Category: Large Family 
Price Range: No data available
Quiet, smooth engines, good interior design and materials.
Not dynamically the best, quality and reliability concerns, short service intervals for 130bhp diesel.
Average car in a competitive class - good at most things, but outstanding at none.
Historically, the 2001-generation Laguna, of which this is a facelift, hasn't performed particularly well in terms of reliability and quality.
Lagunas tend to suffer more faults than average and it languishes far closer to the bottom of customer satisfaction and reliability surveys than it should. Fleet managers also remain unimpressed, reporting problems with electronics in particular.
There have also been large numbers of faults reported by owners, including dodgy ECUs in all the petrol engines and faulty exhaust gas regulators in the diesels, leading to blown turbos, and numerous other issues. Owners have also reported poor fit and finish to cabins, despite a superficially attractive appearance.
Hopefully, 2005's raft of extensive revisions has gone some way to mending the Laguna's troublesome ways. On the face of it, its quality has been improved. The interior design is elegant and clear, while materials are also good. Switchgear has a high-quality feel, though the column stalks on some of our test cars were a little sticky. Interiors were also rattle-free and refinement is high.
However, perceived quality and actual quality aren't necessarily the same thing, so the score in this category has to remain low until the revised car can prove that it has shaken off its reliability issues. We're just not confident about the Renault Card keyless entry/electronic ignition system, for a start.
