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Renault Megane or Citroen C4

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Renault Megane or Citroen C4

e505jpy said:
I've had a couple of french cars and they just never seem to get the electrics right. Like they've been putting electric things in cars for over a hundred years you'd think they could make it work by now! LOL
There's always heaters that won't blow, sunroofs that stick and locks that won't unlock when you ask them too....

It would really put me off paying my own money one on one to be honest and I'd look at something more reliable :eek:

...and you've got to think of resale too. No one is ever going to tell you that a Focus is hard to shift on.

(Says the man with the 17 year old panda and a Citroen XM so I don't really practice what I preach, hehe!)

Jim
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Cheers Jim, thing is everything you mention here is the same with Fiat, Resale value? try the Stilo. Focus is ok but I can't turn up at work with the same car as a load of chinless wa*****s. I might be getting on but I still have some individuality in me.
 
fenton_jd said:
my old P reg laguna, absolutely everything electric worked as new.

Windows and sunroof open/closed smoothly and "strongly" (if you see what i mean)

Mine only had electric front windows as standard. However, when I took the doorcard off, I found that ALL the cabling for electric/heated mirrors AND electric rear windows were all there! simply clipped to the door frame ready to be plugged in:D

It was literally plug and play from the scrap yard. Fitted electric and heated mirrors, fitted bigger centre screen + outside temperature display + curtesy lights above both rear doors.

Makes my grande punto look like a shanty town car.
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Like the FF I have done my homework and looked deeply into the meagane owners forum and what's missing are loads of pages about faults. This gives me a little bit more confidence and their comments around the dealers does them credit. It's the dealer experience that's making me think of going Frenchy.
 
bozzy said:
Cheers Jim, thing is everything you mention here is the same with Fiat, Resale value? try the Stilo. Focus is ok but I can't turn up at work with the same car as a load of chinless wa*****s. I might be getting on but I still have some individuality in me.
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Note I never suggested a Fiat, hehe!

I'd just be worried that if your spending 12, 13, or 14 grand on a car that you'd get your fingers burned a bit more on the Citroens, Renaults and Pugs etc That and Seat Leon's are hardly boring!:D

I on the other hand spend between 100 and 800 on a car and totally expect to get my fingers burned, lol!

Anyway, we (mainly Alan cause he don't like driving crap like me) had

1 x Citroen Synergie that was ok (but we only had it for 9 mths from new)
1 x Kangoo that kept blowing heater motor swtches
1 x Big ass Megane that had heater and door locking problems
1 x Kangoo Treka 4x4 that blew the same switch as the 2x4 one and the locks gave trouble (but we kept that one 5 years)
1 x Citroen XM (lets not even try and list everything thats wrong with it, lol)

Jim
 
I am only looking to spend £7K and for that I can get an 07 Megane or C4 with 10k on the clock. It really is just going to be a runaround. The Stilo is such fun but I gotta grow up a bit now. Let someone else worry about depreciation.

I just remembered I had a Citroen AX, little cracker but so slow :)
 
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bozzy said:
I test drove a Bravo in April and waited in the showroom for over 30 minutes to discuss options. The salesman came back and said 'sorry, I forgot all about you' :(

Fiat don't produce a car that would ever see me going back to a Fiat dealer ever again unfortunately.
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That's a shame coz your Stilo looks very well loved. Could you not try Startin of Redditch? Theyre meant to be better than most dealers.

I personally like the look of both the Megane and C4. I've not driven a C4 but used to sell Renaults & wouldn't be overly enthusiastic about the 1.6 petrol Megane - it just felt very flat & completely void of character. I formed this opinion before i ever drove a Fiat petrol engine, which i think have far more life about them. If i were to buy a Megane i'd go for a DCi engine as theyre far more satisfying to drive. Tho be warned, the 1.9 120bhp can have an unhealthy appetite for turbos.

I don't know anything about the 1.6 petrol C4, but id say it'd have to be a pretty awful engine to be worse than the 1.6 Megane IMO. The C4 does have a massive dashboard tho, which i find makes it feel more uncomfortable than the Megane, as does the hard feeling steering wheel. The Megane certainly feels more like the Stilo to sit in. Citroen do have a better reliability & dealer record than Renault tho.

Id still think very hard about the Bravo however.
 
The build quality on the C4 is meant to be appalling so I'd say Megane (if cannot afford a c'eed)

For that reason, the Megane may hold it's value better too
 
Cheers Liam. I love my Stilo, it's my second one too. However, every dealer experience has been a terrible one. Coming from the JTd (remapped) most cars I am looking at will be flat but it's something I need to get over. The Bravo would have to be quicker than the Stilo to convince me to stay but alas it is not. Remember Stilo 1 Bravo 0?

Gotta move on, still remain on this forum whatever the motor.
 
Vickster said:
The build quality on the C4 is meant to be appalling so I'd say Megane (if cannot afford a c'eed)

For that reason, the Megane may hold it's value better too
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I am edging towards the Megane. It's a question of economics. I get £450 a month car allowance that could pay for a Pro-ceed. Test drive was just ok.

After tax however it also pays my mortgage & rates. So if I double up my mortgage payments with the allowance it will all be over in 5 years.

This means I can afford a run-around for around £7k, thus the budget.
 
