| Year of manufacture | 1998 |
| First year of ownership | 2001 |
| Engine and transmission | 2.5 5 cylinder 20v Automatic |
| Performance marks | 9 / 10 |
| Reliability marks | 10 / 10 |
| Comfort marks | 10 / 10 |
| Dealer Service marks | 2 / 10 |
| Running Costs (higher is cheaper) | 5 / 10 |
| Overall marks (average of all marks) |
7.2 / 10
|
| Distance when acquired | 52000 miles |
| Most recent distance | 59000 miles |
| Previous car | Renault Safrane |
Summary:
A lot of metal for the money
Faults:
Rear silencer fell of on both at approx 45000 miles.
Air bag warning lights come on just before service due a con or what.
General Comments:
A good fun cruiser scares a lot of boy racers.
A granddad carrier with attitude.
Would you buy another car from this manufacturer? Yes
Review Date: 9th October, 2003
| Year of manufacture | 1998 |
| First year of ownership | 2003 |
| Most recent year of ownership | 2003 |
| Engine and transmission | 2.0 petrol Manual |
| Performance marks | 7 / 10 |
| Reliability marks | 8 / 10 |
| Comfort marks | 10 / 10 |
| Dealer Service marks | 5 / 10 |
| Running Costs (higher is cheaper) | 7 / 10 |
| Overall marks (average of all marks) |
7.4 / 10
|
| Distance when acquired | 44000 miles |
| Most recent distance | 50000 miles |
| Previous car | Chrysler Neon |
Summary:
Leave the badge race and buy a real luxury car
Faults:
The dash oil warning display read three quarters full although there was very little oil in the car.
Squeaking and rattling from the rear shelf behind the rear seats after removal and re-insertion.
Digital Climate Control display needed to be replaced.
General Comments:
I am still finding storage spaces and features after four months!
The features in this car shame the likes of Mercedes.
Interior room is cavernous, I can barely reach the passenger door from the drivers seat!
Digital Climate Control is unbelievable in any weather.
Comfort and leg room is excellent in the front and back.
Lights are brilliant.
Downsides include finding large parking spaces.
Petrol consumption is about thirty eight miles per gallon.
Position of remote alarm sensor means you have to be standing beside the car before it will open.
The eighty liter fuel tank takes a while to fill!
The manual box is a bit unforgiving with very little travel in first and second gear.
There is no glove box.
Would you buy another car from this manufacturer? Yes
Review Date: 9th May, 2003
My Safrane is a 1993 model 2.0 RT auto, and has a large glove box, but the catch is not in the usual place (i.e. the front).
It is on the top right hand side of the lid.
The 1998 will probably be a Mk. 2 version in which the space where the glovebox was in the Mk 1 is now a passenger air bag.
1997 phase 2 version 2.0 litre. Very practical, comfortable, reliable and quite economical (38 to 43 mpg easily). Easy to drive, great on long distances. Active rear steering enables tight and gripping steering around even slippery corners. Suspension very forgiving.
Sound system excellent... fantastic in fact.
Well screwed together, had mine now for 8 years, still going strong at 183000 miles. No leaks or signs of anything failing.
Even the electrics are all working.
If you don't want yours, give it to me!
Sorry I must add the rear wheel steering is NOT active it's passive. It's basically driven by G-Forces NOT any other mechanical means.
If you have a look under the back of the car you will see 2 tracking rods attached to the wheel setup. In the middle of the car you will see they are simply bolted to the chassis.