Renault Avantime - Dear god what have I done.

[Podie]

Abbott said:

Also if every one on here who now swoons over the Avantime had actually bought one they could have doubled the lifetime production run

Head vs heart stuff.

Big Frenchies don't exactly have a reputation for being trouble free, cheap to run or not depreciate like a stone.

[TartanPaint]

ajprice said:

How many of the people swooning over it now didn't have £25k and a driving licence 15 years ago?

In my case, I didn't have kids 15 years ago, so didn't pay the slightest attention to anything with more than 2 seats.

Who knew grown-up cars could be interesting?

Not me. Sadly I bought a new VW when our first offspring was due. I didn't care what it was, because it was only the family wagon, and unworthy of any time spent on test drives or reading yawn-tastic group tests in non-performance car mags. I just got a good deal on a generic estate, thinking I'd run it forever, forget about it, and go back to thinking about the fun things in the fleet instead. I've had it 5 (admittedly trouble-free) years, but on the spreadsheet I'm committed now to another 5 years of drudgery, but I do wish I'd done something a bit more interesting, because I spend the vast majority of my drive time driving the family car, not the fun cars.

Don't be me. Get an interesting family car.

[J.C...]

I still remember the first time I ever saw an Avantime when they first came out - cruising along in the south of France with all the windows down and just thinking “What the hell is that it looks the bks - I’ll definitely get one of them in a few years”

Never did and doubt I ever will now, so please keep this thread updated OP

[Steve421]

Car is still with the garage at the moment, I asked them to give it a once over since I didn't have much of an opportunity to go over it properly. So far they've advised it needs strut top bearings, a rear lambda sensor and new brakes all round. It's taken a little longer as the garage owner very kindly agreed to fit my car in around cars which were already booked in. Hopefully should pick it back up Tuesday or Wednesday and then we'll see how I come on!

[bungz]

Sounds promising if thats the most they could come up with

[VitorioVeloce]

Podie said:

Big Frenchies don't exactly have a reputation for being trouble free, cheap to run or not depreciate like a stone.

Any frenchies megane sized or above for me, i do very much appreciate them, and if i ever get back into company cars i'd take a renault over a german car any day, but i wouldnt spend my own money on a renault, even the two brand new ones i had on lease had their electrical gremlins.

And that is coming from an alfa loving masochist.

[Avantime]

I had a 3 Litre V6 Avantime for nearly 11 years. I bought it when it was just coming up to 18 months old, advertised for £19995. I phoned the Renault dealership and offered £12000. They phoned back 10 mins later and said yes! I battled with Renault after 45k miles as the big end bearing failed - they ended up changing the engine FOC!

Engine aside, it was a brilliant car. Both my boys happily sat in child seats in the rear - the easiest way to put them in was through the side windows!

I put 165k miles on it during my ownership - best car I've ever had. Perfect car for traffic jams, big air mode, auto box. Turned heads like no other car; especially when I went over to France in it.

Used to get through lots of coils. About one a year I reckon.

OP - enjoy it!

[swisstoni]

I had the sister car Vel Satis for about 8 years.
I remember it fondly and often found myself admiring it when returning to a car park full of muggle cars.

[RC1807]

swisstoni said:

I had the sister car Vel Satis for about 8 years.
I remember it fondly and often found myself admiring it when returning to a car park full of muggle cars.

[SloppyClock]

swisstoni said:

I had the sister car Vel Satis for about 8 years.
I remember it fondly and often found myself admiring it when returning to a car park full of muggle cars.

And what were you trying to park, a broomstick?

[swisstoni]

Wow - im being bullied on a thread about old Renaults.

[E24man]

Well done OP on having the same Avantime urges as I (and evidently some others) but obviously considerably bigger plums!

I've always loved the shape, the style and the bugger-it-all-we-are-ze-French sense of purpose of the Avantime; an awesome win of style over substance and all the better, perhaps even twice the better, for it.

Good luck OP and keep all us lesser endowed mortals updated with how you go, and please feel free to lie your ass off about how easy it is keep, how wonderful it is to drive and just how stunning it is to admire.

[carreauchompeur]

What a bonkers, brilliant car- looks like a concept that escaped! Only just seen the 2 doors as well

Good work!

[Nunga]

Why do I find myself searching for Avantimes and Vel Satises now? Also, what’s the collective noun for Vel Satis?

Lovely, quirky car. They’re pretty cheap in Germany; €3,000 gets you a leggy diesel but I’ve found a few V6s with ca. 100,000 miles for less than €7,000!

[gforceg]

Nunga said:

Why do I find myself searching for Avantimes and Vel Satises now? Also, what’s the collective noun for Vel Satis?

Lovely, quirky car. They’re pretty cheap in Germany; €3,000 gets you a leggy diesel but I’ve found a few V6s with ca. 100,000 miles for less than €7,000!

I'd say it should be Vel Sates. You could have crises with your Vel Sates.

[swisstoni]

Nunga said:

Why do I find myself searching for Avantimes and Vel Satises now? Also, what’s the collective noun for Vel Satis?

Lovely, quirky car. They’re pretty cheap in Germany; €3,000 gets you a leggy diesel but I’ve found a few V6s with ca. 100,000 miles for less than €7,000!

I remember my 3.0 Initiale fondly. The level of comfort and design were at least equal to cars in the luxury sector that Renault were targeting at the time. In fact Renault were toying with a whole new luxury brand at the time that was to have been called Initiale.

But, unless you can find one that’s had an incredibly easy life with everything working I would advise against.
I spent a fair bit of money getting the rear suspension quiet (a common issue apparently ) and after a few other niggles over the years, the head gasket of the engine went at about 120k. This only became evident above 60mph when overheating would occur so a quick round the block test drive would not uncover it!

Parts were still readily available from Renault dealers but knowledge of the cars is understandably very sketchy.

[lowdrag]

Here in France I was told that the Matra body could start bending in the middle because it wasn't properly strengthened, Probably just a myth but if you find yourself and the missus all alone one day you know what has happened!

[S100HP]

Pictures. We need more pictures damn it.

[XOcette]

Well done! Lovely, wacky things that only the French would build. A fantastic colour combination too.

I drove one of the press cars in NL, and loved it. Really comfortable, fantastic visibility & just perfect for wafting. I did make the mistake of opening all the glass whilst driving along at about 80kmh and having papers and all manner of other objects flying around the cabin.

Imagine if these had been fitted with something like a Citroen high pressure hydraulic system for brakes, suspension and steering.

[pti]

S100HP said:

Pictures. We need more pictures damn it.