2002 Renault Megane Coupe Goes for a Drive

The Renault Megane Coupe is almost forgotten today, but was one of the best selling coupes of the late '90s, today we look around one to see what they were like.
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[@tides2002]

In the 90’s and 00’s I never thought I would become nostalgic for 90’s and 00’s car design, however in comparison to the homogenies blobs of SUV’s I can’t help the 90’s and 00’s were the panicle with a mixture of individual design and quality engineering meaning the car didn’t fall or rust to bits.

[@furiousdriving]

Its amazing how we've become nostalgic for what didnt seem exciting at the time!

[@JW20236]

You don't know what you've got until it's gone.

[@markonmotoring]

Couldn't agree more.

[@kamrankhan-lj1ng]

@@furiousdriving yes. We do. Time covers up all our pains experienced in gone by eras.

[@stefansworld3351]

The badge on the side says 2.0, but the engine cover says 1.8?

[@Simon-ui6db]

The 1.4 ro 2.0 covers fit all of 16v engines in the range.

[@stefansworld3351]

@@Simon-ui6db Why would it have 2.0 with a 1.8 engine cover? I work as a mechanic and have worked on plenty of these and it's not something I've seen before.

[@stefansworld3351]

MOT checker says it's a 2.0, so wrong engine cover fitted

[@morgman43]

@@stefansworld3351 Yeah, it's weird. They never sold the Coupe with a 1.8, so it's either got the wrong cover fitted (perhaps from factory), or somebody's done a bizzare engine swap.

[@Andy-eo3mq]

I noticed that the engine said 1.8l as well!

[@scottishcarenthusiastsandtrain]

Great review of a forgotten wee Coupe, always liked these in yellow.

[@furiousdriving]

Yellow is the best colour on these

[@markonmotoring]

Mine is Sunflower yellow. Ordinarily not a colour I'd have considered but on the Mégane coupe it's the one you immediately associate with the car.

[@Sirmancelot91]

I see/read a lot of assumptions made by people online about Renault, but they have made some really good cars. I still have my Renault clio 1.6 16v from 2001. It was my first car and I still have it after 5 years, and its not because I can't 'upgrade' it. It just drives really good, 107 hp on a car that has a curbweight around 1000kg, smooth engine, good steering/chassis, and no rust, just a little bit of flash rust on the battery tray. Parts are also cheap to come by with the online autostores these days. The only thing it could use in my opinion is a sixth gear, when you driving around 100-120 the engine rpm is around 3000-3500, it would have been nice to have one more gear so it runs a bit lower in the rpm's.

[@blueinquisitor2000]

I think this styling has held up quite well, looks pretty IMO.

[@derbigpr500]

Consider it came out in 1995, not 2002.

[@cornishrider]

Another great value modern/starter classic, this one is exceptional as normally seen abandoned. Drove on about 300 miles once and was impressed for what it was.

[@theff9fan9]

What i find odd about this particular car is that it registered as an IDE despite not having an IDE engine, you can easily compare it to images of an actual IDE engine bay, looking up a VIN check on this vehicle (Vin 2379) it was originally registered as a 'MEGANE FIDJI 16V VVT' with an F4R746 non IDE engine (IDE being F5R740) meaning that there is actually 5 left instead of 6 IDE coupes on the road in the UK. A fact about the IDE is that it was designed at the time by the Renaultsport team as thus has a metal intake like the other Renaultsport engines of the time. I actually own an IDE cabriolet Megane and use it as a daily, despite its reliability issues at the time of release, there is a small team in Poland that makes uprated replacement sensors and can rebuild the high-pressure fuel pump fixing all the issues it had.

[@X-Typewoes]

Saw one of these 2ltrs for sale about 18 month ago. 1 owner, 50k, £500. Always regret not snapping it up.

[@brandonrussell2402]

I've got a 1.4 dynamic version of this car and she still puts a smile on my face going down a country lane.

[@SunnyD1865]

They’ve aged well, actually quite like them now - grown on me massively!

[@MaximilianvonPinneberg]

A neighbour has one in bright yellow, doesn't look as old as its actual years.

[@bensmithkent22]

Preferred the pre facelift one it was fresh looking. Nicer than a tigra puma or civic coupe.

[@MaximilianvonPinneberg]

@@bensmithkent22 Yeah, the facelift isn't as successful.

