be used for commuting.

Also, anyone planning on saying dont buy French, there is no need for that. Im just after opinions on this paticular car.
 
In order to get together some cash last year I needed to sell my lovely Focus ST-3. :(

So basically I needed something for about £4k with sensible mileage, had to be EURO NCAP 5* for safety, ideally diesel and cheap to run. After lots of research I came up with the 2004 54 Renault Laguna II. Go careful, there are many models and people seem to be careless about what they advertise their car as! :rolleyes: The 1.9dci Dynamique seemed to be a good choice for me, half leather, 17" alloys, cruise control, dual zone climate and electric windows all round.

So what is the car like to live with . . . . . well it is no drivers car! :thumbsdow BUT, it is a very nice car to live with. :smashin: It is very comfortable on a run, and also very quiet when cruising. Driving carefully on the commute to work, I can easily get around 40mpg, which is pretty good when you consider the size of the car (that is another good point, it really is a decent size). Also the low Co2 emissions mean that it is only £120 to tax.

Do I love the car, no, do I like the car, yes, would I recommend the car, yes. Sure it is French, so expect things to go wrong, but all in all it is very sensible and economical motor that you can live with. :thumbsup:

Ian.
 
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Thanks for the advice. I had a quick look at the 2.2 dCi as well. Seen that it has 150 bhp which has got my interest. Im sure a remap would make things even more interesting :D Suprisingly the insurance group is the same as the 1.9 dCi, just slightly more on the Road Tax.

Ive been in a Primera with the same dCi engine but tuned down a little. Its impressive how quiet it is for a diesel, didnt sound like it!
 
I was also tempted by the 2.2dci, but the increase in Co2 and the decrease in MPG, meant that I chose the 1.9dci. But I also do not intend on keeping the car for too long, so for me, it was more about the financial side of things. It really was a case of head over heart on this one. Another good thing to note is that the engine really is nice and torquey, and I am sure that a remap would certainly spruce things up a bit! ;)

Ian.
 
I had an 02 Laguna 2 1.9DCi Dynamique for a few months. Whatever could go wrong did go wrong. Avoid at all costs. I feel like crying just thinking about the money that car cost me.
 
Out of interest OP, would you look at other cars providing they had a decent diesel engine and fell within your budget?
 
I had an 02 Laguna 2 1.9DCi Dynamique for a few months. Whatever could go wrong did go wrong. Avoid at all costs. I feel like crying just thinking about the money that car cost me.

I'll back that up, no end of problems from people with these Lagunas, wishbones, axles, all sorts of stuff goes wrong on them.
 
I've got a MkI Laguna and my brother a MK II and we're both very happy with them (for very different reasons). The fact that we're both pushing 50 might be enough to make qwerty run a mile from the idea of owning one though :rotfl:

Dave
 
My mate has had a T-reg Laguna for years.
Horrible yellow colour, but there you go.
He bought it off his dad, who bought it new.
It's had the odd repair, but nothing that made me think it was worse than any other car.

I really like the new Laguna coupe, it's blooming luvverly.:smashin:
 
The MkI Laguna is a great car, it will run forever (well a long time anyway) if looked after...it's the MkII where it all went a bit wrong...
 
Out of interest OP, would you look at other cars providing they had a decent diesel engine and fell within your budget?

Maybe. My original choice was a 1.9 Megane but cant see any that fit my milage limit (under 60k) and budget at the moment.

I know the Mk I Lagunas are good cars. Someone I know has a 10 year old one with over 240k on the clock. Still running fine and he has a heavy right foot!

Just wondering, do all the Mk II Lagunas have keyless entry? I read this one site but wasnt sure.
 
I've got a MkI Laguna and my brother a MK II and we're both very happy with them (for very different reasons). The fact that we're both pushing 50 might be enough to make qwerty run a mile from the idea of owning one though :rotfl:

Dave

Used to own a Diesel Mk1 Laguna.

Brilliant fuel economy - nothing went wrong. Should have kept it longer.

Friends Dad had a Mk2 Laguna. The starter "card" thingie would never work and it eventually set itself on fire. He now has a "Mundano....."
 
Maybe. My original choice was a 1.9 Megane but cant see any that fit my milage limit (under 60k) and budget at the moment.

I know the Mk I Lagunas are good cars. Someone I know has a 10 year old one with over 240k on the clock. Still running fine and he has a heavy right foot!

Just wondering, do all the Mk II Lagunas have keyless entry? I read this one site but wasnt sure.

