As a rally driver this automatic gear box is fantastic! Higly quick changes,very accurate and at the end you can have a very pleasnt drive for every day ! Its a fantastic car!
Been living with a RS 280 Cup manual stick, and a Megane fan in general as I had a Megan RS 250 sport prior to this for a fair few years without the cup chassis and LSD and it was great... but the 280 Cup is just immense and puts a huge smile on the face whenever I take it down my favourite roads...will never give it up especially as this will be the last RS.
As much as the EDC box in the 300 is great... I will always miss having a manual, there's something so satisfying about the perfect heal-toe into a tight corner. Can imagine you're having a lot of fun in that car
Really good to know! When I'm driving normally I'm in regular mode and just auto but when driving spiritedly I'm always in manual, like in the video. Literally every change is me pulling a paddle :) I still think a good manual box is more engaging than a good auto... but it's so hard to find cars with good manuals these days
Sport300-UK is correct the manual bearings are not good in the PK4 box. I have upgraded rally bearings in my box. However if you change the oil on a regular basis it should last either way. Every 2 engine oil changes should be fine to change the gearboz oil and change the oil thickness from 75 to 80. This might seem like a pain but the oil is like 30 quid and the oil plug plus washer is 3 pound. No biggy. Manual enthusiasts dont need to be put off but rather do abit of preventative mantaintance. I learnt the hard way. Sport300-uk is a true enthusiast and loves his car, im also the same with mine. So we do have some clash in opinions. I love the manual and how it feels shifting through the gears. Also the manual sounds much better. You can let off the throttle in the manual and get some serious pops and bangs you cant get in the EDC. Not saying you dont get pops and bangs in the EDC but its much less. I can make my meg sound like gunshots on demand. It really does put a smile on the face.
@SPORT300-UK Yes you should get your middle pipe swapped out, i seen that post on the renault forums, seems a good thing to do and its OEM. Ktec do a delete for mine so now it sounds like gun shots when i let off around 3k-4k rpm. Its seriously loud, can be fun though. Yes the EDC farts do sound good so thats a bonus for the EDC. Im washing my car like twice a week, everyweek. Constantly want to keep it clean. They just look so good.
As someone watching from the US, this is a pretty cool car. We don’t get many, if any, cool hot hatches nowadays. Willing to bet people would flock all over a Renault back here.
I've been through a bunch of R.S. reviews and this is definitely my favorite. Did you get to drive the current Focus ST and can tell how it compares to the Megane in a few words? Also, did the facelift improve the quality of the interior materials? My friend has a pre-lift Megane Mk4 and every time I'm in it I silently weep at the amount of hard plastic.
Thanks for the kind words! I have actually driven a focus ST as I was cross shopping them. It was a little more boring to me but overall a very competent car 👍 Post-facelift interior is a huge change! Still some plastic but far, far better than a pre-facelift.
Hey pal ! got an RCZ-R , i'm in love with Megane RS Ultime , but i'm a bit undecided to go 4 a change ( brand new , of course ) or save LOT of money and stay with my R which is pretty good but really harsh and extreme to live in. Plus she got 110k km 's , i really love it but i want a new car and it's the only one i really like it on the market , in terms of hothatches.
@@MickDrivesCars Yeah I would love to see the LSD for the RS300 non Trophy too. But we should happy not having the 7 speed EDC because it's having much more problems. It's the same gearbox like in the Megane GT 205 Next point is it only can handle 320-340 NM.
Absolutely brilliant fantastic passionate review, such an underrated car. So does the sport still get the clever hyperstrut front suspension. ? Engine was also co developed with Nissan.. so has good old Japanese reliability
Thank you so much! Really appreciate the kind words. Yep as far as I'm aware the specs are the same between sport/trophy suspension on the facelift models (apart from spring/damper stiffness). Even has the hydraulic bump stops which work a treat!
@Mick Drives Cars watching your review again.. absolutely brilliant, so I think your right, the sport version does retain the perfoHub front axis.. minus LSD, cup chassis..
this car lacks a little front camber, the bolt holes on the top of the strut mount are slotted, if you untight the bolts and push the struts inside you gain some free camber, in my case i went from -0.3 to -1.2 and it makes a significant diffrence, just about perfect for a daily with some spirited driving... rears can be adjusted and i did them to -1.5 and it looks like more than enough, i also own sport trim and with eibach springs this car is preety much perfect for daily, i do take my parents 65years+ on roadtrips and they never complain that ride is to stiff :)
that's a great shout, next time I get an alignment I'll push the struts in, thanks! I don't think I'd change the springs though, our roads in the UK are horrible and the current setup is just about perfect
Funny you mention this! I actually test drove one before getting this car. Lovely thing. It's louder than the meg, but the tone is very different. I prefer the meg, but you're not wrong - i30n does sound very good. For me it fell apart because I couldn't get on with the suspension settings. Comfort was too soft, sport too hard and track was just silly.
