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Renault Megane IV, is a car you buy because it looks better than Salma Hayek and because it’s more reliable than a bottle of V33, because V33 will be with you even when the money runs out and the rest of the bottles are gone.

 The second-generation Megane was a relatively reliable and good-looking car. In fact, it still looks good today, and it’s gotten into a price range that even a beginner living with parents and working part-time can afford it. Then came the third generation, which was even more reliable.

Renault Megane IV, the car that dropped the salesman’s hat and started being the serious car. Still, can it be serious when it looks so good that I need tissues when I see it on the street?

But at least it has an air quality sensor that shows you how polluted the city you live in is. Except in London, where the sensor says directly: “off the charts…”

And you also get a car that’s the pretty high up in terms of reliability. After the tragi-comic episode with the Laguna II, Renault started pumping money into reliability and this was seen in both the Laguna III and the Megane III and pretty much all the cars in the range and generation. Oddly enough, the eaters of garlic baguettes and dubious sexuality have actually managed to make reliable cars, and the Renault Megane IV takes the image even further.

Renault Megane IV engines

Petrol

• 1.2 TCe of 100 and 130 horsepower – The Renault-Nissan wonder child, which unfortunately didn’t have the same success as the Stevie wonder child. Ridiculed for its small size, this engine was a serious discord apple for the two companies. Personally, I would say no because you risk 5 liters of oil consumption every 1000 km with this engine and a start/stop system that is permanently set only on stop.


• 1.3 TCe of 115, 140, and 160 horsepower – A more fantastic engine than the SunStroke Project, this turbocharged petrol was initially launched on the Megane III GT and is currently making waves on all body styles where it’s fitted, especially the Duster. A modern engine for modern times.


• 1.6 SCe of 115 horsepower  – The final hurrah for the naturally aspirated engine comes and sits at the Renault Megane IV table, usually in the nostalgia corner. The sort of guy who’s afraid of technology and doesn’t have bank cards because that’s where the devil’s work is. The kind of man who watches Midsomer Murders. The kind of man who has no qualms with having a reliable but slow engine.


• 1.6 Turbo 205 horsepower  – Available only in the GT version of the Renault Megane IV, this engine sits halfway down the middle. More muscular than the 1.3 Turbo but slimmer than the RS, the Megane IV GT doesn’t even get the sporty toys of the RS. It’s just a Megane IV on steroids. At least you get that delicious 4-Wheel-Steering which is worth all those expensive repairs.


• 1.8 RS with 280 and 300 horsepower – The Renault Megane IV RS is a car so different it deserves its own article.

Diesel

• 1.5 dCi of 90, 95, 110, and 115 horsepower – The same K9K we’ve become accustomed to from the good old days. Arriving today somewhere near the end of its career, this K9K is distinguished by the AdBlue system so watch out for the AdBlue level. A simple engine that should have all its issues fixed since it’s over 25 years old.


• 1.6 dCi with 130 and 165 horsepower – If the K9K is the village bicycle of garlic stick eaters, this 1.6 dCi comes straight from the garden of rice eaters. Available in 130 for the poor and 165 for the GT version, this diesel was retired in 2018. The single turbo 130 version is foine, but the 165 twin-turbo is feeling glonky and doesn’t really accept the 2nd turbo and so it rejects it frequently.


• 1.7 dCI 150-horsepower – Launched 5 minutes ago, it’s premature to talk about its reliability. What is certain is that it wants to be a combination of 1.6 dCi and 2.0 dCi, so the pressure put on this engine is so great that it can either be a blockbuster or as good as a spilled bottle of Moet.

Renault Megane IV  General issues

• All diesel engines are upgraded to the latest standards and that means you have a more sensitive particulate filter than a public servant being bothered by a customer at exactly 2 hours prior to closing and so now his day is ruined and dissapointment is inmeasurable. On top of that, you get an AdBlue system to look after and an AdBlue pump which fails.


• The automatic EDC box seems to have gotten rid of past issues but that doesn’t mean you can neglect the maintenance of the box like water is neglected at a dorm party. The trouble free 2nd generation EDC arrived in 2017 so I would still avoid 2016 models.


• As with Scenic III, the baking tray of an dashboard has a tendency to catch heat when the climate relay is broken. Rendering good only for Duchess potatoes baking.


• The french are back at it again with the loonacy and so you need to replace the wheel hub also when you replace the braking discs. Because Renault. 


• As I mentioned earlier, the 4 Control system is great when it works, and expensive when it doesn’t. And it does tend to not work.

Renault Megane IV Verdict

I’m still not convinced by that cooking tray in the middle of the dash, which can have either knobs, knobs + TV, or just TV, depending on how much money you have you can make sure people will appreciate you or you may have to pull up your pants and walk away in SHAME. And here comes another challenge for the Renault Megane IV. As with Mercedes of the past, there’s a difference between the base and top versions, so beware of the equipment. 

All in all, the Megane IV is a decent chapter in the Megane history and the numbers of them on the streets is a testament to this. 

Which engines do you recommend? I recommend the excellent 140-horsepower 1.3 TCe. As for diesel, the safest choice is the classic 1.5 dCi 110 horsepower.