Hello All,
Too busy to spend much time on here lately however I have just had a Laguna III Dynamique DCi 150 hatch for a couple of days, a few observations, might be of interest:
Interior:
Not as classy as expected, quality of plastics etc, Initiale spec might be better, though well equipped. Driving position very good and all switches easy to hand, radio display looks the same as our 8 year old Clio except that it has a (Vauxhall ish) neutral illumination where as the Clio has a warm orange backlight that I prefer. Also the milometer / info screen etc is a small b/w LCD that appears to uneven when lit at night though looks fine in the day time. Boot = vast! This one had a double sunroof, not sure if it is standard though makes for a lovely light interior.
Exterior:
Laguna III looks growing on me, in fact from the front it looks very good. This one was on 205/60-16 wheel tyres, the wheels look too small in diameter, would surely look better on 17? wheels.
On the road:
Key card and starter button holds no advantages over a key for me, two things to do rather than one, electric handbrake works fine in use though is surely an unnecessary complication. Gearbox action very precise though 3rd and 4th ratios could be closer spaced, 4th and 5th could both be a little lower. At least the 6th ratio is useable and not an excessively long ratio like in the Avensis 2.2 180 which at around 35 mph / 1000 rpm is only any use ay 70mph and over. The engine is a very refined diesel that will trickle along at less than 1000 rpm in 3rd and 4th and pull cleanly and crisply to the limiter with a real kick at about 2000 rpm. It doesn?t pull from low revs as my Mondeo does, in fact it is rather like the Avensis in that it is responsive at very low revs though really needs best part of 2000 rpm to pull strongly where as the Mondeo pulls like a train from under 1500 rpm. The result is that in comparison it almost seems to bog down, almost like turbo lag, between gears if the revs drop below around 1900 rpm or if not enough revs are used pulling away, that being said it produces loads or torque from about 1900/2000 rpm and really is pretty quick. The Mondeo has kind of a non linear response between 2000 and 3000 rpm where the rate of acceleration grows out of proportion with the revs so you are pushed along on a wave of torque where the Laguna is much more linear, more revs equals more shove, more petrol like perhaps. The steering is almost over sensitive at low speeds and not quite as sharp as I would like at higher speeds, it doesn?t seem to sharpen up as you press on like the Mondeo though the ride is very good and the overall ride handling balance is fine. Brakes - excellent though squeak on initial application just like our Clio does sometimes, must be coincidence. Didn't measure economy.
Would I buy one?
The pre facelift Laguna II tourer was, rather is, a very handsome car though does not have a great reputation for reliability, the Laguna III is not quite as good looking though if it can achieve Clio and Megane reliability levels then a tourer would appeal. Perhaps after someone else has take the hit on depreciation.
Regards.
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Interesting stuff, thanks :)
They do look nice on the road, quite understated.
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Wiper stalk: do you have to move down for intermit, speed 1, etc? I prefer the German approach: move up for... etc.
It sounded rather a horrid drive, Cheddar.
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This one was on 205/60-16 wheel tyres the wheels look too small in diameter would surely look better on 17? wheels.
And surely be better on 15" wheels!
:-)
(Good to hear from you you again. So many Backroomers keep disappearing these days.)
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Wiper stalk, cant recall, I know the Clio is one way and the Mondeo the other though cant think which is which without getting in the car.
Not a horrid drive, quite pleasant to drive.
60 section tyres may have helped the ride though a little firmer would be fine if it tightened it up and / or looked better.
So who has disappeared then?
Regards.
Edited by cheddar on 09/04/2008 at 12:11
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So who has disappeared then?
RF, bell boy, Aprilia are the most recent, (though there may be others I've not yet noticed) and before that, SjB and Vin.
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Reckon RF and Aprilia will be back.
SjB worries me a little, I mentioned it to PU a while ago, when he last posted he was going to drive to the Czech Rep, leave car and family there, fly home and take his bike into Europe. Probably all is well and he is busy - like me lately - though it is a bit strange.
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