Megane 250 Questions
Discussion
roadie said:
Skornogr4phy said:
I'm on the optional Ohlins suspension, and whilst it's very stiff, it's not crashy. The standard cup suspension must be a bit less stiff than this.
Awesome 
Might you be able to provide further feedback on your Megane and how it is to live with in terms of the quality of its interior and hifi etc?
Thanks dude. I did like my time in the Megane. It seemed like a great compromise between all the elements I am looking for (speed, handling, ride comfort, build quality and some practicality).
My concerns are mainly related to cost and value, taking into account that the basic car is essentially a decade old and values are still high with a brand new model fast approaching. Cars were being sold off at £20k and 2015/16 cars are still over £15k.
If the cars I were looking at were a few thousand less, I would feel much more comfortable buying one now. I just feel that some cars are going to take a big hit with depreciation.
My concerns are mainly related to cost and value, taking into account that the basic car is essentially a decade old and values are still high with a brand new model fast approaching. Cars were being sold off at £20k and 2015/16 cars are still over £15k.
If the cars I were looking at were a few thousand less, I would feel much more comfortable buying one now. I just feel that some cars are going to take a big hit with depreciation.
Ignoring the limited editions, the Mk3 Megane is in the ~9 to ~19K price bracket. Depending on age/mileage etc
The new cars have tweaks and come with warranties etc to justify the price I think
If you bought a fully specced 275 Cup-S at 19K today with low miles and drove it for three years until the warranty ran out, I reckon you'd still get ~13K+ for it
2K per year depreciation isn't too bad I don't think for an almost new car as capable as this
Different story if you paid £30K for one brand new, but that's always the case
The new cars have tweaks and come with warranties etc to justify the price I think
If you bought a fully specced 275 Cup-S at 19K today with low miles and drove it for three years until the warranty ran out, I reckon you'd still get ~13K+ for it
2K per year depreciation isn't too bad I don't think for an almost new car as capable as this
Different story if you paid £30K for one brand new, but that's always the case
Please see if you can have a decent go in a Cup. I've done 13k in my 275 Cup-S and it'd definitely one of those cars that you need to put time and effort in to really get the reward. I think the limited slip diff makes a huge contribution to the character of the car, hence why I feel you should have as good a go in a Cup as you can. I've had LSD's on RWD and 4WD cars before but this seems to make much more of a difference on a hot FWD car.
Re: comfort - I've got a duff back and I've just done 442 miles today from Clovullin in Scotland back home to Herefordshire in one sustained hit with just a quick fuel top up at Gretna. The run from Clovullin to the outskirts of Glasgow will be etched on my mind for a long time. More relevantly, my back is spot on, no trouble at all. Mine does have 18" Tibors and the standard Renault seats - I love the look of the Recaro's but feared for my back on the daily grind.
Magical cars, hope your hunt for one goes well.
Re: comfort - I've got a duff back and I've just done 442 miles today from Clovullin in Scotland back home to Herefordshire in one sustained hit with just a quick fuel top up at Gretna. The run from Clovullin to the outskirts of Glasgow will be etched on my mind for a long time. More relevantly, my back is spot on, no trouble at all. Mine does have 18" Tibors and the standard Renault seats - I love the look of the Recaro's but feared for my back on the daily grind.
Magical cars, hope your hunt for one goes well.
If I were to buy a meg again it would be a 250 with the lsd. Id have it remapped at rs tuning and put on decent coilovers with a good fast road setup and good tyres. Some decent recaros like the pole position and not the crappy sportster. Id put the rest of the 20k i spent on mine into something else.
roadie said:
I drove an immaculate 265 Cup yesterday morning. It was so, so impressive. I want it!
I put a deposit down on the car I drove after seeing it in the flesh again and reviewing the paperwork this afternoon. It's a 2012 car with all the options including Recaro seats and is essentially like new. Good stuff.
I'm starting to talk myself out of a big V8 Merc and looking at either a Megane 250 or 265, does anyone have direct experience of the two to say which one is the better prospect? I wouldn't want to buy a 250 if the 265 was considerably better (I know they're essentially the same car but Renault have a habit of making little improvements from model to model like with the 172/182 and it can make a big difference.)
