Driven any other convertables

Information and general chat about the Megane II CC.

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ChrisM
Advanced Driver
Posts: 684
Joined: Wed Apr 15, 2009 9:57 am
Currently Drives:: Megane CC 1.9Dci and a Pugeot 307 cc 2.0 HDi sport.
Location: Wales
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Driven any other convertables

Postby ChrisM » Tue Sep 15, 2009 3:01 pm

Driven any other convertables: like the EOS, Beetle, Twin Top, 207/307cc etc. if so what do you think?

I have just spent 2 weeks in an Opel Astra Twin top 1.6 petrol driven in Croatia [Hire Car] driven from Dubrovnik to the Peljesac Penisular then on to Split and back.
How did it compare?
1.6 why? I ask myself, ok on the flat; give it a hill and it dies, there is no reserve power, some of the hills on the Peljesac Penisular this poor Astra only just made up in 1st after having to stop, so difficult to compare to my 1.9DCi which has loads of power but for some reason Renault havn't guided it to the road wheels.
The boot is bigger, well deeper as we could have 1 case and 2 rucksacks in it and still have the roof off, not in the renault, wider boot but not enough depth, the Opel boot is slanted so right at the back the blind is quite high so you can get a case in there and still pull the blind. The Blind is crap, it works the same as Renault but the blind itself is not wide enough to fully engauge like Renault, it just fits (about 10mm either side) so if you go over some bumps it had a tendancy to peaown open result roof wont close, and not enough room to get an arm in to get hold of it, but the plus side Opel do a wonderful trick, inside the boot on the left there is a red button press in once and it does a half lift of the roof, in other words it lifts the roof out of the boot so it is level with rear of car enabling you to remove things from the boot, and more importantly get hold of the blind to close it again, some thing Renault don't seem to do.
Boot and roof mechanism is all on show good in one way as you can see and repair/lube easily but could be damaged just as easily I supose I did think the roof on the Opel works more corsely than the Renault ours is quite smooth comapared to the Astra not as much noise either.
I prefere the roof button on my car opposed the the Astra feels more substantial and in a much better place, the Astra in above the screen by the interior light and feels very "cheap" but I do like the windows one touch up and down, you get a distinct drop of both passenger and driver windows when respective doors are opened, on opening the roof all windows drop a quater down then stop, you have to move the all the way down, they also stay there when the roof has finished unless you keep the button pressed for a second after the beep, this then puts all windows up, I thought this was better than the Renault idea.
Sound system was tinny and for some reason liked to tell you what day it is? good for hols but in the UK, I KNOW WHAT DAY IT IS! my standard Renault System is much better, uses proper keys like the VW key not silly cards that bend in your pocket, but what I think is a stupid floor, NO STORAGE at all hardly, door pockets and glove box (which YOU have to lock) bigest problem Sunglasses, where do you put them, ok whilst sun is out big problem when it is not, you only have the door pocket! so they slide around and get scratched in there, nowhere else to put them, same with change, no where to store things like that.
Handling - Well take a leaf Renault, you need it! it was spot on, vertually NO scuttle shake at all, no body flex, it flew into corners some times way to hot and yet still manged to cope with some heafty braking and swift direction changes (down hill obviously), superb feedback through the steering wheel, very crisp steering Personally I would say it out handled my Renault with ease, mine has the comfort edge but definatly out handled by the Astra, Oh nearly forgot the stupid one touch indcators, what a crap idea and drives you bonkers when over taking as they don't self cancel then.
So all in all not a bad ride:
CRAP:
Engine/performance - Engine even sounded cheap and flat (1.6cc petrol model)
Roof Blind in boot - Not wide enough to fully stay in place
Roof operation button - Wrong place and cheap flimsy feel
Roof - To much going on, and mechanism felt/sounded quite corse, bootlid shakes car when it shuts with quite a bang
Audio System - Cheap and tinny not matter what you did to it.
1 touch indicators - great for winding you up!
GOOD:
Window operation - quite user friendly, more than my CC's windows
Handling - can be thrown around with out complaining and wallowing around - very little scuttle shake
Steering - great feedback and precise
Boot button- to lift roof to get stuff out/put in boot
Looks - I think it looks more sporty than my CC

Now Would I have one? well not sure on this really, loved the drive, definatly not a 1.6, so would have to try the larger engines first, could get to live with most other stuff, Audio can be changed the roof is my main concern, it does an awful lot, little plastic things poping out and lifting etc it is quite a thing to watch but how durable I wonder, or put another way the hire Company had 6 Astra TT's when we got there only 2 worked the others had "roof Problem" not a very good indicator I know but a definat eye brow lifter, I supose it says it all really when you get home and into my CC for the drive home and you think to yourself MMMmmm nice!
I wanted to get into a 207 or 307 to give them a try as they are French as well would be an intersting drive aganist my CC, but there is always next year to try again!

wanda
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Location: Kent
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Re: Driven any other convertables

Postby wanda » Thu Oct 01, 2009 4:55 pm

What I like about the megane 2 cc is that its almost 7 years old but still looks relatively modern compared to its rivals.

I look at convertibles as follows:

Do I need a huge engine with 0-62 in sub 9 sec ability in order to cruise at 55mph with the roof down?

Is it affordable to run? Fuel costs, service, etc?

Is it durable? Can it keep me on the road for at least 4 years after its paid off?