[@sharonec5419]

@@MaximilianvonPinneberg I disagree. I think Renault done a great job with the facflift to make it look more modern and classier and yet not ho change it to much from its original design.

[@sharonec5419]

Tyre deflation lol. Your getting shed of time there. The mk 1 Mègane never any tdf or tpm at all. The mk 2 might have. I know we had a Mègane Classic the saloon version in dark blue. The trip computer clock was not in the middle it was between the rev and speedometer. The radio info was displayed in the middle of the dash. I hated that Renaukt changed the centre vents from elliptical to them horrible things so when the parents wanted to buy a new car to replace the Mègane and said they were thinking of buying another one I suggested a Skoda Octdvia instead abd they got a Skida Octavia SLX in 2000 then another one 2002 in elegance spec. After that he got a crappy mk 4 Ford Mondeo LX what a horrible crap car that was. Talk about a downgrade. Then an S-Max that was like spaceship and so much better than the crappy mondeo. Then a C-Max titanium then several Kias because the dealer is near buy and he is getting older and does not care so much about driving fast any more.

[@zzhughesd]

Used to trade these cheap as chips. People hated them. She’s actually pretty, they looked meh in the day. Now quite sweet

[@alansimpson835]

I wish it had come with an actual French Horn. The electric rear windows are very quirky and I do love a car with a sunroof and a tape player

[@426baron]

Electrics were so bad on first gen, they used to turn into Christmas trees everytime the driver used the turn signals. Then central locking, anti theft system, and finally the whole ecu would be erratic, then pack up. I worked for a company which used them as company cars via a rental deal. It got so expensive for the rental company they quickly got rid of them.

[@Spookieham]

Renault electrics were always interesting...

[@chappy2121]

@@Spookieham I think its French cars in general 🤔

[@PriestOfAuril]

@@Spookieham used audi electrics lol but i personally never had electrical issues with any of my renaults...

[@yekateradiffin5939]

160000 miles on mine, all electrics work, did 600 miles at the weekend

[@426baron]

@@yekateradiffin5939 lots of them went bad and yet some got to astronomical mileage no problem. They were surely built better than others (one bad trainee in a factory can cause many headaches.) Take great care and pride in yours, it will be a rare collector.

[@kevinnye5132]

So glad you’ve changed to your Summer Menu Matt , Gazpacho will do nicely 👍🏻. Your right this Renault passed me by somehow 🤔 don’t remember it at all , but a great example in fantastic condition.

[@F1Kamel_1992]

The Mégane two door coupé was a decent car of its time with the exterior design adopted by Patrick Le Quément (phonetically pronounced as "le kay-mand") and it was good looking before the Mk2 Mégane came out with the so called "swan's tail" at the back.

[@mehrzahl2219]

I'd steer clear from any direct injection engines. Valves and inlet ports foul up leading to expensive repairs.

[@DashCamSerbia]

They just require periodic cleaning. Modern direct injection engines also have port injection that periodically turn on to clean the intake manifold and the intake valves, so the problem is practically solved.

[@GoldenCroc]

Not easy to do if you wanted a VAG or BMW product made in the last 1-1.5 decade.

[@mehrzahl2219]

@@GoldenCroc that's why I don't drive those cars.

[@GoldenCroc]

@@mehrzahl2219 Just pointing out that single injector DI vehicles are extremely common these days, for those that didnt know. It really is kind of hard to avoid them, depending on what you are looking for in a car.

[@markonmotoring]

A former Renault Master tech told me they used to get a lot in with issues because those IDE engines were intended to be run on the super grade higher octane unleased but people were putting the cheep stuff in. I'm not sure if there is going to be an issue with E10 on these too. I checked for my earlier 1.6 8v which apparently is going to be ok but there was a list of 2.0 versions which are not.

[@crazyrabbit7657]

Nostalgia - i had two, serious accidents with the first, which i and my wife survived almost unscathed thanks to the excellent safety features :)

[@skimmingstoness]

I remember when these were everywhere in convertible form, usually in mustard yellow and driven by hairdressers.

[@tonys1636]

The one problem with 90's onward Renault's is they used to fit mechanical or electrical parts from the new model or version to the current one in limited production numbers, they had slight differences to the later version production parts, not to test the parts but to get the time and line speed worked out. Only limited numbers made like this on just one line. Caused a problem when buying replacement parts if far away from the original supplying dealer as a special order from France was often needed with a longish delivery time, not Ideal if away at the time or travelling in a different country. The moral is check that the one you are about to buy was not built just before a new version was launched and if so check the build code. The VIN won't reveal it. If buying new avoid that large discount offered on a model before a new one is launched.

