Renault Megane (2016 – 2022) Review

The Renault Megane has always been a big player in the compact hatchback class, yet this generation struggled to make a strong case for itself. Good in most areas, it just didn’t excel anywhere, which is a problem when faced with rivals such as the big-selling Ford Focus, sporty SEAT Leon and redoubtable Volkswagen Golf. Read on for our full Renault Megane review.

The fourth-generation Renault Megane constituted the most evolutionary update the French company has ever given its family hatchback.

The company played things safe, aiming to avoid controversy and instead giving used buyers the sort of conservative solidity that has made the Volkswagen Golf so consistently popular.

The outside looks fine, but the interior doesn’t quite follow suit, although things get better as you move up the trims.

A Renault Megane in Dynamique+ spec or above is furnished with a delightful 8.7-inch touchscreen in portrait orientation, similar to the one you’ll find in a Volvo XC90 or a Tesla. And unlike so many infotainment screens, this one is easy to use.

However, lower level Renaullt Megane models make do with a smaller touchscreen, and the most basic get plain old-fashioned buttons.

Elsewhere, the Renault Megane gets the basics right. It has a highly adjustable seat and wheel, clear switchgear and low running costs. There’s a sense of solidity and quality inherent in the Renault Megane that’s a match for the mid-ranking rivals in this class, if not the Volkswagen Golf or Ford Focus.

Options such as a full colour head-up display, the aforementioned giant touchscreen and four-wheel steering were tempting when new. Even without these, the entire driving experience is generally refined.

The range of engines offers good efficiency – even the 205PS turbo engine of the GT model, which gets the car to 62mph in 7.1 seconds, emits just 134g/km of CO2.

The 1.5-litre and 1.6-litre dCi units both put out just 96g/km of CO2, returning averages of 76.4mpg and 68.9mpg respectively. The Renault Megane also rides well if you avoid the adjustable suspension tech.

And so, equipped with one of the diesels and with a specification that includes the fancy media system, the  Renault Megane makes for a very reasonably priced hatchback with a modern look and feel. It’s just not one to get excited about.

Fancy a second opinion? Read heycar's Renault Megane review.

Renault has aimed for comfort with the ride, and mostly found it. Only the most knobbly of surfaces trouble the composure of the Renault Megane. 

There’s no adaptive damping option, even on sportier models, but Dynamique Nav cars get selectable driving modes which alter the throttle, steering and – with an automatic – the gear change timings.

4Control four-wheel steering is standard on the 205PS GT and works by turning the rear wheels in the opposite direction to the front – not by much, but enough to make a difference at speeds up to 50mph. Above that it turns them in the same direction.

However, it tends to be that the cleverer the Renault Megane tries to be, the worse it becomes.

So, while a standard model in its so-called ‘Neutral’ mode offers a light steering, smooth riding, predictable sort of driving experience, stick the car into Sport mode with 4Control in the mix and it becomes a little messy.

The problem is that the steering is over-light – another nod to day-to-day comfort – and so while 4Control is genuinely mesmerising at first, at higher speeds it can result in a twitchy sort of feel.

Spend any time with a basic diesel Renault Megane and the party tricks seem a tad unnecessary, because the car’s fundamentals are excellent.

The track of this Renault Megane has been widened compared to the last one. This gives it more stability and composure during cornering.

Problem is, while it’s true that the Renault Megane is grippy, it’s never that exciting or memorable. It’s just very, very competent.

The 1.5-litre diesel feels like it puts most four-cylinder diesels to shame on the noise suppression front, including one or two found in premium cars.

The gearshift itself is nice and positive, too. Every Renault Megane comes with a six-speed manual as standard, while a six-speed dual-clutch EDC automatic is optional.

The 1.6-litre turbo GT engine feels laboured– or certainly more laboured than its 7.1-second 0-62mph sprint would suggest. It’s not unpleasant, just not as free flowing as you’d want a warmed up hatch to feel – a statement that could apply to the driving experience in general, in fact.

Again, that’s why it’s easier to recommend something from the lower reaches of the Renault Megane range.

The diesels may not be remotely quick on paper, but they’re strong enough to haul the car to motorway speeds in fuss-free fashion, and do so with minimal financial impact.

This Renault Megane scored a full five stars from Euro NCAP when crash tested in 2015.

It did this despite not having automatic emergency braking as standard, which even then seemed like a bit of an omission in this class.

However, the Renault Megane does have six airbags, ESP and lane-keep assist tech included. There are also Isofix child seat points and a tyre pressure monitoring system with all models.

This Renault Megane hatch can pull a braked trailer with a weight of up to 1300kg, depending on which engine and trim you choose.

With an unbraked trailer, the permissable weight varies between 600 and 695kg.

The Renault Megane simply doesn’t feel that spacious. Renault might have boasted about an improved interior and loadspace compared with its predecessor, but it still feels slightly compact. Dark headlining doesn’t help.

For example, the 434-litre boot is significantly larger than the SEAT Leon’s 380-litre space, yet quite a small opening and a high loading lip almost seem to have the effect of shrinking it back down.

In addition, cabin storage is limited, with shallow door pockets, a quite small space beside the centre armrest and, most annoyingly, a minuscule glovebox.

That’s a trait of French hatchbacks, but one that there’s really no excuse for.

On the plus side, the Renault Megane does have 60/40 split-folding rear seats as standard.

