DaveMc

Second for sure! Yours might even be better off in third. Let us know how you go.

Very nice! Looks like you have my car's twin!

What a beauty - enjoy.

Cup or non-cup, the brakes on the Meg IV RS feel spongy and weak compared to the old car - or rivals such as the Honda CTR, Focus RS, Scooby STI etc. Apparently some nuffies complained that the brakes on the old car were too grabby, resulting in confidence-sapping sogginess in the new model. Maybe bitey pads would help? Maybe not. WRX has really lost its shine. On my i30N v WRX v GTI v Focus ST test for Drive, the WRX's open front diff would spin up an inside wheel on tight corners, causing TC to intervene and chop power altogether... effectively making the car no-wheel-drive instead of its much-vaunted "Symmetrical AWD". The Hyundai (or a GTI 40 Years / GTI Performance / MY19 GTI) will actively send power to the outside wheel, helping the car rotate AND drive out of the corner. A CTR or Meg III/Meg IV in sports mode will spin up the inside reasonably freely while pushing power across the diff. All of those are better options than the laggy, under-done, numb and generally underwhelming WRX. The stop-start reset is a requirement of the car's type approval. Fuel use, CO2 emissions etc are calculated based on the car's most efficient mode - race mode with stop/start off would return much less attractive numbers! It's the same in all modern performance cars. The brake squeal is interesting. I found the Meg's brakes to be pretty underwhelming on track at Norwell and Wakefield Park - really wouldn't call them "race spec". Many of us run much (MUCH) more aggressive pads than the OEM Brembos with minimal or no squealing. Have you given them the old "Italian tune-up" to get them properly hot and bedded in?

My 2014 Meg 265 has nearly 190,000km. I've replaced engine mounts and tie rod ends as wear items, along with service/consumables such as brake discs, timing belt etc. Reliability-wise it has been outstanding. Brakes etc are more expensive than most cars, as it is a performance model. But a good independent mechanic with reputable third-party parts (eg DBA discs, EBC pads, Bridgestone tyres) will save you some cash.

Welcome! Show us a pic when you can. Best to embed it with Imgur or similar.

Feel your pain. Acutely. I promised never to go back after my last car (pearlescent black paint), but this one as too good a deal to pass up.

Hey mate, might be worth having a look into warranties. Renault shifted the Megane RS from a three-year warranty to a five-year unlimited km deal in July 2014, so that 2014 car may already have run out of warranty (mine has) whereas the 2015 car should offer another two years of worry-free motoring. Happy hunting. Dave.

Congratulations, you'll love it.

Video of the Megane on track at Challenge Bathurst:

Sounds like you're having a good time! End up doing a harness? Looks like K-Tec make one for the M3RS. http://www.k-tecracing.com/show_product.asp?id=4130

Ok, can confirm now that the 2017 Koleos doesn't have active cruise - just emergency braking and a few passive aids such as blind spot monitoring in the top-end Intens. Have a look at the Foz, for sure. And maybe hang out for the new VW Tiguan in a month or so - it should have a very similar level of driver aids and safety kit to the latest Audis etc.

I think I can help here. And the answer is no, it doesn't look like Renault matches Subaru's EyeSight system in the Forester, Liberty etc. The Koleos' online brochures* etc don't seem to mention active or adaptive cruise control - only an "advanced emergency braking system" with forward collision warning. As the name suggests, this type of braking system is for emergency use - these systems generally work by sounding a warning alarm then ramming on the brakes at the last possible moment to avoid (or reduce the effects of) a crash. Not something you want to use every day! The Subaru system, on the other hand, is an impressive smart cruise control feature that easily handles stop-start traffic. I've got plenty of first-hand experience with this (and rival systems), and it really is a cool feature. In any case, I'm driving the new Koleos for work this week, getting into it on Wednesday. Will check it all out and report back, if you're happy to wait a couple of days. *http://renbr-edms.s3.amazonaws.com/REN0035/Koleos-Brochure-Mobile.pdf

PI sounds tempting... though I'll probably do Mount Panorama instead. The Bathurst Light Car Club has a big meet on that weekend, and I'd love my Megane to meet the Mountain!

Great choice! Enjoy the new ride.