The day had started badly.

I lay in bed on the Sunday before Christmas and casually checked my diary only to see “job – Dunsfold” written in red. You’ve never seen me move so fast. As it turned out, I had enough time to get from London to Surrey. But it was unsettling that the pre-Christmas wind-down had gripped me so firmly that I’d completely forgotten about the commission. Either that or it’s old age.

There were five generations of a very important family (important to me at least, being one of my clients) expecting to see me, so I was immensely relieved to be on the road. The weather was beautiful; clear blue skies and sub-zero temperatures. There was a sharp frost in London which gave way to snow covered fields.

The previous couple of days had been carnage on the roads due to the weather, but today it was clear. Nearly there. I came off the A3 into Godalming, only to hear a modest little rattle from the engine, which I could also feel through the steering wheel. I turned down the radio for a better listen. I could only hear it between 1,500 and 2,000 rpm so I confidently concluded that part of the exhaust had come loose. I knew there were some bits rattling around in the catalytic converter anyway, and assumed it had finally given up the ghost. Nothing that would stop me in my last three miles anyway.

Then a lovely French lady started talking to me. It’s a French car after all. “Warning, oil level low” she explained. That had happened before I remembered. Diesels can burn a bit of oil, and I hadn’t checked for a while. Then she piped up again: “warning, oil pressure low, stop immediately”. Mmm. This was altogether more serious, and the picture quickly snapped into focus. I was loosing oil.

The noise had been the first clue, the oil level warning the second and the pressure warning the third. My only consolation was that my French lady friend had taken her time explaining all this. I figured if the oil had come out in one explosive discharge she would have been nagging me earlie

Fully aware that engines don’t last long without oil (minutes normally) but also aware that I just had to get to my job, I coasted as far as I could. I was prepared to sacrifice the car, but in fact just managed to get to the venue in one piece. So there I was, in the middle of the Surrey countryside at the end of a completely frozen single-track road on the busiest breakdown weekend of the year.

I called the AA with trepidation. The last time I called the AA my car had exploded. They sent a man in a van to have a look first (three hours) and the Relay truck which I knew I needed all along took a further two hours. Exasperating to say the least. So I explained patiently to the surprisingly calm lady on the phone at AA Central Reservations that I had no oil and the car wouldn’t run and we were all doomed. She assured me there would be someone with me within three hours and to stay near my phone. I expected the worse. But no. Less than two hours after my call I received a text telling me the Relay truck was five minutes away. I still didn’t believe it, but sure enough, like the cavalry arriving in the nick of time, Geoff arrived with his brand new yellow Renault flatbe

It took five minutes to load the Laguna and off we went. “It’s tricky when there’s ice like this”, Geoff said as he gingerly navigated through the lethal, un-gritted lanes, “once she starts sliding she tends to keep on going”. Righty-o then. I kept quiet, thinking that Geoff might not appreciate interruptions. M25? Empty. North Circular? Empty. We dropped my unlubricated Laguna at the Garage and Geoff then dropped me back to my door with a smile. He was genuinely reluctant to take a few quid from me, although I insisted. It was Christmas after all, and he’d just restored my faith in pretty much everything. Especially the rescue services – it all just worked, and the whole system must have been under some stress that weekend.

Never again will I complain about the cost of membership, which now looks like the best Christmas present you could have.

This review first published September 2008

The Look

I’ve been told (by Paul mainly) that this is a beautiful car because of its proportions, beautiful lines and flowing curves. I can’t see it myself. It does look smart and the look has grown on me especially since I enjoyed driving it so much, but when I first saw one of these cars I thought they were just plain ugly.

The Grand Espace is larger that your average Espace in the boot area which is great when one is incapable of judging just how much stuff is really needed for a weekend away. I chose to remove one of the back seats to allow for the luggage for me, three kids and two cats. This was amazingly easy to do even when being photographed by a man who was quite clearly not going to offer to help even when he had finished snapping.

The seats in our Peugeot 807 are impossible for me to budge and even my giant of a husband struggles. Perhaps that is why the photographer didn’t offer to help – afraid of being ridiculed. But this was an important aspect of the car for me, actually being able to swap things around for myself rather than having to rely upon someone stronger, and often having to make do.