[@johnc9228]

Wow 3700 for that its only a 02 not even considerd a classic yet pricey cars at that dealership

[@itscraigyinni4844]

I done the NC500 in one of these a few years back.. Great car.. mine was the 1.6 variation mind.. Also to add the 1.6 also had the electric rear windows 👍

[@markonmotoring]

The 1.6 16v in these facelift cars produced about 110hp. My pre facelift is 1.6e is 8 valve and a modest 90hp and 137Nm of torque but to say the energy engine was supposed to be about efficiency you have to get it to around 4000 RPM before it wakes up. My dad had one of each but the 1.6 16v liked to blow their coil packs. He also had the timing belt fail.

[@scottishcarenthusiastsandtrain]

Lunchtime viewing sorted

[@cornishrider]

Breakfast for me!

[@craigethorley623]

Brunch for me :-)

[@kamrankhan-lj1ng]

Brunch time

[@johang7498]

Many years have passed since I last saw one of these and now it just appears so fresh, friendly and stylish. Thanks for bringing it to my attention again! I even like its interior, in spite of never having been that fond of all the roundness that was so typical for the 1990s.

[@kamrankhan-lj1ng]

Yeah rounded 90s, compared to angular 80s!

[@morgman43]

I had one of these when I was about 20. For insurance purposes, I had to have the 1.6 16v, but with 110 BHP it was just about fast enough. Mine was in bright green, which suited the shape well; this car cries out for bright colours, with yellow being the best shade. The kit these came fitted as standard with was excellent for the money at that time. Not a perfect car, but very good and massively underrated at the time, forgotten now.

[@markonmotoring]

It's funny how these are remembered (or not). My pre facelift is yellow and took it to a show recently. Many people pass it buy, some younger people don't know what it is. The people that are interested though do seem really interested and it's just about retro enough that my teenage son and his friends think it cool.

[@lloydvehicleconsulting]

Shame about the sound, sir, but an excellent video nevertheless. I have only really discovered Mark I Méganes this year, but I am growing to quite like them. This one is particularly smart!

[@furiousdriving]

Thanks, Id say this is the highlight of the range

[@markonmotoring]

Come on Joseph you know you want one. 🤣🤣🤣 I think you may be a bit taller than me though so headroom could be a bit tight. I'm around 5' 9" and just comfortable.

[@lloydvehicleconsulting]

@@markonmotoring , yes, probably a little bit tight. The standard five door Mégane or Mégane Classic are fine, though.

[@WWarped1]

A lovely little car, shame they vanished. A great bit of French design, and just after this Renault went full out design mad with the Vel Satis, Avantime, and a little later the Wind. All three so quirky they really didn't sell, but I love them. I think around the same time didn't they come up with a prototype beach buggy type thing called a Zo? Not Zoe. Also a strange thing called the Racoon. Shame in recent years the company have gone a little boring. Even the prototypes these days seem bland from Renault. Great video, and keep them coming.

[@markwright3161]

kidnapper; 'You're being kidnapped' You; 'Lovely, where's your car?' kidnapper; 'Over here' You; *sees Megan coupe 'Oh, I don't fancy that' kidnapper; 'what do you mean?' You; 'the boot aperture isn't very convenient for this sort of thing. Could you get a Scenic? I'll happily wait.' kidnapper; *returns a few hours later with a Scenic You; 'perfect', *steps in 'you could get 2 in here quite comfortably. Would you mind awfully going and kidnapping a companion for me please?' kidnapper; *returns with companion kidnappee companion kidnappee; *obviously shaken You; 'Isn't this boot cavernous. It even has a ski hatch to a rear tea shelf and confectionary platform. Would you like a jammy dodger?'

[@furiousdriving]

Exactly how it happened!

[@KLUTCHdot58]

I used to see loads of these, usually in yellow. I never really got on with the looks but I seem to remember the F2 rally one looking quite tasty.

[@APBRS]

Great video! Lots of parts from this Megane were reused later on the original Dacia Logan and Sandero (Some parts of the cluster, the indicator storks, window controls...). Also many mechanical parts were reused too. My very own Sandero had a 1.6 petrol engine used in the first Meganes.

