Faults:

So far nothing! But I have only had it for a month now!

General Comments:

I've bought this fine piece of French luxury because I wanted to give a rest to my beloved Renault Clio Baccara (which I also own!).

My father, when I was younger, had two of these machines (a 2.2 Si Phase 1 and a magnificent 2.5 RXT Phase 2), and ever since I fell in love with the Safrane!

Bear in mind that you need to be very careful with this car, because they need a constant upkeep and a pair of skillful hands regarding mechanical work! That's why I only trust mine in the hands of my Renault dealer!

I bought mine because I knew the owner, and he also was always taking care of the Safrane! In terms of equipment, mine is the RXE version, but has all the extras from the RXT model, such as heated windscreen, heated ergomatic seats with memory, leather seats (of course...), Alpine-Renault Hi-Fi radio with 6 CD changer and electric sunroof!

It's intoxicating to drive this car... you really don't want to get out of it when you get home! And also everything works properly.

The engine is great for long trips! Quiet and responsive but a bit slow in low RPMs. But of course, when you have a Safrane, you don't want to race other people on the road. You just want to enjoy your trip nothing else.

The only downside of the car is that if you drive it only around town the gas consumption will be higher than 10L/100KM!

Faults:

Automatic gearbox became stuck in "Sports Mode", causing it to change gear a little higher than normal.

Boot catch did not always close correctly - design fault.

"Over Speed" light illuminating at 65mph and not 75mph like it's supposed to.

"Kickdown" on the transmission is sometimes a little too fierce, when over-taking for example, revs almost hitting 4500rpm.

Gearbox finally gave in and got stuck in "Safety Mode" once I'd exceeded 55mph.

General Comments:

This car was a dream to own, but sadly the failure of the gearbox resulted in me having to sell it.

I now own a 1999 2.5i 20v Executive Safrane, gearbox and engine supplied by Volvo, as opposed to Renault's own pre-1997.

The car handled brilliantly for it's size. Don't touch a pre-1997 automatic!

Faults:

The car has had no faults while I have been the owner.

General Comments:

The car is a total delight to drive, the cabin is vast and the leather trim still smells new.

The trim level is fantastic and includes, Cruise Control, Air Conditioning, All electric Windows and much more!

The car is smooth and very comfortable with the Automatic Gearbox making things effortless, however it is sometimes confused about which gear to be in, but this is at an acceptable level.

Having been purchased for the silly sum of £1500.00 anybody would agree that this car is fantastic value for money.

The car is in fantastic condition all round and I am sure will continue to run for many more miles.

Faults:

Rear transmission case is wet even after replacing all seals.

General Comments:

This is an inexpensive luxury car that shows very good handling and impressive performance at cruising speeds.

Fuel consumption is quite reasonable.

However I would expect a little bit more in terms of 0-60 mph acceleration from such a powerful engine with two turbochargers.

Gears are generally too long, 6-speed transmission would make the car a perfect chaser.