Category: Large MPV 
Price Range: £20,295 to £35,640
Airy, solidly-made interior, versatile seat-sliding ability, excellent air conditioning, refined V6 diesel, very easy gearchange on manual versions, lots of storage space, quiet ride, crisp handling in four-cylinder versions.
V6 versions feel a bit clumsy, long-wheelbase Grand version's boot is smaller than before, too many hard plastic surfaces, rear seats are heavy and awkward to remove, expensive.
A highly individual MPV with a huge engine choice, but it doesn't seem much of an advance over the previous model.
The claimed fuel economy figures look impressive for a big, heavy MPV, helped by excellent aerodynamics. This Espace is cheaper to repair after an accident, too, thanks to its more conventional construction and a front bumper structure which absorbs impacts up to 9mph without damage to the radiator, chassis rails and front wings. Front wings are made of flexible, bash-proof Noryl plastic, as in several other Renaults.
Servicing is needed only every 18,000 miles (12,000 miles for V6 models), but free 6000-mile/six-month checks are offered. Spark plugs now last 75,000 miles, air and pollen filters last twice as long as before, and the exhaust system is made entirely of stainless steel. Renault says that maintenance costs over 60,000 miles have been halved compared with the previous model. Insurance groupings of 10 - 16 are comparable with other marques, the expected best-seller, the 2.2dCi has a group 11 rating.
For years the Espace was the only Renault to retain a decent residual value. But the supply of used full-size MPVs exceeds demand because many past buyers have now moved to Scenic-size cars. That said, the Espace breed's reputation for trend-bucking originality, and the messages it sends out that its user is a bit of a non-conformist, will help its long-term desirability.
