Renault 5 - Test drive

[scotta]

Very interesting - Drove really well. Decently brisk. Not as quick as the 128 obvs but respectable. Unconfirmed whether this was the 120 or 150bhp model. There is no visual difference between them and its too new to lookup specs on the usual spec site I use. SO74LTE if anyone can find better info.

Interior quality - i could not fault this. It felt very well built and the materials were good quality. Seats were very soft but comfortable.

Kit wise - this was the midrange Techno model. so carplay, Climate, Active adaptive Cruise control. Auto lights. No heated seats which would be a miss. You need to Iconic model for them. However the iconic model doesnt come in the green annoyingly.

Range - this is where it gets a bit sticky. i did 40 miles in it round the city bypass to Edinburgh and back. Range started at 76% and ended at 44%. However its winter, we had the heater on and it was motorway driving. Neither of which suit EV use.

Rear seats are a bit funny. If you have the front seats set low then you cant get your feet under the seats in the rear. So if you have passengers in the back you need to pump the seat height up. Boot was quite deep and a reasonable size. unsure i could get two labradors in it however.

It was dark so didnt take any photos. but this is essentially identical bar different wheels



It had a proper quality feel about it. Certainly something to think about as it would give some decent savings over running the 1 series.

[scotta]

Just had a text from my brother - its the 150 model.

[Gavster]

I love the styling of these, they've captured the original shape really nicely.

[scotta]

I love the styling of these, they've captured the original shape really nicely.

Agreed - it looks great. It certainly doesnt feel like a chaap car. Ive sat in the new Dacia Spring...It feels very much like a cheap car.

[tim]

They are doing 0% on them too. It's the most compelling fully electric car I've seen so far.

[scotta]

They are doing 0% on them too. It's the most compelling fully electric car I've seen so far.

Big deposit on the 0% - bout £8k

Im looking at the salary sacrifice scheme through my work. Covers all running costs and service inc tyres. Also covers the charger install. Circa £300-350 dependant on spec and milage allowance.

[JonMad]

High floor noticeable in the rear, and a lack of foot space, seems to be a common theme with EVs. Maybe not a problem if the person in the back is short and/or has small feat (which generally go together).

[mik]

They look funky. Good to hear they feel/drive well too.

[Matty]

40 miles for 32% is probably about right in winter. Guess it depends on how much a factor that is for you.

Maybe in the looks side, they're better in the metal that photos, but the proportions look odd.

No heated seats is a big factor - part of me liking the idea of electric cars is some of the comfort factors like heated seats, wheel, preheating etc.

And this is the thing, they've got the £23k model, but I can't imagine many going for it and buying the £30k+ with bigger battery and some "essential* options, pushing the price right up.

[Rich B]

i’ve not seen one in real life yet, they look great on photos until you see a person next to one - then to me they look very tall.

i’ll reserve full judgment for now!

[scotta]

40 miles for 32% is probably about right in winter. Guess it depends on how much a factor that is for you.

Maybe in the looks side, they're better in the metal that photos, but the proportions look odd.

No heated seats is a big factor - part of me liking the idea of electric cars is some of the comfort factors like heated seats, wheel, preheating etc.

And this is the thing, they've got the £23k model, but I can't imagine many going for it and buying the £30k+ with bigger battery and some "essential* options, pushing the price right up.

It only comes into concern if i wanted to go a distance trip in it. So a trip to Anglesey once or twice a year. A trip to Silverstone would be a bit tedious with 3 or 4 charging stops. At which point it would be left at home. Even the lotus can do here to Silverstone on one tank. Airport trip for holidays would be tight. Newcastle airport would need a charge to get home so id need to plan a bit in advance to charge it before leaving at the airport. The mini couldn't even fill that role with a bit luggage on board. If it was an early morning flight that would be a pain. When we went to Corfu the 1 series went there and back easily on one tank.

Glasgow airport or a visit to @mik could be done on one charge in the 150bhp with the bigger battery.

Most of the time it would be fine. Furthest we normally would go in routine is fife and back to collect the boy from school or Knockhill. Both it could do on one charge.

[V8Granite]

40 miles for 32% is probably about right in winter. Guess it depends on how much a factor that is for you.

Maybe in the looks side, they're better in the metal that photos, but the proportions look odd.

No heated seats is a big factor - part of me liking the idea of electric cars is some of the comfort factors like heated seats, wheel, preheating etc.

And this is the thing, they've got the £23k model, but I can't imagine many going for it and buying the £30k+ with bigger battery and some "essential* options, pushing the price right up.

So 100 miles before you need to be looking to charge ?

Thats a shame as they look awesome, I really like the interior touches and the price is starting to be where I think these cars will do well. Considering the range is much the same as a Zoe it’s a bit disappointing.

If other manufacturers capture what Honda and Renauktbhave with these small electrics looks wise, we could have some really cool cars. Range though, still not useable for what I’d want but no doubt it will come.

