Railgun Posted December 18, 2011 Share Posted December 18, 2011 When your driving back from the track, your still driving home in a Renault Megane......................FAIL!!!!!!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tprice Posted December 18, 2011 Share Posted December 18, 2011 370 anyday Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dragon Posted December 18, 2011 Share Posted December 18, 2011 370 anyday +1 no brainer Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Neilp Posted December 18, 2011 Share Posted December 18, 2011 If I was looking for a track car I would take the old r26r megane over any zed. This one doesn't do it for me in the looks department. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Stew Posted December 18, 2011 Share Posted December 18, 2011 I bet this exact topic is on a megane forum and every post says Megane FTW Megane Anyday Who'd drive that jap junk Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ZMANALEX Posted December 18, 2011 Share Posted December 18, 2011 It would be interesting to know the views of peeps if the 370 had been faster. I have driven both cars and the Renault is much more fun on track in the wet and the dry. It was built as a hot hatch with track potential and it does not disappoint. The 370 as we all know is a GT cruiser and a damn good one at that and nothing really gets close in that price range. On track it really does seriously suffer from understeer in, and oversteer out, and you are constantly having to work really hard to keep the car right if you are on the limit. When the car understeers you have no option but to slow down and increase braking without turning in any more and wait until the car has slowed enough for you to get back on the racing line. Then for the oversteer as the rear of the car is about to overtake you, you will find it difficult to slow down, so your only option is to counter steer very quickly. These two issues alone were probably the main reason that the 370 was 2 seconds slower. As Colin said a little tweek with the geometry settings will sort those issues. I was a bit surprised at this choice of car test, however I also see what they were trying to do and they did not slate the 370 as it was purely a comparison track speed test and it did not surprise me in the slightest that the Renault was faster. As a daily driver it would be a no brainer, 370 everytime. Alex Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
captain Posted December 18, 2011 Share Posted December 18, 2011 It's a pointless comparison on a wet day, but they aren't going to reschedule filming just because its been raining. Knowing Castle Combed fairly well, i'm pretty confident it would have been a different story in the dry. ..........and in a 350z, about 11 seconds faster. Bring it on 370 garage queens.......... http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_f222otgpbw&list=UU4DDF1Q6InWXkVKscz1ij7w&index=2&feature=plcp Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Neilp Posted December 18, 2011 Share Posted December 18, 2011 It's a pointless comparison on a wet day, but they aren't going to reschedule filming just because its been raining. Knowing Castle Combed fairly well, i'm pretty confident it would have been a different story in the dry. ..........and in a 350z, about 11 seconds faster. Bring it on 370 garage queens.......... http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_f222otgpbw&list=UU4DDF1Q6InWXkVKscz1ij7w&index=2&feature=plcp Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dblock Posted December 18, 2011 Share Posted December 18, 2011 I bet this exact topic is on a megane forum and every post says Megane FTW Megane Anyday Who'd drive that jap junk Well on cliosport people arent really as close minded as some people. Ohh a renault not like its pretty much the same company and how anyone that drives a nissan can be a brand snob I dont know. I own a 172 and a 350 and like both for their abilities one isnt better than the other IMO. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
vern Posted December 19, 2011 Share Posted December 19, 2011 I'm probably in a good position to comment, as we own both the cars in question! Well sort off........We actually have a 370z and a megane 250 cup, but aside from another 15 BHP and a few extra bells and bells and whistles, I think the Trophy is very similar. In terms of performance, yes the megane is very quick and on real world, cold wet tarmac, is quicker than the 370. On a dry track it would be a different matter. Evo tested both cars on a dry Bedford Autodrome and the 370 was 2 seconds a lap quicker. Interestingly when Evo put the same Megane in a group test with the Focus RS, Seat Leon and Golf GTI, they dyno tested them all and the Megane recorded over 270bhp and if the Trophy has another 15bhp, the actual power to weight is much closer to the Zed. The Megane is also fitted with the 'trick' Renault Perfohub drive system and along with the slippy diff, the power is put down through the front wheels like no other car I've ever driven. Whatever you say about Renault, the Renaultsport boys know how to engineer a hot hatch. Given the choice....obviously I'd have the 370, but on the days when I drive the Megane to work, I've still got a smile on my face! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Stew Posted December 19, 2011 Share Posted December 19, 2011 Whatever you say about Renault, the Renaultsport boys know how to engineer a hot hatch. This. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ekona Posted December 20, 2011 Share Posted December 20, 2011 Outright pace isn't everything, you have to look at the whole package. In terms of pace, wet or dry the Megane will be quicker than a 370, but I'd personally rather drive a slower RWD car than a quicker FWD car, assuming both are fun to drive in the first place. It's why the Clios and Meganes always feature in magazine's Car Of The Year tests and always bloody a few noses, because they are both quick and fun. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rabbitstew Posted December 20, 2011 Share Posted December 20, 2011 The whole purpose of the comparison was just to raise debate. Thats the only thing I can think off. As others have said, they are 2 completely different types of cars and therefore shouldnt be compared against each other. But, shows like 5th Gear and Top Gear seem to love doing such weird mis-match comparisons. And this is the reason why I stopped watching such shows years ago as they would make me so angry id end up shouting at the television. The Renault should be compared against other similar cars like the Golf GTI, Ford Focus etc.. and the zed should be compared against cars like the Z4 etc.. I remember many years ago Clarkson was saying some Ferrari or something was crap purely because he couldnt fit a Christmas Tree in the back of it. wtf! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ekona Posted December 20, 2011 Share Posted December 20, 2011 A 370Z is £29,950. A Megane Trophy is £27,820. The Megane is quicker and seats more people. You really think the comparison is unfair? Perhaps, but only because on paper the Megane is superior to the 370Z. The 350/370 used to be very impressive because they gave you performance and feel for a price that couldn't be beaten and you accepted that it was a 2-seater, however now you're looking at a FWD scrabblewagon that outperforms the Zed in performance and practicality and is an absolute hoot to drive as well. Putting aside the looks of both 370 and Megane which are very subjective (neither car is ugly though), unless you really wanted RWD why would you buy the Nissan? It's a similar argument that puts the BMW 330d as a better buy than the 330i, as unless you really need the petrol version and love 0-60 times you'd be better off with the oil-burner and the savage in-gear acceleration that comes with it. Like I said, I'd still rather buy the 370 as I prefer RWD to FWD, but there's no doubting that the Megane is both a seriously impressive car and a competitor to the 370 in terms of bang for your buck. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chris`I Posted December 20, 2011 Share Posted December 20, 2011 Fully agree Dan. The point 5th Gear were trying to make (as I said in my previous post) is that you can for the same price as a GT car get a car thats as quick on the track and have 4 seats. However the point everyone forgets is that the Megane is track focused and as such wouldnt be much good as a GT car or even as a family wagon. So the Zed is near as damn it as quick as the Megane but far more comfy and a much nicer place to be if you are driving across the continent or even a few hundred miles in this country, although you cant fit a family in it. Horses for courses. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Watshot Posted December 20, 2011 Share Posted December 20, 2011 There's no mystery, Fifth Gear clearly stated that the purpose of the comparison was to test whether you really needed a RWD sports coupe to have fun, and used the Zed as the benchmark as it has always been one of their favourites. The result (in their view) was 'no', you can have a FWD hot hatch like the Renault and have more fun. They weren't trying to compare like with like and clearly stated so. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rabbitstew Posted December 20, 2011 Share Posted December 20, 2011 There's no mystery, Fifth Gear clearly stated that the purpose of the comparison was to test whether you really needed a RWD sports coupe to have fun, and used the Zed as the benchmark as it has always been one of their favourites. The result (in their view) was 'no', you can have a FWD hot hatch like the Renault and have more fun. Surely thats obvious though? People would buy a RWD sports coupe because they wanted one, not because they thought it was more fun than another car. For the money a zed costs that opens up a whole lot of other cars you could buy, and everyone has their own personal preferences as to what they like or find fun to drive. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ekona Posted December 20, 2011 Share Posted December 20, 2011 There's no mystery, Fifth Gear clearly stated that the purpose of the comparison was to test whether you really needed a RWD sports coupe to have fun, and used the Zed as the benchmark as it has always been one of their favourites. The result (in their view) was 'no', you can have a FWD hot hatch like the Renault and have more fun. Surely thats obvious though? People would buy a RWD sports coupe because they wanted one, not because they thought it was more fun than another car. Not at all. You're assuming that most people know the difference between RWD and FWD: BMW have proven that they don't, and that's why we're going to see FWD 1-series cars in the next couple of years. Joe Public is clueless about cars and how they work and the dynamic differences between the combinations of engine placement and driven wheels. They just care that it looks good, it feels quick and they can afford it. Everything else is irrelevant really. How many people do we get on here wondering what the 0-60 of the Zeds are, and the top speed, and how they compare with other cars? Any serious driver will tell you that's all completely irrelevant, but to some people it's still how they decide what their next car will be. Renault know this, that's why they're making a big thing about their Ring time for the Megane Trophy, as it does sell cars. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ds2000 Posted December 20, 2011 Share Posted December 20, 2011 I have a foggy memory of 5th gear running the CTR against an S2000 I think it was so tests like this aren't new. The facts are, I'd take the Z over some shoddy french manufactured thing every day of the week. Everyone I know with a French car has had copious issues. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rabbitstew Posted December 20, 2011 Share Posted December 20, 2011 There's no mystery, Fifth Gear clearly stated that the purpose of the comparison was to test whether you really needed a RWD sports coupe to have fun, and used the Zed as the benchmark as it has always been one of their favourites. The result (in their view) was 'no', you can have a FWD hot hatch like the Renault and have more fun. Surely thats obvious though? People would buy a RWD sports coupe because they wanted one, not because they thought it was more fun than another car. Not at all. You're assuming that most people know the difference between RWD and FWD: BMW have proven that they don't, and that's why we're going to see FWD 1-series cars in the next couple of years. Joe Public is clueless about cars and how they work and the dynamic differences between the combinations of engine placement and driven wheels. They just care that it looks good, it feels quick and they can afford it. Everything else is irrelevant really. How many people do we get on here wondering what the 0-60 of the Zeds are, and the top speed, and how they compare with other cars? Any serious driver will tell you that's all completely irrelevant, but to some people it's still how they decide what their next car will be. Renault know this, that's why they're making a big thing about their Ring time for the Megane Trophy, as it does sell cars. I remember the stats showing that something like 85% of BMW 1 Series owners thought their car was FWD. But my point was that most people buying a new car wouldnt necessarily be comparing a 4 seater "family" FWD car against a 2 seater RWD sports car. Usually people decide they want maybe a 2 seater sports car, then look at the zed, the z4, maybe an mx5 or s2000 etc... before deciding. And vice versa... they would probably compare the renault against the golf gti, the focus st or rs, astra vxr maybe or whatever other cars match that sort of criteria. Everyone I know with a French car has had copious issues. Ive had no end of French cars: 3 x Renault 5 GT Turbo Peugeot 206 GTi 1.9 Peugeot 309 Gti Peugeot 307 HDI Peugeot 106 1.5 Diesel Peugeot 306 1.9 Dsport Peugeot 306 2.0 HDI Renault Clio 16v Can honestly say they the ones ive had have been no different to any other cars my family have owned. My family are big VW fans, currently they have a Polo, a Golf and a Passat. The only problems ive had have just been normal routine maintenance like brake discs every 80k etc. Or glow plugs needing replacement after 140k miles etc... On some of these cars I did 80k miles or more. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ekona Posted December 20, 2011 Share Posted December 20, 2011 Usually people decide they want maybe a 2 seater sports car, then look at the zed, the z4, maybe an mx5 or s2000 etc... before deciding. And vice versa... they would probably compare the renault against the golf gti, the focus st or rs, astra vxr maybe or whatever other cars match that sort of criteria. I know I'm labouring the point here a bit, but neither myself nor my brother did. Before I bought my first sports car, an MR2, the other choices were an Impreza, a Focus RS, and an MG ZS180. Hardly similar cars at all. Before the Zed, my brother had on his list an Astra VXR and a Focus ST before deciding on the Zed. Again, for him it was about looking at the stats and going from there, along with the style of the overall package. You and me know more about these things so when deciding on a new car we'd work out what we actually wanted from the car (RWD or FWD, 2 seat or 4 seat, NA or FI etc) and then work out which cars fitted those criteria. Joe Public doesn't, he just wants something that he can show off to his mates in, whether that's with a badge (BMW 318i owners) or with masses of power (Mazda3 MPS owners). Examples used for effect, in case anyone takes offence! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dblock Posted December 20, 2011 Share Posted December 20, 2011 +1 RWD is scary for most still is to me Some people won't buy a rwd car. The will alway stick to focus rs dc2/5's megs and the likes. They are eaiser to drive won't spin and have traction control. Alot of people my age still think fwd is better as it's more point and shoot and they will reject anything rwd. For the old schoolers they always had rwd and no tc or anything so they are comfortable with rwd. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chris`I Posted December 20, 2011 Share Posted December 20, 2011 Keeps them away from the Zed though doesnt it. Works for me Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rabbitstew Posted December 20, 2011 Share Posted December 20, 2011 Usually people decide they want maybe a 2 seater sports car, then look at the zed, the z4, maybe an mx5 or s2000 etc... before deciding. And vice versa... they would probably compare the renault against the golf gti, the focus st or rs, astra vxr maybe or whatever other cars match that sort of criteria. I know I'm labouring the point here a bit, but neither myself nor my brother did. Before I bought my first sports car, an MR2, the other choices were an Impreza, a Focus RS, and an MG ZS180. Hardly similar cars at all. Before the Zed, my brother had on his list an Astra VXR and a Focus ST before deciding on the Zed. Again, for him it was about looking at the stats and going from there, along with the style of the overall package. You and me know more about these things so when deciding on a new car we'd work out what we actually wanted from the car (RWD or FWD, 2 seat or 4 seat, NA or FI etc) and then work out which cars fitted those criteria. Joe Public doesn't, he just wants something that he can show off to his mates in, whether that's with a badge (BMW 318i owners) or with masses of power (Mazda3 MPS owners). Examples used for effect, in case anyone takes offence! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CrumbMC Posted December 20, 2011 Share Posted December 20, 2011 Remember folks, that the 265 trophy is the most capable FWD hot hatch ever! i know i would be in the market for one if i had to have more seats and a boot. in dry conditions it would have been closer but i wouldn't put a dea cert on the Zed winning. But i'd rather have the RWD coupe anyday. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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