# Renault Avantime



## Carlos (May 6, 2002)

Anyone have any experience? I have never sat in one but I've always quite fancied one. Used ones now down at around Â£13k.

Different. :?


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## vernan (May 27, 2002)

Yes! Go for it!

They're fantastic. Drove one for a weekend on an extended test drive. Loved it. Slow, unwieldy, pointless, but you feel really special in it (special needs, as was pointed out to me). I was very, very tempted, but the Citroen pipped it.

And the Vel Satis. Cool cars, whatever the ignorant say.


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## jampott (Sep 6, 2003)

vernan said:


> Yes! Go for it!
> 
> They're fantastic. Drove one for a weekend on an extended test drive. Loved it. Slow, unwieldy, pointless, but you feel really special in it (special needs, as was pointed out to me). I was very, very tempted, but the Citroen pipped it.
> 
> And the Vel Satis. Cool cars, whatever the ignorant say.


The coolest thing about the Renault Vel Satis, is it has the 350z engine


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## Carlos (May 6, 2002)

vernan said:


> Yes! Go for it!
> 
> They're fantastic. Drove one for a weekend on an extended test drive. Loved it. Slow, unwieldy, pointless, but you feel really special in it (special needs, as was pointed out to me). I was very, very tempted, but the Citroen pipped it.


Access to the rear, holding a baby?


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## coupe-sport (May 7, 2002)

One of my colleagues had one on order - had a problem with one of the door hinges and Renault are still waiting for it after a month. He's cancelled the order...


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## Franck (May 15, 2002)

This car is now a collector : I believe only 6 000 have been produced in the world.


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## ag (Sep 12, 2002)

To put it politely it is amusing. It is a typical example of the tail wagging the dog, in this case stylists dictating the marketing direction. At the time the car came out I owned a TT and a Volkswagen Sharan and had a French g/f. I should therefore have been very receptive to the idea of an MPV based Coupe from France! Where they missed the point was that hybrids of this nature need to bring the best of all worlds together, or at least make a stab at it. Unfortunately you got the Avantime, the only thing that really works is the styling. It has the footprint of an MPV so is a pain in town, it has the handling of an MPV so it is a pain out of town, it has the fuel consumption of an MPV so it is a pain in the pocket and it has the accomodation of a coupe so is a pain in the @rse. It is a triumph of artistic style over content and overall one of the most flawed vehicles ever produced. The ones I have seen have very poor build quality and the door hinges are a constant source of problems. If you're still tempted, try putting a baby into the back seat when you are parked between two cars!

It is an intriguing car and as such, sense doesn't really need to come into it if you love the shape, because that is what you are buying. The fact that they stopped making such a striking looking vehicle only 18 months after release shows how wrong the concept was.

Sorry.


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## garyc (May 7, 2002)

Every Englishman likes a Folly...


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## Monique (Jun 11, 2002)

Franck said:


> This car is now a collector : I believe only 6 000 have been produced in the world.


Un "collector", tu reves???

No one ever heard of a Renault collectible. :lol:

You have PM too.


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## Carlos (May 6, 2002)

Well I'd love a Spider, that's collectible in my book.

I like Renaults :?

However, "accommodation of a coupe" is absolutely no good to me, need good access to the back and plenty of space. I was hoping that it would be easy to get in the back due to the big doors, but then I guess that would be a problem in car parks.


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## Franck (May 15, 2002)

Monique said:


> Un "collector", tu reves???
> 
> No one ever heard of a Renault collectible. :lol:
> 
> You have PM too.


At least here in France, the resale value and the number of commands have increased after they announced they were stopping the production of the Avantime.


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## raven (May 7, 2002)

I've only ever seen one in the UK, but I had a good nose around the few I have seen in France. I think they're great and the reviews were not as negative as the posts above would have you think. Yes, it's very MPV like, but there's also a lot of space inside and if you haven't got to put a baby in the back seat, it's great.

I would go for it. If you have problems, because of supply issues, you probably won't lose too much of your cash if you want to sell it on.


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## Pammy (Nov 10, 2003)

I've just had one of the new Meganes - 1.6 auto - bl**dy awful!!!!


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## ag (Sep 12, 2002)

Clearly the Avantime is not for you. It looks great, but doesn't work.

On the subject of collectable Renaults, I'm no expert but surely the Dauphine and Gordini merit a mention. Also, if you forget the rust and awful build qualiy the original Renault 5TL has got to be a classic car by any standard, park a 1974 model next to any of the current crop of superminis and the differences are details. The concept was so right 30 odd years ago tht the basics haven't changed. The R5 Alpine was a dog but the 5 Maxi Turbo and Turbo2 were monsters. And the original Espace, o.k. so its not really a Renault, & not really even French, but another trend setter, like the Scenic. I'm sure that the Twingo will be very collectible soon. If Nissan and Renault get it together then they could buid some exceptional vehicles using Renault's flair and innovation and Nissan build integrity. They have much more chance of making it than the Daimler-Chrysler mess or the Vauxhall/Opel/Saab/Subaru/Daewoo mobile scrapyard.

Renault collectable? yes, great build? no.


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## vernan (May 27, 2002)

I'll take my Citroen over a Mercedes for build quality any day. It's as well built as my TT, just not made of such expensive materials. No surprise there, seeing as it cost Â£10k new.

As for the Avantime (and Vel Satis), well done to Le Quement and chums for having the balls to do something different. Unsurprising that neither sell, seeing as 99% of the public would not get the point and whose aspirations finish at a 3 series.

That said, while I love both cars, the design, the idea etc, I haven't bought either..............


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## clived (May 6, 2002)

jampott said:


> The coolest thing about the Renault Vel Satis, is it has the 350z engine


Surely it's the other way round Tim?


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## jampott (Sep 6, 2003)

clived said:


> jampott said:
> 
> 
> > The coolest thing about the Renault Vel Satis, is it has the 350z engine
> ...


enigne z053 eht sah ti si ,sitaS leV ltuaneR eht tuoba gniht tselooc ehT


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## XXMetal (Jan 20, 2004)

jampott said:


> clived said:
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> > jampott said:
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Don't you mean

 enigne z053 eht sah ti si ,sitaS leV ltuaneR eht tuoba gniht tselooc ehT


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## jampott (Sep 6, 2003)

XXMetal said:


> jampott said:
> 
> 
> > clived said:
> ...


No, because you copied my spelling mistake


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## XXMetal (Jan 20, 2004)

jampott said:


> XXMetal said:
> 
> 
> > jampott said:
> ...


    :lol:


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