@@MickDrivesCars yes I agree I have a i30N and I'm now looking at a Mégane r.s 300! The N is great it's just missing something and I can't put my hand on. Would have either over the overated golf/focus st platforms
@@aidanchambers3064 100% mate, golf is a little boring with numb steering and the focus ST is fun but lacks exhaust note and didn't I didn't gel with it handling wise. If you don't need the practicality I would suggest GR Yaris. That thing is so much fun! But for an all rounder you can use everyday and still have a 11/10 drive on the weekends I haven't driven better than the RS megane. I will say though, for me the i30n was a close second. It was maybe a little more fun in a silly way (exhaust noise), but a little less competent on a backroad. Very close though. Have you considered an M2? That would be another level in performance, again not as competent on a backroad but very, very silly fun and you can hang the tail out once in a while ;)
I’m glad you mentioned suspension and crappy road surfaces. I live in Ireland and the roads are generally shit.. I had the misfortune one time to drive a hired Fiat something.. with rock hard suspension..😬
Thank you for this video. How long do you own this megane and did you experience any issues and how many miles have you driven? I don't know if I should buy slightly used Megane or new i30n. I would use it as a daily in summer and winter (9k miles/year) and it should last me at least 7 years. I'm worried that those 1.8 engines with 300hp can't last long...
I have the RS 280 Sport chasis and what it lacks in a ceramic ball turbo from the facelift, makes up for with a manual... Never the less im down 20hp and 40nm but the thing flys round corners like it has no right doing so lol.
Its a shame you cannot get those hothatches anymore. 1, they become way too expensive and 2, a lot of carmakers are not making them anymore, only those seacontainers (suv's)
Hi mate, the suspension on all Megane 4 RS models is non-adjustable. But in my opinion the sport model is the prefect setup :) Everything else is adjustable yes. You have a ''my sense'' mode where you can change steering, powertrain, sound, esc and a bunch of other stuff
One last question as I pick mine up on Friday, do you have the Bose Subwoofer in the boot, heard some cars got it but they struggled with supply when covid hit?
@@richygardiner1 Love that mate! Bet your first drive was unreal! I still remember mine. What spec did you get btw? If you ever want to go for a drive just let me know :)
Yep that's correct. Valve will open in sport and race, with slightly different tones between the two. Annoyingly for my neighbours it also opens on cold starts.
Don't mind my question lol. I sadly can't buy this car. Tried sitting in one and I'm to tall as I suspected :(. I'm 201cm tall and the car feels to small. My head is in the roof :(
You are a very tall human - it's going to be hard. Try German, they generally make cars that fit taller people well as they are, on average, taller humans too.
As a rally driver this automatic gear box is fantastic!
Higly quick changes,very accurate and at the end you can have a very pleasnt drive for every day !
Its a fantastic car!
yep couldn't agree more!
Been living with a RS 280 Cup manual stick, and a Megane fan in general as I had a Megan RS 250 sport prior to this for a fair few years without the cup chassis and LSD and it was great... but the 280 Cup is just immense and puts a huge smile on the face whenever I take it down my favourite roads...will never give it up especially as this will be the last RS.
As much as the EDC box in the 300 is great... I will always miss having a manual, there's something so satisfying about the perfect heal-toe into a tight corner. Can imagine you're having a lot of fun in that car
Really good to know! When I'm driving normally I'm in regular mode and just auto but when driving spiritedly I'm always in manual, like in the video. Literally every change is me pulling a paddle :)
I still think a good manual box is more engaging than a good auto... but it's so hard to find cars with good manuals these days
Sport300-UK is correct the manual bearings are not good in the PK4 box. I have upgraded rally bearings in my box. However if you change the oil on a regular basis it should last either way. Every 2 engine oil changes should be fine to change the gearboz oil and change the oil thickness from 75 to 80. This might seem like a pain but the oil is like 30 quid and the oil plug plus washer is 3 pound. No biggy. Manual enthusiasts dont need to be put off but rather do abit of preventative mantaintance. I learnt the hard way.