Dave!

[Jobbo]

That's consistent with all the reviews I've seen by journalists which are overwhelmingly positive, and the range is better than a Honda E. Perfectly usable for what is basically a shopping/city car. For maybe £250+VAT per month on a business lease, with very low BIK company car tax, this is incredibly cheap; maybe a net cost of barely over £150 a month to my pocket for a brand new car, and very low running costs. The complication is more in working out how to finance it in the cheapest way.

[Carlos]

Its 3.9m long which is 15cm shorter than a Fiesta/Ibiza/Polo/Corsa which brings benefits in terms of footprint and parking but its still a very small car with more interior space than bigger ICE competitors.

They do 2 battery sizes, a 40kw and a 52kw so if that one was a 40kw I'd probably expect a 120mile range in cold weather at high speed (3 miles per kw), urban or rural driving that's more likely to be 160-180miles (4-4.5mpkw). That would fit a lot of peoples driving profile.

EV's are a tough sell to you guys lol

Although if that was a 52kw car it does sound a little disappointing.

[Carlos]

That's consistent with all the reviews I've seen by journalists which are overwhelmingly positive, and the range is better than a Honda E. Perfectly usable for what is basically a shopping/city car. For maybe £250+VAT per month on a business lease, with very low BIK company car tax, this is incredibly cheap; maybe a net cost of barely over £150 a month to my pocket for a brand new car, and very low running costs. The complication is more in working out how to finance it in the cheapest way.

Obviously I'm not an accountant so caveat emptor but I understand that a business can still claim 100% writing down capital allowance for a new EV even if its on HP. 0% works as the interest on a traditional HP cannot be claimed for only capital cost.

[scotta]

Its 3.9m long which is 15cm shorter than a Fiesta/Ibiza/Polo/Corsa which brings benefits in terms of footprint and parking but its still a very small car with more interior space than bigger ICE competitors.

They do 2 battery sizes, a 40kw and a 52kw so if that one was a 40kw I'd probably expect a 120mile range in cold weather at high speed (3 miles per kw), urban or rural driving that's more likely to be 160-180miles (4-4.5mpkw). That would fit a lot of peoples driving profile.

EV's are a tough sell to you guys lol

Although if that was a 52kw car it does sound a little disappointing.

Its the 52kw car. I wasnt driving it particularly economically however.

[Jobbo]

That's consistent with all the reviews I've seen by journalists which are overwhelmingly positive, and the range is better than a Honda E. Perfectly usable for what is basically a shopping/city car. For maybe £250+VAT per month on a business lease, with very low BIK company car tax, this is incredibly cheap; maybe a net cost of barely over £150 a month to my pocket for a brand new car, and very low running costs. The complication is more in working out how to finance it in the cheapest way.

Obviously I'm not an accountant so caveat emptor but I understand that a business can still claim 100% writing down capital allowance for a new EV even if its on HP. 0% works as the interest on a traditional HP cannot be claimed for only capital cost.

I'll speak to our accountant. Also need to ascertain whether a business purchase qualifies for the 0% HP deal. Who the fuck wants to ask their accountant before buying a car, FFS.

[integrale_evo]

Haven’t seen one yet, so not sure how they look on the road.

Very similar size wise to the mito. 6in shorter - mainly reduced front overhang, but an inch wider and two inches taller. From the photos it looks quite a bit bulkier despite being similarly sized.

Quite like the front comparison, the r5 looks like it’s chuckling at the shocked mito



Still not sure I’m quite ready for it, maybe if my commute was a bit more town based or in more traffic it would be easier to convince me, but I still enjoy a peppy petrol engine and gearstick for the occasional overtake or sprint between bends or blast from a roundabout. I do 60 miles a day so would pretty much have to plug it in every day when I got home and unplug it every morning when I leave. I don’t know why, it just seems way more faff than just stopping for a couple of minutes on the way home once a week. Especially if it’s chucking it down

[scotta]

Haven’t seen one yet, so not sure how they look on the road.

Very similar size wise to the mito. 6in shorter - mainly reduced front overhang, but an inch wider and two inches taller. From the photos it looks quite a bit bulkier despite being similarly sized.

Quite like the front comparison, the r5 looks like it’s chuckling at the shocked mito



Still not sure I’m quite ready for it, maybe if my commute was a bit more town based or in more traffic it would be easier to convince me, but I still enjoy a peppy petrol engine and gearstick for the occasional overtake or sprint between bends or blast from a roundabout. I do 60 miles a day so would pretty much have to plug it in every day when I got home and unplug it every morning when I leave. I don’t know why, it just seems way more faff than just stopping for a couple of minutes on the way home once a week. Especially if it’s chucking it down

You would save yourself a bit on fuel. It would probably do two days if you got the 52kw

[Jobbo]

I think plugging and unplugging when you get home would take less time than filling up once a week, and over time the petrol station fill ups would become annoying if you had to do them again.