Any new Megane RS 280/300 owners?

[The Rotrex Kid]

Does it have red brake calipers?

[justin220]

No silver?

[The Rotrex Kid]

It’s a non cup then.

I would personally only have one with cup. It’s personal preference though

The auto drives better than the manual IMO, gear change on the manual is botchy and the handbrake position is bot great. The auto gets electronic handbrake, much better.

[TheFungle]

2020 280 Cup here with the manual box.

Looking back I wish I'd gone for the auto, the manual isn't horrendous but it is the weak spot in an otherwise awesome package.

If gear change is important to you, for sure I'd be taking it for a test drive as it's the kind of thing that could niggle away at your enjoyment.

I've just had my fuel pump replaced under warranty, they are a known weak point and will render the car immediately undriveable and there is no prior warning of them being on the way out. I've been without the car for four weeks but fortunately Renault sorted me with a hire car.

I drive gently most of the time and tyres still wear pretty quickly, if you are an 'aggressive everywhere' driver you'll be getting to know your local tyre dealer.

Servicing is reasonable but it does need the full Renault service every 12 months unlike the regular Megane which is A/B/A/B etc.

Fabulous cars and ferociously capable.

[irish boy]

The seem difficult to sell if not yellow or orange?

There’s a black trophy for sale locally which looks nice, been reduced around 3k over the last few months but still there. Same for a white one.

[justin220]

I'll be honest I wouldn't want a manual, more for if the wife is going to use it.

[TheFungle]

The seating position is also a little strange.

It's perfectly comfortable but the placement and angle of the wheel, gear stick, pedals and seat height don't seem to quite match up.

For me the wheel could do with being angled slightly towards me and the pedals moved slightly further back.

[RS_MAN_CHILD]

justin220 said:

Hello all, I'm possibly going to be joining the Megane owners fold soon, in fact I'm going to see a 280 model tomorrow night.

Is there anything particular I should look out for? The car itself seems very well spec'd but missing the Recaro options which I would have preferred. Any problem areas I should be looking out for? Or anything I should be aware of when driving?

Thanks

Things to look for: Has it had any recalls done? Check the reg no online for that! Some needed a replacement fuel pump. Get it up on a vehicle ramp if possible look at the inner lip of the front tyres (that's where all the wear happens due to 4 Control steering system). Impossible to easily see if worn down to the cords unless you have a good look at the extreme edge while turning the steering fully!

Rear tyres last forever literally you will get 15-20K miles out of them....fronts however depending on driving style might only last 10-12K miles or a bit more if your not a very sporty driver!

Auto is actually the best box as ultra reliable & no worries about the POs mis timing gear changes throwing all that torque into the bearings & clutch (which are a weak spot on the manual but EDC is pretty reliable & also awesome the way RS time the changes in race mode its ultra low latency on kick down!).

Tonic Orange is an awesome colour (its liquid yellow underneath! with orange top coat layer). Mine is liquid yellow top coat over tonic orange LOL

That's the secret to how Renault achieve the fantastic triple layer pearl finish (2 different colour top coats so tricky to match for stone chips or minor damage resprays as 5 actual different colour layers of paint).

2018 spec 280 will not have a DESS battery it will have a normal battery so no issues there.

Look for a full service history as oil changes are essential every 12K miles.

Check for any signs of coolant leaks as can be expensive to fix or sign the engine has been overheating leading to costly failures!

If the RS is highly modded or has any map on it I would be a bit careful as potentially it means its been thrashed so might need extra care & associated costs.

Engines are actually bulletproof only heard of 1 in the entire UK with an issue which was caused by Renault assembling the internals the wrong way round at the factory so the owner got a new engine (his was a new RS anyway they had no choice!).

Another one I heard of was caused by the owner thrashing it without a proper warm up so he cracked the cylinder head......always wait a good 10-15 mins of road useage for oil temps to rise before going full monty!

The engine is built with Nissan GTR internals so very very strong it was part of the Nissan - Renault alliance!

Getrag EDC Dual Wet Clutch box (6DCT450 DW6 ) is also bulletproof & awesome! keep to 455nm or under though that's its limit according to RS mastertechs!

2018 RS280 is 400nm, that's plenty of torque for UK roads & speed limits!
https://www.eco-torque.co.uk/renault-edc-dct

Front LEDs are super super bright they really are! but not cheap to replace if blown €1200 each apparently!

4 Control is the real star it provides immense cornering ability & stability allowing you to take corners far beyond what most other vehicles can meaning you will have one of the best cornering cars in the entire world!

Recaro are not very comfortable tbh so thats fine as you say it has Alcantara which is super comfortable.

Plenty of boot space for shopping & luggage etc etc.
3 kids can easily sit in the back or 2 adults plus 1 child.
Very roomy inside.

If you want a super hot hatch then this is a very safe choice as its also been awarded 5* on all the NCAP tests apparently making it one of the safest cars to own (hopefully you never ever need those features but peace of mind for your family when they are with you).

Phase 2 RS MK4 would be a slightly better choice but also going to cost you a fair bit more.

Hope you get it mate & can come for a few drive outs if south east or london based as so few seem to actually use their RS much most are garage queens sadly!

Ask away if you have any other questions!

[justin220]

Brilliant stuff, thanks for all that. Never realised that's how liquid yellow was used..

Servicing.. what are the big services on them, and when are they scheduled?

[Wonderman]

Butter Face said:

@ justin Appreciate it's for 300 but assume servicing is the same

[justin220]

Fantastic, thanks

[Luke.]

My front tyres lasted 3500 miles on my 300 and that was pretty much just driving around town. And not in tttish way.

[Wonderman]

Luke. said:

My front tyres lasted 3500 miles on my 300 and that was pretty much just driving around town. And not in tttish way.