[@chriskgrigg]

3.26 ‘ellipsoid’ what a word! 😆

[@theff9fan9]

That's not an IDE that's the standard F4R 2.0, the facelift 2.0s had the options of the 2.0 16V (F4R) or 2.0 16V IDE (F5R), there are very noticeable differences in the engine bay and performance, if this was an IDE it would also say it on the wing badge.

[@markonmotoring]

I wasn't aware of there being two versions of the 2.0 16v in post facelift cars in period. However I've heard this mentioned in a forum recently.

[@Thanos.m]

Why is everyone comparing everything of this class and era with the mk3/mk4 golf I always found them drab and driery and not particularly well made either

[@furiousdriving]

because it was always called best in class at the time

[@auser1484]

Love the looks of these. Shame about the lack of a reliable auto.

[@planestrainsdogsncars4336]

Having owned a 16TS in my time , which was an inspired car ahead of its time ...I'm afraid Renault lost its way after the mid 1980's with a range of undesirable , very mediocre and oddly styled cars..How their going to keep up with the Koreans in the rest of this decade is anybody's guess , Nissan seems to be a liability more than a savior.

[@jdmguy44]

Nissan are quite the opposite of a liability in the partnership with Renault. They sell many more cars across the globe than Renault do. They therefore do more than their fair share for the alliance. Renault have been a liability for Nissan in terms of reliability though, something that is widely known.

[@planestrainsdogsncars4336]

@@jdmguy44 After Nissan losing half of it's market share , many aging platforms , losing nearly $5 billion over 2 years , pulling out of a swag of markets , Infiniti on the skids and the Ghosn debacle...things are far from rosy.

[@rahmann936]

More stubby looking that a sleek looking coupe. Popular colour was yellow for the coupe. Still prefer the beaky nose front end pre facelift thought.

[@markonmotoring]

That's why I bought a pre facelift one, even though I'll openly admit that post facelift were much better equipped.

[@jbenekeorr]

My first car looked exactly like this, but a 1.6 16v. Fantastic for what it was. Comfy, handsome and well equipped. I had 2 in fact. They had a reputation for being a bit lift-off-oversteery if you were pushing too hard on a long bend! The electric rear windows were my favourite thing! The 2.0 IDE engine while great had some serious problems when it got old - something fuel injection or fuel pump related I think. I remember a lot of them having to be scrapped about 10 years ago when they went wrong as the fix was so expensive.

[@markonmotoring]

The lift off oversteer I suspect may have been intentional in design. The chassis may be a Renault 19 but it's wider, lower and crucially a shorter wheelbase.

[@reghollisquimdribbler737]

1st gen was much prettier.

[@rebel099tl]

Yes! I was waiting for this one. People often badmouth French cars but my Renaultsport has been the most reliable car I've owned so far, touch wood.

[@louisbeerreviews8964]

French cars are shit

[@richardhammer187]

A mate of mine had a 1996 (N reg, pre facelift) 1.6 8v coupe in metallic maroon, it was the first decent car he spent serious money on, which meant it served as one of the cars in our formative years. I've a lot of fond memories of that car!

[@GoldenCroc]

There is a "renault yellow" one standing on a used car dealership lot which I pass daily. It has stood in the same place for years. I kind of no joke catch myself looking at it when I pass by and feeling a bit sorry for it sometimes, totally irrational I know, but I guess subconsciously thinking machines have feelings is what makes one a car enthusiast? Or maybe I am an even weirder guy than I thought...

[@furiousdriving]

all real car enthusiasts secretly think cars have feelings

[@richards4456]

Sunflower yellow its called.

[@angrymuffinsb]

Always had a soft spot for these

[@seancooke4127]

A very attractive Coupe. I drove a hatchback 2002 Megane for work and found it comfortable, reliable, easy to park, good on long distances. The 5 door handling was great so I can guarantee that that solid little Coupe is even sharper. Most guys and girls had 1.4s and they were OK. This 2.0 litre 16V must be very muscular. Love it. One to buy and put away. Nice colour also.

[@jayrb2801]

Learned to drive in an 02 megane scenic, really wanted the coupe for a first car but the insurance was mental. £3750 seems a bit steep for an almost 20 year old renault though.

[@kingofthewestmidlands4049]

This is a £500 car

[@mr-wx3lv]

Always liked these, and they made a drophead version too which looked good...

[@planestrainsdogsncars4336]

For a hairdresser maybe.

[@paulie-Gualtieri.]