While it might not be the last word in design flair, the Renault Megane’s cabin feels robust.

The top-level plastics are extremely solid, while flourishes such as thin strip lighting on the inner edges add a little charm.

Even so, the Renault Megane still doesn’t make it to the top table of quality in this class and it’s nowhere near the standard of an Audi A3 or fellow premium player, the Mercedes A-Class.

The most basic Renault Megane’s cabin is a bland affair, with too many dark plastics and a cluster of buttons that makes the dash look less iPhone and more Nokia 6210.

Thankfully from secondary Expression specification upwards there’s a touchscreen but, at this level, the highlight of the Renault Megane’s tech – the 8.7-inch portrait orientation touchscreen multimedia set-up – is optional.

Standard on Dynamique S Nav models and above, the screen really does feel like it’s been filtered down from a much larger model.

Vibrant, pretty, customisable and – most importantly – intuitive to use, it’s a world away from the touchscreen nightmares of past Renaults.

Finding a Renault Megane of this generation at a keen price compared to rivals is not difficult. A three-year-old model with 15,000 miles under its wheels could be yours for £15,000.

Go for a high-spec seven-year-old car with 60,000 miles to its credit, and you should aim to pay around £9000.

Picking a Renault Megane capable of 50mpg fuel economy is easy, and some versions will even top 70mpg.

This latter figure means opting for the 1.5 dCi turbodiesel engine, which is not a hardship. Our Real MPG data shows you can reckon on 64mpg from the 1.5 dCi 115 motor and even the 1.3 TCe 140 petrol is good for mid-40s economy.

There are Renault Megane models with sub-100g/km carbon dioxide emissions, meaning free road tax for any car registered prior to 1 April 2017.

However, the bulk of used Renault Meganes of this generation will have been registered after this date. That means a standard rate of £180 per annum.

Servicing and insurance won’t harm your finances unduly either, as Renault dealers are on par with rivals for pricing.

Getting insurance cover should be straightforward, too, as the Renault Megane sits in groups 14 to 27, with the sportier GT trim at the upper end of this scale.

The Renault Megane Expression+ came with an automatic electronic parking brake, LED daytime running lamps, tinted windows, seven-inch TFT instrument panel with digital speedometer, all-round electric windows, leather steering wheel, Bluetooth connectivity, 4 x 20W DAB radio with fingertip controls and an Aux input.

The Renault Megane Dynamique Nav added automatic headlights and windscreen wipers, a Visio active safety system providing lane departure warning and traffic sign recognition, automatic high/low beam headlamps, electrically adjustable, heated and folding door mirrors, and a hands-free keycard.

Buyers also got automatic dual zone climate control, a Multisense system providing selective driving modes, ambient lighting, Arkamys 3D Sound 4x35W DAB Radio, and a seven-inch touchscreen R-Link multimedia system including satellite navigation with live traffic updates and Western European mapping.

The Renault Megane Dynamique S Nav offered 17-inch diamond-cut alloys, rear parking camera with front and rear parking sensors, extra tinted windows to the rear and tailgate, and the unique-in-class 8.7-inch portrait touchscreen R-Link multimedia system.

The Renault Megane Signature Nav featured 18-inch diamond-cut alloys, full-LED headlights, black leather upholstery with Nappa leather steering wheel and an electrochrome rearview mirror.

The Renault Megane GT-Line Nav included a wider lower air intake with a honeycomb-pattern mesh flanked by lateral scoops, ark metal 17 or 18-inch alloy wheels, door mirror housings that match the finish on the front air scoops and rear diffuser, Acantara sports front seats, blue top-stitching and a chequered logo, plus an exclusive Iron Blue paint option.

The Renault Megane GT Nav, developed and engineered by Renault Sport, offered a number of unique-in-class technologies such as 4Control four-wheel steering, Launch Control and Multi-Change Down.

In May 2018, the trims were changed.

Renault Megane Play versions provided a seven-inch touchscreen with Apple CarPlay and Android Auto capability and USB and Aux ports, 16-inch ‘Dakota’ alloy wheels, automatic dual-zone climate control, hands-free keycard, height and lumbar adjustable driver and passenger seats, Bluetooth audio streaming and hands-free calls, plus auto-adaptive airbags for driver and front passenger.

There was also cruise control, ESP, front foglights, heated rear screen, Hill Start Assist, LED daytime running lights, central rear armrest with cup-holder, front centre armrest with storage, 60:40 split folding rear seats, ABS with Electronic Brake Distribution, and Emergency Brake Assist.

Renault Megane Iconic models had 17-inch ‘Florida’ diamond-cut alloy wheels, the Multisense system providing a driving mode selector and ambient lighting choices.

They also got the R-Link2 multimedia system with seven-inch touchscreen featuring TomTom LIVE sat-nav and Western European mapping.

Other equipment included automatic headlights, automatic wipers, electronic parking brake, rear parking sensors, lane departure warning, traffic sign recognition, automatic high/low beam, electrically adjustable, heated and folding door mirrors, a seven-inch TFT screen in place of a traditional speedometer and Arkamys 3D sound with 4x35W speakers.

Renault Megane GT Line versions had dark chrome door mirrors, more muscular front and rear bumpers with silver rear diffuser, sport seats, exclusive GT Line cloth upholstery, chrome door sills, sport seats with integrated head rest, extra tinted rear and tailgate windows, and 8.7-inch portrait touchscreen with R-Link2 Navigation.