Beautiful looking Renault, I never realised that the engine later become a version in the Focus ST. Renault really knew how to make luxury cars and fantastic looking cars. Great review Mark and another fantastic video.
Thank you Even the high spec Laguna 2 I owned felt a cut above but the Safrane was on a whole other level. Renault and Volvo had shared engines for years with Volvo using the Renault 1.4 and 1.7 engines in the 300 and 300 series back in the 80's. The Renault N series fitted to this Safrane is a Volvo unit of just over 2.4 litres with five cylinders and 20 valves. It is definitely set up for comfort rather than performance in this application. Volvo used both NA and turbo charged versions of the engine powering the legendary V70 T5 and V70/S60R. It was the turbo charged version which eventually found its way into the MK2 Focus ST.
Although I grew up around Renault's having had many 5's, Mégane Coupe and a MK2 Clio in our household, my grandfather had a MK3 Espace and a family friend the MK1 Laguna. The Safrane was mostly confined to the pages of the sales Brochure for me for so many years. The photographs of its interior looking so luxurious with its leather and digital climate control. It was such a privilege to be able to review one. It's nice to hear this brings back fond memories for you.
@@mikkoasikainen472 I love the MK1 Clio 16v but have not had the opportunity to drive one. I do enjoy my mk1 Mégane Coupe though, even if it is only the 1.6e 8v.
@@markonmotoring I can tell you that that Clio 16v was this young man's dream car at the time. They are very rare cars these days, at least in good condition. I sold mine about 20 years ago.
@@mikkoasikainen472 I think the Williams is probably more common these days than the 16v. There was also the GP which was numbered and based on the 16v in some markets. I listed after them all as well as the R5 GTT.
Great, and detailed, review Mark. There's a real warmth and feeling of comfort to these large French saloons that the Germans miss. Love the talking dash and central mini sun visor. I know what you mean about the Renault 25, we had many on lease to a major food company and when they came off lease every single one without fail had a speedo change. Personally, I have a real soft spot for these and the Safrane, the last of it's breed as we brits didn't get the Talisman.
Thank you. The Talisman I believe replaced the Laguna and I saw one in traffic on my trip to Belgium earlier this year. The Vel Satis replaced the Safrane some two years after production ended. The latitude/Safrane/Renault Samsung... Or something to that effect depending on market was available later but never sold in the UK. Us Brits only seem interested in the big three German prestige saloons. Even Lexus and Infinity couldn't change UK buying habits. You are absolutely right about the feel of large French cars though. I truly adored my 2005 Laguna 2 Privilege and during my time with the institute of Advanced Motorist I would on occasion park it next to a Safrane owned exactly the same as this one. Only then could you see there was a difference in size and the feel of the two cars. Both make incredible luxury limos but dispute the similarities, they are in other ways very different.
Brings back great memories. I had a 2.5 exec as my daily driver for 17 years. I drive a lot of cars and many supercars but I miss the safrane more than any car I've ever driven or been in. It was so damn good at everything, supremely comfortable and reliable. It was built very well apart from some minor things like the door bin lids and the engine sounded great and the aisin Warner gearbox was unbreakable which was not the case on the earlier gearboxes. I now long for a Biturbo Baccara. One day I will bring one over from Europe. Hugely underrated motors.
I couldn't agree more. I had a face lift version of the MK2 Laguna in near range tipping privilege spec and to say it was intended to go toe to toe with cars like the Ford Mondeo ot felt a class above a d much like the Safrane did most things well but was supremely comfortable. I owned it longer than most other cars I've had and still miss it very much. Today though I'm happiest behind the wheel of my mk1 Mégane coupe despite it not being all that fast by today's standards. The Safrane BiTurbo will be am awesome car which say never made it to the UK. I did see one for sale online somewhere in mainland Europe last year for around 12,000 Euros.
