Any new Megane RS 280/300 owners?

[sorrento205]

well my '19 Trophy has just gone back to lease co. Have to say I've thoroughly enjoyed the last 22 months of motoring. I'll miss the pops and bangs the most!
Never had an issue with the battery (i couldn't bring myself to type this before the car was no longer mine!)

[Luke.]

sorrento205 said:

well my '19 Trophy has just gone back to lease co. Have to say I've thoroughly enjoyed the last 22 months of motoring. I'll miss the pops and bangs the most!
Never had an issue with the battery (i couldn't bring myself to type this before the car was no longer mine!)

My battery's been a right pain, so you've done well.

What's next?

[sorrento205]

GR Yaris collected from the dealer yesterday

[Luke.]

sorrento205 said:

GR Yaris collected from the dealer yesterday

Fantastic. Really would love to know how they compare. Does the GR feel much faster? I can imagine the handling's in a different league.

[irish boy]

Luke. said:

Fantastic. Really would love to know how they compare. Does the GR feel much faster? I can imagine the handling's in a different league.

The gr does feel punchier but not drastically so. The megane handles slightly better in my opinion, flatter and more steering feel. In the wet obviously the Yaris brutalises the road but has more roll. More like the Subarus of old, where the megane (cup) is more scalpel sharp.

[Luke.]

irish boy said:

The gr does feel punchier but not drastically so. The megane handles slightly better in my opinion, flatter and more steering feel. In the wet obviously the Yaris brutalises the road but has more roll. More like the Subarus of old, where the megane (cup) is more scalpel sharp.

Thanks for that. Interesting. So a bit of horses for courses sort of thing?

[Frimley111R]

Luke. said:

Does the GR feel much faster? I can imagine the handling's in a different league.

I wouldn't expect that at all. Renault is a master of handling, Toyota isn't. Unless you meant a lower league.

[resolve10]

Frimley111R said:

I wouldn't expect that at all. Renault is a master of handling, Toyota isn't. Unless you meant a lower league.

I was also surprised by that comment, unless he was confusing handling with traction/grip.

[sorrento205]

Luke. said:

Fantastic. Really would love to know how they compare. Does the GR feel much faster? I can imagine the handling's in a different league.

From my test drive, acceleration was on a par. grip was obviously far superior in the GRY. I haven't pushed on much in a GRY to comment on the handling, I haven't exactly felt the difference in weight yet either (circa 200kg?). The 3cyl lump is phenomenally good at disguising itself as something bigger from low down and then it just wants to keep revving, it's very hard to be sensible whilst running in...
And I think the GRY is also stiffer (crashy) than the Trophy over broken roads.

[nickfrog]

Frimley111R said:

I wouldn't expect that at all. Renault is a master of handling, Toyota isn't. Unless you meant a lower league.

I am pretty sure the largest car maker in the world with amazing motorsport pedigree can afford to ask a couple of engineers to make a car handle as well as as RS product. There is also a massive element of subjectivity in handling. My GT86 certainly handled very well. I can't see any reason why the Yaris wouldn't handle well.

[gutbobs]

While people are on the topic of handling, one of the main criticisms of the car at launch (and reiterated with the face lift and mentioned in the cup-s Vs CTR article) is the four wheel steering being unpredictable.

I've had a Trophy since June 2019 and while I probably don't drive mine hard enough to have felt this as an issue (and maybe spending my own money means I can't be objective enough about it), but I've never seen anybody other than a journalist make this complaint. What do others think?

[paddy1970]

gutbobs said:

While people are on the topic of handling, one of the main criticisms of the car at launch (and reiterated with the face lift and mentioned in the cup-s Vs CTR article) is the four wheel steering being unpredictable.

I've had a Trophy since June 2019 and while I probably don't drive mine hard enough to have felt this as an issue (and maybe spending my own money means I can't be objective enough about it), but I've never seen anybody other than a journalist make this complaint. What do others think?

