2008 Renault Laguna Initiale 2.0 16v petrol from UK and Ireland

Summary:

Lovely!

Faults:

Suspension, electrics, leak in boot area, clutch, and interior wear and tear.

Not a mark on the exterior, no rust. Remarkable for its age.

General Comments:

What a fantastic looking car inside and out, this is one of the first of the "newer" 3rd generation Laguna's for 2008, and it is easily better and more reliable than the previous 2nd and 1st generations Renault Laguna.

Silver exterior, leather beige interior, just gorgeous.

My 2008 car was bought cheap in good condition. Wear and tear aside, it has not caused me any major problems over the last few years. I just wanted something a bit different from the usual cars from this time period in this class (Mondeo, Vectra, and so on).

It has been a fine choice, the car is a joy to drive and lovely to be in. Super quiet and smooth. The 2.0 petrol engine is more reliable than the more common diesel dCi units, but at a cost - tax is expensive, and you only get 35 mpg at best. I can live with it as a second car however, plus insurance and service and repairs are reasonable, so it's not a dear car to run.

Not many left of these cars, find a nice one and go for it, they are real cheap on the used market. If you want a second car and something a bit different, they are hard to beat for the money.

Would you buy another car from this manufacturer? Don't Know

Review Date: 30th August, 2025

2008 Renault Laguna Dynamique 2.0 DCI (150BHP) turbo diesel from UK and Ireland

Summary:

If it had a BMW badge on the front, Top Gear would have had their tongues up its exhaust pipe!

Faults:

None.

General Comments:

A major step forward in interior quality. The new Mondeo interior looks like a bit of a dog's breakfast compared to the smart Laguna. The exterior looks like a cross between the Mk1 and mk2, and looks pretty good I think.

The car is still as comfortable as ever, but the drive is much sharper with less body roll. Motorway cruising is superb, hushed and effortless with cruise control.

One of the most practical family cars with good ergonomics. All controls in the right place and not too many of them, 12v sockets everywhere and the remote radio stalk is the best around. Unlike many new cars, the all round vision is good and I find it quite easy to park/reverse.

Would you buy another car from this manufacturer? Yes

Review Date: 7th December, 2008

15th Jan 2009, 11:40

Comments on the interiors are subjective. Each to their own.

Re. the Renault reliability thing - if you look at the latest surveys the cars are doing much better. The New Laguna is a massively better engineered car than its predecessor. It has a 100000 mile warranty.

21st Jul 2009, 15:43

The new Renault Laguna is a totally different car to the old one, I am totally impressed with mine (replaced a terrible Ford S MAX).

Reliability and quality is spot on and I believe the turbo issues are over now.

Thankfully for canny buyers people who owned old Lagunas don't know how good the new car is - result - low second hand prices meaning a year old car for 10 - 11k.

Personally I tested the new Mondeo and Insignia and the kids hated them as you can't see out. From my perspective they were dull and far too big.

There is no question the Laguna is not a looker, but anyone who says the Mondeo is has issues..

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2008 Renault Laguna dCi 2.0 turbo diesel from UK and Ireland

Summary:

Huge improvement in quality

Faults:

Nothing. Early days though.

General Comments:

Had the Laguna MK2 before, which was generally OK.

This latest model is a massive improvement in terms of build quality.

2.0 turbo diesel is a nicer engine than the old 1.9. Smoother and more powerful.

Fantastic seats and ride comfort. Very much like the old Renault 25.

Not sure about the styling. It's a bit tame after the MK2, but it does grow on you.

It's early days for reliability, but I have the reassurance of 3 years / 100000 mile warranty - not that I shall take it to that mileage.

Would you buy another car from this manufacturer? Yes

Review Date: 14th January, 2008

9th Aug 2008, 11:52

I own a new Laguna III 1.5 dci 110. I still don't know what the reliability will be, but I am fairly optimistic, judging from the quality and the hitherto perfect trouble-free comportment. It has the poise and excellent road-holding of my former Peugeot 605, which is a high compliment! I totally subscribe to the comments of the review.

18th Sep 2008, 06:16

I bought a Renault 2 years ago. A good car, but if you ever have problems, you will not be happy with the customer service!! They have no interest in fixing the car while under guarantee, and no problem in overcharging when they are ready to fix the problem.

Brian O'Callaghan.

23rd Nov 2008, 00:32

I like the new Laguna, especially the Grand Tour, but due to my disastrous experience with the previous Laguna I will never drive a Renault again. The new Laguna is a very slow seller, most certainly because of the bad reputation of the previous Laguna model.