Item: Used Renault Megane Sport Tourer 2016-present
Rating: 3
Author: What Car? Team

The <a href="https://www.whatcar.com/ford/focus/estate/used-review/n943">Ford Focus Estate</a> is a sweet-handling car with a good-sized boot. It’s not quite the tour de force it once was in the handling department, but it’s still a car that will appeal to drivers, as well as families out for a spacious and practical loadlugger.

The <a href="https://www.whatcar.com/volkswagen/golf/estate/used-review/n783">Volkswagen Golf Estate</a> is a more capacious and practical version of this class-leading hatchback. It has a large boot, a supple ride and a well-built interior. It’s great to drive, too, with all the good qualities of the regular Golf hatchback.

<a href="https://www.whatcar.com/used-cars/renault/megane?used=true&amp;amp;nearlynew=true">Find a used Renault Mégane Sport Tourer in the What Car? Classifieds here</a>

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What is it like?

Ownership cost

Advice for buyers

Our recommendations

Alternatives

Estate

Hatchbacks, SUVs, fast cars, electric cars: Renault makes them all, in a variety of shapes and sizes, so it has a line-up designed to tempt pretty much everyone.

From the roadside, the standout feature of them all is the design, with its cars now having a distinctive look that has won the firm a legion of fans for its flair and charm.

To drive and to own, the line-up is typically decent rather than outstanding. Best of the cars when they are rated against rivals are the Kadjar SUV, the fast RS models and the electric Zoe.

With new and used pricing also keen – and Target Price discounts through our New Car Buying marketplace usually more generous than most – there is the opportunity to negotiate an appealing price.

RENAULT

MEGANE

The distinctive Renault Megané Sport Tourer is stylish and sophisticated but not as practical as some of its rivals

Used Renault Megane Sport Tourer 2016-present

The 1.5 dCi 110 diesel is the most economical engine in the range, with a claimed average fuel consumption of 76.4mpg in some trims, corresponding to a CO2 emissions figure of just 96g/km. The best-performing petrol in this respect is the 1.2 TCe 130, which claims an average of 52.3mpg.

Annual car tax will be low for all cars registered before the tax changes of April 2017, but those registered after that date will pay the flat rate charge – currently £140 per year.

Insurance groupings are good for all versions of the Sport Tourer, ranging from group 14 up to 27 for the sporty petrol-engined model.

Renault’s standard warranty is three years and 60,000 miles. When the time comes for servicing, costs should be reasonable. Minor services (which should be carried out every 12 months or 10,000 miles ) cost from £140 for petrols and £190 for diesels.

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The distinctive Renault Megané Sport Tourer is stylish and sophisticated but not as practical as some of its rivals


Around £12,000 is the starting point for this generation of Mégane Sport Tourer. This will get you a late 2016 model with an average mileage for the year and a full history, from a trader or an independent dealer. Step up to between £13,000 and £15,000 and you’ll find 2017 models satisfying the same criteria, while around £18,000 gets you into the territory of nearly new cars from franchised dealers.

The 1.6 dCi diesel 130 has plenty of low-down oomph and good on-paper economy, so we’d seek that out over the others.

We’d also look for Dynamique Nav trim. This has swish night-time ambient interior lighting, power-folding door mirrors and dual-zone climate control. You also get keyless entry, a configurable 7.0in digital instrument display and a 7.0in touchscreen infotainment system equipped with sat-nav.

Our favourite Renault Mégane Sport Tourer: 1.6 dCi 130 Dynamique Nav

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<h2>What we're looking for:</h2><ul><li>Huge boot and excellent practicality</li> <li>Plenty of interior space so you can carry passengers as well as luggage </li> <li>Strong engines to pull a heavily laden car</li> <li>Comfortable ride, especially on the motorway</li> <li>Low running costs for company car drivers</li></ul>

If you’re after bags of space but you don’t want to commit to the van-like dimensions and styling of an MPV, there are some great estate cars on offer that should do the job.

Tricks to look out for include an electric tailgate&nbsp;that opens automatically when you wave your foot under the rear bumper; this is&nbsp;particularly handy if you’re trying to load in a heavy or&nbsp;bulky item. You should also look for handles in the side of the boot itself that can drop down the rear seats; these are much more convenient than having to walk around the side of the car to do it.

There are some terrific estates at most price ranges. The humble Skoda Fabia Estate offers cavernous space for not much cash at all, for example.

