The Mégane II Owners' Club

Hi Everyone,

I thinking of getting a CC and have a few questions before picking a car!

My two daughters have demanded I get one of these cars as I'm due to replace my car.
They are 11 & 16 years old and slim. I'm about 6ft 2 and wondering how tight it will be?
The wife is only around 5ft 5. We're going to go and see a car at the weekend.
Does anyone use this car for family travel? Is this practical?

80% of the time it will only be me or the wife driving with one or no passengers.

Secondly, I want the 1.9 diesel as I commute about 50 miles daily and want something
perky but frugal! I've heard about DPF and FAP problems on other diesels. Is the 1.9
only non FAP or are there both? And are all 1.9's 130hp?

Lastly, the leaky roof problems. Is this just something you learn to live with or does it
generally escalate into electrical problems?

Sorry for all the questions!

Wow where to start!
130BHP came in around 2005 I think, I have an 04 CC mine is 120bhp and non FAP, a DPF is a FAP Renault call it FAP also in around 2005 hopefully some one will confirm this to you on here. My 120 is not to bad for perky it is a bit boaty especailly with the roof up so whatch out for sharp chanves of direction people may be sick!!!! fuel wise at present it is pulling around 49/50 MPG on a 30 mile, 75mph dash down the A55 I have had around 60mpg on the M6 last year, winter is a differnat story I pull around 43/44 mpg then, heaters and lights etc so not to bad, it is a heavy car with that glass roof, you will feel the weight above you it actually handles better with the roof in the boot.
6ft 2 eh, I am 6,1 and there is NO leg room!!!! I have had 4 in mine but it is rather uncomfortable for both me and my rear seat, my knees touch steering wheel and theres are pressed into back of seat, but they where adults so slightly more robust than your girls, not really the best set up but they all seem to be the same, so it depends on how you use it really, try the girls in the back and go for a good run in it see how they feel, my daughter does not like the rear seats as they are of a funny shape, think of an L then push the two stick a bit closer to gether (daughter discription) she finds the rears uncomfortable.
As for leaks well how long is a length of string? Renault could not even stop their sunroofs from leaking! but to be fair all cabs leak in some form, it just depends on how much and where, mine leaks a bit from the rear quater lights and on the drive when it is facing down and leaning towards passenger side in heavy rain drips in at window/roof seal right by the door, but on the flat it is fine.
Problems seem to be windows all of them opening closing, handbrake handle loose or handbrake leaver sticking on, rear tyre ware as they are not adjustable and have a look at the rear discs as they are rather expensive.
Test your roof to make sure it opens and closes quickly and smoothly with no strange sounds whatch especially the black plastic parcel shelf type thing as that causes a lot of grief with the roof openings.
Has it got a smelly hanging from the mirror, always a sign of bad (smelly mouldy) leak car may smell musty, push front seat forward and put hand under seats, feel for a flap in carpet under seat (both sides) put fingers inside flap and touch underlay, is it damp or WET!, underlay takes ages to dry as it is a sponge water will congrigate under seats as it is usually lowest point, carpets can be vaxed dry but underlay will still be damp, have a good feel around under there, this tip came from a Renault dealer whom is a friend of mine, not much more I can say really.
If you are buying from a Renault Dealer ok, if you are buying from a used car site and they offer a warranty beware your roof maywell not be covered with this warranty at all, check for cambelt changes we saw quite a few well dodgy motors from used car dealers most from Auctions one was 25k 2005 with 5 owners and 4 auction houses ????? what is wrong with that picture?
so don't be presured into the first one, pity you are buying now really Jan, Feb, March is the best time for a cab, plus you see how much water is in it, but at 6,2 it is a good size motor with the roof off for you, your head does not stick out above the screen like some BMW X3 owners do. boot is massive until roof blind is pulled over then is is cut to over half its size, ohh also lift up boot mat and look into boot well to see if any water in there, you will also find NO spare wheel as Renault like the tyre weld aproach.
All in All nice car cheap technology but good in the summer with the lid off, head lamp/side and indicator bulbs are a pain the arse, you need a vet use to putting his hands up a cows backside to get the bulbs in, loads of storage, AC works well, even cools the glove box, stops on a sixpence! bit slow pulling away but once turbo is in goes rather well, hate the electric steering, and the sqeeky brakes when reversing, radio/6 CD is good, excellent sound, onboard SAT NAV slow to load, front seats very comfy for distance driving, think that just about sums it up, don't forget to put your foot on clutch first then press button to start it so:
1 look for smelly in car, take a wif any damp smells, check under carpets in car and boot.
2 check roof operation, question warranty and roof.
3 look at tyre condition - rear tyre ware, tracking can not be altered on rear.
4 check handbrake for loose handle, or does it stick a little as you try and take it off, any play in the push button.
5 test drive with girls in rear for seat comfort for you and them with roof on and off.
6 Karmen is not a special model it is the maker of the roof mechanism (sales tried this one on me)
7 Check for both key cards and both work, very expensive these are, if one does not open car but starts it it can be repaired for £25, if it does not open or start car needs new card, can not be bought of ebay will not work!
8 have a look at rear discs, there are special discs with ABS ring and bearing quite expensive when replaced roughly £200 from Renault - sold on ebay for around £95 don't always work - ABS light comes on, front discs nothing special
9 Check him on full lock for steering rack knocks, rack is electric = expense!
10 Question Cambelt change if on or over 5 years old, ask for proof, does not get changed in a service (sales tried this also)

