| COMFORT AND EQUIPMENT RATING: |
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Renault has made plenty of quality improvements to the Avantime since we drove early examples, curing the excessive wind roar that disturbed motorway cruising. But it claims to have done nothing about the ride quality, which on early cars was disappointingly troubled on anything other than marble-smooth roads. But these latest examples ride with much improved pliancy, soaking up most bumps well enough that you won't notice. The ride isn't in the masterclass, but on the French roads we tried it on, seemed good enough. However, the lack of a tilt facility for the driving seat's lower cushion may cause leg-ache, and the upright driving position isn't totally relaxing, either. But most people will consider the unusual cabin ambience and the lack of mechanical disturbance more than adequate compensations. Overall, however, the Avantime's glassy superstructure and novel cabin architecture serve a luxury sensation, especially if the interior is leather trimmed. Only three stars? Yes, because despite its length, the Avantime does not provide the leg and footroom you'd expect. True, it's way better than traditional coupes, but they aren't as big. Rear-seat passengers lack footroom - you can't get your feet under the front chairs - and front-seaters don't have the leg-stretching space you'd expect. The front passenger's feet must also do battle with a jutting chunk of air conditioner in the footwell. But head and shoulder space are terrific, and the sense of space is massively heightened by the panoramic side windows and the twin sunroofs. Getting to the rear seats is reasonably dignified, and folding the front chairs out of the way is easier now that Renault has redesigned the latching mechanism. Oddments space is pretty impressive - there's a drawer and a big cubby in the dashboard as well as centre console stowage and sidebins all round, but mystifyingly, no cup-holders front or rear, and no slot for a mobile phone. The boot, however, is massive. Renault is good at stereos, and the Avantime is no exception. The standard Dynamique set-up pumps 60 watts, the Privilege 160 watts - more than enough to annoy fellow road-users. The steering-column-mounted controls are very convenient, too. The optional sat-nav isn't the easiest to programme, and it is often slow on the uptake, but its instructions are clear (voiced by a man who sounds like a '50s BBC announcer) and it also warns of traffic congestion and offers rerouting suggestions.
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