RENAULT MEGANE II RANGE (2002 – TO DATE)
As adventurous as its predecessor was staid, the Megane II range suddenly put the mid range Renault on the shortlists of many younger buyers who would never have countenanced the ageing and rather frumpy original. It rapidly spawned a huge number of variants. Aside from the original three and five door hatches, there was a compact estate, a neat saloon and the sleek Coupe Cabriolet as well as the Scenic and Grand Scenic variants that are covered separately. With used models now starting to appear in meaningful numbers, the Megane II represents a very tempting proposition.
HISTORY
The Megane II came as a bit of a shock to many largely because its predecessor seemed to have been around forever, morphing gently from the Renault 19 into the Megane. We were just becoming accustomed to the rather pert posterior of the Clio when Renault unleashed the bustle-backed Megane II, a car with a profile quite unlike anything seen to date. Older customers may have baulked at the radical design but Renault was keen to mop up a whole wave of younger buyers who?d previously eschewed the Megane as something your grandfather might have a soft spot for.
The three and five door hatch models were launched in the UK in summer 2002 with the Coupe Cabriolet, Sport Tourer estate and Sport Saloon being launched at the tail end of 2003. April 2003 saw the launch of the Expression variant while in October a dCi100 version of the 1.5-litre diesel engine was unveiled. Sales were promising and there are quite a few used hatchbacks to choose from, although the later variants are still far rarer.
WHAT YOU GET 
The underpinnings of the Megane II are as fresh as its styling. In partnership with Nissan, Renault developed a new ?C Platform? with seven different Megane II body styles planned with an estimated 1.8 million C Platform vehicles a year being sold between Renault and Nissan.
Two distinct styles opened the batting for the Megane II range - the Hatch and Sport Hatch ? which, translated out of Renaultspeak, mean five and three-door versions. The Sport Saloon four-door, the two door Coupe Cabriolet and the Sport Tourer estate back up the more mainstream hatchbacks and a compact 4x4 is also slated for launch. Heady stuff indeed, and probably a sound explanation why the current hatches look so avant-garde.
Five engines are available; a 98bhp 1.4-litre 16v, a 115bhp 1.6-litre 16v with variable valve timing and a 136bhp 2.0-litre 16v, again with VVT. Three diesels are also on offer, 80bhp and 100bhp 1.5-litre dCi units for budget customers and a 120bhp 1.9-litre dCi for those looking for something with a little more shove. The most powerful petrol and diesel versions are also fitted with a Nissan-manufactured six-speed manual gearbox. A tiptronic-style automatic transmission is also available for the 1.6 and 2.0-litre petrol powerplants.
Those looking for a genuinely innovative convertible are also catered for. The Megane II Coupe-Cabriolet is the first of its ilk with a folding glass hard top. Three trim levels are offered - Extreme, Dynamique and Privilege - and Renault also ace their French rival Peugeot by offering no fewer than three engines and three different transmission choices. The entry-level engine is a 115bhp 1.6-litre VVT unit and there?s also the 136bhp 2.0-litre VVT powerplant and a 120bhp 1.9-litre dCi engine.
WHAT YOU PAY
Such is the freshness of the Megane?s styling that the car still appears a good deal newer than it actually is. Many customers looking for a used family hatch may reject the Megane II on the grounds that it?s bound to be too expensive, but used examples change hands at surprisingly affordable prices. Expect to pay around £6,650 for an 02 plated Megane 1.4 16v Authentique five-door and budget another £200 if the car is fitted with air conditioning.
The 115bhp 1.6-litre model is well worth looking out for if you want a little more urge, and at prices that start from £6,850 it?s not too much of a big stretch. The 136bhp 2.0-litre Dynamique is a little pricier and these start at around £8,300. The diesel models have proved very popular and the 80bhp 1.5dCi Authentique five door opens at £7,300 with the punchier 120bhp 1.9-litre dCi starting at £8,900 in sporty Dynamique trim.
WHAT TO LOOK FOR
Renault have tightened up their quality control to very good effect over the past few years and the Megane now feels as well screwed together as many more expensive German rivals. No major faults have yet to be reported although if you are in the market for a Coupe Cabriolet do make sure that the folding roof mechanism is in A1 order. Some owners have managed to damage the motors by failing to follow the manufacturer?s recommended instructions when lowering the hood.
REPLACEMENT PARTS
(Based on a 2003 Megane 1.6 Dynamique) A new clutch will be about £150 and a full exhaust system, excluding the catalyst, should be around £220. Brake pads are about £40 a set, an alternator is close to £135, and a starter motor should be just under £125. A replacement radiator (with aircon) is about £150.
ON THE ROAD
No matter how striking you may find the exterior styling, for many the biggest surprise will come when they drop into the driver?s seat of the Megane II. The design is neat without being gratuitously radical, but the real revelation is the great strides forward made in terms of quality of materials and finish. It?s almost as if a Renault designer?s company hack was rear-ended and he got an Audi courtesy car for the week. Soft feel plastics, quality fabrics and a cohesive design philosophy means a not-so-fond farewell to old-school Renault interiors, many of which were built with the visual drama and structural integrity of a film set.
Genuine innovation is in evidence. Take Renault?s anti-submarining airbag, a device which leaps forth from the seat cushion to protect the pelvis. This replaces the traditional (and some would say uncomfortable) hump at the front of the seat and is a neat solution that provides both comfort and unparalleled safety, effectively making it impossible to slide beneath the seatbelt in the event of an accident. Renault?s unparalleled experience in the MPV market shines through, not only in terms of passenger space ? which is excellent - but also in the provision of multifarious cubbies, boxes and pockets. There?s a hatch in the floor to stow valuables, storage boxes between both front and rear seats and even a chilled glove compartment. The metallic hoop handbrake is a neat touch, although motoring anoraks will remember a similar device in the Alfa 75 of the eighties.
OVERALL
Adventurous design rarely pays off in a conservative sector but Renault seems to have bucked the trend with the Megane II. It?s one of the safest used French car buys around and with the steepest part of the depreciation curve now accounted for it?s possible that you?ll pick up a conspicuous bargain. Shop around, drive a few and you should come up with a car to be proud of.
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