The most recent Renault Megane is arguably one of the better looking five-door hatches out there having been given a significant update that extends its appeal for a good few years yet.
There are three different body styles although the UK only gets the five-door hatchback plus the spacious Megane Sport Tourer estate – which can now be had as a plug-in hybrid. Originally, the Megane had three diesel and two petrol engines for buyers to pick from, but now the line-up has slimmed significantly, with just one of each fuel type available.
Going back to the looks, the latest version gets full LED headlight, C-shaped front indicators and scrolling rear indicators, while there's also the R.S. Line trim, which essentially makes it look like a Renaultsport model, but without the performance or high runnings costs. If you can't stretch to the Ford Focus ST-Line or Volkswagen Golf R-Line it's a good fudge.
Rival options are plentiful though with the likes of the Toyota Corolla, Skoda Octavia, SEAT Leon and the new Volkswagen Golf all contenders. More affordable options include the Kia Ceed and Vauxhall Astra, while anyone more of a nimble driving experience should explore the Ford Focus or Mazda 3.
If you're in the market for a used family hatchback the Renault Megane is a dependable choice. It comes with a good degree of equipment as standard and, for the money, delivers decent performance and a comfortable ride.
The Renault Megane is an easy car to drive too, making it a universally family-friendly hatchback option, while recent updates to its look and feel have helped to make it of enduring appeal. As five-door hatchbacks go it's good value and comes with enough range in the engines department to ensure there's a model to suit all kinds of need.
A Renault Megane not for you? We've got 1000s of used cars for sale to suit all budgets and needs.
If you’re buying a used Megane then look out for the discontinued engines, especially the powerful 1.6-litre TCe 205 turbo petrol. This engine was only offered on the sporty GT Nav trim, but it's a quick, affordable car.
Similarly, the older 1.6 dCi 130 is less parsimonious than its 115PS relation, but a better all-rounder thanks to its greater pulling power and still respectable running costs, with a real world 60mpg figure entirely possible.
From the current range, the TCe petrol is our pick, because the Megane weighs more than other cars in this class, and it needs the additional performance this engine brings over the diesel, and it's cheaper to buy too.
Neither gearbox is particularly impressive, so unless you really need an automatic, we'd avoid the hesitant dual-clutch transmission in favour of the six-speed manual, purely on the basis of saving a few extra quid.
All Meganes come well equipped, so it's hard to go wrong with any of the trims, but we'd nudge you towards the mid-range Iconic (earlier cars) for its additional safety features, built-in sat-nav and larger wheels.
Most of the Renault Megane's rivals offer you a wider range of engines, with just a single petrol and diesel to pick from. Both come with a six-speed manual gearbox as standard, with the option of a seven-speed dual-clutch auto. Renault's plug-in hybrid version with a 1.6-litre petrol engine and electric motor is capable of travelling up to 30 miles on battery power alone.
Renault Megane 1.3-litre petrol: The four-cylinder petrol turbo in the TCe 140 will appeal to most buyers. As the name implies it produces a healthy 140PS and 240Nm of torque, giving it decent get-up-and-go, and strong in-gear pace, although its responds best to being worked in its mid-range.
Renault Megane 1.5L diesel: The 1.5-litre diesel feels considerably slower, so the only reason to pay extra to get it over the TCe will be if you do a lot of motorway journeys, where its frugality will be a real boon.
Renault Megane 1.6L E-TECH PHEV: Worth investigating for its 157.7PS, resulting in a 0 to 62 mph of 9.8 time and top speed of 111mph.
At launch there was a 130PS 1.2-litre petrol, and a diesel with the same capacity but a little bit less power than the current motor. In the mid-range you got a 1.6-litre diesel that came with either one turbocharger (and 130PS) or two (165PS) plus a fairly rapid 1.6 petrol with over 200PS.
The Renault Megane comes in a host of model variants, including the Dynamique Nav, the Dynamique S Van, the Dymanique TomTom, Expression+, GT Line, GT Line Nav, GT Nav, Iconic, Play, R.R Line and Signature Nav.
So for example, the Dynamique Nav comes with the following exterior features: automatic headlights and windscreen wipers, body colour bumpers, body colour door handles, body coloured door mirrors, electric adjustable/heated/folding door mirrors, front and rear towing rings, front fog lights, heated rear windscreen, integrated fuel filler cap, LED daytime running lights, power front and rear windows.
One the inside, the Dynamique Nav comes with the following features: 3 height adjustable rear headrests, 3 seat rear bench, 60/40 split folding rear seat, accessory power point, adjustable dashboard illumination, air recirculation system, ambient lighting, driver's seat with lumbar adjustment, driver/front passenger seat height adjustment, driver/passenger reading lights and dual zone climate control.
There's also a front centre armrest with storage, fully adjustable front headrests, height/reach adjust steering wheel, illuminated boot, interior courtesy light operated by all doors, Isofix system on outer rear seats, leather steering wheel, passenger sunvisor with illuminated vanity mirror, pollen filter, rear courtesy lights, rear passenger heating ducts, synthetic leather/cloth upholstery, cruise control + speed limiter, door/boot open warning light, drive mode selector, Eco mode, exterior temperature gauge, multi-function trip computer, TFT display screen, traffic sign recognition, variable PAS, Visio system - lane departure and high beam assist, 4x35W RDS radio/CD, Arkamys 3D sound with bluetooth and multifunction tunepoint, aux-in socket, DAB Digital radio and fingertip controls for the audio system.
The Renault Megane’s dimensions are:
Length: 4359mm
Width: 1814mm
Height: 1445mm
Ground clearance: 145mm
The Renault Megane’s boot size is:
384-litres
1180 litres with rear seats folded down
Petrol or diesel version of the latest Megane cost £215 to tax from year one and £150 every year thereafter. Any Meganes registered before April 2017 will be taxed under the old system, according to their CO2 output.
Low tailpipe emissions across the board mean most versions cost less than £30 in tax apart from the sportier 1.6-litre petrol GT Nav, costing £150 a year. Newer models, under the current flat-rate for petrols and diesels cost the same.
The Renault Megane can tend to be costlier to insure compared to rivals, starting with the least powerful Megane has 115PS, which sits in Group 16.
That's a full eight groups higher than the most affordable version of the Kia Ceed and Hyundai i30. The petrol model is steeper again and starts in Group 18, so it's not a good bet for new drivers.
We'd suggest going for the older version with the 1.2-litre engine as there's less power and it drops four insurance bands, bringing it closer in line with its mainstream rivals from Ford, Vauxhall and Volkswagen.
Read our full Renault Megane review