We also had a great colour which did enhance the look. I didn’t really notice that this was a longer vehicle than the average Espace as it didn’t feel particularly large.

I see this car as big with style, being smooth and sleek. I would miss my sliding doors as I do feel they are a must with kids who are not yet sensible enough to open doors slowly and gently for fear of damaging other vehicles. I also felt that with the passenger doors, there wasn’t a great deal of room for the children to easily get in and out, especially when child seats take up so much room.

There is an enormous tow bar at the rear of the car. I found this got in my way as I tried to fill the boot with shopping etc. I also wonder how this interferes with the sensor system – presumable it takes the tow bar into account when you are trying to get into a tight space. Let’s hope so. I didn’t want to put it to the test.

Interior

While this is a special limited edition Espace, it is not a superior model and has cloth seats whereas I feel that leather is the only way to go especially with children around. However, the seats had a good look and were exceptionally comfortable. After a long and painful journey up the MI on a wet Friday night, my back and legs were not aching at all which was a first for me for a long time. The seats feel very supportive and were easy to adjust which is a must when couples are at extreme ends of the spectrum! I found the seats firm and at the right level of comfort so that I was relaxed as I drove but also alert.

The dashboard is very plain and sturdy. There is nothing flash about it but I loved the solid feel and the way the endless cubby holes opened and closed. The steering wheel has a great feel to it and I like the slight indentations which the thumbs find as the wheel is turned. The controls feel good and there is nothing tacky and cheap about them. I especially loved the remote control for the volume to the CD and radio. So effortless to turn up the volume to drown out the sounds of kids at the back. The climate control is easy to use without having to take your eyes off the road. The master one is in the door on the driver’s side, but the passenger also has there own independent control.

Special features

I was slightly unnerved by the apparently lack of need to apply the hand brake. It’s all automatic once the car has stopped and it automatically goes off when the car pulls away. ~I was very concerned about how I would tackle hill starts without a hand brake and even went to test it out on one of the hills Rolls Royce allegedly tested their cars on in Derbyshire. It just didn’t feel right and realised that I must have got my facts wrong. Sure enough the handbook revealed the hand brake to the right of the steering wheel which automatically goes off when you pull away. From then on, my hill starts were perfect apart from the fact that I continued to stall the car at the most inopportune moments. Not the fault of the car, as no one else had this trouble.

This car has a marvellous credit card style key that unlocks the car without leaving your pocket or handbag. It also disables the car once you walk away from it and the doors lock automatically. Fantastic. However, this knowledge was rather late in revealing itself to the point where we couldn’t understand why Renault had gone for this type of ‘key’. We were getting it out of our bags and pressing the open sign and then plugging it in to the little slot before pressing the lovely starter button. It just shows how important it is to read the manual! The fantastic thing about this method of opening the car is that its hands free and immediate. No fiddling about while trying to keep hold of a wriggling child or bags of shopping.

I do love these starter buttons. The engine didn’t roar into life as with the Honda Civic Type S, but it did gently purr to life. The engine is then switched off with a press of the same button. Lovely.

The headlights remain on for two minutes after you have left the vehicle so that you are not plunged into darkness. Another great feature.

This limited edition is called the Grand Espace Tech Run. It is basically an entertainment centre on wheels, with a DVD DivX  player with two 7” screens which are integrated into the headrests, CD, radio, as well as multi-functional TunePoint to enable you to plug in MP3 players such as iPods. But no usable coffee cup holder which I think is more essential.

The Drive

I really enjoyed my first experience of driving this car once I’d got used to the feel of a gear stick again. It was easy to adjust the arm rest so that my arm could relax and change gear effortlessly.

I found it a very responsive car and didn’t feel as if I was driving an extra long vehicle. Perhaps this is because I am used to a Peugeot 807. It is so much more responsive that my diesel automatic and performed really well on the motorway. We were both put through our paces within minutes of starting the engine as my lift to the Renault depot was late for his flying lesson. I had to follow at speed first through country roads and then a very busy M40 and M25. I couldn’t complain as it was my fault we were late, having demanded to stop for a sandwich. The least I could do was to keep up. I felt that both the car and I performed very well, cruising nicely in sixth and accelerating in fifth when needed. Needless to say, we did arrive in time.

