Is Renault really so bad?

cerebus

cerebus

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We are looking into buying a small car, to replace our current BMW E30! It is a Renault Clio 2001 1.4 with 140k on the clock for R44.5k. Been asking around and everyone is telling us what a bad car Renault is, part are expensive and they are often faulty cars(FRENCH CARS TO STAY AWAY FROM)...BUT, every 3rd car is a Renault these days. We do not want to make debt right now by taking out loans and have that amount available to pay cash. I drove the car around the corner, it feels healthy, zippy and a great drive. It will be for the next 2 years or so, then we might look into something bigger.

Thanks!
 
They not as bad as they once were but when something does go wrong parts can be expensive. That is out of warranty though so you could take it to a reputable mechanic instead of Renault I suppose.

At the end of the day though I would probably look at a tazz or something along those lines at that budget.
 
It comes with a 6 months warranty! The guy bought it for R2.5k and it is included in the price.
 
cerebus said:
It comes with a 6 months warranty! The guy bought it for R2.5k and it is included in the price.
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I have found that those third party warranties aren't worth anything.

My experience with Renaults is in line with what you've heard, they're not robust, and I hear that parts are not freely available in SA, and of course very pricy - somewhat surprising when they've been quite successful in F1 and rally.

I would stick with cars that are built in SA and parts are freely available and cheap.

Tazz and Yaris would be my choice.
 
By no means a bad car, but like the other forumites mentioned, when something breaks it is VERY expensive, and with 140k on teh clock, chances are that will happen sooner rather than later.

Look for a low(ish) mileage Hyundai Getz. You should be able to pick one up somewhere. Excellent little run-arounds.
 
Some points to take note of...
It's a good car, but only if you have the right mechanics to take care of it.
RenaultSA has poor mechanics.
We've had two Renaults in the past decade..... a Scenic that was wonderful, and a dud Megane. We ended losing R100k on the Megane in under two years. It kept on breaking and rattling.
140k for a Renault is pushing it these days, even with their warranty. It's bound to start giving issues since it's not new anymore.
Renault parts are ridiculously expensive, almost on par with BMW/Merc.

From experience I'd suggest that you look elsewhere and take a look at a car with a (good) reputation. Toyota is never a bad deal.
 
You could also look at a Ford Fiesta.
Excellent service from their service centres, parts are cheap, they are locally manufactured, and generally don't give problems.
 
Thanks FROOT!! I love the Corolla 2006 model, the Sprinter. It seems like to get something proper we might need a small loan! They go around 65 to 75k...mmmm
 
pezulu said:
You could also look at a Ford Fiesta.
Excellent service from their service centres, parts are cheap, they are locally manufactured, and generally don't give problems.
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A friend of ours is selling his Fiesta in 2 or 3 months time for 60 k with 90k on the clock! Mmmmm I think it is a 2008 model.
 
froot said:
The plant is in Silverton....
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Yes, but does it assemble Fiestas? If so when did local production start? My daughter's Fiesta was definitely imported.

I was under the impression that the only locally manufactured Fords were the bakkie range.
 
Billy said:
Yes, but does it assemble Fiestas? If so when did local production start? My daughter's Fiesta was definitely imported.

I was under the impression that the only locally manufactured Fords were the bakkie range.
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That plant does not build any Ford but the Ford Ranger now. It used to build the Focus, all models except the ST, bantam, Mazda BT-50 and the Mazda 3. Ford has made the SA plant in Silverton a 4 X 4 plant only, so any Ford passenger vehicle is imported.
 
Archi3 said:
That plant does not build any Ford but the Ford Ranger now. It used to build the Focus, all models except the ST, bantam, Mazda BT-50 and the Mazda 3. Ford has made the SA plant in Silverton a 4 X 4 plant only, so any Ford passenger vehicle is imported.
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Thanks for that clarification.
 
Do not touch a French car... The only vehicle I know where you have to take off the manifolds to repair the starter motor.
 
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