Renault Scenic '08 1.6

bigmaz

Hi guys. Been lookin at an '08 1.6 petrol Renault Scenic, only got 1497 miles on the clock. Just wondering if anyone has experience with this model? Doesnt look like the best consumption. But not the worst. But thats on paper.

Graham_Devon

4 years and 1,497 miles on the clock?

Forget the model. Unless you are getting a really low price, run away.

bigmaz

Graham_Devon wrote: »

4 years and 1,497 miles on the clock?

Forget the model. Unless you are getting a really low price, run away.

Can u explain y? It was 1 owner who used it to drive to shops and back hardly used. The garage only sell low mileage cars and are all in mint condition. They have a very good reputation. They are a local family run garage.

Buellguy

bigmaz wrote: »

Can u explain y? It was 1 owner who used it to drive to shops and back hardly used. The garage only sell low mileage cars and are all in mint condition. They have a very good reputation. They are a local family run garage.

Small runs to shops etc play havoc on engines (no time to get up to temp etc) 400 miles a year is less than 10 per week. would rather have one that had done 40,000 in 4 years, You'll probably end up with things like knackered cat/exhaust due to condensation in it due to it not getting up to temp

Graham_Devon

That kind of mileage could have led to oil being burned due to contaminated petrol. Hoses will need checking for cracks due to drying out. ALL fluids will need replacing if this hasn't been done. That's brake, steering and coolant (aswell as oil, obviously). Condensation in the exhaust could be rotting the cat out, as it's never got up to temp. Carbon build up could have happened.

Flatspots on the tyres from sitting most of it's life, plus drying sidewalls leading to cracks in the tyres.

Cambelt will be due. Unlikely to have been done. Even more important due to drying up. Rubber seals and gaskets could easily have dried out.

I'd be wetting my pants taking it over 30mph. It's probably never done that in it's entire life.

bigmaz

I had a look around the car and it is in amazing condition. The selas all round seem really good condition, was looking for any damp, but couldnt see. Not sure about the mechanics tho. I think it must have been kept garaged.

Buellguy

Graham_Devon wrote: »

That kind of mileage could have led to oil being burned due to contaminated petrol. Hoses will need checking for cracks due to drying out. ALL fluids will need replacing if this hasn't been done. That's brake, steering and coolant (aswell as oil, obviously). Condensation in the exhaust could be rotting the cat out, as it's never got up to temp. Carbon build up could have happened.

Flatspots on the tyres from sitting most of it's life, plus drying sidewalls leading to cracks in the tyres.

Cambelt will be due. Unlikely to have been done. Even more important due to drying up. Rubber seals and gaskets could easily have dried out.

I'd be wetting my pants taking it over 30mph. It's probably never done that in it's entire life.

As for what I said, everything for what he said

motorguy

bigmaz wrote: »

Can u explain y? It was 1 owner who used it to drive to shops and back hardly used. The garage only sell low mileage cars and are all in mint condition. They have a very good reputation. They are a local family run garage.

I would suggest you are paying a significant premium for this car from a garage that 'specialises' in very low miles cars, which is all very well but two or three years of family use and it wont look / be worth any more than any other, meaning you're going to take a bigger hit.

forgotmyname

I do the opposite, I buy cars with higher than average mileage.

After a few years of my my low miles all the other cars catch up and my car loses little value.

Dont pay a premium because its going to need more care than a cars thats done average miles.

bigmaz

When i initially seen it i looked at other cars same age and model, seem to b similar prices. They just source their cars very well. Will def take all you guys have said and think about it thanks, really appriate it

Anyone got any input on my original question?

Graham_Devon

bigmaz wrote: »

When i initially seen it i looked at other cars same age and model, seem to b similar prices. They just source their cars very well. Will def take all you guys have said and think about it thanks, really appriate it

Anyone got any input on my original question?

Well it's a renault, and a scenic, which means electronic everything, including handbrake.

Basically, ignoring the general reliability for a second, this means more expensive repairs over more conventional cars (with a conventional dash, handbrake etc).

Moving onto reliability, the elctrics for the dash are a known problem, and cost easily £800 to rectify. The electricals are shocking, making up for 50% of all warranty claims.

Basically even the small niggles mean very expensive bills.

Plenty on the road though, and not all go wrong. It's certainly not the most reliable marque around, but not the least reliable either.

A Ford C-max is around the same size, and cheaper to fix, and more reliable to boot.

The actual cars themselves are poorly constructed (in my opinion), though very useful if you have kids (blinds in the rear windows, kiddie mirror etc).

My experience is I drive one sometimes. Not very often, the electric handbrake thing drives me wild, and the wipers annoying wipe the wrong way! So I tend to try not to. Oh, and it's slow. Not in the 0-60 sense as that doesn't bother me, but in terms of hitting hills....always seems to mean changing down, which you wouldn't normally do in say a hatchback with the 1.6 engine. The 6 speed box is annoying on hills and in town. Means a lot of gear changes and 1st is sometimes pointless. Though alllows better MPG on the motorway.

Changing a lightbulb is nigh on impossible without removing the whole bumper and removing the headlight itself, meaning yet another tip to the garage (and a high cost) for a lightbulb. Not had any experience in this though, so can't really comment as to whether it is actually impossible or not. Had other cars before where it says the same, but it's not strictly neccesary.