Megane 250 Questions

[anonymous-user]

Hi all,

I've had my mind set on a Mk3.5 Mx5 however I didn't realise for the same money I could pick up a Megane 250! Been doing a fair bit of research but I'm still confused as what the options are and how they are worded in ad titles/how to check when looking at a car.

I obviously want the cup chassis but would also like all the other extras. Would I be right in thinking I'd be looking at a sport but speced with the cup chassis?

The recaro seats look great, are they worth it over the standard seats? I'd like leather on either one but the recaros seem to be thin on the ground.

Also what are the running costs like in general, is it mostly wear and tear items and nothing major? I read about the ball joints being an issue, are these expensive to sort?

Thanks for any advice, it would be much appreciated!

[anonymous-user]

MikeGoodwin said:

From a 275 Nav owner....

They are a 10/10ths car. I would test drive one..... properly. I sometimes wonder why I bought mine as they are uneventful as a commuter car and maybe not all that in a straight line due to the way the power is delivered. Its only when I give the thing absolute death round some twisties I realise why.

RS monitor is essential. I dont have it on my 275 and the aggressive throttle response in sport mode is quite irritating, and in normal mode its not responsive enough. I believe you can alter all the stuff in each mode with the rs monitor.

Recaro sportsters are nice but torture on a long drive. After 2 hours they get uncomfy but these journeys are rare so suit me fine the rest of the time. I wouldnt say they were essential but I wanted them in mine. If I didnt get sportsters I would retrofit recaro pole positions.

Get the Cup chassis if you can. If not then the traction control in mine is excellent and does a good job of limiting power round a corner without being intrusive.. (I have cup chassis as well). Not sure its essential and I wouldnt worry about the firmer ride.

Cant comment on reliability really. Gearboxes sound like train signal junction boxes (another PHers comment not mine) but I understand they are generally reliable. Running costs, 42mpg on a run, I average 260 miles to a tank (£65 of vpower??) and the computer says I average 21mpg. I like to open the thing up frequently. I dont think there are any serious costs involved. £550 a set of tyres for 18" 245 Supersports. Brakes on the cup chassis maybe a little more expensive than I would like.

That's my small worry, I liked the idea of being able to exploit the MX5 at low speed but the lack of power when I want it puts me off slightly. Where the reverse is going to be true for them 250, it will be a lot of fun when stretching it but mundane on a commute. However I sort of like the Jekyll and Hyde nature as you can potter around when you're tired, quite common after my 12 hour shifts, but give it a real blast when not.

Ah ok I'd like to get the RS monitor as the SAT NAV will be of zero use to me.

I'd fear that about the Recaros, the last thing I'd want is an uncomfy seat on a longer journey. For me the Recaros look great and add that sporty feel while the regular seats look hideous. However I can imagine the leather seats with heating being comfortable without losing much other than looks, am I right in thinking this? Certainly will have to try each out.

According to the site I'm looking at the 18"s are 235 for the 250 and I wouldn't want the 19"s as they look naff and certainly will ruin the ride. Any idea the price on brake items, everywhere keeps mentioning expensive but no figures quoted. I paid £50 per disc and £40 for pads on my 330ci which I thought was fine, but I'm guessing the 250 with cup will be a lot more?

I definitely will go for a Cup chassis as it seems rather pointless without one in my opinion, coupled with 18"s, RS Monitor and xenon's/parking sensors would be my must haves.

Thanks for the reply

[anonymous-user]

Thanks for the feedback all, much appreciated. Going to have to go away and think about it and get a test drive when the weather is a bit nicer. I'm drawn mostly towards the Mx5 for cheap motoring fun, the Mk3 can be had for 5k so I might cut my budget and take one of those if I do decide to go for it. The Mk3.5 puts me in direct competition with the 250 which seems like a lot to spend on an Mx5 at the moment.