Driving the Renault Megane 1.6

I recently had the pleasure of loaning a friend's snazzy champagne coloured Renault Megane 1.6 for a pleasant drive down Durban's North Coast. Having recently driven the Renault Sandero United 1.6 this proved to be the perfect opportunity to compare two Renault's from different classes and to see just what the difference between the two is.

The first thought that crossed my mind when seeing the Megane was how much prettier it is than the aforementioned Sandero. Although its unique appearance is not loved by all, the Renault Megane just looks like a much more upmarket car, as rightly it should. The interior of the car is also much slicker and it certainly has more features. The Megane is also very spacious inside, which was surprising to me as I really had expected the Sandero to take the cake here, however I did have to remind myself that this is a different class of vehicle, one where space is a lot more readily available.

After figuring out how to start the vehicle with the newer key card system, I was off, and it was in the drive that the Renault Megane really outshone its cheaper counterpart. The Meganes ability to accelerate far outshone that of the Sandero, whether from stationary or in motion. It also suffered less from the Air Conditioner being switched on, which on a hot Durban day was an absolute must. For the better part of the journey I was not even aware that the air con was on, such is the difference in power. The drive was also a lot smoother at higher speeds, and it was very quickly apparent that this was a performance machine. The brakes too where crisper and once or twice I was "fortunate" enough to have to put them to the test.

All round the Megane just felt like the better Renault. This was too be expected as it is the more expensive vehicle, but does it justify the price difference? Certainly, my experience in the Megane felt completely different to that of the Sandero, and for all their similarities, it definitely felt like I was driving a much more upmarket vehicle. I even felt proud standing next to the vehicle, half expecting people to notice me as someone of consequence.

Driving the Renault Sandero 1.6 United

This weekend past I has the opportunity to drive the Renault Sandero 1.6 United, a car marketed as having ample space, in fact, the most space in its class. I took the opportunity with both hands, and put this "little" car to the test.

The first thing I noticed when approaching my charcoal coloured Sandero, was that it actually looks quite good. Sure its no fancy sports car, but the Renault Sandero is certainly not offensive in any way. The car seems well put together and flows nicely. The charcoal colour also worked quite nicely on the model and worked nicely with the grey interior. So far we were off to a good start.

A quick trip around the car testing things soon brought many nuances to light. The boot for example doesn't have a regular handle, and requires a second look to figure out how to open it. Though it really is simply enough, straying from the generally accepted norms can be quite disconcerting for first time drivers, myself included. The Sandero also didn't seem very big, in fact I likened it to a 4 door hatch in many ways and wasn't overconfident that it would be able to live up to Renault's space claim.

On entering the drivers seat and playing around, I was once more presented with certain foreign intricacies. The window winders worked in reverse, the dash seemed to be presented in code and no matter how many times I turned the radio down, it would always return to a default volume when starting the car (though this may have been unique to my Sandero). On the positive side, everything seemed easy enough to figure out, the seats were comfortable, and the car did come with some bells and whistles - air conditioning (an essential in the hot Durban climate) and power steering, not to mention a small bag of mint imperials. The other overwhelmingly impressive thing was the space. It is strange, but Renault have somehow managed to create space without flaunting it. The space is certainly there, large objects just seems to fit, and I had 4 small adults comfortable seated in the back seat. The Sandero is actually deceivingly large, despite its diminutive looks. At least Renault had delivered on their main claim to fame, always a positive.

Aesthetics aside, it was time to begin my weekend away and take the Sandero out onto the open road. Air conditioning blowing full steam ahead, we eked out of the parking bay and began our mission. While not the most powerful car, even with the air con on and a full car, the Sandero seemed to drive alright. It was sufficient for urban driving. The car did seem to increase in size on the road, and I often felt I was straying out of my lane. Still, the drive was smooth enough, until we hit the highway. The major negative point for me about the Renault Sandero was the cars ability at higher speeds. Hitting 120km/h and the car seemed to bounce all over the road, the steering wheel begun to shake and the steering seemed so sensitive that the faintest touch would have the car leaping from side to side. This was certainly not a performance machine, but then again, it was never supposed to be. If you are looking for performance however, keep looking, this is not your car.

In my opinion, the Renault Sandero is a great urban family car. Aesthetically pleasing, spacious, fairly inexpensive and well constructed. The extra features are a nice touch and make the drive comfortable. It delivers on its promises, and is a great addition to its class of car.