@@planestrainsdogsncars4336 Hair by Julian types

[@blackpool321]

Had a 2000 convertible, loved it , monaco version, red with red fabric hood . Kept it for 14 years..wish I'd never got rid . V210LFV.

[@stephencresswell4760]

Nice! I’ve just bought something a little rarer, a 2.0 Privilege cabriolet. Few more miles but not too scruffy. Not many left now.

[@TheSoundsnake]

‘The way it drives is so much better ... than a Golf’: couldn’t believe my ears, had to listen that back just to verify and for the joy of it! VW’s are overrated, then and now. Maybe it’s just a matter of being expensive, so it must be good.

[@chappy2121]

I completely agree, not a fan of German cars at all. BMWs in particular, I really don't know what the fuss is about? I'll stick with JDM 😁

[@GoldenCroc]

VWs used to be very much ahead of most everything else the same size quality wise, that reputation lives on somewhat still. Not more complicated than that really.

[@GoldenCroc]

@@chappy2121 BMWs are very different depending what model or year we are talking about, as are all other cars for that matter. They used to do things no other car did, thats why people liked them, but this isnt really the case anymore.

[@julienbee3467]

@@GoldenCroc they were good until 2000 I think

[@GoldenCroc]

@@julienbee3467 Which ones, VW or BMW? VW had quite a lot of front suspension problems in the late 1990s..

[@BungleBare]

Nice looking cars, but the facelift with the Clouseau ‘tache spoiled the front end. I much preferred the pre-facelift version with the R16 inspired split grille. Most of these back in the day seemed to be in that lurid yellow that seems to have become Renault Sport’s corporate colour. Mk 1 Meganes and Scenics seemed to be everywhere until about 2017, then suddenly they just seemed to vanish from UK roads. All pretty much scrapped by the time they were 15 to 20 years old, sadly. Shame, as they were decent cars. 15 to 20 years isn’t a bad innings for a mainstream car, either - much better than a Mk2 Laguna’s lifespan.

[@g-vasileff4187]

My first ever car! I still have her and love driving it, it's soooo much fun btw mine is 1.9 dCi 2001 and i just can't imagine selling her :((

[@musosiimo3199]

03:49 I can reliably relate that objects placed on the dash will fall neatly into the passenger door pocket if you turn right with any enthusism (especially with the typically nautical Renault suspension)

[@ivan747100]

The Driver's Side Wiper Blade has been accidentally fitted upside down onto the wiper arm - the plastic aero wing on it should always be facing towards the bottom of the windscreen, so that as the airflow going over the bonnet and over the windscreen pushes down on it, the oncoming air pressure acting on it ensures that the wiper blade does not lift up off the glass when travelling at motorway speeds...

[@kingofthewestmidlands4049]

I had a December 2000 X reg Phase2 Dynamique 1.6 K4m in Vertigo green. 1 owner, very low miles and paid only £2300 in early 2006. That is, apart from a Mercedes W204 Class I owned for 8 years the best car I've had. Did mega miles in it, really well made, ultra reliable and just a decent car. My dad had it off me as I needed something bigger otherwise I'd have kept it. It is a better car than my A3 8V which is cheapo under the skin and better too than my Boxster. I miss the car, highly underrated things. The K4M never used any oil and it was used in single seater racing

[@silvereith]

My father's last car was a 2001 Renault Migraine of the Scenic PRNDL 2.0 variety. Changing the cam-belt was a nightmare .... no woodruff keys. Eventually the inlet cam variator failed and the valves and pistons had sexual intercourse and f**ked the engine. I hadn't the heart to fix it. It was a horrible car.

[@nickclark6001]

Volvo in collaboration with Mitsubishi had a GDI Engine in 1996 in the S/V40 ranges ... Renault were 3 years late .. Volvo also supplied Renault with their 2.0 4 cylinder and also the 5 cylinder for Renaults larger car as Renaults own would not meet the new Emission Regulations .

[@sharonec5419]

Tyre deflation lol. Your getting ahead of time there. The mk 1 Mègane never any tdf or tpm at all. The mk 2 might have. I know we had a Mègane Classic the saloon version in dark blue. The trip computer clock was not in the middle it was between the rev and speedometer. The radio info was displayed in the middle of the dash. I hated that Renaukt changed the centre vents from elliptical to them horrible things so when the parents wanted to buy a new car to replace the Mègane and said they were thinking of buying another one I suggested a Skoda Octdvia instead abd they got a Skida Octavia SLX in 2000 then another one 2002 in elegance spec. After that he got a crappy mk 4 Ford Mondeo LX what a horrible crap car that was. Talk about a downgrade. Then an S-Max that was like spaceship and so much better than the crappy mondeo. Then a C-Max titanium then several Kias because the dealer is near buy and he is getting older and does not care so much about driving fast any more.

