Fast Urban Driving Cars

The cheeky little hatchback and mainstay of Renaults models, the Clio, is zippy on the road and regarded as one of the quietest engines of its type. For a smooth, quality ride in a proper family car, though, the Megane offers a quality driving experience, matched only by the Grand Scenic and Modus MPVs.

Crash Safety Renaults

Since 1998, new models of Renault have seen a vast improvement in their crash test ratings. Not least the Clio, which has seen a surge in all-round passenger safety, and top performances for the Espace and Scenic.

While overall reliability is a touch-and-go area for Renault, running costs certainly aren't. The Laguna has one of the best MPG ratings in its class, while the Clio goes the distance in the supermini category.

Large & Small Engines

There's huge variety in engine sizes, not least in their choice of vans - Kangoo can come in light-lugging 1.0l to large-haulage 1.9l, while its big brother, the Trafic, comes in heavy-duty 2.1l diesel or 2.2l Douvrin engine. For the rest, expect a range of light capacity engines for the hatchbacks with some greater sizes for the family city cars, people carriers and minivans.