Last Laguna's still a safe bet

Nov 9 2009 Peter Hayward

THE latest Renault Laguna is hugely safe, but the previous one was awarded five stars in crash tests so it's almost as good.

It has a light clutch and slick gearchange, superb brakes, excellent power steering and, in the Renault tradition, a good ride.

The handling is excellent, making corners huge fun for any enthusiastic driver, with plenty of grip from large wheels and very low profile tyres.

There's hardly any roll and the way it hugs the road over different road surfaces makes it very safe.

The credit card style ignition key can take a bit of getting used to but works very well. This was a Renault first and goes into a dash slot so the engine can be started and stopped with a button.

There are 1.6, 1.8 and 2.9 V6 petrol models but the two smaller units are not man enough for the weight.

Best choice is the 1.9 DCi turbo diesel which has 120bhp, delivering economy and performance.

Interior

All have twin front and side airbags, curtain airbags, aircon, deadlocks and that excellent keyless entry. Standard equipment is excellent with top Initiale models coming with a voice warning system, leather upholstery, electric front seats, cruise control and a CD autochanger. Service history is a must.

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FAST FACTS

Renault Laguna

Price: Pay £4,000 for an '03 53 Authentique, £5,600 for an '05 55-reg Expression, or £7,500 for an '07 07-reg Dynamique.

Mechanical: 120bhp, 1870cc, 4 cylinder diesel engine driving the front wheels via a 6-speed manual gearbox.

Max speed: 126mph

0-62mph: 10.4 seconds

Combined mpg: 50

Insurance group: 9

CO2 emissions: 152g/km

Marks: 9/10

Main rival: Nissan Primera