Sport300-uk is a true enthusiast and loves his car, im also the same with mine. So we do have some clash in opinions. I love the manual and how it feels shifting through the gears. Also the manual sounds much better. You can let off the throttle in the manual and get some serious pops and bangs you cant get in the EDC. Not saying you dont get pops and bangs in the EDC but its much less. I can make my meg sound like gunshots on demand. It really does put a smile on the face.
@SPORT300-UK Yes you should get your middle pipe swapped out, i seen that post on the renault forums, seems a good thing to do and its OEM. Ktec do a delete for mine so now it sounds like gun shots when i let off around 3k-4k rpm. Its seriously loud, can be fun though. Yes the EDC farts do sound good so thats a bonus for the EDC. Im washing my car like twice a week, everyweek. Constantly want to keep it clean. They just look so good.
@@MickDrivesCars everyone take note of what this man just said.. Thabk you.. Manual ftw!!
As someone watching from the US, this is a pretty cool car.
We don’t get many, if any, cool hot hatches nowadays.
Willing to bet people would flock all over a Renault back here.
The guy was running on the correct side of the road tbf. You always face the oncoming traffic unless you want to die!
Looks mint ! Now I'm thinking of this car haha looks super good.
I've been through a bunch of R.S. reviews and this is definitely my favorite. Did you get to drive the current Focus ST and can tell how it compares to the Megane in a few words?
Also, did the facelift improve the quality of the interior materials? My friend has a pre-lift Megane Mk4 and every time I'm in it I silently weep at the amount of hard plastic.
Thanks for the kind words!
I have actually driven a focus ST as I was cross shopping them. It was a little more boring to me but overall a very competent car 👍
Post-facelift interior is a huge change! Still some plastic but far, far better than a pre-facelift.
Autoropnl is good too
Hey pal ! got an RCZ-R , i'm in love with Megane RS Ultime , but i'm a bit undecided to go 4 a change ( brand new , of course ) or save LOT of money and stay with my R which is pretty good but really harsh and extreme to live in. Plus she got 110k km 's , i really love it but i want a new car and it's the only one i really like it on the market , in terms of hothatches.
I still dont understand why Renault didn't offer LSD with Sport Megane.. comfy suspension plus limited slip diff, that would be awesome
110% this!!!
Ultimate Megane for me would be sport chassis + LSD + 7 speed box from the alpine... Oh I'd be a very happy boy.
@@MickDrivesCars Yeah I would love to see the LSD for the RS300 non Trophy too. But we should happy not having the 7 speed EDC because it's having much more problems. It's the same gearbox like in the Megane GT 205
Next point is it only can handle 320-340 NM.
Next level commentary going on there mate. Nicely done 👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻
Thank you so much! Appreciate the support!
Nice video mate. Keep at it. You're a natural
Thank you mate! Comments like this keep me going 👊
@@MickDrivesCars I've subbed! 😊
Absolutely brilliant fantastic passionate review, such an underrated car. So does the sport still get the clever hyperstrut front suspension. ? Engine was also co developed with Nissan.. so has good old Japanese reliability
Thank you so much! Really appreciate the kind words.
Yep as far as I'm aware the specs are the same between sport/trophy suspension on the facelift models (apart from spring/damper stiffness). Even has the hydraulic bump stops which work a treat!
@Mick Drives Cars watching your review again.. absolutely brilliant, so I think your right, the sport version does retain the perfoHub front axis.. minus LSD, cup chassis..
this car lacks a little front camber, the bolt holes on the top of the strut mount are slotted, if you untight the bolts and push the struts inside you gain some free camber, in my case i went from -0.3 to -1.2 and it makes a significant diffrence, just about perfect for a daily with some spirited driving... rears can be adjusted and i did them to -1.5 and it looks like more than enough, i also own sport trim and with eibach springs this car is preety much perfect for daily, i do take my parents 65years+ on roadtrips and they never complain that ride is to stiff :)
that's a great shout, next time I get an alignment I'll push the struts in, thanks!
I don't think I'd change the springs though, our roads in the UK are horrible and the current setup is just about perfect
Getting mine on Saturday, cant wait 😊
Nice!
Fair fkn play
Great video but you are forgetting the i30N performance is also a great sounding car out the box ;-) but yes very very nice sound out the RS!
Funny you mention this!
I actually test drove one before getting this car. Lovely thing.
