The Renault Laguna is a large family sedan that first came to market back in 1994 and was subsequently discontinued in early 2016. The Renault Laguna is one of the more interesting Renault modern-day cars as it tried to make Renault a bit more interesting, especially when you consider the Laguna is available with a 2-door coupe configuration. So, is Renault Laguna a good car?
Well, the Renault Laguna can’t even hold a candle to cars past the year 2020, but in its category, it is actually a surprisingly good car. For one, it comes with lots of choices when it comes to engine, body styles, and levels of equipment. It is relatively practical for its size while also being economical and remarkably cheap to buy.
With that being said, buying a prime example of the Laguna will require you to part from a surprisingly large amount of money as high mileage examples can be bought for as little as just a few thousand euros. The driving experience does seem to be more entertaining with the coupe which does have a wow factor to it, especially for a Renault.
Reliability can be more than good enough if you go for an example that has been kept in good condition. All in all, the Renault Laguna is indeed a good car because it still manages to cover all the basics, even after 30 years since it was initially launched.
The Powertrain
For the sake of keeping this article manageable, we are only going to discuss Renault Laguna models made after 2007. In this realm, you can choose between 8-10 gasoline engines and more than 20 different diesel variants. Entry-level gasoline 1.6L gasoline 4-cylinder engines push 111hp while the 2.0L 4-cylinders can manage between 140hp and 210hp.
Diesel variants are even more numerous and they mostly include 4-cylinder units such as the 1.6L 110hp 4-cylinder or a plethora of 2.0L 4-cylinder with 130hp, 150hp, 170hp, or 180hp. You’d be surprised to know that the Laguna Coupe is even available with a 3.0L 6-cylinder diesel with 240hp which is the top-spec engine of them all.
Most of these are front-wheel-drive manual models, but some, such as the aforementioned 3.0L coupe come with an automatic from the factory, but are front-wheel-drive as well. The best MPG numbers to expect are above 50MPG for diesel variants and above 30MPG for gasoline variants.
Design and Driving Experience
When it comes to exterior design, the Renault Laguna certainly isn’t a car worthy of lusting for. However, the latest coupe models can be had in really good-looking color combinations with cool accent colors and really-good looking wheels. The interior sadly is looking rather dated, but that is to be expected for such an old car.
The driving experience is more or less the same as with the design as the normal Laguna sedan drives like any other normal sedan, but the Coupe models do add a bit of flame into the mix and thus feel a bit more lively and entertaining.
Reliability and Common Issues
Reliability really wasn’t Renault’s strong suit back in the early 2010s, but they did manage to make the Laguna better nearing the end of its production cycle. This means that you can enjoy a relatively trouble-free experience if you go for a lightly used, low-mileage example.
The most common Renault Laguna problems are related to the suspension bushings and the shocks, various electrical problems, problems with the A/C, engine issues, and issues with the transmission clutch and the entire system being rather jerky and rough.
Pricing and Practicality
As mentioned in the beginning, the Renault Laguna is far from being an expensive car, but it also isn’t the cheapest car out there as well. If you want a BOGO-standard model with lots of miles, you are not going to pay much, in relative terms of course. However, if you want a low-mileage, well-equipped newer Coupe model, you will pay double the amount.
Practicality is in-line with most other cars from the segment which means that the Laguna can easily accommodate four adults. The truth is that these cars are more than enough for those who don’t chauffeur large adults often. Visibility is pretty good, and getting in and out of the car is also really good.
FAQ Section
Is the Renault Laguna a Luxury Car?
The Renault Laguna isn’t your typical Renault as the brand wanted to make a more distinct-looking automobile that could even compete with some more premium brands. They did manage to ruffle a few feathers, but the Laguna really isn’t a luxury car by any means, and its age has shown that the differences are rather huge.
Even though a 3.0L 6-cylinder diesel with 240hp, coupe styling, low-profile wheels, and metallic colors do suggest that the Laguna Coupe can compete with the Audi A5, or the BMW F36, but only on paper as these two German coupes are completely different story.
Is Renault still Making Sedans?
A few years ago, Renault had a decent amount of sedans in its lineup which included the largest Renault Talisman, the Renault Laguna, and the Renault Megane sedan. However, the Talisman was sacked after just a few years on the market while the Laguna went away a lot sooner than that.
The only sedan you can buy with a Renault badge is the Renault Megane sedan which is only available in a few markets globally which means that the Megane sedan is also likely going to be sacked in the coming years when Renault becomes a sedan-less brand completely.
Is There a High-Performance Renault Laguna?
The Renault Laguna GT is a 2-door coupe version of the normal Renault Laguna sedan and it bridges the gap between a normal affordable Renault four-door sedan with a more stylish 2-door performance car tourer. The GT can be had with 205hp from a 2.0L 4-cylinder gasoline engine, but it was also available with a diesel 3.0L V6 with 240hp.
This is the most powerful Laguna model to ever be released, especially when you consider that it pushes 450Nm of torque which is 332lb-ft of torque which is more than a 2005 Audi S5, a Ford GT F40, a Hertz 2006 V8 Mustang, and more than a twin-turbo 3.0L Supra from 1993.
