RE: Shed of the Week: Renault Laguna GT
Discussion
I have one at the moment. There is a lot good about it, ride handling compromise is excellent, goes well in the midrange but power goes out early and fast. Seats and driving position are excellent, lots of kit. Hasn't exactly been a paragon of reliability but mine was only 400 quid with 65k on the clock. Renaults from this era are pretty shocking to be fair but the basics on the car are very good. I think it's a decent shape, prettier than most of the similar cars of its era 
Every time I plug one of those engines into the diagnostic, I chuckle like a schoolboy...
It's not just the endless list of codes (there's always an endless list of codes - it's a Renault!) - it's the engine designation...
It's an F4Rt
You need to be brave to buy a Renault of this era tho - mechanically they're not terrible but electrically they're nightmarish so make sure everything works ESPECIALLY the central locking and key reader - you want multiple keys and treat them like they're made of delicate china (they're actually weaker than that and much more expensive to replace)
It's not just the endless list of codes (there's always an endless list of codes - it's a Renault!) - it's the engine designation...
It's an F4Rt
You need to be brave to buy a Renault of this era tho - mechanically they're not terrible but electrically they're nightmarish so make sure everything works ESPECIALLY the central locking and key reader - you want multiple keys and treat them like they're made of delicate china (they're actually weaker than that and much more expensive to replace)
Edited by 406dogvan on Saturday 21st April 02:44
When selecting my last shed a year ago, a 205gt estate caught my eye.
What amazed me was that I could get a 200bhp 10 year old well specced car for £1.5k.
A ford equivalent (mondeo 2.5t of titanium flavour) was circa £3k, as was octavia vrs, bmw 325 or merc estate well above £4k. To get the same power for price, you had to go much older, to the generation of cars pre sat nav, back to the late 90s.
There's a saying "the market knows best". So I began to wonder what the "market" knew that I didn't.
Still, having said that the market "knows" white audi generic diesel whatever-line are "premium", so we don't always see eye to eye...
I recall earlier laguna petrol turbos were just branded 2.0T and had bhp somewhere below 200 (though same f4rt engine). Also that the fart engine was not particularly tuneable, unlike the vag 1.8t or various jap turbo variants
Ian
What amazed me was that I could get a 200bhp 10 year old well specced car for £1.5k.
A ford equivalent (mondeo 2.5t of titanium flavour) was circa £3k, as was octavia vrs, bmw 325 or merc estate well above £4k. To get the same power for price, you had to go much older, to the generation of cars pre sat nav, back to the late 90s.
There's a saying "the market knows best". So I began to wonder what the "market" knew that I didn't.
Still, having said that the market "knows" white audi generic diesel whatever-line are "premium", so we don't always see eye to eye...
I recall earlier laguna petrol turbos were just branded 2.0T and had bhp somewhere below 200 (though same f4rt engine). Also that the fart engine was not particularly tuneable, unlike the vag 1.8t or various jap turbo variants
Ian
Ian Geary said:
Also that the fart engine was not particularly tuneable, unlike the vag 1.8t or various jap turbo variants
Ian
The f4rt gets 70 more bhp in the Megane RS, and I'm sure more could be coaxed out of it with the right injectors, turbo, and mapping. I'd say that's pretty tuneable.Ian
Salamura said:
Ian Geary said:
Also that the fart engine was not particularly tuneable, unlike the vag 1.8t or various jap turbo variants
Ian
The f4rt gets 70 more bhp in the Megane RS, and I'm sure more could be coaxed out of it with the right injectors, turbo, and mapping. I'd say that's pretty tuneable.Ian
The 275bhp from the latest generation is probably not that easy to replicate on the older versions for under, say £1,000.
This is in context to marques like Saab aeros, where dialling up bigger bhps is pretty straight forward. My old toyota 3S-GTE produced an extra 40 bph just via filter / decat / ss exhaust and colder plugs (dyno'd before and after).
Hey ho, things have probably moved on these days now though
It's still a good shed.