[@johncollymore1697]

Hi - at about 1:50, when you had the bonnet open, you mentioned that this might have been the first European petrol direct injection production car engine. Some people think of the Japanese late-1990's Mitsubishi petrol direct injection production car engine as the first. Actually, re four-stroke petrol engines in production cars, as we all know, apart from a couple of rare two-stroke cars, Mercedes-Benz were the first to use petrol direct injection on their 1955 300 SL. Cheers.

[@mitchellsrenault7344]

Hi, good review, but you've been told incorrect information, that's not an ide engine, it's the F4R which is a standard 2.0 16v. I know i'm being picky but the truth need,s to be told :)

[@MegaReubenator]

I had two of these; one auto which I managed to write off as I didn't know how to corner properly (was very young and reckless) and the second was in the beautiful metallic apple green. Great cars, and I still hanker after one now!

[@jonp5641]

Nice looking car, friend had a silver 1.4 for many years and found it economical and reliable but had to reluctantly get rid of it when he started a family, as was too small and impractical for family life.

[@MyHumanWreckage]

I rented the convertible version of this car which I thought was fabulous. The quality of the fit and finish was unexpectedly good. Unfortunately, I hit a pothole and popped both rims on the passenger side and had to take it back after a few hours of driving it.

[@sharonec5419]

@ Furiousdriving If you look at a Mègane anyone the hatch, saloon , coupe even the Scenic before the revamp all the vents were that beautifull elliptical shape. It was the design theme of the Mègane. Then they changed the centre ones in the revamp to them horrible squarish vents for some stupid reason and lost a customer in doing so.

[@Kerveros1904]

I bought in 2001 the 16v dynamique. I still use it as a second car for some quick entertaining rides!i am glad i did not sell it. The car is amusing. It is not a sports car, but you can drive it in a sporty manner.

[@antwonefernandez7554]

I had a facelift 1.6 16v in red and reversed it into a tree. I loved the look of it and enjoyed it on some journeys. On the motorway though in 5th it would scream its head off. Nostalgic video. Cheers!

[@sharonec5419]

I loled at the not up to MK 3 Golf standards of build quality lol. You are right it was way better than that thing. They were a great car the MK1 Mègane.

[@grayfool]

Look at me! First again. I never really had much interest in the Magane at the time, always seemed a bit bland. They've aged fairly well though.

[@RichieRouge206]

Really lovely car, very underrated. They used to be everywhere! The R19 Chamade 16v is possibly my fave ever retro car. Great review Matt!

[@Spookieham]

I had a R11 turbo in bright red in 1984 or so. What a car that was!!

[@furiousdriving]

Yes, the Chamade was brilliant, and looked perfect in that dark metallic blue (which I painted my guitar in!)

[@rodddrake]

I've got a 1.6 16v. Great on country roads,rubbish on motorways. A mini GT 😁

[@Smokeysbandit]

If it is a 2.0 why does it say 1.8 16v on the engine cover ..???

[@furiousdriving]

no idea, it says w litre on the V5 and DVLA

[@RWL2012]

wrong cover fitted

[@sharonec5419]

Two small bits of useless information. As well as changing the central air vents to that horrible shape from the lovely elliptical shape they were originally Renault moved the hazard light switch and the switch under to the right hand side of the radio. They were originally on the other side of the radio and Renault moved it to be closer to the driver on the revamp as well as changing the steering wheel too. The originally steering wheel in the Mègane had a button each side on the steering wheel for the horn and my Mum hated it.

[@AndytheWhite]

This was my first car!!! So happy to see this Video! :D

[@michaeltutty1540]

Looks like a terrific car indeed and in lovely shape. I've never seen in person, as Renault abandoned North America prior to this car hitting the market, so that makes it even better.

[@Simon-ui6db]

Had the facelift 1.4 16v and was brilliant on fuel and a good laugh on the b roads, only sold it as missus got pregnant and no good for putting babies in. Only niggle i had was changing the cambelt it was an utter pig to do. Edit, my base spec one had rear electric windows too.