The 1.5dci megane 2 cc seemed like the ideal choice. I dont like the idea of chasing the latest model as you will be buying a new car every few years. Dont want to be in debt constantly.

ChrisM
Advanced Driver
Posts: 684
Joined: Wed Apr 15, 2009 9:57 am
Currently Drives:: Megane CC 1.9Dci and a Pugeot 307 cc 2.0 HDi sport.
Location: Wales
Contact:

Re: Driven any other convertables

Postby ChrisM » Tue Oct 06, 2009 2:12 pm

I supose it depends what you call rivals?
the Pug 307 looks better from the front, not from the rear, Eos is well a bit of a non statment really as it doesn't really stand out and the Astra is very good looking [not a Vauxhall fan but!]it is a good looking car not sure what else you would put against it, as the rest are in another class or have rag tops
I like the Megane it is a comfortable drive, you can clock many miles up in her no problem, the roof as I said before seems to be the better one aprt from the Pug which I have not had anything to do with so don't know mine is a 04 car with nearly 53k on her and roof still works silent and quickly unlike the Astra I hired, which was quite noisey and rough sounding as well as quite violent when the boot "slams" shut, However!
Renault need to take a good look at her, they have done a face lift already well 2 now I tihnk from my model as I have seen a few 08 plates buzzing around now with silver roof edges (on black and red car) so that must be the 2nd face lift, what I can't understand is why there is so much room in the wheel arch, I bet you could fit a 19" wheel in them arches, the background of convertables where the old "sports" cars so why have Renault put that crappy sanatised electric steering on it, you get no feedback from the road at all, again I feel taking away some of the fun of the drive, it makes for a good motorway cruiser, but that is not the essence of a convertable, I can't make my mind up about the "look" it looks good for its age but I wouldn't say stunning, I don't get the same feeling as other cars I have owned the TR7 and Alpha where two of the best to look at and think wow they are mine! obviously when you now look back at them especially the TR you tend to think Ohh what was I thinking. bit like photos of you when you where 16 wow wdid you think you where great, but looking back at them now you tend to think "Oh God, did I really wear that"
Any way bumpers! why did they not put the Renault Sport bumpers on her on one of the facelifts they loo so much better and change the apperance of the car quite dramatically especially with the duel exhaust tail pipes, really sporty looking! but Renault never used it instead they changed the shape of the bumper inserts?
I supose the one thing that really stood out from the hired Astra was the handling, with the roof off you could come into corners way to hot do some hefty braking and snatch the steering to get it around the corner and it did not complain in any way, no scuttle shake to mention no body flex or roll to mention it seemed to handle every sitiuation well, I know it has come into this market late but I do think Renault should take a look at this cars handling and see if they can vastly inprove thier own as it is appauling to say the least, It could be as simple as the glass roof has to go, way to heavy my rolls around like a dingy in a storm when it is up and it is windy, to much weight to high I think, when it is in the boot my car hadles around 80% better as all the weight is lower in the vehicle, the Astra has a tin top perhaps that is why.
But that is Renault for you, they think of somethings but not others, my wifes 1.4 Phase 2 coupe has the same running gear as the saloon, why would you do that? they shuld have fitted uprated shock/springs to all the coupes the person that buys a coupe does not drive in the same style as a person who drives a saloon, but they did go as far as to change the gear ratios on the boxes of the 1.4's my wifes 1.4 can accelerate almost as quick as 2.0 until a certain point then it runs out of steam, and engine noise at 75mph is unbeliveable as it was not ment for motorways but for local runs and cuty use therefore it accelerates wickedly quick but you lose it all on the top end, strange how they go into so much detail for one part of the car but not the other, it is like they run out of interest half way though, yea that will do put it in production! Wonder if they will do a Megane 3 CC?
The things I don't like about my CC!
The stupid card key, I mean please come on what is that about to big and to soft, in the summer t-shirt and jeans, put it in your back pocket it bends when you sit down, then the buttons stop working! put it in your front pocket in sticks in your man things, so you end up having to give it to er in doors to put in her handbag but because it is so thin takes ages to find it, thank god for "hands free" as you can get in the car when it rains then look for the key in her bag!
BIG car inside, yet no room! you look at the the large amount of space inside then put a passenger in the back, there is less room in the CC than in my wifes phase 2 Coupe with a passenger in the rear, width wise enormous, yet you struggle to get hold of the set belt if it drops lower than your should when sitting in the seat as ther in not enough room in between the seat and door post to get you hand fully.
Doors! why do they not have a good stagered opening device, my Fiat had big doors but you could open them about half way and they would stop, another good push would send them wide open, great for car parks or slopes as you could half open the door and get out with ease as most of us don't open the fully unless you are loading the rear seat, then you are outside holding it, My cc has a stop about half way but it is very weak most time the doors just passes it to full open.
Most cars have quirks so it is just really working with them. Would I buy another, not sure to be honest as I like a responcive car, I have the fortune or may be misfortune of driving differant types of cars so you get a good view of a few makes and I must say compared to most Renault really have sanatised thier steering feedback and I am not sure if I like it yet, I like to feel what them wheels are doing, and feel what they say.
All the vehicles I have owned have mostly been drivers cars apart from a "family Saloon" once and it was yes you guessed a Ford Sierra not even the XR4 but a standard White 1.8, Aaaggg the thought of it and I drove it for 12 whole months, then it went but I must say I kind of like crusing in the CC at the mo having said that it still got me on a speed awareness course, naughty, naughty! :dead


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