I would not pay too much attention to journalists as they are given prepared cars....more bhp&Nm/less or more sound deadening/different suspension settings...the list goes on...if you think they have managed to con us with the dieselgate....they have conned us for even longer about test reviews.

[Zarco]

paddy1970 said:

gutbobs said:

While people are on the topic of handling, one of the main criticisms of the car at launch (and reiterated with the face lift and mentioned in the cup-s Vs CTR article) is the four wheel steering being unpredictable.

I've had a Trophy since June 2019 and while I probably don't drive mine hard enough to have felt this as an issue (and maybe spending my own money means I can't be objective enough about it), but I've never seen anybody other than a journalist make this complaint. What do others think?

I would not pay too much attention to journalists as they are given prepared cars....more bhp&Nm/less or more sound deadening/different suspension settings...the list goes on...if you think they have managed to con us with the dieselgate....they have conned us for even longer about test reviews.

None the less, personally I'm still interested if any owners have found the rear wheel steering an issue.

[sorrento205]

In 22months it only took me by surprise once or twice. The rest of the time it was either unnoticeable or on the right roundabouts it felt ace with flashbacks of lift off oversteer from my 205 GTi days.

[Luke.]

Zarco said:

None the less, personally I'm still interested if any owners have found the rear wheel steering an issue.

I've barely noticed it at all to be honest.

[resolve10]

It's something you get used to very quickly. When I drive the wife's Mini now it feels wooly and vague by comparison, and Mini in isolation are a decent steer. I would guess this is why journalists found the Megane twitchy.

[SykesAJ]

I believe the 4WS behaves differently depending on drive mode. In Neutral and Sport the counter-steering stops at thirty-something, but in Race it continues up to sixty-something. In Race I find the car feels very quick to turn-in, it's darty, but doesn't feel inconsistent to me. It's quite a marked change in character going up to Race, as though the wheelbase has shrunk! It's most noticeable to me when you flick it around rather than driving smoothly, as though the system reacts differently to quicker steering inputs, though I've no idea if that's the case or not. Personally I've never been surprised by it or found it unnatural at all, the car just always feels super-agile.

To be honest I notice the 4WS most when manoeuvring - it's got a crackers small turning circle and I think it works in reverse too!

[Frimley111R]

nickfrog said:

Frimley111R said:

I wouldn't expect that at all. Renault is a master of handling, Toyota isn't. Unless you meant a lower league.

I am pretty sure the largest car maker in the world with amazing motorsport pedigree can afford to ask a couple of engineers to make a car handle as well as as RS product. There is also a massive element of subjectivity in handling. My GT86 certainly handled very well. I can't see any reason why the Yaris wouldn't handle well.

Well I would have too but for whatever reason none of the world's manufacturers seem to bother, mostly. Toyota should be able to make it handle as well, but that's a definite 'should'.. However, the poster above was saying something about the GRY being in a different league to the RSM which is very very unlikely.

[Marcus_a]

6500miles for my front tyres.... what did you manage?

[TheFungle]

SykesAJ said:

I believe the 4WS behaves differently depending on drive mode. In Neutral and Sport the counter-steering stops at thirty-something, but in Race it continues up to sixty-something. In Race I find the car feels very quick to turn-in, it's darty, but doesn't feel inconsistent to me. It's quite a marked change in character going up to Race, as though the wheelbase has shrunk! It's most noticeable to me when you flick it around rather than driving smoothly, as though the system reacts differently to quicker steering inputs, though I've no idea if that's the case or not. Personally I've never been surprised by it or found it unnatural at all, the car just always feels super-agile.

To be honest I notice the 4WS most when manoeuvring - it's got a crackers small turning circle and I think it works in reverse too!

Easiest car I've ever had to parallel park!

I notice 4WS the most when executing 90 degree turns in town. Relatively rare that I drive it aggressively in Race to really benefit.