In town I found it to be sprightly and manoeuvrable. The brakes are very responsive and being in an elevated position is always great.

The Road Trip

The M1 sends me twitching at the best of times, but never more so than on a wet Friday afternoon, thinking I’ve beaten the traffic only to find that I’m stuck in the middle of it. A two and a half hour journey turns into a five and a half hour journey and I’ve still got to do it all again in reverse on Sunday afternoon. Why do weekends away always seem like such a good idea? It started off well – it always does for the first few junctions and you are lulled into a false sense of security. I felt I was flying along, really enjoying going into sixth gear (haven’t dared use cruise control ever since my father asked what happens if it gets stuck!). I don’t mind having my foot on the accelerator – it’s the clutch I hate having to deal with, which on this particular journey happened to be a lot. This type of car should always be an automatic. Much as I love using gears, to me a car designed to carry so many passengers, who are likely to be children, the driver should not have to worry about changing gear. It’s one less thing to think about as you try to maintain order in the back and have a free hand to dole out treats when it all goes horribly wrong.

However, at the start of this journey I felt confident that all would be calm with the troops. This model comes equipped with two DVD screens and wireless head sets. Everyone was very impressed by this particular feature. Once set up by my eleven year old, we were all sitting comfortably and we were away.

All I could hear were the odd giggle from the boys and the odd mieow from the cats who had been banished to the large boot. There weren’t even demands for sweets after the normal 10 minutes. I put on my music and enjoyed upping the volume with the remote finger controls and thought I’d cracked it. Peace didn’t last long however. After 50 minutes, William felt sick and complained of a headache, shortly followed by Thomas complaining of the same symptoms. Hannah then joined in moaning that the music was making her want to wee her pants. All on board entertainment was switched off, and we then realised just how much the cats were complaining. Short lived answer to my travelling prayers.

Normality was soon restored after a loo stop and the customary demand for snacks, drinks and sweets. I didn’t have the will-power to say no. Good job I didn’t get a take a way coffee as there wouldn’t have been anywhere appropriate to put it.

The whole experience reminded me why I separate my children on any journey, long or short. Having the three of them in a row so that they could watch the DVD was fine when they could watch it, but when it was switched off, all hell broke loose.

What we did work out on the return journey, was to limit the DVD watching to half hour slots. William was banished to the rear seat to stop him from irritating Hannah. While that worked, safety was an issue as William was constantly half way out of his seat so that he could see the screen. You can’t win.

Safety

The Espace has been given the maximum five-star Euro NCAP rating. There is a feeling of safety being in such an elevated driving position which one would hope would allow the diver to be able to identify any potential risks on the road. There is also automatic activation of the window wipers due to the presence of rain sensors and light sensors which automatically turn on the headlamps in poor light.

There are standard features such as brake assist together with ABS, ESP (Electronic Stability Programme) and understeer programme. This enables the driver to maintain control in the event of hard braking and optimises the stopping distances.  In the event of an impact the Espace has a reinforced body structure which can distort to absorb the impact and there are eight airbags.

There are ISOFIX mounting points in the rear seats to enable the installation of  ISOFIX Child safety seats.

Green Issues

Not only does the 6-speed manual gearbox provide smoothness and fluidity which enhances the driving pleasure, it also reduces fuel consumption and CO2 emissions which compare favourably to the Voyager without compromising on power.

Cost

This particular model retails at £24,935 with the slightly smaller Espace coming in at £23,735. I definitely think it’s worth the extra £1,200 for the space you acquire.

Review first published September 2008

The Look

The previous Clio was very stylish and unusual with its very distinctive rear window “bustle” and I feel that this look has actually been improved upon with this new model, still being cheeky with a lovely distinct bump to the rear.

I loved the round head lights and we did have a great colour – tempest, which is a wicked bright blue. The cloth interior was stylish with a simple dashboard. The controls are very easy to navigate while driving along. I love the idea of a starter button but this particular one does disappoint. Unlike the Honda Civic Type S which purred into action instantly, there is a slight delay and then an indistinct noise as the engine comes to life. I’d prefer an immediate response – it’s like the car can’t quite make it’s mind up!

