Review
In fact, the only 'highlight' has been low pressure in the rear offside tyre. This is where Renault's warning system comes into its own. When pressure in a tyre drops below a given limit, the 'serv' and exclamation mark warning lights flash on the dashboard and the vehicle graphic on the information console in the centre of the dashboard shows which wheel is affected.
The plastic front wings came into their own, too, when a young lad riding a motorcycle braked too hard and lost it, sliding to a halt on the offside front wing of the parked Laguna.
Only his pride was hurt, with some nasty grazes on the bike's farings and a light lens broken, but the Laguna remained undamaged.
The Laguna is undoubtedly one of Renault's finest efforts, so here's my personal top 10 of its best and worst points.
- Style: it's good looking and different enough from other estate cars to make it interesting without going over the top.
- Room: there's more than enough room for people and luggage.
- Comfort: its ride and handling are good, as you would expect from Renault, and the seats, once you've found the correct position, are very comfortable.
- Fuel economy: 48-plus miles per gallon can't be bad.
- Performance and refinement: the common-rail 1.9 diesel engine is up there with the best.
- Front wings: these are plastic and have an amazing capacity to bend without shattering.
- Specification: despite our car having more than £3,000 of options, the standard Sport Tourer Dynamique kit is comprehensive.
- Build quality: attention to detail and some of the plastics used are nowhere near the quality of those of German rivals, or even German cars in lower sectors. And there are too many intermittent rattles and squeaks.
- Information system: I don't like the modern trend of italic digits on the dashboard instruments and the radio and central information display take a little while to fathom out without resorting to the handbook.
- Keycard: a good idea, but ours appears too temperamental, requiring a really firm push on the buttons. Is this common? Laguna-driving readers are invited to tell us of their experiences.
I was intending to balance this list with an equal number of good and bad points, but I struggled with the latter, even after talking to previous drivers, which says volumes about just how good the car is.
