SCENIC - THE CAR THAT CAN DO NO WRONG Renault, it seems, can do no wrong with its Scenic. The car is a strong contender in the market for quality midi MPVs and if you really care for your family’s safety it must be the model of choice. Renault sets great store by safety and now most of its models carry the five star rating in the EuroNCAP safety assessments. These are run independently of the motor industry so have some real meaning. The Scenic is said by many to be the car that started it all as far as the midi MPV craze was concerned. Certainly it was the first car from a European maker to adopt this layout in the mid 90s but Mitsubishi from Japan was there before it with its Space Star and Space Wagon models. Nobody really noticed them, that’s all. The latest generation Scenic takes it styling cues from the Megane, the car with which it shares its platform. The Scenic has always been a five seater and done very well in this format but there’s a longer seven seater Grand Scenic, too for bigger families. It’s the five seater that bagged most sales, though. It seems to be the format that everyone wants, allied to more luggage space, which the Scenic has in spades. I like the look of this car far more than I do the Megane, although that’s probably down to my conservative British tastes. On the continent, the Megane has been going down a storm with its scaled down styling derived from that of the Avantime two door luxury model that, strangely, bombed. The Scenic is a pleasing car to ride in. It has comfortable seats and plenty of legroom all round, with good headroom in the front. The instruments are placed in the centre of the fascia just like the larger Espace and Grand Espace. The digital readout of the speedo shouts its message at you loud and clear, which is probably just what most drivers need. I certainly found it very easy to stick to speed limits with the Scenic. The diesel engines are willing workers and most people will find they make an ideal choice. They offer a blend of economy and performance that will suit most demands. On the economy front, though, I found it a shade disappointing. Frankly, I was expecting more than the 43 mpg on a run and 39 mpg round town that my latest test car was giving. With masses of torque it has the sort of pulling power that does not demand high revs. Perhaps I need to adapt my driving style. That minor disappointment aside, the Scenic is a car I could live with and the diesel would still be my choice. For anyone who needs a car to carry loads of gear this is an obvious one to go for. The market sector for cars like the Scenic has been growing steadily and virtually everybody now has an entry in it among the big volume makers. I can’t see the market cooling down, either, although I reckon sales of larger cars will continue to be affected. They are just so much less practical for the amount of road space they take up. Service intervals on the latest Scenics, which have been around since 2003, stretch to 18,000 miles while insurance is a competitive Group 4 at its best. Prices start at £5,600 for the latest car with a 1.4 petrol engine and Authentique trim. But these cars cry our for diesel power, especially when you sell them on again, and paying another £500 for the 1.5 diesel would be money well spent. If you like nearly new, a 56 plate 1.5 diesel could be yours for £9,350 when it was more than £14,500 new. More fool anyone who paid that for it! Maurice Hardy