[@furiousdriving]

Im surprised the base model had electric back windows!

[@markonmotoring]

My pre facelift has fixed rear windows. Thankfully I do have tilt slide roof though which is a godsent not having AC. Thankfully on the better specked post facelift cars AC was more common across the range. These cars can become very hot inside in the summer.

[@Spookieham]

Seems to be a common theme (me included). Great car but completely unsuitable once babies arrive.

[@1972dsrai]

There were 100 variations on the Megane, is that normal? Sounds a lot compared to other models.

[@planesintheloft]

Had a 2001 1.4 16 valve Dynamique as my first car. Happy days! Never let me down. I'll always remember it fondly, even if the boot was really awkward. Thanks for making this video - a great stroll down memory lane for me!

[@Kerveros1904]

I bought in 2001 the 16v dynamique. I still use it as a second car for some quick entertaining rides!i am glad i did not sell it. The car is amusing. It is not a sports car, but you can drive it in a sporty manner.

[@davidvickers4228]

Very nice looking car and still cheep at the minute 👍

[@BartBe]

my dreamcar when i was 21. I never got to it. damn... i still miss the thing i never got.

[@duncMAC150]

I always thought they were a hatchback hmm. they're a pretty car ageing quite nicely

[@supervitz7178]

We had both the 1.4 and the 1.6. Camshaft gear broke (yep!) and timing made it bend valves on the 1.6. The 1.4 we had was pretty reliable, but the 1.6 had endless electrical and mechanical issues. Was fairly nippy and economical, but I do not miss them at all. This one in the video is the tidiest I've ever seen.

[@kingofthewestmidlands4049]

Timing belt a standard maintenance interval replacement. Electrical problems would have been a coil pack that fail over time. Keep up on the maintenance and they last. I had one and was ultra reliable and covered mega miles and never failed.

[@supervitz7178]

@@kingofthewestmidlands4049 I'm sure you did, but ours wasn't the timing belt that failed. It was the camshaft gear, it went out of time, but the belt never snapped. The side piece of the gear got wedged between the belt and teeth. Coil packs were common failures but easy to diagnose and replace. The main electrical issue ours had was brittle insulation on one of the wires in the depths of the engine bay that would occasionally short out and throw one of the big fuses. Took a while to find a garage that could correctly diagnose it. Catalytic converter failure, ABS problems, central locking problems, indicator problems were also annoying.

[@kingofthewestmidlands4049]

@@supervitz7178 timing belt had stretched

[@supervitz7178]

@@kingofthewestmidlands4049 why do you think you know better? I had owned it for years, I had it apart, the belt was recently changed and in good condition. The part that failed was spot welded on the cam gear...

[@maxidyne]

I say the same thing over and over when commenting on your videos: you never see these anymore, at least not where I live. I really liked these, such a shame all the small coupe's are gone these days. These will rust heavily at the rear wings. My friend had a pre facelift 1.6 Monte Carlo edition. Was a nice car, drove really well. Great review Matt, thanks!

[@furiousdriving]

They've vanished here as well all of a sudden

[@kingofthewestmidlands4049]

They don't rust. Bodies were galvanised and the paint was one of the best in terms of finish. Only rust if they've been taken back to bare metal at some point.

[@KylieBeattie]

My granddad had a megane sport not the coupe and it was 1.6

[@vidsinmotionchannel]

Had one in period, fantastic handling p*ss poor reliability.

[@nigelrudd670]

A lady in Minehead had a bright yellow one 🤓 remember these being about 👍

[@tommyolsen8224]

Please test drive a W209 CLK ! ⭐️

[@markonmotoring]

Really happy to see this one. Where to start. The phase 2 Privilege was too if the range gaining the leather upholstery. My dad had a Silver Dynamique plus which was almost as well specked. I actually drove a 2.0 ide many years ago which is said to have a better torque curve than the previous F7R Clio Williams engined car (my holy grail spec). The phase 2 was much better Alec than the pre facelift but in my opinion not as good looking. I fell in love with them when my dad bought a base spec car in 1996 (one if the first in the UK). I've only just put my 1996 1.6e Fidji back on the road this month. The 1.6 8v lacks low to mid range torque but has a bit more spring higher up the range. The car in your video is on 16" wheels whereas mine is on 14 175/65 tyres so the characteristic soft sprung, body roll but bags of grip is amplified.