Hi their , i was lucky enough in august 2022 to buy a Safrane phase 2 executive 2.5 with only just over 42 k on the clock iv had it coming up to a year now it’s on 45 and half k, it’s a cracking car drives so well , would any of you no a real Renault specialist in the uk that would no their way around a Safrane please? As I do not want to have just any Tom dick or Jerry doing maintenance as it’s a rarely seen motor in the uk, Iv read forums and people say they have had their engines ruind from people who messed up their cambelt changes and I need someone who knows what they doing , Even tho it’s the same engine as the Volvo 850’s I hear the crank rings are different so need a different tool , I just need a guy who knows bout Safrane so I feel better when it comes to fettling and maintenance, plus the only thing that’s not working on my example is the windows , sun roof is perfect but my window don’t no down as they should not go up as they should , and I don’t want just any Tom mick and Larry gouging at me interior panels , sorry for long message and mark keep on with the videos mate youv got a great Chanel here
Great video as usual . Very underrated in the UK big Renaults . I remember working on these when they were new . Great sounding engines even the four cylinder Volvo derived engine . The old 25 had a some auto gearbox faults but if you got a manual they where great !
Thank you. I think.big French cars in general always punched above their weight but the often huge depreciation scared a lot of buyers off. When researching I did note that the bore and stroke of the 2.0 4 cylinder is the same as that of the 2.5 five cylinder.
Thanks. It was great to be able to get behind the wheel of one of these. I remember seeing these incredible cars in the range brochure and being amazed by the sumptuous interior photographs.
Thank you. I'm hoping to do a MK1 Laguna at some point and I'd love to get behind the wheel.if a MK2 again having owned a Privilege DCI myself in the past. If you would like to discuss further feel free to drop me an email at markonmotoring@yahoo.com
Great video Mark! As the owner of a (sadly off-the-road atm) phase 1 Safrane, and a newly acquired Mk1 Methyl Blue (oh, so close!) Megane Classic saloon, this was right up my alley! Strangely, the voice in your facelift example is the same, but the way he talks is different. Almost like different takes or something? Also, the phase 1 definitely had a glovebox, or at least mine does!
Thank you. Interesting to hear your Ph1 has a glovebox, does it have a passenger air bag? I think the computer viice reminds me of the voicevfrom protect and survive. 😅 Perhaps a nice French lady voicevwould have been more soothing. I'm glad you enjoyed the video, I'm hoping to perhaps get other models in the channel over time and have already been in talks about possibly having a Laguna MK1 on the channel.
Very nicely preserved car and great review. A work colleague had an H reg Safrane as his car for best, rare even in the early 90s. I remember it looking like a space ship on the dash. Renaults were very popular in Spalding in the early 90s. Edit must have been a j or k reg
Thank you. They were released in the UK in 92 so probably would have been a J plate and definitely a pre facelift car. Some Safrane were available with velour interiors and manual rear windows but even these cars would have felt incredibly luxurious at that time. I remember when I first saw photographs of the interior with digital climate controls, double din hi-fi and leather. It was like nothing I'd ever seen before.
The Safrane was released in the UK in October 1992, so they began on a K plate. They stopped selling them here in February 2000, on a V plate. They did go on until that September in Europe.
Always liked a big French barge even though they’ve never been big sellers in the UK. My dad had three successive 21 Savanas so I grew up with Renaults and remember people commenting on the smooth ride. These are like hens teeth now and maybe finally cool 😎
@@markonmotoring yep, my dad got the extra row of seats so they were great for family holidays to France and back with the grandparents too. Must have covered thousands of miles!
Brilliant video mate. My friend bumped into you in sewerby at the weekend. I have a safrane exactly same as that same colour and spec 2.5 executive only difference is mine is P reg
Thank you. So your Safrane is the same year as my Mégane coupe then (well mime is an early 97 P). Who was your friend I bumped into on Sunday? I'm actually in the process of editing that video now. Hopefully it won't take as long as the festival of the Unexceptional video from last week.
@@markonmotoring yes he said he spoke with you and he gave me your card. I was at sewerby myself and did see your Megane. I live in Bridlington and was going to bring my safrane but i decided to have a beer that day instead 🤣🤣🤣
How many Safranes are in Britain today? I saw an early one recently parked in Mayfair, London. I remember another Renault hatchback, the unusually styled Vel Satis. Mk1 Lagunas are also getting rare.