Not sure on change dates for the 1.9DCi but up to late 04 120Bhp non FAP; 2005 onwards 130BHP and FAP (I Think) but to be honest as I work for VW, DPF only have problems really with short trips. so I would imagine a 50 mile run per day should be enough to keep the filter clear, I do a 60 mile round trip and owned a Fiat for 6 years bought 2nd hand 42k on it I never changed the cat even after the head gasket went on it and water poured out of the exhaust, the tecs tell me it is because of the millage and duel carrage way driving I do every day it was sold with 150k on it, so at 50 miles a day I can't really see a FAP giving you much hassel.
Hope this helps a bit.

Thank you very much for such a comprehensive reply Chris!

I was interested especially in deciding on a FAP or no FAP because I'd read of bad stories regarding
DPF (Other makes) and some FAP (Renault), but like you say I think I do enough miles to keep things from clogging up.

I'd also noticed that CC models up to 2007 on Autotrader are sometimes described as Non FAP, so wondered
if they all were, or if it was an option. My thinking was if it wasn't fitted it's just something less to have to
worry about.

Hopefully we'll get a test drive at the weekend or during the week when I have a few days off! Then we can
tell if the CC is a viable choice regarding legroom. We did look at a 307CC and that had no room at all.

I really like the look of the CC and also the economy is appealing. I also really like the Saab's 9-3 too, but the
diesels are both expensive and very unreliable. The petrol economy on the Saab is poor and the insurance higher.
Plus you can get a newer CC for the same money.

I've had a mk1 Megane hatchback for about four years in the past and only had the head gasket go, which I repaired myself.
I also had a Laguna which was very reliable. Both ended up with over 100k miles. You read about poor Renault reliability, but my experience is of good cars. Maybe all the Internet posts are much more likely to be from unhappy users rather than happy ones!

Thanks for all the tips. I'll bear them all in mind when examining cars. I'd heard about the warranty and the roof not being
included. I wonder if you can get a warranty that does include this?

If the car does develop a roof problem, is the drive gear accessible for a DIY'er to take a look? How do you manually operate the
roof? Is there a winder in the boot or something?

Thanks again,

Nick

There is a step by step guide in the car manual to "manually" put the roof up.

I drive a 1.5dci megane cc and I would say dont rule it out as it is more pocket friendly than the 1.9 and for mine I enjoy a 18k service interval.

Soon there will be the new Megane cc 3 but ..... not so sure about the way it looks plus its a bit pricey in my opinion, but yet to see it so might change my mind.

Well we all went and looked at a local CC. It has enough room if I put the seat forward.
I can also go further forward as a front seat passenger so looks like a CC is on the cards!

Just need to wait for some funds and then I can look more seriously!

Is there an owners manual to download anywhere?

I know the 1.5dci is cheaper to run, tax and insure, but I just fancied having the higher
powered model. My current car is a Fiat Bravo 1.2 and I'd now prefer something better
than 12.3 0-60! Although I like that the Fiat does 45-48 mpg for a petrol car.

Mine's a late 2005 1.9 dCI 130 with FAP, I've covered nearly 10k miles since I bought it in October last year.

I mostly do a 50+ mile commute 2-3 times a week and family holidays, I've had no FAP issues whatsoever..

I did have a new engine mount put on when it was last serviced.. It's cured the slight vibration that I was having..but I'm very fussy..

I think the 130 has a water cooled EGR valve, instead of the air-cooled EGR on the 120, but I'm happy to be corrected on that.. it's certainly not accessible to be cleaned on my engine..

I changed the front brakes a couple of weeks ago, I bought pagid discs and pads from Euro Car Parts and they work a treat.
I'll be doing the rears pretty soon too, I bought genuine rear discs and pads from renaultpartsdirect.co.uk as I didn't want any problems..