[@nigelbryant5932]

I've only ever seen that car in that colour. Amazing condition. Love your watch Matt 👍

[@antonycharnock2993]

You've never seen it in yellow then? My boss had one back in the early 00's

[@nigelbryant5932]

@@antonycharnock2993 yes I have. That grey was very popular, yellow looks better.

[@furiousdriving]

thanks, tell Mrs Furious, she's not a fan!!

[@nigelbryant5932]

@@furiousdriving Matt, Mrs Furious is wrong on this occasion. That watch looks great. Can we see more of it. Loving the transparent strap and case. Is it a 'G' shock ? Where is the Rover?

[@matthewsmith2787]

Renaults are very safe cars, but their electronics are very poor

[@Spookieham]

I had one of these in 2001 with the 2.0 16v and absolutely loved it. It went like the proverbial off the shovel ( I got it up to a VERY high number at 3am on the A303 once). First UK car I had with air conditioning. A very underrated car. Unfortunately it had to go when my daughter was born in 2002 as it was too impractical.

[@kingofthewestmidlands4049]

Same. My car had to go after 4 years of ownership when I became a dad. I kept my SLK and bought a newish Laguna.

[@volvo480]

I like this model better than its successor, which had no end of quality problems. I had a 2004 Mégane estate which was 2 years old and had done 50,000 miles when I got it (company car) but it felt like it was 10 years old and had done 150,000 miles.

[@furiousdriving]

These were definitely better made than the later model, a real high point for Renault

[@markonmotoring]

Had a 52 plate 3 door MK2 and a the toys were broken and the car was it a year old at the time. MK1 was a much more appealing and very different car.

[@yekateradiffin5939]

Better quality than vag, bet all the electrics work

[@Pmjs]

The only French Car Manufacturer I ever liked was Peugeot &their 405s&406s. Never liked Renault or Citroën.

[@Pmjs]

My Peugeot 405 1.9TD GLX 95N had Sports seats, body kit& Alloys as it was a run-out model. It was also my 1st car to have PAS.

[@LU4101]

I had a 1.6 one of these for a little while last year, and was surprised how well it drove for such a mundane car. It had a lot more poke than I expected from a 1.6 and was amazing on fuel too for an older engine!

[@bensmithkent22]

With a mere 90 brake horse power from its 1.6 litre engine progress is too……..

[@LU4101]

@@bensmithkent22 mine was a 16v with 110bhp, still not much but better than expected!

[@zerocool5395]

Front end reminds me of a 98' Pontiac Grand Am.

[@edsmith4821]

As a youth I always wanted both the early and late models because of the cool design. Nearly got one then went for Vauxhall astra 1.3 L😒

[@TheGalacticEmperorOfLabels]

*youf

[@edsmith4821]

@@TheGalacticEmperorOfLabels lol

[@mattw8332]

My parents owned both a Mégane Scenic (1.6 8v) and the phase 2 Scenic (1.6 16v). Not being a huge Renault fan at the time, I was won over with them.

[@antonycharnock2993]

Ooh. A Renault Megane! I had one until recently for most of the time I've been driving. I loved my MkII and its amazing French quirks. Throttle handbrake/headlight covers under the bloody wheelarchs/dodgy panoramic sunroof which never worked properly/1.6 vvt engine and its dodgy phase pulley array which had to be fixed under warranty. Then they went all reliable with the MkIII. How boring! 😂

[@markonmotoring]

Had one of those on a 52 plate in period with all the toys and all were broken. The only Renault that left me disappointed.

[@richards4456]

Loved my mkII back in the day. Mine was actually fault free! You're right about the mk3. Very reliable cars!

[@thenotfunny518]

I watch this while sat in my 5 door megane

[@martsec9330]

I had a 2.0 16v and it shited in its day. I loved it

[@martinharries6149]

Had a couple of coupe’s during my time working with Renault UK, only 1.6 16v that were quick enough at the time and trouble free. Wanted the 2.0ide but new family meant larger family cars were needed! Almost bought one as a 2nd car, but had an engine management light and ignition coil faults so dealer scrapped it!

[@frothe42]

Somehow this Renault looks something like the Hyundai Coupé! Differences yes, but somehow they look somewhat similar. Very nice interior. Great review.

[@garethsaunders1260]

I had a 1997 1.6 8v Fiji in red. Great little car, surprising performance, good fuel economy and very reliable little car.