Renaultsport Megane 275 Sport Mode-can it be set as default?
Discussion
Hi Folks,
I've very recently purchased a RS 275 Cup-S, which is a lovely car and very deserving of its rave reviews.
However, a minor annoyance (aside from the weak headlights) is that Sport mode has to be selected at each start.
Flame me for being a lazy git but is it possible for the dealer to set Sport as the default setting? I have no particular desire to drive it in Normal mode, so would much prefer it to be Sport as default and Normal as option.
Many thanks for any advice on this.
I've very recently purchased a RS 275 Cup-S, which is a lovely car and very deserving of its rave reviews.
However, a minor annoyance (aside from the weak headlights) is that Sport mode has to be selected at each start.
Flame me for being a lazy git but is it possible for the dealer to set Sport as the default setting? I have no particular desire to drive it in Normal mode, so would much prefer it to be Sport as default and Normal as option.
Many thanks for any advice on this.
Ah ButterFace - I've seen you on pretty much every thread about 275 
I don't post much but I lurk a fair bit, especially when I'm researching a new car! You work for a Renault dealership don't you?
The car is secondhand, was registered Sept 15 and I bought it from Evans Halshaw in Darlington (which is a long way from home for me).
It's a bit of an odd spec in my view, no Akrapovic/Ohlins/Recaros but has the dual zone climate and Nav. It's on 18" Tibors and is Titanium Grey.
The reality is that this spec will probably work well for me; this is a family and opt-out company car that will do 20k miles a year, so the Nav will be a bit of boon and the kids can get in the back a bit easier with the standard seats. I do nearly 40K a year, split 20k on my main car, 10-12k on my wife's (currently a Mountune Fiesta ST) and 10k on a Mk1 MX5. I'll be glad to have a fun car again as my main vehicle as I've had 3 years in a Golf GTD (Generally Turgid Diseasal) after a run of more interesting stuff....
I don't post much but I lurk a fair bit, especially when I'm researching a new car! You work for a Renault dealership don't you?The car is secondhand, was registered Sept 15 and I bought it from Evans Halshaw in Darlington (which is a long way from home for me).
It's a bit of an odd spec in my view, no Akrapovic/Ohlins/Recaros but has the dual zone climate and Nav. It's on 18" Tibors and is Titanium Grey.
The reality is that this spec will probably work well for me; this is a family and opt-out company car that will do 20k miles a year, so the Nav will be a bit of boon and the kids can get in the back a bit easier with the standard seats. I do nearly 40K a year, split 20k on my main car, 10-12k on my wife's (currently a Mountune Fiesta ST) and 10k on a Mk1 MX5. I'll be glad to have a fun car again as my main vehicle as I've had 3 years in a Golf GTD (Generally Turgid Diseasal) after a run of more interesting stuff....
Edited by GibsonSG on Tuesday 27th December 11:02
Yeah I'll always poke my head into a renault thread!
It is an odd spec, people do sometimes add weird stuff. We have a customer who has a 265 with a sunroof and grey/black leather but no cup. I wouldn't have an RS Megane without cup at all but he didn't want it!
Looks good, titanium suits it!
It is an odd spec, people do sometimes add weird stuff. We have a customer who has a 265 with a sunroof and grey/black leather but no cup. I wouldn't have an RS Megane without cup at all but he didn't want it!
Looks good, titanium suits it!
Sadly there is no factory method of making 275bhp your standard map
Personally I find the throttle a bit too aggressive for parking/traffic in race mode anyway. Unless you have RSMonitor?
The only alternative is to have it re-mapped. You could get the "standard mode" upped to 275bhp and "sport/race" to 305bhp. Or whichever combination you fancy
Personally I find the throttle a bit too aggressive for parking/traffic in race mode anyway. Unless you have RSMonitor?
The only alternative is to have it re-mapped. You could get the "standard mode" upped to 275bhp and "sport/race" to 305bhp. Or whichever combination you fancy
Nice car
RSTuning in Leeds are supposed to be the place to go for a remap on these.
Although it is annoying being a few bhp down without 'sport' enabled, I find myself using Normal mode in mine more often in day to day driving, due to the smoother throttle. I find sport a bit too aggressive/switch-like. Ideally I'd like to get RSTuning to map it to ~300bhp with a nice linear map - best of both worlds.
How do you find the Fiesta ST Mountune compares?
RSTuning in Leeds are supposed to be the place to go for a remap on these.
Although it is annoying being a few bhp down without 'sport' enabled, I find myself using Normal mode in mine more often in day to day driving, due to the smoother throttle. I find sport a bit too aggressive/switch-like. Ideally I'd like to get RSTuning to map it to ~300bhp with a nice linear map - best of both worlds.
How do you find the Fiesta ST Mountune compares?