Ian
hungry horace said:
ha, was wondering when one of these would pop up...I've ran 3 of these, albeit in 2.0dCi form, which knock out 175ish as standard. (allegedly the highest powered 4pot diesel at the time).
for those myths about all Renaults are unreliable etc,
first one - sold at 115k.
second one - scrapped just shy of 270k due to turbo failure and car generally getting tatty.
current one - bought at 100k, now on 216k, did 800 miles yesterday and going (back home) to france next month for a fortnights tour.
mine takes me all over the UK and relatively speaking, have never had anything major fail. I had a gearbox, clutch and flywheel overhaul last year bit this was planned and, although an expensive, still resulted in a years cheap "budget" motoring. other jobs are tyres, brakes and a 12-16wk service, but genuinely with a 10yr old Renault on 50k/year, this is about the lot.
Great shed - they are actually very reliable, i love that people think they are not as it keep Renaults cheaper for me. - the older mk2 2001-2003 were meant to have a few issues but after a mild update in 2004 they sorted them. ( i had a 54 plate petrol , now a 2007) some of the issues were with the 1.9 diesel and a 18000 service interval that people still missed and expect it to be reliable.for those myths about all Renaults are unreliable etc,
first one - sold at 115k.
second one - scrapped just shy of 270k due to turbo failure and car generally getting tatty.
current one - bought at 100k, now on 216k, did 800 miles yesterday and going (back home) to france next month for a fortnights tour.
mine takes me all over the UK and relatively speaking, have never had anything major fail. I had a gearbox, clutch and flywheel overhaul last year bit this was planned and, although an expensive, still resulted in a years cheap "budget" motoring. other jobs are tyres, brakes and a 12-16wk service, but genuinely with a 10yr old Renault on 50k/year, this is about the lot.
I've got a Gt175 2.0dCI one of these - i think they are rarer than this Petrol one. (looks identical) You are correct in 2006 when launched it was the highest output 2.0 Diesel in production. It is very quiet for this era engine as it has balancer shafts over the 150hp variant. My friends 2009 2.0 BMW sounds more ' transit van like '
I'm interested to know what you had to replace on the 270k one, that is good going. I am currently on 117k and am thinking must be something to replace soon. I've had it 5.5 years and done over 80k miles myself. Its very reliable and never had electrical problems. Never had any big ticket items fail yet. - the only thing to watch for on cars like this is the parts pricing and availability - I did have to replace the front springs at 95k - it was a Renault only part(so £100 each and 5 days) same as the shocks.
markfrst said:
I'm interested to know what you had to replace on the 270k one, that is good going
hi, the 270k scrapped one needed, over course of 5-6yr heavy-use ownership;- front brake caliper which seized during driving at about 200k,
- handbrake cable snapped, which on the electric systemn needed a new mechanism. apparently this is positioned near the rear axle and gets all sorts of road moisture / contamination and is fairly common,
- 2/3 sets of rear subframe bushes,
- xenon bulb at an eye watering £90,
- voice activation stalk failed (internal wiring catches on the indicator canceller and breaks through)
- boot switch (which shorts as it is directly under the bootlid drain hole...),
- the turbo finally blew after months of smoking, so was hardly unexpected; the issue was sourcing one which was NOT a 150 unit, sourced a NOS item online from A and got my local garage B to fit it. it failed again 100 miles later, and A blamed B for the fitment, B blamed A for the part. knowing the car was getting tatty on such mileage I decided life was too short, scrapped it, and bought the current 175.
current one is one 217k and, other than the gearbox / clutch / flywheel overhaul (£1400!) its been absolutely faultless thus far; previous poster mentioned the equivalent kit in circa 200bhp would be a £30k spend today; or you try a find a sensible lease for 50k/year mileages. hence not minding to spend what is uneconomical repairs on the car itself, but in my view, sensible against a bigger picture.
oh, and curiously, i've also gone though 2 rear tourer screens - don't know if you noted, but this part opens like a range rover's boot; and it basically hinged via the pistons. in hot weather this can fatigue the glass and bizarrely cause the window to smash without warning. I had two go, luckily both whilst parked with no dog in the back!
hope this helps!
Edited by hungry horace on Monday 23 April 16:58
Hi. Sorry to post on this thread a year later. I have a Mark III GT205 for sale, which has the same powertrain as Mark II but fsr superior in every other way - 4 wheel steering, germanic interiors and excellent reliability (compared to Mark II)
It deserves some one who would enjoy it. Thanks
https://www.pistonheads.com/classifieds/used-cars/...
It deserves some one who would enjoy it. Thanks
https://www.pistonheads.com/classifieds/used-cars/...
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