Renault Megane 225 Cup
Steve Bell diarises his time with Renault's sporty new hatch
Renault Megane 225 Cup
Renault Megane 225 Cup
Day 1
I didn’t get off to a good start with the Renault. Being stuck in traffic trying to collect the Mégane Cup, then fighting my way through the Friday night rush hour, made it hard to familiarise myself with the car.
Little things like the steering wheel adjustment lever which, instead of being under the steering column, is on the left. Then there’s the headlight level beam. It’s tucked too far down the right of the dash to catch a glimpse of where it’s positioned. As luck had it, my timing was good enough to escape the long queues, and within 15 minutes, I was on the M3 heading back towards London. Eventually settling down, the Mégane Cup is very quiet at 70 mph. It’s all very -- well -- civilised.
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Basically, this Mégane has gone on a strict diet, the suspension has been stiffened, and the brakes uprated to Brembos just so that if the mood takes you, it can be driven as a track car as well as ferrying the kids to school. Hence the “Cup” name. This should all translate into a brisker car. But the trouble is, all 225 horses arrive between 4,000 and 6500 rpm. The 2.0-litre engine has so much torque, that it’s all over within a few hundred yards.
Then there is the sloppy gear change. It’s not what you would call smooth, nor direct. There is a long throw between changes, and it will catch you out if you're not forceful enough. At some point, you’ll end up selecting fifth instead of third. Despite the setbacks, both front tyres have no problem dispersing the power, even giving it large from a standstill, it barely bites back with any torque steer.
Day 2
Yesterday wasn’t the best of days I’ve had at the wheel of a car, so I was hoping that my second outing with the 225 Cup, would be better. I decided to make up some time by heading out quite early. Using Renault’s card-key is odd at first, but the Mégane Cup starts up with a low hum from the exhaust, but unlike its looks, it doesn’t frighten people as you drive past.
My feelings towards the power available haven’t changed since yesterday. Hit the pedal, and from 2,000 to 4,000rpm, there’s the familiar turbo surge, but keep the throttle buried past 4,000rpm right up to the rev limiter, and expect warp drive.
But the clutch told a different story. It’s too light, and after ten or so minutes, it started to give out a “warping” sound, which tells me too many times giving a bit of stick isn’t a healthy option. Then there’s the gearbox. Yes, the gearing is perfectly spaced, but Renault hasn’t focused on the overall feel. It's a bit like stirring a bowl of porridge.
So, was day two as bad as yesterday? Well, not quite. Aside from the suspension designed for the race track, and the powerplant that delivers its power too quickly, the Megane Cup shows its mettle as you start to hammer through decent open roads.
Below 80 mph and it’s much like any other hot hatch. Exciting enough, but you’ve seen it all before. It's in the twisties that it shines. Don’t dab the brake pedal entering a corner. Instead, shove the loud pedal and sit back as the Sport Cup shows off its cornering abilities -- it delivers almost as much G force as the Mitsubishi Evo IX and doesn’t budge or skit. While much of this is down to the traction control, whose intervention is almost undetectable, if you get it right, you won’t see the yellow warning light flash.
Day 3
After a full day repeatedly charging through quiet B roads, I’m more impressed than before. The positives remain its cornering capabilities, torquey engine, and a very reasonable price. For £18,000, you get a fabulous track day car. If that’s what you need, then your money's well spent.
The car's too compromised for everyday use, though. The rock hard suspension can’t cope with potholes and imperfections, the clutch and gearbox ruin the fun and, most of the time, the steering is vague until you push it over the limit. The brakes need constant heat to work efficiently (fine for track use but not the A408) and the power delivery is over too quickly.
So why bother? Renault reckons there's a huge market for this version, with nearly 20 per cent of all Mégane Sports ordered with the Cup Pack. However, for me it doesn’t excite enough to warrant spending over £18,000 -- given there are so many others to choose from.
Not knocking the rpt but goes to prove how each of us expect different things from a car yet the poor old manufacture has to try and deliver something that appeals to all....... Agree comments on the brakes, not sure about the torque steer - defo good fun to drive. The gear box is good although it took some getting used too. To start with it felt a bit wobbley - but this is made worse by the long gear stick. Has loads more charater to drive than the TT I had before.
Manages to keep pace with my mates scooby in the dry, however, accelerating in the wet through bends can be entertaining
. Look forward to getting it on a track to see how it really drives.
vlad said:
german build quality !!
clap: Good one,
oh sorry you meant that seriously didn't you.
hmm ohh!
Sorry have worked in production for a product that was high quality originally had a very high reputation in its field, then taken over by Germans due to them having a nice hill of cash to throw at the original owners family and it is now just another product no better or worse than any other.
Cost cutting, and scrimping and saving killed off any image they had before. Still the got the products designed by Porsche so they looked good if nothing else.
vlad said:
forget it. £13500 for a second hand latest shape seat ibiza cupra diesel with 160 bhp standard, re-map to 190 it wont be a lot slower and will have more torque, much better economy,cheaper to insure, less devaluation and german build quality !!
And an even narrower torque band.
vlad said:
forget it. £13500 for a second hand latest shape seat ibiza cupra diesel with 160 bhp standard, re-map to 190 it wont be a lot slower and will have more torque, much better economy,cheaper to insure, less devaluation and german build quality !!
But at the end of the day it will be a diesel, and sound like a tractor.
And German build quality isn't what it used to be. Suffice to say its not its best anymore.
There is the Golf Gti (which does everything the Megane can but is far better built), Astra VXR which is faster but has it's own problems getting the power down....
I chose the Focus ST with it's 2.5litre turbo - that has bags of character, corners as well as anyhting else, but also cruises when (like most of us) you are sat on the motorway or in a jam.
It looks 
>> Edited by richiefly on Thursday 16th March 09:48
I'm very surprised Renault sell any of these cars. Before I bought the Type R, I went to the main Renault dealer in Cardiff and found no sporting models of any nature, no literature on them, a salesman who wanted to talk about NCAP ratings (yaaaawn) and a strange tale of their accountant having the only 225 they carried and he wasn't there because it was Saturday and he couldn't remember what colour it was.
By that time I was bored to the point of falling over but I sat in a top of the range Megane and marvelled at the rubbishness of the interior and wondered why Renault put in a Pot Noodle ashtray when all smokers I see flick their f******g ash out onto adjacent cars anyway. Surely better to have an ash net on the window?
So I bought the Type R although in truth, after running round the dealers, it was the only one I actually liked because it wasn't fat and bloated.
Why spend £30,000 on a car that is out done by a car worth £12000?!
ioan said:
Annoys me when people mention that German build crap, dont get me wrong they are good cars but you have to pay for them. My first concern when buying a car is performance, well probably money first but you get what I mean. I own a Clio 182 Cup, not the fastest car out but you get a lot of fun from your £12000 (brand new price). A friend of mine bought a Bmw 323 straight from the showroom, he paid over double the value of my car and got half the performance. The Bmw has Traction control, AC, Climate control, cruise control. The clio also has them plus auto lights and wipers, xenon headlamps.
Why spend £30,000 on a car that is out done by a car worth £12000?!
Indeed, the very whip with which many American cars get beaten because they compare them to much more expensive machinery capable of keeping up.
I'm one of those rare people that actually like the look of the Megane 225. Performance wise you can't argue but living with one (peaky delivery and woeful build quality) was just too much for me.
www.buymynewcar.co.uk are offering the Cup for £13,999. Seriously good value.
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