[Ele]

Renault Megan 3 month 1600mile update/thoughts

My minor concerns prior to handover were

Will I like or be able to adapt to the cars reported responsive steering I wondered

Tbh it always takes me a month to settle into and feel at one with all new cars

This car was no different in that respect but once I settled in then the quick steering response became a bonus and not a hindrance as first feared

Being able to mix n match the 3 drive modes is great and found comfort set up with sport steering option was best suited as it avoids all things ECO ( Eco mode  to me is when you have to stamp on the accelerator only to find it doesn’t respond as needed not just this car my corsa turbo was the same. Eco crap brakes/aircon so on

Eco imo simply destroys the reason you chose the car whilst putting you at risk when a bit of quick acceleration is unexpectedly needed

So ECO/adaptive cruise/lane assist/lane keep assist/level 2 self driving thingy/auto lock/unlock/all off

Using the fob to lock enables me to hold down the lock button for 2 secs more thus shutting all windows that may have been left slightly open

I dont need or like all that having 47 yrs of accident free driving under my belt

Not to say the front/ rear 360 camera/side mirror assist/and other infotainment toys are not appreciated as is the ability to tell google to turn on heated seat/steering wheel/air con/radio station/navigate to and to be able to simply press the app 10 mins before you get in the car ( from wherever you are) and it will heat the inside up to a set temp,that is such a nice feature.

Will the seats be comfortable on a long journey I wondered

200 mile round trip was as if I was sat in an arm chair this was aided by lovely suspension and a quiet responsive relaxing drive

How easy will it be to charge using the phone apps I wondered

So simple I have 2 apps dedicated My Renault App (soon to replace the physical key if so desired) the other app is the Ohme charger app

I use the Ohme to approve/sleep/lock the charger when not in use 3 little toggles simple

Car set to instantly charge to 100% when plugged into a charger I can stop/start/pause the charge if/when needed

Charge increasing levels can be seen via the app

All very simple tbh as I don’t need a overnight cheap tariff as my mileage usage is low and I simply plug in top up and simply unplug when desire charge is complete

Will drive comfort suffer with those 20inch Rims?

Answer is no its quite the opposite and the smoothest ride I have ever had even over most potholes

I must admit with most cars there has to be certain trade offs but for me and my wife the car fits our lifestyle like a glove.

I know I will never get bored with this car as it ticks all of the boxes and many more I had not considered plus it goes like sxit off a shovel lol

Is this car for everyone? No but for us 2 it’s a yes

The whole experience from first ordering to being kept up to date on its build/arrival/handover dates has been a joy

That’s a first for after many many yrs on the scheme.

p/s The horn is crap and sounds apologetic

Topic

[Cheerio132]

I love my megane e tech currently at 2666 miles since july costing a whopping £66 and it is honestly the best handling ev i drove and i test drove pretty much all the main evs on the scheme before i ordered it and it handles pot hole and speed bumps amazingly for 20 inch wheels everything else i drove you pretty much felt everything the ioniq 5 was my second best i drove and the car i nearly ordered

[Menorca Mike]

They look amazing alas I can’t have an EV so I shall be testing the similar looking Austral in January

[Paul_1964]

Just wondered how you find the brakes, some reviews say that they are either on or off? we currently have a e2008 EV and really like the EV experience,  i would like a car with heated steering wheel and a little larger boot, also we find even in sports mode the pick up from a  roundabout is a little soft, great once its moving  but the first sec or two its a little flat, that just the time you need it to pickup, we find the delay a little like turbo lag in our old car. interested to hear your thoughts with the E-Tec.

 

[JMC]

So we have had our Megane since 1st September and have driven 5000 miles in it.  I love the looks, interior styling and the classy elements like the pop out door handles especially. It draws attention wherever we go! Love the preheat function as well which heats the steering wheel and seats as well as the cabin and battery before setting off. The Google infotainment system is flawless and the massive drivers digital cockpit is very configurable and very easy to read and use. The ride itself, although on low profile 20in rims, is surprisingly good. Much better than my previous Seat Ateca FR sport!! The seats are very comfortable and plenty of storage. 2 minus points are the lack of a power boot (silly little square button to release and then dirty fingers lifting it up!) and the stereo loudness in my techno, isn’t as loud as it could be, although the sound is very crisp and clear. 200 miles range now from 230 miles when new (sep 1st) and 18c. I would expect close to the 280 miles quoted range in summer. Driver assistance is also excellent. Stick the adaptive cruise on and it only needs a light touch on the wheel and it drives itself and when in traffic with the lane centering, it will slow down to a halt and accelerate itself back up to the set speed. We love it. Easy 9/10.