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bozzy said:
Cheers Liam. I love my Stilo, it's my second one too. However, every dealer experience has been a terrible one. Coming from the JTd (remapped) most cars I am looking at will be flat but it's something I need to get over. The Bravo would have to be quicker than the Stilo to convince me to stay but alas it is not. Remember Stilo 1 Bravo 0?

Gotta move on, still remain on this forum whatever the motor.
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I vaguely remember the Stilo 1 - Bravo 0 thread! Even if it's flatter, the Bravo can't be as flat or slow as 1.6 Megane, trust me!

I really like the Megane don't get me wrong. Given the choice of a Megane or C4 i would have the Megane, even if the C4 was a better drive. I just wonder if a few months down the line you might realise a 1.6 petrol Megane is just too much of a step in the different direction to the legend that is the Stilo JTD.

I think the best thing i can suggest is to drive a 1.6 Megane. You might find it okay, but i think as an engine it's bloody awful. The gearboxes used to feel as slack as the nether regions of a lady who enjoys frequent sex with very 'big' men too. (That's as polite as i could put it).

The DCi Megane however, i would consider. It can have trouble with its turbo going & taking the engine with it, but this can be prevented by letting it idle before switching off the engine and by good maintenance. It's mostly just a case of getting a good one. Abit like Stilo purchasing really.
 
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I feel I'll put some reality onto this thread since we actually own one of the cars in question. My wife has a 54 plate C4 VTR+ 1.6 Diesel 5 door. Better car than the Stilo in all respects without a doubt and yes I have owned one of those too. Build quality is not an issue (sorry vickster you're just wrong) nothing has broken, fallen off or even gone wrong, the car has never been back to the dealers for anything other than a recall which was fixed and a loan car provided no hassle. The car looks good, goes well, is economic, frankly a very good car at a good price. The drive is a little detatched but that's fine for the wife, she doesn't want a car where you feel every little bump. It's quiet and smooth to drive and you would hardly know it was a diesel on the inside. We looked at a whole range of cars before settling on the C4, including the Megane, Honda Jazz, Ford Focus, 307, Mazda 3, VW Golf. My wife also liked the Focus but the C4 swung it because it has a little more style. The biggest problem with the Megane was the boot was a bit small. I've owned a few French cars, well actually Citroens over the years and no more **** than Fiat.
 
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JTD_Liam said:
I don't know anything about the 1.6 petrol C4, but id say it'd have to be a pretty awful engine to be worse than the 1.6 Megane IMO.
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I personally think the 1.6L petrol engine in the C4 is a little on the agricultural side. I've never been particularly fond of it. Unfortunately they haven't replaced it with the new PSA/BMW 1.6 that is used in the 207 and 308.

Troy.
 
Ok my 2 pence, I had an 03 plate Megane dCi Dynamique and my mum had an 05 plate 1.6 Dynamique.....

And they were great...really good cars, I did 30k in mine without a problem other than a rattle from the panoramic roof, sorted under warranty. The diesel was far better to drive than the petrol, I had the basic 80bhp version for ecomony, but with lots of kit on it. It always did 60mpg and cost 35 quid to tax, the 1.6 was quite nippy but only did 37mpg.

Long service intervals too, and a 1st class ride comfort compared to anything Italian, especially on the motorway, its a brilliant cruiser.

I had the comfort pack, Panoramic Roof, 6cd changer, electric folding mirrors and Keyless entry/start, well worth finding a car with that lot as it really adds to the car. My mum had the leather interior which was very high quality, very 'heavy' leather which wore well, she also had the 17 inch wheel upgrade which looked very good but IMHO made the ride ever so slightly harsher.

How I wish I had just gone for another one last time, and I would have another tomorrow. I dont think the C4 offers the same package, it felt far flimsier to me and not as secure on the road, as to get a good spec level you must have 17s which is annoying and frustrated me on bumpy roads, whereas the Megane on 16s glides along.

I also found that both Meganes handled better than my GPS with less low speed roll and better damping when things get tough.

Combined with cheap insurance, good looks, great safety and security and very secure handling (anyone that says the Focus is the best obviously hasnt experienced the vicous on the limit lift off oversteer.....at 30mph in the rain, not good....)

The only thing that wasnt great was the stereos ability to go loud, but Renault dealers have an Amp kit if you want.

I loved mine and had many a happy and cheap mile in it, and it wasnt half bad on the country lanes either.
 
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bozzy said:
Thanks everyone. The owners forum's suggest far fewer problems with build quality than is presented here, on both cars. Will see the weekend.
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That's usually the case, come on a Fiat forum and everyone hates French cars, go on a Renault forum and Fiats rust... In actual fact any of the cars you mention above will be perfectly acceptable and pretty much equal. Modern cars have to be of a certain standard just to compete. Personally I'd go for the C4. I had a drive in one about 6 months ago and really liked it. It doesn't feel flimsy as suggested above, it felt better put together than my Stilo, and it was a very comfortable and good looking car. A friend owns a Megane 1.5 Dci. £35 a year to tax, unbelievable fuel economy and it has never missed a beat. Just take a look at the number of Meganes out on the road, all those people can't be wrong.
 
Joshua Frost-Lunn said:
my advice is to test drive as much cars as possible and then make your mind up (y)p
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That's very true....

I really loved the big ass Megane that we owned as it was when they where first launched and were as unusal as the 500 is now. The only thing I didn't really get on with was the interior. Thought it was a bit dull compared to the funky outside. Maybe the C4 would of swaded me if it had of been about at the time with it's more funky interior?

Jim
 
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