Now that I understand the purpose of the credit card style key, I love it. We were puzzled with a previous car to what it was all about. But the fact that you can walk up to the car with the ‘key’ somewhere on your person and the car automatically unlocks is fantastic. All those times I’ve had my hands full of shopping or annoying, struggling children when a key like that would have made all the difference to my sanity. Likewise when you leave the car, and just have to press the button on the door handle to lock the car – marvellous.

The feel

I feel it’s an unfair comparison, but after driving the Renault Grand Espace, the poor Clio seemed rather thin. I felt as if there wasn’t much between me and the road, which I suppose is true to a certain extent. The interior had a slightly plasticky feel to it and I did wonder what extras I was getting compared to the basic Clio which comes in at £8,995. Top of the range is the Initiale which has a leather lined interior and comes in at just over £15,000. While this car was not test-driven, if I had £15,000 to play with there’s a lot of choice out there.

The Drive

We have a great deal to say about the drive, and just hope it doesn’t reflect our driving abilities! As it affected us all in a similar way, I think not.

It took me quite a while to get used to driving this car – to the point where I felt I was a learner again and not someone who has been driving for nearly thirty years in different countries in a wide range of cars. I didn’t exactly kangaroo, but it wasn’t far off on more than one occasion. I was constantly revving too much and couldn’t seem to find the right gear. Trying to make smooth progress around town I found impossible, especially when in second gear in slow moving traffic. But it did feel very nippy and powerful, with good acceleration and light steering. There just seems to be a certain “snatchiness” when coming on and off the accelerator in town. We’ve driven an auto and that obviously solves the problem completely.

I decided to take myself and my eldest son to take it for a spin up the M1 on a Sunday evening once Corrie was over, although he did have to be bribed. It actually flew up the first five junctions and cruised very nicely in sixth gear with plenty of power in reserve. It was quite a blowy evening but the car did not feel as if it was being buffeted around at all. It didn’t struggle at that speed and the gear-changes were smooth and satisfying – unlike those lower gears around town. Having been used to larger cars I was pleasantly surprised at how safe and stable the car felt even when overtaking larger vehicles.

Others have complained of the brakes feeling spongy. They felt fine to me but apparently I’ve been driving around with contaminated brake fluid in my car so anything would be an improvement!

I felt it was quite an achievement once I could drive this car without searching for the right gear and juddering along and I grew to really enjoy nipping around town.

Storage and space

Having five doors does make this car more versatile for carrying passengers, children etc. I wouldn’t want to go on a long journey with five people in the car, but then it is a supermini and you’d buy something larger if you regularly carried lots of people. Neighbours of ours have a similar-sized car and often go on holiday abroad with their two kids and don’t see what the fuss is all about. As I am a panic packer (pack everything just in case) it wouldn’t suit me. My neighbour has obviously got it down to a fine art. I definitely need some tips from her.

Cost

I would class this car alongside the Peugeot 207 for space and curb-appeal. Having had a little go in a 207 I felt it was a good comparison. The looks are quite different, but both nice in their own ways and come in at around the same price.

Safety

The Clio has two front airbags, two front lateral airbags and two front/rear  curtain airbags and Euro NCAP have given it a 5 star rating for adults.

There are ISOFIX mounting points and the front airbag can be disconnected to allow a child to sit safely in the front seat. It has an Electronic Stability programme (ESP) which helps to control the stability of the car if a sudden manoeuvre has to be carried out or if there is poor grip or irregular road surface. It also has ABS anti-lock braking system with EBD which helps the driver to remain in control if there is the need for sudden braking.

Summary

The Clio has a huge reputation, especially with us Brits. So perhaps we were giving it too much to live up to? Don’t get us wrong; it’s a great little car. Well-made, stylish, powerful and reasonably-priced. Shouldn’t cost too much to run either. We were disappointed with the jerky drive around town though and the vague gearbox, both of which conspired to make it harder to drive than it should have been. On faster roads though, the Clio was rock-steady, powerful and felt very safe.

Personally if I had one less child and they were a tad younger I’d buy one, but I’d get the auto…