Megane RS test drives - Is this your car?

[RSwannabe]

A 2014-16 Megane RS is top of my list for a motor upgrade.
I have test drove two cars now, both 265 RS.
Curious whether the previous owner of this car is a member here?

https://www.carsales.com.au/cars/details/Renault-Megane-2015/OAG-AD-16993369/?Cr=2

Im not sure if this is the correct place to post this, maybe I should be on a different thread, please change mods if required.
Thanks all
 

Edited 22, March 2019 by RSwannabe

[chuckovski]

A 2014-16 Megane RS is top of my list for a motor upgrade.
I have test drove two cars now, both 265 RS.
There are reasons why I am posting here but dont think I should talk about that on here.
Curious whether the owner of this car is a member here?

https://www.carsales.com.au/cars/details/Renault-Megane-2015/OAG-AD-16993369/?Cr=2

Im not sure if this is the correct place to post this, maybe I should be on a different thread, please change mods if required.
Thanks all
 

I wonder if this is an ex rental. Right km.
It's not a cup premium. Definitely a cup. Interesting gear knob though - not standard, so maybe it was indeed a privately owned car.

[RSwannabe]

An ex rental, you mean one could have rented Megane RS in the past?
He did say something about a rental but it was in the middle of the test drive and I think he was referring to another car.
I was told this is a one owner car, which I presume would mean its not a rental but not necessarily.
I never noticed the gear knob being different until you said it just now.

[chuckovski]

An ex rental, you mean one could have rented Megane RS in the past?
He did say something about a rental but it was in the middle of the test drive and I think he was referring to another car.
I was told this is a one owner car, which I presume would mean its not a rental but not necessarily.
I never noticed the gear knob being different until you said it just now.

Could have been an ex Hertz rental. Can pick that up from the service book - probably will have their stamp in it from their mechanics. Counts as "one owner".

Having said that, it can still be a great car. I just wonder about people thrashing it from cold. Still under heaps of warranty. Also if it is ex rental the dealer would have picked it up for not much at all so their margin is massive, don't be afraid to bargain.

[RSwannabe]

43 minutes ago, chuckovski said:

Could have been an ex Hertz rental. Can pick that up from the service book - probably will have their stamp in it from their mechanics. Counts as "one owner".

Having said that, it can still be a great car. I just wonder about people thrashing it from cold. Still under heaps of warranty. Also if it is ex rental the dealer would have picked it up for not much at all so their margin is massive, don't be afraid to bargain.

I wouldn’t have any interest in an ex rental for a car like this. As you say it would have been driven hardddddd. You don’t rent a hot hatch to baby it. 

 

Service book is stamped by the garage selling it. Garage said they had bought it because it was such a clean car, not a trade in. There was a lot of things that didn’t quite add up for me. Which is why I’m trying to find the true “one” owner to see what they say. 

[chuckovski]

I wouldn’t have any interest in an ex rental for a car like this. As you say it would have been driven hardddddd. You don’t rent a hot hatch to baby it. 
 
Service book is stamped by the garage selling it. Garage said they had bought it because it was such a clean car, not a trade in. There was a lot of things that didn’t quite add up for me. Which is why I’m trying to find the true “one” owner to see what they say. 

Keen to hear what plays out. Fingers crossed it's all good.

[Honest Gaza]

9 hours ago, RSwannabe said:

.... You don’t rent a hot hatch to baby it.

 

I think that depends on the individual.  Personally, I drive a rental the same way I drive my own cars (and in my case, that isn't 'hard').

...and what is unusual with the Gear Knob ?  Looks the same as mine (which I admit was purchased 2nd hand, the car not the knob, and is different to that which was in my RS250)

Edited 22, March 2019 by Honest Gaza

[RAPID GTA]

10 hours ago, chuckovski said:

I wonder if this is an ex rental. Right km.
It's not a cup premium. Definitely a cup. Interesting gear knob though - not standard, so maybe it was indeed a privately owned car.