[Ele]

Paul_1964 wrote:

Just wondered how you find the brakes, some reviews say that they are either on or off? we currently have a e2008 EV and really like the EV experience, i would like a car with heated steering wheel and a little larger boot, also we find even in sports mode the pick up from a roundabout is a little soft, great once its moving but the first sec or two its a little flat, that just the time you need it to pickup, we find the delay a little like turbo lag in our old car. interested to hear your thoughts with the E-Tec.

Hi in answer

The brakes feel and responce are perfect nothing sudden with no delay/shudder

Feels good underfoot and as good as the brakes on my 2018 BMW Active 190hp tourer,so perfect

The throttle responce is immediate allowing fast but controlled pull away.

The cars acceleration from off or from say 30 to 70 when needed is rapid and fun

The car has different drive modes/styles to choose from. ECO/Comfort/sport/Perso

Perso is great as it can be configured/Tailored

You pick out things from the other modes that suit the desired driving experience and Perso simply puts them all together ( easy to do via infotainment screen) you now have your own PERSO mode this will default after every new start.

But other modes can be selected on the fly either by Hey Google select Sports mode or by pressing the large stand alone designated MODE button on the steering wheel.

My prefered mode is almost everthing as in Comfort Mode (mid range sort of mode) but I changed the steering to Sport as it adds a little more weight to the steering as I prefer that

I also like the FAV button when set up then pressed will action your selected action,set mine so that it activates the different 360 camera displays can do more

So easy/fun/comfortable/quiet/relaxing to drive and easy to set up tech that remembers your prefrences each time you start up

Have a test drive and see for yourself just how nice it is.

 

[Paul_1964]

Thanks for taking the time to give such a full answer, sounds a great option. its one i will be looking at when we change next for sure.

Have a good Christmas

Paul

 

[Ele]

Most welcome

Merry christmas to you to

Test drive asap that way you can consider or reject imo

 

[Carmad]

My experience.  Test drove 3 vehicles at the same facility, Arnold Clark Innovation Centre in Glasgow which I highly recommend anyone interested in the EV movement to visit.  I drove the BYD Atto 3, Smart #1 Brabus (wow) and the Renault Megane e-Tech.

Of the 3 and my experience of having 3 Renault Scenic over the years the only one I tested that had the grabby brake feeling was the Megane e-tech. Now, after the initial shock I was quickly able to adjust and anticipate this.  Overall the car was ok, the killer for me was the boot. The shape was great for an attendant wheelchair to fit in perfectly but the size of the boot lip was extreme, definitely too much for my wife to be lifting into and out.

Glad to hear you guys are enjoying the car, not one size fits all.

[Ele]

Carmad wrote:

My experience. Test drove 3 vehicles at the same facility, Arnold Clark Innovation Centre in Glasgow which I highly recommend anyone interested in the EV movement to visit. I drove the BYD Atto 3, Smart #1 Brabus (wow) and the Renault Megane e-Tech. Of the 3 and my experience of having 3 Renault Scenic over the years the only one I tested that had the grabby brake feeling was the Megane e-tech. Now, after the initial shock I was quickly able to adjust and anticipate this. Overall the car was ok, the killer for me was the boot. The shape was great for an attendant wheelchair to fit in perfectly but the size of the boot lip was extreme, definitely too much for my wife to be lifting into and out. Glad to hear you guys are enjoying the car, not one size fits all.

 

Personally found the brakes to be very smooth and progressive but tbh I have heard of a couple of others having this issue and suspect it could be down to a faulty set up.

[JMC]

Nothing wrong with the brakes on my one neither. They are very smooth and I have had no issues at all. The boot is an afterthought in my opinion. Boot aside from that,  it’s nearly prefect for us.

[Author]

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