Laguna Coupe 3.0 dci - bad idea?

[drgoatboy]

So am I crazy?
I’ve seen a Laguna Coupe 3.0dci gt for sale and its really tickled my fancy.
It’s a great looking car and the balance of performance to economy sounds about bang on for my needs but will it be a costly mistake?

I can’t find any bad reports on the engine (although the earlier 3.0 diesel seems troublesome) so I’m not too worried about that, and the Laguna III is quite well thought of for reliability, but there are a lot of things to go wrong. 4WS sounding like the most expensive.

Does anyone have any experience on these?

I have had a few French cars before and never had major issues so I am not scared of all French cars as some people seem to be….

[renaultgeek]

I've not driven the 3.0, only the 2.0dci, in 150bhp (non gt) and 180bhp(gt).
I loved the 4WS, but it could be a costly problem if something went wrong.

Is the tax much more on the 3.0 over the 2.0?

[drgoatboy]

only £60 a year but it is a good bit more thirsty.
I'm only really looking at the 3.0 as my local dealer has one for sale with all the toys....

[Rs2oo]

I don't think you're crazy, if you really want one go for it. I think its a great looking car and its nice to have something different. Parkers Guide amongst others rate it well. When I first saw one it looked amazing cruising by (we were in Brugge at the time in a cafe in a pretty cobbled street which probably helped) but it looked very cool in white with black wheels etc. a friend had a 2.0 diesel rep mobile saloon version for two and a half years and it never let him down in 50k.

[drgoatboy]

Cheers RS.
I'm struggling to find any bad reports on Laguna's of that vintage which is encouraging.
The engine is the same as they use in the Diesel Infiniti's which is also encouraging, and the 4WS is basically a variant of what they use on the GTR.

There are just so few big Renaults of this age out there it is hard to get any feedback at all!

[Butter Face]

They are great cars and the 3.0 V6 is a cracking engine!

Laguna 3 was actually a brilliant car, just not a big seller as it competed against the 3 Series/A4 etc which was a battle it would never win, hence RUK pulling it.

What colour is it? My boss has a 180 Monaco and that is fantastic, the 3.0 just has a bit more 'go' I suppose.

As long as you buy at the right price and know that you're getting into a market which doesn't have thousands of buyers then not much can go wrong. If it's still within warranty you can have another year at the end for around £500 from Renault.

Good luck!

[drgoatboy]

cheers Butter,
The colour is not great. Its gold

But it does sort of suit it. Its fully loaded, all the toys and the optional body kit.

As I can't find another one for sale its hard to say if its the right price or not, but it is from a Dealer so will have a 6 month warranty for piece of mind.

[Butter Face]

Send me a link if you like. I'm a Renault salesman

[drgoatboy]

awesome, thanks. email sent...

[Butter Face]

Replied to you.

[LowiePete]

I've had my Laguna III 205GT Coupé for nigh on 5 years now. I'm intent on keeping it.
The 4WS isn't a problem as long as it's checked at service times. There is so little
physical shift, see it as an extention of the ABS / ESP systems. Getting used to it
is pretty simple, just take care when correcting at speed on uneven bends...

Gold? Do you mean "Stone" or as I call it, metallic mud? Like the rest of the range
it is a boring colour, but it does hide the dirt well.


It's actually a very rare car... enjoy it!

Regards,
Steve

[Butter Face]

Car looks ace Steve, I'd say a 205 is as rare as a V6!!

I've got a lovely original Coupe brochure in my desk, nice hardback job.



And yes, Stone is the colour of the one the OP is looking at.

[LowiePete]

Butter Face said:

Car looks ace Steve, I'd say a 205 is as rare as a V6!!

Cheers, it's my favourite Renault to date, usurping the R11 Turbo. At last count,
around 130 205s on the road. My car's upkeep history

Butter Face said:

I've got a lovely original Coupe brochure in my desk, nice hardback job.

Snap. I think my face was a picture when I got handed it by the salesman. What would I
want a book for? The later brochure, that I also possess, is mealy by comparison...

Regards,
Steve

[drgoatboy]

Thanks guys.
I've only gone and put a deposit on it. I got a 3year warranty with it too so that should cover any nasty gremlins...

Stone looks much better in the flesh than in the photos. Great looking car.

Pick it up in a week!

[LowiePete]

drgoatboy said:

I got a 3year warranty with it too so that should cover any nasty gremlins...

Wow! That shows some faith in the car

If the car is still fitted with the original, and dreadful, Bridgestone Potenza tyres,
swap them out for Falken ZIEXs as soon as you can! It'll transform the car beyond
recognition. The hard ride and echoing thrum will both disappear, as if by magic...

Regards,
Steve

[drgoatboy]

Good tip,thanks. It already has falkens but the fronts were shagged so the dealer is going to replace them. Not sure with what yet but not budgets...

[PAJRS250]

I considered one of these when they first came out (lovely looking car), but I opted for an Alfa GT instead. I like the fact that they're rare - in fact I can't remember the last time I saw one on the road in the UK! Good luck with the new purchase!