:lesson:It's not keyless entry, it's a keycard. And you have to press the button to get in, so it's not "keyless", strictly speaking. Keyless entry means you walk up to car, pull the handle, it senses the key nearby (in your pocket, for example), then opens.

Anyway, I had the Lag2 for 4 years. First year, loads went wrong. Luckily it was under warranty, and this saved me, estimate, a grand in repair bills!

Next 2 years it was mainly fine. This last year, it started goign wrong, e.g. windows, suspension, etc, and I got rid.

Don't get the 1st generation of the Mk2. Get the mid-life redesigned one or later.

Do a google for "renault forums" for a good website. You will even see some contributions from yours truly!:smashin:
 
I bought an 04 LagII 1.9dci (120bhp) in January 08. I've put half a litre of oil in it, a bunch of diesel and an indicator light bulb. I think it may have had the track rod ends done as well but I'm not sure if its this car or another one I had.

My missus and I both really enjoy the car and, touch wood, it hasn't missed a beat. You can drive 300 miles in it then get out as if you've only driven 1 mile.

Relatively quiet for an oil burner, excellent fuel consumption, spacious, comfortable, loads of 12v sockets inside, big boot blah blah blah. Plenty of power if needed, smooth etc. For some reason, as long as the tires are pumped up correctly, no matter how much I drive the car in anger (and it can shift when the turbo is spinning) the steering and handling hasn't misbehaved at all and in fact it is surprisingly stable and there is hardly any detectable body roll!

Downside? Like most cars the dashboard seems to be made up of about 15 miles grey plastic and some of the plastic components feel a little on the fragile side.

Definitely a car I would recommend to friends and family and fellow AVF's!

I often drive different cars for work from brand new cars to 5 years old cars that have been run ragged and I still look forward to driving my car more than any of the others.
 
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I think that with Renaults, if you find a good one hang on to it :) I guess this applies to most cars really :cool:

Dave
 
Oh did I mention that I get over 500 miles on a tank (about 55 litres)? :D

Ian.
 
Well they did have a shocking reputation for electrical and mechanical reliability for even the recent past.
 
Well thanks for all the advice guys.

I decided to go for the 2.2 dCi one, picking it up tomorrow. Should be fun to drive after my 1.4 Corsa :D

Will report back tomorrow with first impressions.
 
To balance out my earlier report, it was wonderfully smooth to drive, nto great on corners, but lovely on the motorway, and shifted if you knew how to drive it, although mine was teh 2litre VVT one that was onyl produced for about a year due to........mechanical problems!

I'd recommend a used laguna cos they lose so much value that you can get a bargain with great kit.

But onyl if you are gonna keep it for long enough that you don't mind losing loads more value before you re-sell!
 
Yep, mine is 53 plate with 53k on the clock. Cost me £3300. Excellent condition inside and out. Also just had a recent full service (not from dealer) and has full service history.
 
Got the car today but my Dad drove it down as I havent driven anything this big yet. Certainly looked fast on the motorway. Its in a car park over the road at the moment till I get it taxed.

Thats the car:

 
Which model did you go for?
 
Nice looking motor, but, how did he drive it on the road without any road tax??:confused:
 
Its the 2.2 dCi Dynamique doesnt have Cruise Control (which would have been nice) but does have ESP and 150 BHP :D. Also has half leather sport seats which are fantastic.

As for the tax, we were told by various people that you can drive it home on the day of sale.

There is one thing that has us slightly confused. THIS is a picture of a Laguna Keycard with a gap at the top for what I assume to be a Keyring. However, if I do put a keyring and keys on there, I wont be able to slide it in.

Where the hell do I attach my keys?!
 
Its the 2.2 dCi Dynamique doesnt have Cruise Control (which would have been nice) but does have ESP and 150 BHP :D. Also has half leather sport seats which are fantastic.

As for the tax, we were told by various people that you can drive it home on the day of sale.

There is one thing that has us slightly confused. THIS is a picture of a Laguna Keycard with a gap at the top for what I assume to be a Keyring. However, if I do put a keyring and keys on there, I wont be able to slide it in.

Where the hell do I attach my keys?!

Buy one of these I did and it works a treat.
Renault Keycard Keyring Laguna Espace Megane Clio on eBay, also Keyrings Keyfobs, Branded Automotive Merchandise, Automobilia, Cars, Parts Vehicles (end time 10-Jun-09 23:24:26 BST)

TC


I think I can link to a Ebay item would a MOD please remove if not allowed.
 
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