I have this gear knob purchased from the dealer-  it is genuine RS

[Honest Gaza]

6 minutes ago, RAPID GTA said:

I have this gear knob purchased from the dealer-  it is genuine RS

Thanks for confirmation....I was starting to wonder if I had some aftermarket thingy in my car

[chuckovski]

I have this gear knob purchased from the dealer-  it is genuine RS

Yes genuine, but the cup didn't come standard with it - cup premium did AFAIK

My point was that it must have been privately owned if it has a nice knob

[Ubermeister]

I didn't know Hertz had Megane RS' as rental cars - seems an odd choice for a rental company.

Looks like a good clean car. Based on age it is technically over due a timing belt service (approx. $1-1.5k from a Renault Dealer)...try finding one for sale that isn't due this service though 🤣

 

[ttimbo]

Mine isn’t [emoji6]

[RSwannabe]

4 hours ago, Honest Gaza said:

I think that depends on the individual.  Personally, I drive a rental the same way I drive my own cars (and in my case, that isn't 'hard').

...and what is unusual with the Gear Knob ?  Looks the same as mine (which I admit was purchased 2nd hand, the car not the knob, and is different to that which was in my RS250)

Really? 

I rented a Rav 4 in Sydney not long ago and I drove that far harder than I would drive my every car. If I paid for a Megane R.S. rental, it would be the same. I would never buy a rental unless it was exceptional value and even then probably not. 

I have never bought a car from a main dealer before. I have looked at and test drove a Megane at a main dealer recently. I’m 90% sure the car was involved in an accident. They said as far as they know it was never involved in an accident.  How bad the accident was who knows but the lack of disclosure is unacceptable imo.

Im not saying one should totally avoid damaged cars of course that depends on the damage and I have previously bought a 106 Gti that had been damaged and I never had any trouble with it in two years of ownership. 

I have usually bought cheap cars over the last few years as I used to travel a lot more than I do now and didn’t see the point in having a car sit in the garage depreciation and not being Used. I would have never thought main dealers would try to sell to me an obviously damaged repaired car as never been damaged. 

This type of behaviour hurts all dealers imo. In the past I would see descriptions about cars being perfect condition and thought maybe I could buy interstate without viewing the car because surely a main dealer would be reputable and honest. I wouldn’t dream of doing that now after what I have been told and subsequently seen on inspection. 

I believe the car I posted has some history and I’m not interested in buying unless I can find out more about it. Is it just me that thinks there must Be some reason why the dealer says they bought the car because it’s so clean, yet we’re being very reluctant to give me the details of the previous owner. That makes no sense to me and raises a red flag. 

[xeno182]

^^^  In Victoria the dealer (and any private seller - although most don't) must disclose if the car has been classed as a 'repairable write-off' (or you can check this yourself on the VicRoads register), which is an indication that the car was in a fairly significant accident which didn't warrant it being repaired. I believe NSW also has something similar (WOVR?), but not sure about other states. That still doesn't guarantee that the car wasn't involved in (one or more) 'minor' accidents. 

As for ex-rentals, unless it was significantly cheaper than the non-rental equivalent (i.e. thousands cheaper), I would simply not buy one. People who hire cars like the RS probably don't drive them like their own...... 

[Sjr657]

I rented a Megane before I bought mine as a bit of an extended test drive (and to check garage clearances and that it wouldn't scrape on my driveway). 

Fair to say I enjoyed the test drive enough to buy one. But the rental was treated with a lot less mechanical sympathy than day to day driving that mine experiences now. 

I think it is fair to say that people hiring a megane are unlikely to just potter around. 

Similar arguments could be made about the stress on cars that are tracked or even press cars. However, the concern for me on a rental would be that it may have lived every day of its life so far under stress.

[RSwannabe]

This was the first Megane I test drove as ideally I want a 275 but its not a deal breaker from me, 265 will be fine I dont think there is much difference, could be wrong.
It went on hold yesterday and is now showing as unavailable, so somebody must have bought it.

https://www.carsales.com.au/cars/details/2016-renault-megane-r-s-275-cup-manual/OAG-AD-16880643/?utm_campaign=hold-alert&utm_source=notification-center&utm_medium=browser-push-notification&recommendation_id=bbc73827-c3a0-434c-a6c5-3b0ff74755ca

Let me outline based on this viewing (but also from others since) why I dont trust car dealers or even main car dealers which surprised me a lot as I had 
thought that this wouldn't be the case. Of course this is a very blanket statement (there would be some very honest folk out there selling cars) but dealers have themselves to blame as it seems to be a common trend. Maybe im just very unlucky.