Thanks T0M, I'll bear that in mind. I don't want to invalidate my warranty so will probably wait for any remapping work.
It's funny but I don't have an issue with the throttle response in RS mode, however we used to have Subaru's as daily cars - one had a three mode throttle map and I much preferred the Sports Sharp mode in that, which feels like a similar map to RS Mode.
It's a very interesting compare and contrast vs the Fiesta Mountune. I was only talking to my wife about it last night as she's a massive petrolhead and the Fiesta was meant to be her car, but I drive it a LOT!
The Megane feels more "serious" than the Fiesta, in that I find driving quickly is quite relaxed - the car very much feels like it's working for you and is quite flattering to the driver. The Fiesta needs 100% attention at all times as it's very happy to wag its tail at every opportunity. It's far more tail happy than my MX5, for sure. That does make it feel very exciting and engaging all the time though, even at low speeds, whereas the Megane in my view is very benign when just tootling around. I don't consider that a negative, it's quite desirable in a car that has to shift my family and do the role of a business car as well.
We've driven them together back to back and swapped drivers and neither of us can shake the bloody Fiesta when we're in the Megane, but you can see the Fiesta driver working harder by the angle of attitude of the car! The Megane has got a much stronger top end but the Fiesta is gutsier in the mid range, so they're evenly matched on typical A and B roads, but I'd expect the Megane to outrun it in a proper straight line drag to high speeds. They're both on the same tyre brand and model at the moment so that variable can be taken out - they're on Sottozeros as we always see snow where I am and I do a lot of work in North Scotland so consider winter tyres essential at this time of year. Perhaps in summer when the Megane is on PS2 and the Fiesta on Conti Sport 5's I might find the Megane can get away from it on the lanes.
It's funny but I don't have an issue with the throttle response in RS mode, however we used to have Subaru's as daily cars - one had a three mode throttle map and I much preferred the Sports Sharp mode in that, which feels like a similar map to RS Mode.
It's a very interesting compare and contrast vs the Fiesta Mountune. I was only talking to my wife about it last night as she's a massive petrolhead and the Fiesta was meant to be her car, but I drive it a LOT!
The Megane feels more "serious" than the Fiesta, in that I find driving quickly is quite relaxed - the car very much feels like it's working for you and is quite flattering to the driver. The Fiesta needs 100% attention at all times as it's very happy to wag its tail at every opportunity. It's far more tail happy than my MX5, for sure. That does make it feel very exciting and engaging all the time though, even at low speeds, whereas the Megane in my view is very benign when just tootling around. I don't consider that a negative, it's quite desirable in a car that has to shift my family and do the role of a business car as well.
We've driven them together back to back and swapped drivers and neither of us can shake the bloody Fiesta when we're in the Megane, but you can see the Fiesta driver working harder by the angle of attitude of the car! The Megane has got a much stronger top end but the Fiesta is gutsier in the mid range, so they're evenly matched on typical A and B roads, but I'd expect the Megane to outrun it in a proper straight line drag to high speeds. They're both on the same tyre brand and model at the moment so that variable can be taken out - they're on Sottozeros as we always see snow where I am and I do a lot of work in North Scotland so consider winter tyres essential at this time of year. Perhaps in summer when the Megane is on PS2 and the Fiesta on Conti Sport 5's I might find the Megane can get away from it on the lanes.
For road use I find normal pretty good, particularly in winter. I find that traffic, line of sight and licence preservation are the real limitations.
But I can also appreciate that Sport mode too. Staying in normal to start with might make sense while the oil is getting to good operating temp.
There are 5 throttle maps in Sport and off modes btw but only if you have the RS monitor.
But I can also appreciate that Sport mode too. Staying in normal to start with might make sense while the oil is getting to good operating temp.
There are 5 throttle maps in Sport and off modes btw but only if you have the RS monitor.
T0M said:
Thanks for the comparison, high praise indeed for the ickle Fiesta. Keep us updated how you get on with the Meg.
I decided to hold off an update until I had some time with the Meg on its PS2 summer tyres. Inevitably I will compare it to my other two current cars, a lightly modified Mk1 MX5 (1.6 import with LSD) and the Fiesta ST Mountune 215.It's definitely been an interesting few months with the Meg, others have commented that it has a dual character - very benign below 8/10ths but thrilling above that. I can certain vouch for this, but it's a double edged sword compared to the rest of my line up. The Meg is my main daily, and so that last 2/10ths is rarely accessible but when I do get to dig into it, the car is really quite exceptional. In those last 2/10ths it feels better engineered and has a depth of competence that the MX and Fiesta can't match. However, those two fight back by being more fun and more entertaining up to 8/10ths.