Further up the price range, another of our perennial favourites is the Skoda Superb Estate;&nbsp;it’s great to drive and as practical as most people should ever need. Meanwhile, for serious mile-munching ability and a premium, well-finished interior, it’s hard to look beyond the BMW 5 Series Touring.

The Sport Tourer will most likely have been used around town, so it’s worth checking the front and the rear of the car for any scuffs and dents. Check the alloy wheels for kerb damage, too. Make sure all the electrical items in the interior work as they should and that the seats slide and fold properly.

As far as problems go, It’s a little early to find any major ones with this generation of Sport Tourer, but the previous model, which shared a lot of the running gear with this one, had some issues with the diesel particulate filter (DPF) clogging. This is often remedied by going for a long motorway blast to clear the filter out; if that doesn’t fix it, remedial work (if not covered by warranty) can be expensive.

This version of the Mégane just missed our most recent reliability survey, but we expect it to perform in a similar fashion to the previous model, which did pretty well, with an overall score of 83%. Renault as a brand finished 20th out of 32 manufacturers in the latest survey.

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It’s fair to say that successive generations of the <a href="https://www.whatcar.com/renault/megane/hatchback/used-review/n910">Renault Mégane</a> haven't had the impact in the UK that the French brand would have liked. Rivals such as the <a href="https://www.whatcar.com/ford/focus/hatchback/used-review/n345">Ford Focus</a> and <a href="https://www.whatcar.com/volkswagen/golf/hatchback/used-review/n776">Volkswagen Golf</a> are household names that sell in huge numbers, while the Mégane has always been a bit-part player at best in the family car class.

This fourth-generation model hoped to redress the balance by offering a little more style, and nowhere is that more evident than in this handsome estate version, called the Sport Tourer. It offers a useful boost in luggage space and a touch more practicality over the Mégane hatchback, too.

Underneath its sharply styled body is a platform shared with a number of other cars from the current Renault-Nissan-Mitsubishi Alliance. There are four engines available: two petrol units, including the Renaultsport-tweaked turbocharged 1.6-litre engine, and two diesels, driven by either a six-speed manual or dual-clutch automatic gearbox.

On the equipment front, there are six trims to choose from: Expression+, Dynamique Nav, Dynamique S Nav, Signature Nav, GT Line Nav and GT Nav.

The entry-level trim adorns the Mégane as standard with 16in alloy wheels, cruise control, front fog lights, hill start assist and automatic emergency braking as standard, while inside there is a DAB radio, Bluetooth, USB connectivity, air conditioning and electric windows.

Upgrade to Dynamique Nav and you get automatic lights and wipers, electrically adjustable and heated door mirrors, part-leather upholstery, dual-zone climate control, keyless entry and an Arkamys stereo, alongside Renault's R-Link 2 infotainment system complete with a 7.0in touchscreen and TomTom sat-nav.

Dynamique S Nav adds a reversing camera, 17in alloy wheels and an 8.7in portrait touchscreen display to that already-burgeoning package.

Signature Nav models get 18in alloy wheels, leather upholstery and LED headlights, while the GT Line Nav Megané gets a sporty bodykit and sports seats.

The range-topping GT Nav model benefits from all the equipment found on the Signature Nav model, plus four-wheel steering, parking sensors and that Renaultsport tweaked engine.

All the engines push the Sport Tourer around with reasonable verve, especially so the 1.6 petrol engine and its seven-speed dual-clutch automatic gearbox, which turns the car into a bit of a flyer. The diesels have plenty of grunt, even if there is the occasional gruffness to them around town.

One pleasant surprise is the soft and forgiving ride, which makes the Sport Tourer a mostly comfortable car to be in, although it can be caught out by larger potholes and deep ruts. The steering is light and direct, and it corners safely with plenty of grip, even if it’s not as engaging to drive as some of its rivals. However, the sportier GT Nav, which comes with four-wheel steering, is a surprisingly agile thing on winding roads.

Inside, the Sport Tourer is modern and uncluttered, and most of the materials feel of a high quality. The driving position is good, the dashboard and surrounding areas are attractive to look at and the controls are logically arranged.

Space is good, both in the front and rear, but head room is a little limited by the sloping roof, and there are rivals that offer a little more rear leg room. The boot is large enough to take several suitcases, but it’s not as big as the one in the previous Sport Tourer or some rivals.

<a href="https://www.whatcar.com/used-cars/renault/megane?used=true&amp;amp;nearlynew=true">Find a used Renault Megane Sport Tourer in the What Car? Classifieds here</a>

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Used Renault Megane Sport Tourer 2016-present review

Alternatives

What alternatives should I consider to a used Renault Megane estate?