The car is advertised on Carsales as a 2016 275 RS Cup.
On the lot floor in the window it's stated it was as a 2015. 
First eyebrow raising moment. How could such simple error be made!
I wouldn't be surprised if it is a 265 but I'm not sure how to check for sure?

I had a good look around the car.
It was piping hot on the day circa 40 degrees so I was perspiring hard and it probably wasn't the best day to be out in a lot looking at cars.
A staff member asked me if i needed any help and I told him im just having a look for now is it ok to check the interior also which he obliged.

Next eyebrow raising.
3 different types of tyres.
2 different types - ok, that's passable but 3 is a bit much imo.
All seemed to be cheap tyres, from memory Nankang was one and Dragon was the other or maybe it was a Nankang Dragon I really can't recall.
I asked the staff member any reason for this and he said something along the line of maybe they got a puncture.
Yes its plausible but still makes it look like a not very well looked after motor.
Maybe im being to anal but its my money.

The car exterior and interior was in very good condition bordering on immaculate.
I cant fault the paintwork or the interior. What I can fault on the exterior was the lines of the car.
On very close inspection (it was actually my brother who spotted this not me) you can see some misalignment 
on the bonnet and front wings. The gap tolerance was different between the two sides. This coincided with another tell underneath the drivers side wheel arch
which makes me certain that this car was involved in an accident in the past of some sort. In response to a previous poster, yes most of these cars are not recorded as 
being written off but a car can likely have a good whack without that being the case. Id rather have a clear history or at least be able to talk to the people involved/repairer 
as to the extent of the damage.

I asked the staff member has the car ever been involved in an accident.
Not to the best of our knowledge, which I have heard again a couple days ago looking at another Megane.
A very easy term to spit which removes all liability and yet still not lying to the buyer.
So im not an expert but I can say with alot of certainty that the car has been, yet the experts are telling me not to the best of their knowledge.
Very interesting.

I asked was it taken as a trade in and I was told no it was bought at auction.
Ding ding ding, eyebrows are so close to the sun they are getting synged.
Bought from Pickles auction in Victoria.
I expect this car was a former rental car as others have talked about some RS being former rental cars.

I asked is there service history with the car.
I checked the service booked.
All stamped by the same Melbourne outfit.
I cant remember exactly the name now, it was something like DRP motorsports.
Anyway I googled whatever the exact name was at the time and couldn't find anything at all about the place.

I brought the car for a drive and I have to say I didnt notice anything that rang alarms bells.
The drive wasn't very sufficient though, heavy traffic, dont think I broke the 100kph mark.
I bloody hate when you take a car for a test drive and the fuel light immediately comes on.
The staff member was nice but constantly trying to make small talk when im trying to drive a car I have never driven before, no bueno.

On the car windscreen it said $25k IIRC. I knew the price from Carsales was less than this. I asked is this the best price.
The staff member said let me check and walked inside as if to talk to his manger.
He comes back out and quotes the price that is quoted online.
I asked is that the best you can do and he said that probably the best we can do leaving the door open for some reduction if I was willing to put an offer down.
I had no intention but walked away thinking someone won't even look under the bonnet will just look at how shiny it is and they will sell it fast some stage.

Moral of the story ……………………….    buyer beware.

Just to add all of the above doesn't necessarily mean its a bad car (if it ends up being someone on here), it just means it didnt fit my requirements.


 

[ttimbo]

You’d be better off if buying one from a member here — even if it’s interstate. There’s a lovely white 265 in Sydney, full history, treated with mechanical sympathy. Check the classifieds posts

[ttimbo]

This one: FS (SYD) 2015 Pearl White Renault Megane RS265 Cup Premium - Rego 'til 2020, PRICE DROP
https://r.tapatalk.com/shareLink?share_fid=5329&share_tid=31824&url=http://www.ozrenaultsport.com/index.php?/topic/31824-FS-%28SYD%29-2015-Pearl-White-Renault-Megane-RS265-Cup-Premium---Rego-%27til-2020%2C-PRICE-DROP&share_type=t

[RSwannabe]

Thanks for the reply mate but I’m looking for lower kms than the one you linked. 

