Category: Large Family 
Price Range: No data available
Comfortable, competitively-priced, easy to drive and own, looks distinctive
Looks a bit too distinctive, not an involving drive, depreciation could be high
Well worth a look as an alternative to a Mondeo/Vectra
The suspension upgrades (for September 2004) have improved handling considerably, though it's still somewhat on the wallowy, lumbering side compared to a Mondeo. It's not a car for boy racers or petrolheads - but it's very well-suited to long-distance motorway cruises. For no-hassles hard work, rather than out-and-out enjoyment. It's generally easy to drive, with well-laid out controls (once you get used to the MPV-style central displays) and a good driving position, though you have to take care reversing in the hatch with its high tail, even with the rear-view cameras - they're a big help but not entirely foolproof.
The 1.8 is adequate, but could struggle a bit if fully-laden; the 2.0 is stronger, and its six-speed manual gearbox a welcome fixture. Pick of the bunch by a long way, however, is the torquey diesel: it's smooth, refined and just keeps powering on up those motorways. The 138bhp engine, as used in the Renault Laguna, is a big improvement on the older 126bhp engine (as in Almera/Almera Tino) offered until mid-2003, which was noisy and unrefined. The CVT and auto gearboxes are competent and easy to use.
