Faults:

A fuel tank strap broke, a common fault on these so be aware!! The fuel tank will fall off if the strap has seen better days. The strap itself is metal covered in black rubber, and over time water sits inside the rubber outer rusting the metal. Got a new one from Renault and fitted it in 20 minutes.

A handbrake cable for the MOT.

Same as everyone else - the door pocket lid on the drivers side door keeps falling off.

General Comments:

I've always had the old Renault 25, and when the Safrane took the model over, it had a lot to live up to, and it did it. If you're looking for a comfortable, cruiser with loads of space in the back, these cars fit the bill.

I've got the 2.5 Volvo engine in mine with the Volvo gearbox, and it's bulletproof. Even with nearly 170,000 miles on the clock, the engine still pulls well and uses no oil or water at all.

Also, being a Renault, the bodywork will never rust either.

It really is a great all rounder, and now you can pick these cars up for buttons. I bought mine last spring with 152,000 miles on it for £500 and it was (and still is) absolutely mint!!

I'll only get rid of this car when the engine finally dies, so I'll guess I'll be doing another 200,000 miles in it then :-)

Faults:

Nothing so far.

General Comments:

The fact that this is my new Safrane says enough. Decided to upgrade to the current one because it has automatic transmission, smaller engine size meaning fuel economy, lower tax and insurance. It has the same power as my previous car (3.0 V6), though. Apart from this, the SRP system offers excellent protection. The xenon headlights and the electric seats add even more to the value of the car. Many people might think that the electric-driven seats with memory are overkill, but once I tasted them, I started to love them.

The overall built of the car is fantastic - this is a car that's built to last. The quality of the materials used is high despite the relatively low price of the car. The engine (VOLVO) has a lot of power and torque and is very fuel-efficient. The car weights 1670 kg and I have made 6.9 l/100 km with moderate driving (80-90 km/h)! The gearbox (Aisin Warner) is much better than the ZF (fitted to the <1996 models). The booth space is just enormous and the total space of the car offers very comfortable ride for 5 persons with a lot of luggage. The level of comfort matches everything else - low noise levels, smooth yet stable ride, ease of handling and good response.

In general, a Safrane is the highest value/money (purchase price + maintenance included) car that I have ever seen on the market.