Mine doesn't leak too badly, but you'll soon figure out which is the best way to park it to prevent water ingress..
In some recent torrential rain I had quite a few drops come in on the drivers seat.. unfortunately the ultrasonic alarm sensors saw the drops which set the alarm off.. so I'm going to make sure I park it the other way round as less comes in that way round..

Another thing to consider is if you want a Phase 1 or Phase 2 model, with the projector headlights and updated grille.. Mine's a Phase 1, which I'm quite happy with as I prefer the red dash lighting instead of green.. I did swap my headlights for 'Angel eye' type ones, with LED rings and projectors using H1 bulbs, but the beam pattern was so poor, it was a relief when I put the original H3 units back on..

I agree that it's a pain to change the bulbs, but if you open the bonnet and remove the black panels above the lights, you can see what you are doing a bit better..

The manual is available here: http://www.renaultuk.co.uk/PDF/MyHandbooks/MEGANE_II/NU767-01_ENG.pdf

My current car is a Fiat Bravo 1.2

snap!! that was my last car as well put a ton of miles on it, it was like a clockwork mouse - just went on and on major job head gasket and clutch, excellent little car, if my CC gives me half the trouble it will be doing well.

I've had a mk1 Megane hatchback for about four years in the past and only had the head gasket go

My wife has a Megane 1 Phase 2 Coupe (1999 car) never misses a beat in 7 years major jobs two drive shafts (usuall Renault CV joint boot clips pop off) had its first back box last week! superb little car as the chap that looks after them (Renault TEc) tells me the old Megane 1's are far better built than the Meg 2's Having both on the drive I tend to agree with him build quality is much better in her car than mine.

I too looked at the Saabs nice looking convertable with the lid off but a might expensive to own, I bought my CC at 41K top spec intergrated sat nav etc, vehicle is a Privilege all at £5.500 on a 04 plate, one owner, the Saabs I looked at where very high millage and many owners if I wanted one with the same owners and miles as the CC I was up at £8.5 to 9K, I must say the only thing I don't like about my car is the ride, it is very "boaty" I drove an Astra TT on holiday and the handling was superb roof on or off, changes of direction taken with ease I wish my CC would do the same as it is unsettled quite easily.

I did look at the 1.5DCi but did wonder about the pull, as the 1.6 petrol I drove was terrible on a hill, I test drove one coming onto a duel carrage way on a hill and it was flat it could give nothing, just to heavy with that glass roof, I do sometimes find the 120bhp a little short on power ocasionally, I have driven the 130bhp model and it is quite distinctive even if it is only 10BHP, once you settle down to it, it is a strange drive, going up hill car works hard to pull that roof but going down hill car wants to run away with all that glass, I get no engine braking in 6th, very little in 5th and it starts to show in 4th nothing like the Fiat which sticks to road like glue, but It is at its best with the lid off, once this happens you forgive all its silly problems.
The other problem you will notice considering the car is mostly glass rear vison is terrible, and don't belive the brochure either, that tells you the darkend roof will protect the ocupants from the sun and keep the car cool - RUBBISH mine has only to have a little sun on it and it turns into a hot box even with the blind across - Thank god for AC it has a nickname of the moblie conservatory. Phew!!!!!! on the plus side at least it dries it out!!! only joking.

Many thanks Jason for the manual, It does clear up a few queries I had!

I'm glad to hear you have had no FAP issues. I think I'd be okay too with my mileage.
Hopefully because we'd park it on a flat drive between two houses it will be sheltered
a bit and be less prone to a leaky roof. Has anyone got experience of snow sitting on the roof
and thawing into the cabin?

I was pretty sure I am going to opt for a facelift model. Although the facelift seems rather small?
I've compared pictures of the two types and can only really see a difference to the front of the
car. The back looks identical to me! I think both types look good, but I've read they updated the
roof mechanism and seals on the facelift. Is this true?

I'm amazed Chris to find a fellow Bravo owner. There are a few Brava cars about, but I drive for
weeks at a time sometimes without seeing another Bravo. I had an A-Class Merc that developed
an semi-auto gearbox problem and Mercedes wanted over £100 per hour to look at it. No other
garage would look at it as the engine is so hard to work on. Anyway, I sold it for spares and bought
the Fiat about 16 months ago. It's been a real joy. Handles brilliantly is economic and looks good
(I think). I'd recommend them to any teenagers as they are cheap to insure. And you can buy them
for next to nothing!

I too hope my CC when I get one will be as reliable! I'll miss the Fiat though. Shame they don't do
a convertible version.

I'm really glad I found this site. Everyone is very friendly and helpful

Can anyone provide any links to other Megane CC sites/resources?