As you say I may have to go interstate and there is one in Victoria that is top of my list right now that fits to my requirements. 

The thought of going interstate is hard though given what I have read in Carsales ads compared to what I have seen in reality.

[chuckovski]

The panel gaps and all that jazz are notoriously bad on all these cars.
I don't think my eye would pick up what you did so kudos for that!
I reckon be safe rather than sorry but it could have come like that from the factory...
Would a paint thickness test help? Not that I know how to do one.

[RSwannabe]

1 hour ago, chuckovski said:

The panel gaps and all that jazz are notoriously bad on all these cars.
I don't think my eye would pick up what you did so kudos for that!
I reckon be safe rather than sorry but it could have come like that from the factory...
Would a paint thickness test help? Not that I know how to do one.

In isolation maybe and for me a big maybe but too many things adding up.  

Edited 23, March 2019 by RSwannabe

[chuckovski]

In isolation maybe and for me a big maybe but too many things adding up.  

Yes fair point. Tyre thing is weird.

I have to say it was fair of them to mention the auction thing, I don't know if they had to go into that kind of detail or not.

But that in itself would be enough for me to bow out.

[CaptainKrump]

22 hours ago, Honest Gaza said:

I think that depends on the individual.  Personally, I drive a rental the same way I drive my own cars (and in my case, that isn't 'hard').

 

I rented an RS from Hertz a few years ago. While I let it warm up, I rented it purely for spirited driving in the back roads.

The car is in their "fun" range, or it is called something like that. I'm sure that the car had been rented just to take to those nearby back roads for spirited driving more often than not.

Having said that, 27,000kms since 2015 (say 3-4 years) is under 10,000kms a year. That's normal "daily driver" mileage.

[Moosey]

Hertz have a Fun Collection category as part of their offering. A batch of Megane 3 RS was sold into it a few years ago.

[Trenna]

I have just purchased one of these 50k km rs275 cups.  22k driveaway seemed fair for a 2.5-3 year old 48ish k car.

i am not overly concerned too much about its history and treatment as it has 2 years warranty. Also a rental sold back to Renault it had to meet criteria for repurchase ie, regular servicing and oem parts etc.  these cars are made for being driven and until modded should prove reliable.  Rental cars are not usually a track driven vehicle so shouldnt have been too badly tormented in retrospect.

my point is that if you get it for a good price you can sell it on with warranty to other potential owners with warranty as a bonus.

https://www.carsales.com.au/cars/details/2016-renault-megane-r-s-275-cup-manual/OAG-AD-16244595/?utm_campaign=hold-alert&utm_source=notification-center&utm_medium=email&recommendation_id=1eb1c2db-5c60-4177-bf42-4f72a0c9d66d

this was my purchase.

[RSwannabe]

46 minutes ago, Trenna said:

I have just purchased one of these 50k km rs275 cups.  22k driveaway seemed fair for a 2.5-3 year old 48ish k car.

i am not overly concerned too much about its history and treatment as it has 2 years warranty. Also a rental sold back to Renault it had to meet criteria for repurchase ie, regular servicing and oem parts etc.  these cars are made for being driven and until modded should prove reliable.  Rental cars are not usually a track driven vehicle so shouldnt have been too badly tormented in retrospect.

my point is that if you get it for a good price you can sell it on with warranty to other potential owners with warranty as a bonus.

https://www.carsales.com.au/cars/details/2016-renault-megane-r-s-275-cup-manual/OAG-AD-16244595/?utm_campaign=hold-alert&utm_source=notification-center&utm_medium=email&recommendation_id=1eb1c2db-5c60-4177-bf42-4f72a0c9d66d

this was my purchase.

I would like to see a silver one in the flesh. They look good in the pics. Hope it goes good for you