The MX is a joy, light, RWD and plain old fashioned fun, but too aged to be daily usable, so it's a fun weekend car that can take my wife and I off on occasional longer jaunts. The Fiesta is the fly in the ointment, serious fun from the first rotation of the wheels - actually rotation is a good term as the little critter wants to hang its tail out everywhere. Plus it's well equipped (fully loaded ST3), has fantastic seats and returns 36 mpg on standard unleaded (the Meg's averaged 26.8 mpg over 6000 miles and seems to only like super unleaded).
I prefer the boostier delivery of the Meg, which is really quite thrilling above 5000 rpm, and sounds even better with the back seats down. The Nav is excellent and Tom Tom live is a great help for my daily work runs around the country. On the downside, I think the headlights are extraordinarily poor for a car with this performance level (I have fitted Osram Nightbreakers for a marginal improvement) and I have a bizarre creaking noise from both doors which I can't tell whether its the door itself or the window. Lubrication of the window guides, window seals or door rubbers doesn't seem to sort it so any advice would be very very welcome. Otherwise the Meg has behaved itself very well, using no oil and having no unpleasant traits aside from the creaking doors/windows.
I'll be interested to see how the relationship develops, so far I'm enjoying the car but feel that the little Fiesta is more fun, more of the time at a lower cost. Unfortunately for me I need a "full sized" hatch in the family for a another 3 - 4 years until my kids have both learned to drive and don't need carting around anymore. The misery they have to ensure in the back of both the Meg and the ST is encouraging them to move along a bit....
It is an almost automatic thing for me now. I just get in, turn it on and then press the sport button. Not ideal but it is also not a huge drag.
I have RS monitor too so I have changed the map aggression which helps to liven it up. Anyone drive the car in full RS mode? Does it offer anything over sport mode other than turning all the safety aids off?
Akrapovic exhaust is now sounding really good after a few thousand miles. Here is mine:-
I have RS monitor too so I have changed the map aggression which helps to liven it up. Anyone drive the car in full RS mode? Does it offer anything over sport mode other than turning all the safety aids off?
Akrapovic exhaust is now sounding really good after a few thousand miles. Here is mine:-
Hitting the button doesn't turn everything off, it just winds them back a bit. You have to hold it down and then it really opens up but genuinely wouldn't do that on the road, always nice to have a little safety net and they are very keen to move into oversteer.
My suggestion to anyone with a mk3 is, get it mapped. The engine feels much happier and they go like the proverbial shanked rodent.
Nice car though OP that colour is imo about the only one (maybe the red too) that suit the new shape.
but genuinely wouldn't do that on the road, always nice to have a little safety net and they are very keen to move into oversteer.My suggestion to anyone with a mk3 is, get it mapped. The engine feels much happier and they go like the proverbial shanked rodent.
Nice car though OP that colour is imo about the only one (maybe the red too) that suit the new shape.
Who did your mapping GrumpyTwig and to what output? I do tend to lightly tune most of my cars but I know Renault are a bit aggressive on their warranty regarding mods so originally thought that I'd wait until it was out of warranty.
Also, either of you had the creaking window issue mentioned above? I've got used to hitting the RS button now so that's no real issue anymore but those windows are driving me bonkers!!
Also, either of you had the creaking window issue mentioned above? I've got used to hitting the RS button now so that's no real issue anymore but those windows are driving me bonkers!!
TorqueDirty said:
I have RS monitor too so I have changed the map aggression which helps to liven it up. Anyone drive the car in full RS mode? Does it offer anything over sport mode other than turning all the safety aids off?
Only ever used it on trackdays, otherwise you find the car starts applying the rear brakes in sweeping corners to stop the back moving around. I always stuck to the linear throttle option since the others are far too jumpy - last thing you want to is to be coming out of a hard braking zone, getting on the throttle and finding that the extreme setting is unbalancing the car. It just affects the traction control, everything else is the same as sport.
GibsonSG said:
Who did your mapping GrumpyTwig and to what output? I do tend to lightly tune most of my cars but I know Renault are a bit aggressive on their warranty regarding mods so originally thought that I'd wait until it was out of warranty.
Also, either of you had the creaking window issue mentioned above? I've got used to hitting the RS button now so that's no real issue anymore but those windows are driving me bonkers!!
RStuning in Leeds, been mapped for a couple years now and it ran 265 stock then 304 mapped, but the power figure isn't half of it. It's the torque than you gain mid range that make it feel like a different engine.Also, either of you had the creaking window issue mentioned above? I've got used to hitting the RS button now so that's no real issue anymore but those windows are driving me bonkers!!
Can't say I've had issues with windows, only thing that creak and moans on mine is the back end but because it's in 'van mode' ( seats out ) at the moment as it's more useful to me that way I hear the noises a lot more.
I really want to chop the mid box on the exhaust because I'm childish and while it gurgles and pops already a lot I think it'd be more fun with more
Edited by GrumpyTwig on Friday 21st April 13:49
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