The lease had SportContact6 I presume in concrete OEM compound I managed 15k, which is annoying as went for full maintenance assuming 5k at 18k with originals on the back...

[framerateuk]

Luke. said:

My front tyres lasted 3500 miles on my 300 and that was pretty much just driving around town. And not in tttish way.

My first 2 tyres lasted about 4k miles, I hit a pothole on the way home and took out both wheels on the passenger side!

Ended up switching to PS4S, which were great to be fair. Had another pair of those afterwards (at say 12k), I just hit 18k and I've replaced the fronts again for a set of Eagle F1 Assy 6 - as the PS4S had gone up in price a lot and the car isn't going anywhere near a track so the F1's should do the job.

[RS_MAN_CHILD]

justin220 said:

Brilliant stuff, thanks for all that. Never realised that's how liquid yellow was used..

Servicing.. what are the big services on them, and when are they scheduled?

Would not worry much about servicing these cars are bullet proof just stick to every 12K miles for oil, oil filter & cabin filter.

Keep a regular eye on other under the bonnet fluids & top ups for coolant (not very often depends on ambient air temps & where the car is parked in the sun or in the shade but makes minimal difference).

Oil needs about 250ml every1-2 months but all depends on how hard you drive if your not a fast driver its probably like most cars every 3 months it needs a little oil top up now & again. Its an ultra high performance engine so keep between the mid & high point on the dipstick!

Just check regular say every 1-2 weeks avoids costly bills if you spring a leak or it drops a bit lower due to atmospheric conditions & causes excess wear on something!

Also check tyre pressures on a regular basis. 33psi fronts 30 psi rears on cold tyres. I find my left rear only drops a few psi when parked in the shade & not used for a week or so. If you maintain the correct tyre pressures it affects fuel consumption & tyre life a little!

Front brake pads should last at least 12-18 months. It all depends on how much of a heavy braker you are! If heavy then 12 months is the average lifespan before they get too low!

Rear pads & discs should last a good 2-3 years. Front discs depend on useage but I still think 2 years minimum.

Keep an eye on brake fluids as the pads wear this need topping a little now & again.

All this maintenance stuff BTW you can DIY to save paying Renault the OTT prices they want. None of it is hard its all very easy to find, reach & do!

[The Rotrex Kid]

RS_MAN_CHILD said:

Tonic Orange is an awesome colour (its liquid yellow underneath! with orange top coat layer). Mine is liquid yellow top coat over tonic orange LOL



Engines are actually bulletproof only heard of 1 in the entire UK with an issue which was caused by Renault assembling the internals the wrong way round at the factory so the owner got a new engine (his was a new RS anyway they had no choice!).

Another one I heard of was caused by the owner thrashing it without a proper warm up so he cracked the cylinder head......always wait a good 10-15 mins of road useage for oil temps to rise before going full monty!

The engine is built with Nissan GTR internals so very very strong it was part of the Nissan - Renault alliance!

I would like to see your sources for these?

I’m pretty sure that Volcanic Orange is not sprayed over a LY base, it’s a completely different colour, it’s an orange with a tinted lacquer IIRC.

There have definitely been more than 2 engines replaced, we did one on an 18 plate 280 that went pop at just under a year old, a £7k bill IIRC.

I have no idea why anyone would think they have any GTR jnternals?! It’s a completely different configuration of engine/size. What internal parts could be shared between an I4 1.8 and a V6 3.8?!

Happy to be corrected.

[justin220]

Thanks again everyone. Agreed a deal on the Orange 280. It is absolutely immaculate. I'm quite picky and even I struggled to find anything wrong with it.

Very well spec'd from what I can tell, and it's a credit to the current owner.

He's still to take his plate off it before I can pick it up, and will post some more pics when I do.

[nickfrog]

The Rotrex Kid said:

I would like to see your sources for these?

I’m pretty sure that Volcanic Orange is not sprayed over a LY base, it’s a completely different colour, it’s an orange with a tinted lacquer IIRC.

There have definitely been more than 2 engines replaced, we did one on an 18 plate 280 that went pop at just under a year old, a £7k bill IIRC.

I have no idea why anyone would think they have any GTR jnternals?! It’s a completely different configuration of engine/size. What internal parts could be shared between an I4 1.8 and a V6 3.8?!

Happy to be corrected.

I think he means the plasma coating for the cylinder bores.

[RS_MAN_CHILD]

justin220 said:

Thanks again everyone. Agreed a deal on the Orange 280. It is absolutely immaculate. I'm quite picky and even I struggled to find anything wrong with it.

Very well spec'd from what I can tell, and it's a credit to the current owner.

He's still to take his plate off it before I can pick it up, and will post some more pics when I do.

Great news mate what area are you anyway we have to meet for a driveout if your not too far away once your settled with the RS!

[framerateuk]

The Rotrex Kid said:

There have definitely been more than 2 engines replaced, we did one on an 18 plate 280 that went pop at just under a year old, a £7k bill IIRC.

I have no idea why anyone would think they have any GTR jnternals?! It’s a completely different configuration of engine/size. What internal parts could be shared between an I4 1.8 and a V6 3.8?!

100% no parts shared with a GTR. Totally different engine family. I assume he means the ceramic coating.

There have definitely been more engine issues than that, especially given early cars all had to have the recall to stop oil starvation.

Bad things? The alarm, the same as my Clio 220, has a mind of its own. Sometimes it just goes off when you unlock the car. Never happened on the 250 Cup, but happens fairly often with the 220T/280. Stereo is a bit rubbish even with the Bose upgrade (it was on the previous gens too though, so no real surprise there).

I've had no issues with mine at all, though I would say, while it's better built than the MK3 Megane, I found the 250 Cup more fun to drive.