2003 Renault Laguna Initiale review from UK and Ireland

Sun roof and windows jammed.

Gearbox failed.

Dashboard rattles.

Car vibrates.

Windscreen wipers faulty.

Poor starting.

Erratic steering.

In March 2003, I took delivery of a Renault Laguna 1.9CDi Initiale. It replaced a much-loved Laguna Executive 2.0 – simply the best car I have ever had. 190,000 miles over four years, and it only broke down twice. The new one is, by any comparison, a pile of junk.

The seating is uncomfortable – after two hours, I have to stop for a walk to regain the use of my legs.

The ride quality is poor – every little bump feels and sounds like a kerbstone.

The handling is erratic – at a steady speed on a light throttle, a manhole cover can cause the front of the car to ‘step out’ quickly followed by the rear wheels doing the same, and on anything less than a perfect road surface the steering wanders left or right as it wishes.

The rear load space is, frankly, laughable. The rear seats fold down to reveal a load area that is not flat (the seat backs stick up some 4 or 5 inches), and I have had to buy a roof rack to carry exactly the same camping equipment on holiday. Result? Travelling 1950 miles to the south of France and back, with diesel much cheaper than petrol in France, I saved £25 on fuel – and spent £100 on the roof rack, straps and bungees.

From a technical perspective, it has already suffered a number of faults. The sunroof and windows failed to operate properly after two weeks.

The dashboard rattles (and visibly moves) when I pull away.

It was reluctant to start, and stalled readily (the latter corrected itself without the intervention of a dealer. I can now pull away on less than 2,000 rpm!).

The gearbox is currently undergoing a rebuild, as it jumps out of fourth, and often feels like it is full of gravel. This rebuild, by the way, is going to take two weeks.

The rain-sensitive wipers when set to maximum sensitivity sometimes stop in the middle of a downpour, and when set to minimum sensitivity can go at maximum speed when they detect the over-spray from the washers of the car in front.

Fuel economy is dubious – on just three occasions it has reached 50+ mpg – usually it struggles to achieve 45 mpg.

There is a noticeable vibration at most speeds, though the dealers say there is nothing wrong.

Is there anything good about this car? Yes, the head restraints are a superb design. Of course, they are the same as the old Laguna…