Roadtest: Laguna III (From Community Newsgroup)

Roadtest: Laguna III

11:00am Wednesday 25th June 2008

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THE Laguna is now into its third generation, and you'd expect manufacturers to get things pretty much spot on this far down the line.

And indeed it would seem Renault have taken on board many of the numerous criticisms aimed at the notoriously unreliable Laguna II.

Gone are the infamously dodgy tyre pressure sensors - just good old valves again now - and the flimsy key card which used to malfunction at will has been beefed up and feels much more durable.

Most importantly there's now a 100,000 mile manufactuers warranty, so gearbox woes, blown diesel turbos, puffy intercoolers, and broken suspension should be a a thing of the past for future Laguna owners.

Robert Downes takes a look at the range...

Engines/performance

Reflecting the intended corporate usage of the Laguna, there's three diesels and only two petrols at the moment. Interestingly for diesel fans, there's a 110bhp 1.5 dCi which has super-low emissions putting it in the £35 a year car tax band and good for 57 mpg combined. There's also a 2.0 dCi with 130 bhp, and a more powerful 150 variant. A more powerful 175bhp model is on the cards.

I tested the 140 bhp petrol model, as oposed to the considerbaly more potent, but (bizarrely) auto only, 170 bhp turbo model, and it was quite a flexible performer, particularly lower down the rev range where there's loads of helpful torque. Try as I might, though, the petrol consumption struggled to make 30mpg which these days makes little sense. Handling: If there's one area where the new model dissapoints, it's here. It's stable enough and has bags of grip, but it's no entertainer on a B-road where the steering feels a little detached, and the body control can be sloppy. Motorway networks is where the Laguna III is most at home.

Drive refinement

The new model has a much more engineered feel about it than before. The gear throws are crisp and short, and the peddle action is slick. The steering is a little vague but the car feels well planted well beyond the national limit in this country, and the noise insulation is credible too, so much so at idle the engine note is virtually inaudible. Renault are fixated with comfort, often at the expense of handling, and as such the ride is pretty good. The wide tyres and the cushy damping soothes out all but the worst road surfaces.

Quality

Light years ahead of what came before. Gone are the hard, brittle plastics which was soon creaking in Lag II, in with the soft touch rubber feel. Panel gaps are small and there's a far more upmarket, quality to feel to the dash.

Space and practicality

The Laguna has always been something of a load lugger, and nothing's changed on that score. The boots roughly the same size as before while in the cabin Renault's passion for storage compartments means there's cubby holes everywhere.

Kit

All Laguna IIIs get alloy wheels, even the entry Expression model comes with 16 inchers. All models get a CD player and air-con, a Cat 1 Thatcham alarm, electric windows front and back, electric door mirrors, and a key card which as long as you have on your person allows the car to be opened and started without even inserting it into the dash. The next level up Dynamique model adds sports seats and part leather, cruise control, speed limiter and fogs. Range topping models offer the job lot including Xenon 'see round corner' headlamps, electric front seats, MPS and Bluetooth connectivity for phones, plus full leather.

Safey and security

Renault are up there with Volvo when it comes to safety - and have been since 2001 when the the Lag II was the first ever car to get a full five stars in the NCAP crash testing - and the latest model similarly joins the five star club.

All models still get six airbags as standard, but now with a thorax airbag as a cost extra option. The usual raft of braking features such as brake assist and ABS are there, and in addition all models now come with an electronic stability programme and traction control.

Prices

You can get into a bargain basement Expression model with a 140bhp petrol for £15,940 OTR, while the entry 1.5 diesel is £17,300.

Niggles

Not as good looking as the old model, and the handling fails to ignite any Peta Solberg moments. But if Renault have got the reliability issus which blighted the last model sorted out this is a decent fleet car.

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