Category: Compact MPV 
Price Range: £14,395 to £24,245
People/load-carrying versatility, compact size, keen pricing
Obsolete because new model launched 2003; DTi diesel is noisy; some reliability problems
Still a good mobility solution
Cabin has a lot of hard plastic surfaces, but they suit the Scenic's practical nature. Rear seats' hinges and release mechanisms seem flimsy, but have proved robust in service. Plastic front wings are rust-proof. Reliability reports from the car-leasing industry suggest that Renaults have more problems than average, and the Scenic has suffered particular problems with the auto gearbox, the ignition coils (1.6 engine especially) and suspension troubles. Used buyers should look out also for poorly-fitting panels, over-heating and signs of head gasket failure, electrical glitches, engine management faults (cutting out, poor starting) and even, on some of the earlier cars, the beginnings of rust. When a Scenic is good, it's very very good, but if you get a bad one, it's a disaster.
Latest Readers' Drives About the Renault Scenic
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