I love my 1.5dci it has plenty of power and returns around 55mpg during the summer, I have done 50k in it in 2 and a half years and find it a comfortable car. I have had many leaks in the car it has been back in 3 times this year already for a major leak on the drivers door card and seat, finally they replaced the seals 2 weeks ago, no leaks when i washed it just waiting for some rain to test it.
Had nightmare with the snow this year when it thawed on the car, the seals were still frozen so the seal was not made and it poured in, best to clear it off before it can thaw.
It has always leaked worse when it is raining and very windy, I guess it is the wind pushing against the glass and breaking the seal.

Does anyone know of roof changes before and after the facelift?
Are the seals different?

synchro wrote:Does anyone know of roof changes before and after the facelift?
Are the seals different?

As far as I know there are a few "tweeks" but dont know for sure.

I was chatting with my neighbour a couple of weeks ago. He owns a 1.9 dci megane cc. Now compared to mine (1.5dci), I have 17 inch alloys and air con on it which he doesnt. The difference between our cars from the lights is obvious, but over taking i.e 30 or 50 to 70 isnt that easy for the 1.9.

My neighbour says doing town driving he is lucky to get 500 miles a tank. I am sure you could get more than that without trying too hard but with mine I can get 600 miles a tank doing town driving. I have achived 707 miles on a single tank from kent to the highlands more than four times now. And that is doing about 74 all the way. With cruise control on the motorway there has only been one hill which has been too much for gear 6 at 70mph, and that was between Bristol and Exeter otherwsise it can cope with just about any hill.

The thing for me was fuel consumption I know people are different but I bought the car knowing it isnt the fastest in the world but it is suprisingly fast for its size. I have suprised 2.0 diesel Audi and golf and a bmw 116d and petrol from 40 to interesting speeds.

but hey everyone is different.

When I bought my 1.9 I could not find a 1.5 for sale anywhere, pleanty hatch backs but no CC,s no point trying a hatch for performance as it is pulling a lighter weight the nearest was midlands they came in and went out super quickly down here as car sales where selling them on the [is it £35] road tax push, which interested me, turns out it isn't in that bracket as it is a CC so pushes out more co2, so I went for the 1.9 which is ok as a cruiser not the fastest in the world by far, but hardly suprising really as if it was it would kill you, as it does not do corners at all, way to much weight above your head, center of gravity must be quite high with all that glass, kind of like celotaping a brick to a 3ft stick and seeing how hard it is to control it once it is off the vertical, cruising is its thing, fun windy B roads are out now, my 1.2 1999 150K miles Fiat Bravo out handled this car by miles, but long distance comfort is wonderful in the CC it is like sitting in an armchair.
I find it is like the Ford Sierra of the convertable world, lots of room for the front seats, superb on distance driving but watch out for corners Sierra's did not do them either, wobbly jelly mould sprang to mind, however the Sierra was ten times cheaper to repair! I know I also had one of these as well as a cortina, marina and of course the usual 1st car a 1000cc mini with the pudding basen gear shift, Ah those where the days when you pulled the rubber bung hole gromets out from the floor pan so the rain water just ran through!

Hmmm, my 30 mile trip to work is mostly windy B roads. A bit of a blast in the Fiat.
Looks like I'll have to change my driving style! I don't really think driving fast or slow
makes more than 5 minutes difference anyway.

I'm not sure what Wanda is saying fully? You say the 1.9 is faster from a standstill, but the
1.5 is faster once your up to speed? Is the gearing very different?

Maybe I need to test drive both versions before deciding..

How many litres does the fuel tank hold?

Do any of you lot live near Swindon?

synchro wrote:Hmmm, my 30 mile trip to work is mostly windy B roads. A bit of a blast in the Fiat.
Looks like I'll have to change my driving style! I don't really think driving fast or slow
makes more than 5 minutes difference anyway.

I'm not sure what Wanda is saying fully? You say the 1.9 is faster from a standstill, but the
1.5 is faster once your up to speed? Is the gearing very different?

Maybe I need to test drive both versions before deciding..

How many litres does the fuel tank hold?

Do any of you lot live near Swindon?

Dont get me wrong. The 1.9 is faster in all aspects but in the business of overtaking the 1.5 will give the 1,9 a run for its money.

The cc holds 60 litres in the tank. Thats £65 for a full tank these days but then again a tank a month makes it ok

Swindon... not really other side of the county.

Well I drove a 1.9 today..

It seemed quite pokey. I did notice it had a fair bit of body roll, even with the roof down.
I guess I'm used to a car with stiffer suspension. I was also surprised by how heavy the
steering was. Still a very nice car though. I think after a few days I'd just acclimatise to
driving a diffferent car.

Now need to find a local 1.5 to try!