A lot depends on your subjective opinion of the looks to be honest
There are changes across the years, but nothing that absolutely stands out. Slight tweaks to diff settings, changes to the Sat Nav and RSMonitor etc
The biggest differences are between the model variants (Trophy/Cup/Nav/Lux) and the options ticked at the factory
Frankly, a 250 with Cup chassis and Recaros will be almost identical to a 265 with the same options. You can deal with the power via a remap
A lot of the 250s made more power from factory anyway too
Find a car you like the look of (Face lift/None face lift) in the right colour with the right options. Don't worry too much about 250/265/275
There are changes across the years, but nothing that absolutely stands out. Slight tweaks to diff settings, changes to the Sat Nav and RSMonitor etc
The biggest differences are between the model variants (Trophy/Cup/Nav/Lux) and the options ticked at the factory
Frankly, a 250 with Cup chassis and Recaros will be almost identical to a 265 with the same options. You can deal with the power via a remap
A lot of the 250s made more power from factory anyway too
Find a car you like the look of (Face lift/None face lift) in the right colour with the right options. Don't worry too much about 250/265/275
Robmarriott said:
I'm starting to talk myself out of a big V8 Merc and looking at either a Megane 250 or 265, does anyone have direct experience of the two to say which one is the better prospect? I wouldn't want to buy a 250 if the 265 was considerably better (I know they're essentially the same car but Renault have a habit of making little improvements from model to model like with the 172/182 and it can make a big difference.)
Be like chalk and cheese. I think if you were after a V8 Merc then the Meg could be completely the wrong car for you. I say this because I went from a 1.6 Clio on coilovers to an LCI 320d and hated it mainly because of the way you needed to drive the BMW. Point and squirt drive at 10/10ths , sharp turn in etc vs a laid back approach to driving. I dont think the engine was the issue and Id driven 335i's and they weren't any different in terms of driving style. I want an E92 M3 but I honetly think Id regret buying it. I sold it for a MK3 Focus ST which was a step in the right direction, 2 years after that I was in my 275, its irritating to drive slowly or in traffic but a gem on the limit at 8-10/10ths and probably what I was looking for all along.
Id go drive one properly, make sure it has the LSD. RS monitor is also a must for me (I dont have it and wish I did because of the agressive throttle response). Id take or leave every other option aside from cruise control.
I purchased a 6 month old 275 Nav (Cup pack, recaros, 18s). if I were to buy one again with hindsight it would either be an ohlins shod 275 with the rs monitor, or a 250 with a view to having it remapped, exhaust and suspension upgrade (some simple coilovers for road use like the H&R monotubes).
oh I appreciate that it's not going to be a V8 Merc, I wanted an E55 AMG because it's a 470bhp car, not because it'd be a good drive!
I've had a mk2 Focus ST fairly recently with an LSD and I'd expect it to be FAIRLY similar to that, only not quite as agricultural.
I definitely need to drive one, just really wondered if a 265 was worth a few quid over a 250 but it seems they're pretty similar so I'll just go and have a look at a couple if I decide to go for one.
I've had a mk2 Focus ST fairly recently with an LSD and I'd expect it to be FAIRLY similar to that, only not quite as agricultural.
I definitely need to drive one, just really wondered if a 265 was worth a few quid over a 250 but it seems they're pretty similar so I'll just go and have a look at a couple if I decide to go for one.
Robmarriott said:
oh I appreciate that it's not going to be a V8 Merc, I wanted an E55 AMG because it's a 470bhp car, not because it'd be a good drive!
I've had a mk2 Focus ST fairly recently with an LSD and I'd expect it to be FAIRLY similar to that, only not quite as agricultural.
I definitely need to drive one, just really wondered if a 265 was worth a few quid over a 250 but it seems they're pretty similar so I'll just go and have a look at a couple if I decide to go for one.
Comparing both pre-facelift. I've had a mk2 Focus ST fairly recently with an LSD and I'd expect it to be FAIRLY similar to that, only not quite as agricultural.
I definitely need to drive one, just really wondered if a 265 was worth a few quid over a 250 but it seems they're pretty similar so I'll just go and have a look at a couple if I decide to go for one.
The 265 is slightly nicer inside, with some piano black bits and the outside has 6led running lights, rather than the 250's 3. Plus the 265's led bar stay on with the headlights, the 250's don't.
Running gear wise, they're the same.
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