Used Renault Laguna Estate 1994 - 2001 review

The Renault Laguna Estate is a big, boxy estate, built for space, not looks. But, despite the fact it's an old design (which makes it cheap to buy), it's okay to drive and well equipped.

There's plenty of space in the cabin as well as a trio of three-point belts across the rear seat. It's light and airy inside, although the seat fabrics look tatty after a while. The boot is very good, too, with a wide, flat cargo area.

You can find some seven-seat models, but they're rare and not really worth bothering with. Their rear-facing extra bench is suitable only for young children and, when not needed, folds to the side, which eats into luggage space.

The Laguna estate rides best when loaded but it's always smooth, although the steering is short on feedback and grip runs out early.

Euro NCAP awarded the car three stars for occupant safety, which is average for a mid-1990s design.

A Laguna estate should be cheap to buy and reasonable to service, fuel and insure. But, unscheduled repair bills are the problem and, considering the car's poor reliability record, they could hit your wallet hard.

Prices are low, but you may need to move quickly when spot a likely buy. Good cars with service history and few previous owners change hands quickly, and diesels are in the biggest demand.

Servicing is cheap and simple enough for a local garage to do what's needed, but prices for spare parts are a mixed bag and some repair jobs are complex, so it's quite possible you'll get hit for hefty labour charges.

Economy, too, looks pretty good. The 1.9 turbodiesels promise an exceptional 48mpg across a mix of journeys, while the 1.6 petrol achieves up to 36mpg and the 1.8 35mpg. The 2.0 auto is thirstiest, returning up to 30mpg.

Seven-seat versions are scarce and those extra two seats eat into the boot space, so we'd stick with five-seaters.

That decided, the 1.9 turbodiesel, available from the car's 1999 face-lift, is the pick of the range. It pulls hard from low revs, is acceptably smooth and very economical. Otherwise, the 1.8 and 2.0 petrol motors are both fine. We'd give the 1.6 a miss because it struggles when the car is full.

All models from 1999 have a decent amount of equipment, including anti-lock brakes, front and side airbags and remote central locking. The RT model is the cheapest but it's worth looking for the Alize, where air-con is standard. Top-level models are RXE and Monaco - they're rare, but worth having if fairly priced.

Buy privately or from independent used-car traders, and go for models with a manual gearbox. It may be sloppy but it's still the best bet as the autos are notoriously unreliable.

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