I don't think.thete can be very many as they were never a huge seller when new. Older cars with issues will have been parked up or scrapped as the cost of repair outweighed the value of the cars. I've seen a few Laguna MK1 at shows and my recent Walton Classic Car Show video features a look at a Vel.Satis 3.0 DCi Initial. ruclips.net/video/4gYduj_vgi8/видео.html
Great video Mark. I've always been curious about the Safrane, as you know I have a Vel Satis. The safrane seems quite conventional but actually has some lovely design touches and I love the armrest in particular that almost looks like it's inflatable! the pop out vents and talking dash are very cool. for me the biturbo is the dream! Your audio quality is brilliant, you may have noticed that mine is pretty poor. I notice you have a mic, what brand is the mic and what do you connect it to? many thanks
Yes the Safrane does look very conventional compared to the Vel Satis. Both are fantastic designs. I soon noticed I had audio issues early on. The microphone built into a mobile phone for example is ok close up but from a distance or in a noisy environment starts to show it's limitations. I use a Rode Wireless Go 2 plugged into a Fuju XT200 camera via a TRS (3.5mm audio cable). I did try it with an action camera but had to use a tiny little USB adapter and dispute having tried two, both presented reliability issues. I tend to use the Fuji as my primary camera with the mic connected but all my B Roll footage around the cars is done with a DJI Osmo action camera as the image stabilization and wide angle lens are fantastic.
@@markonmotoring sounds like you've got a great setup and some proper equipment. The mic on my gopros are pants but been struggling to get an external mic to connect to either. I thought your audio quality was ace!
They most certainly are. It's a shane that big French barges tend not to be commercially successful as I think they are exceedingly good at creating them.
I grew up traveling in the back of a safranne and the 25 before it We had the txe 25 and I think the executive i. The safranne Currently looking for one to buy We also had electric adjustable rear seats which was nice
Both are becoming rare cars these days. I grew up riding in the back of Renault's too but at the complete opposite end of the range with predominantly base spec models of the Renault 5.
I had few of Safranes in my life and actualy i can not regret more that i sell my last on 2.5 r5 like 6 years ago all this cars was amazing ride ,and great quality
@@markonmotoring i know that very very good i had as i say a few Renault Safranes,as well as Vel Satis ,also i had R25 ,Citroen C6 and XM,Peugot 605,but has also lot of Merc,BMW,Audi,And Hyundai luxury cars and i dont see where German cars was better than French or Korean,except in driving dinamyc and this cars are all about comfort and luxury not a sports cars.
I like to try most of those french cars on your list. 😅 I've reviewed a Mercedes 190E and a R170 SLK already. I can see why buyers would have payed a premium back in the 80's for a Mercedes as they really did feel a more quality product decades ago. I don't think that the modern German cars are any better built than other European cars though and the French just seem to have a style all of there own. That said I know that Renault spent a lot of money on development to ensure that cars like the Safrane and the R19 felt more Germanic than previous models.
@@markonmotoring i must say back in days true was that german cars were much beter bild quality but that all finish in begining of 2000ths last premium quality feel of all german brands i had in Audi A8 from around 2003,later models were huge disapointment,in BMW last amazing car was for me seven series E38,and with Merc W140 all of next models were poor build quality with just lot of gimicks,But you can try find first Hyundai luxury model on europian market it was Hyundai XG30 i had it and it was sublime
Ah yes, If my memory serves me correctly the last big Renault officially imported into the US was the Medallion (sold as the 21 in the UK) which was replaced with the Laguna in 1994. The Safrane is larger and heavier than the Laguna. Even in Europe parts available for these cars are limited. The 2.5 engine is a Volvo unit though I'm.not sure if it has many Renault specific components.
As with any car of this age it depends on how much rust and if you have the means to put it right. They are a wonderful car though if you find the right one.
@@markonmotoring I can get it for 1K...and about the same for paint/repairing the rust... Hood and top have the lacquer gone... Right door has holes... Signs of rust underneath the doors (not much) above the wheels as well. Nothing major but defo rust... It has leather seats, memory, computer, nav... Pretty much all the bells and whistles... Engine ran smooth and shifted smooth... Squirks while roatitng the steering wheel, ac needs gas and that was about the most major flaws I was able to see...
Many of these sort of cars get parked up because of technical gremlins. Funding spares for a niche car will always be a challenge but if the car runs and is structurally sound then you could certainly do a lot worse. You may need to be willing to put some time and money in or buy a better one (presuming you can find one that is). I've had to do work on my 97 Mégane coupe but I haven't regretted it, not for a minute.
@@markonmotoring not much offer here... 3.safranes in total on the market... I drove a C5 up until refently with the exact same automatic transmission and loved it. (turbo died /engine as well.... So never a diesel again IMHO). Anyways... Unsure because of the rust, I can spare the money.... Alternative is an x type jag that I'm eyeing on... The safrane felt more like a car..