It's louder than the meg, but the tone is very different. I prefer the meg, but you're not wrong - i30n does sound very good.
For me it fell apart because I couldn't get on with the suspension settings. Comfort was too soft, sport too hard and track was just silly.
@@MickDrivesCars yes I agree I have a i30N and I'm now looking at a Mégane r.s 300! The N is great it's just missing something and I can't put my hand on. Would have either over the overated golf/focus st platforms
@@aidanchambers3064 100% mate, golf is a little boring with numb steering and the focus ST is fun but lacks exhaust note and didn't I didn't gel with it handling wise.
If you don't need the practicality I would suggest GR Yaris. That thing is so much fun!
But for an all rounder you can use everyday and still have a 11/10 drive on the weekends I haven't driven better than the RS megane. I will say though, for me the i30n was a close second. It was maybe a little more fun in a silly way (exhaust noise), but a little less competent on a backroad. Very close though. Have you considered an M2? That would be another level in performance, again not as competent on a backroad but very, very silly fun and you can hang the tail out once in a while ;)
I’m glad you mentioned suspension and crappy road surfaces. I live in Ireland and the roads are generally shit.. I had the misfortune one time to drive a hired Fiat something.. with rock hard suspension..😬
Great review 👏 👌 👍
Thanks mate! 👊👊👊
Hyundai i30n does sound better😆. Awesome review btw🔥
It's 100% louder just slightly less... sophisticated :D
Thank you!
I was thinking that too
I30N does sound really nice stock but honestly both sound very good stock
No it doesn’t. I30N sounds more fake or produced sound. Megane sounds more authentic and the crackles make it feel like you earned it. Imo
Thank you for this video. How long do you own this megane and did you experience any issues and how many miles have you driven? I don't know if I should buy slightly used Megane or new i30n. I would use it as a daily in summer and winter (9k miles/year) and it should last me at least 7 years. I'm worried that those 1.8 engines with 300hp can't last long...
I have the RS 280 Sport chasis and what it lacks in a ceramic ball turbo from the facelift, makes up for with a manual... Never the less im down 20hp and 40nm but the thing flys round corners like it has no right doing so lol.
Nice car! Perfect spec in my opinion! I've always wanted to drive a manual version
They worked on the turbo on the trophy different bearings spools up better Brilliant car a poor man's GT3 RS 👍👍👍
Love your car mate 😍
Thanks mate
Your commentary voice really great, next forza horizon chris like
Love the feedback mate, thanks!
Its a shame you cannot get those hothatches anymore. 1, they become way too expensive and 2, a lot of carmakers are not making them anymore, only those seacontainers (suv's)
They discontinued the petrol version do you recommend used or can you make a video about top 3-5 hot hatches
Absolutely buy used! Approved used is basically new minus a bunch of depreciation - best way to buy a newer car.
good review! is te suspension harder in Race? And can you individual the sound and susp. modes set?
Hi mate, the suspension on all Megane 4 RS models is non-adjustable. But in my opinion the sport model is the prefect setup :)
Everything else is adjustable yes. You have a ''my sense'' mode where you can change steering, powertrain, sound, esc and a bunch of other stuff
Stunnin car
Thanks mate! It's my baby
One last question as I pick mine up on Friday, do you have the Bose Subwoofer in the boot, heard some cars got it but they struggled with supply when covid hit?
Yep I have the Bose system with subwoofer in boot 👍
@@MickDrivesCars Cheers mate
@@MickDrivesCars Picked my RS 300 2021 today and it's an unreal upgrade from my Clio RS, loving it so far :)
@@richygardiner1 Love that mate! Bet your first drive was unreal! I still remember mine.
What spec did you get btw?
If you ever want to go for a drive just let me know :)
Is that the stock sound? With OPF?
Yep 100% stock
How much does a full tank of fuel usually last you?
Does the Sport you are driving have the valved exhaust when you activate sport mode?
Yep that's correct. Valve will open in sport and race, with slightly different tones between the two.
Annoyingly for my neighbours it also opens on cold starts.
Don't mind my question lol. I sadly can't buy this car. Tried sitting in one and I'm to tall as I suspected :(. I'm 201cm tall and the car feels to small. My head is in the roof :(
You are a very tall human - it's going to be hard. Try German, they generally make cars that fit taller people well as they are, on average, taller humans too.
i think the i30n sounds better 😊
Haha I test drove one and it was defo louder... different tone though, not as sweet.
I have lost my mind😊
If this had a LSD would be perfect