Renault e-tech range and two rivals

[sutts]

I am slowly edging towards my first electric car, which would be via my work ss scheme. This is Knowles Fleet, and I believe prices come out a little more than other ss providers as it doesn’t affect my fairly chunky mandatory public service pension contributions.

I like Renault in general (Clio RS200 in the garage) and have been following the R5 development, reviews and thread etc on here with a lot of interest. I sat in Loafer’s car a few weeks ago but wish I’d spent a bit more time talking to him about it and looking around it in more detail! I love the design and the range and performance of the larger battery would be fine for me, but I am also interested in the forthcoming R4 with that little bit of extra rear space and regen capability.

The internal space aspect is a consideration as I have three children (13, 11, 10) albeit it wouldn’t be often that all five of us would be travelling in this car; more often than not it would be just me on my short commute or me plus one or two of the children. As a result though I have also been looking at the Megane, which seems very competitively priced (I assume as an older car), considering the Techno spec includes heated seats and wheel along with 220 bhp and a longer range than the R5 or R4. I also think the Megane looks great and understand it was facelifted last year with better tech and features. It has great reviews online.

On my work scheme the R5 Techno and the Megane Techno are within a couple of pounds of each other per month. Heart says R5, but head says the Megane is roomier, more powerful and has some better spec included. I can get a price on the R4, and it’s currently a lot more than the Megane, but I suspect the R4 price will come down a bit after they are actually released.

For another £25 ish per month the R5 Iconic, the MGS5 Trophy LR and the Škoda Elroq 60 also come into play! The MG and the Škoda are also fairly new models and have received great reviews so far. They also have the extra space as well of course plus longer range and more power and I am happy with the looks of them all.

So a bit of a dilemma at this stage - I guess I need to go and see them in person (tricky for the R4 currently), but, finally getting to the point, if anyone has any wisdom on the above - especially the Megane versus the R5/4 or the Škoda or MGS5, it would be greatly apprecated!

[thepawbroon]

I have an R5 on demo at the moment - realistically the "room" issue is pretty binary. If you are taller than about 5'8" and you ever need to take anyone bigger than a 6 year old in the back, it's too small. It's not much more than a 2+2.

That may or may not help you decide! Good luck.

[RotorRambler]

The Elroq interior is pretty much the same as the Enyaq (slightly smaller boot)
I have an Enyaq, huge inside & very quiet & comfortable.
Love the car, no regrets at all !
Take one for a spin?

[RotorRambler]

AI says:-

Škoda Elroq
Ideal if you want the SUV insight, greater interior space, rugged practicality, and long motorway range.
Excellent for families or weekend gear, thanks to the large boot and multiple storage solutions.
Performance-savvy, especially in higher trims or AWD vRS version, with up to 360-mile real-world range

Renault 5 E Tech
Perfect for urban dwellers seeking a compact, stylish EV with retro charm and smart tech like V2L/V2G.
Lower starting price makes it more budget-friendly, but sacrifices boot space and SUV versatility.
Great as a city runabout, but not built for long family trips.

Bottom Line
Choose the Elroq if you want SUV practicality, greater range and power, with an abundance of storage and comfort ideal for families, longer trips, and rural lifestyles.
Go for the Renault 5 if you prefer a chic, affordable, eco friendly hatchback for city use one that s compact, fun to drive, and full of clever retro-tech.

[sutts]

thepawbroon said:

I have an R5 on demo at the moment - realistically the "room" issue is pretty binary. If you are taller than about 5'8" and you ever need to take anyone bigger than a 6 year old in the back, it's too small. It's not much more than a 2+2.

That may or may not help you decide! Good luck.

Cheers, yes that is my main concern. I m about 6 and the children appear to be growing like weeds! Like I say, for 90% of my journeys it would be a non-issue, but the remaining 10% could be frustrating. I suspect the R4 would be a lot better in that respect.

Curious about the Megane though, and any advantages/disadvantages that anyone with experience could raise?
Is the Megane’s operating system significantly behind the R5/R4?

Edited by sutts on Friday 27th June 17:03

[sutts]

RotorRambler said:

The Elroq interior is pretty much the same as the Enyaq (slightly smaller boot)
I have an Enyaq, huge inside & very quiet & comfortable.
Love the car, no regrets at all !
Take one for a spin?

The Elroq and the MGS5 do look like good value against the R5 Iconic. I’ve had Škodas in the past and liked them. In many ways I’d prefer a European car, but the MG is getting great reviews and is quite a handsome thing with good performance and range… the Kia EV3 is also just about in my budget parameters, but I’d rather give up a little less salary tbh!

[croyde]

thepawbroon said:

I have an R5 on demo at the moment - realistically the "room" issue is pretty binary. If you are taller than about 5'8" and you ever need to take anyone bigger than a 6 year old in the back, it's too small. It's not much more than a 2+2.

That may or may not help you decide! Good luck.

Blimey! there's one parked round the corner and it's huge...

Yet, as you say, a squeeze for 4.