@@vicentepallamare2608 You would have to inspect them both to see what needs going and which one feels right fit you. The Safrane will certainly have the rarity factor and probate feels more like a big comfy barge. Just won't have the same kudos in the car park.
The Ride wireless Go 2 microphone system seems to record one audio Channel to each mic. Something that wasn't apparent at the time. Sadly I can't change that in editing but have endeavoured to insure this doesn't happen with my recent videos. The issue is not so obvious through seekers but probably is with headphones.
Hi Martin. I have become aware of this issue on a small number of videos. Unfortunately I can't do anything about it now but have ensured that it doesn't happen in future videos. It's not so obvious when listening through a speaker but very obvious when listening through headphones.
The Safrane was probably more conservative in its appearance than other models in the range at that time. I suppose Renault were playing it safe with who they thought they were marketing this model with. The Laguna and Megane had a more individual look compared to their respective competitors. I think throughout the 90's Renault were putting more emphasis on the quality of their cars too.
Beautiful looking Renault, I never realised that the engine later become a version in the Focus ST. Renault really knew how to make luxury cars and fantastic looking cars. Great review Mark and another fantastic video.
Thank you
Even the high spec Laguna 2 I owned felt a cut above but the Safrane was on a whole other level.
Renault and Volvo had shared engines for years with Volvo using the Renault 1.4 and 1.7 engines in the 300 and 300 series back in the 80's.
The Renault N series fitted to this Safrane is a Volvo unit of just over 2.4 litres with five cylinders and 20 valves. It is definitely set up for comfort rather than performance in this application. Volvo used both NA and turbo charged versions of the engine powering the legendary V70 T5 and V70/S60R. It was the turbo charged version which eventually found its way into the MK2 Focus ST.
Excellent knowledge@@markonmotoring
There were 2 Safranes in our family when I was a child. Oh, what memories this video brings back.
Although I grew up around Renault's having had many 5's, Mégane Coupe and a MK2 Clio in our household, my grandfather had a MK3 Espace and a family friend the MK1 Laguna. The Safrane was mostly confined to the pages of the sales Brochure for me for so many years. The photographs of its interior looking so luxurious with its leather and digital climate control.
It was such a privilege to be able to review one.
It's nice to hear this brings back fond memories for you.
@@markonmotoring My father was a big fan of Renaults. Before Safrane, we had numerous 25 models.
As a young man, I had a MK1 Clio 16v.
@@mikkoasikainen472 I love the MK1 Clio 16v but have not had the opportunity to drive one.
I do enjoy my mk1 Mégane Coupe though, even if it is only the 1.6e 8v.
@@markonmotoring I can tell you that that Clio 16v was this young man's dream car at the time. They are very rare cars these days, at least in good condition. I sold mine about 20 years ago.
@@mikkoasikainen472 I think the Williams is probably more common these days than the 16v. There was also the GP which was numbered and based on the 16v in some markets. I listed after them all as well as the R5 GTT.
Great, and detailed, review Mark. There's a real warmth and feeling of comfort to these large French saloons that the Germans miss. Love the talking dash and central mini sun visor. I know what you mean about the Renault 25, we had many on lease to a major food company and when they came off lease every single one without fail had a speedo change. Personally, I have a real soft spot for these and the Safrane, the last of it's breed as we brits didn't get the Talisman.
Thank you.
The Talisman I believe replaced the Laguna and I saw one in traffic on my trip to Belgium earlier this year. The Vel Satis replaced the Safrane some two years after production ended. The latitude/Safrane/Renault Samsung... Or something to that effect depending on market was available later but never sold in the UK. Us Brits only seem interested in the big three German prestige saloons. Even Lexus and Infinity couldn't change UK buying habits.
You are absolutely right about the feel of large French cars though. I truly adored my 2005 Laguna 2 Privilege and during my time with the institute of Advanced Motorist I would on occasion park it next to a Safrane owned exactly the same as this one. Only then could you see there was a difference in size and the feel of the two cars. Both make incredible luxury limos but dispute the similarities, they are in other ways very different.
Brings back great memories. I had a 2.5 exec as my daily driver for 17 years. I drive a lot of cars and many supercars but I miss the safrane more than any car I've ever driven or been in. It was so damn good at everything, supremely comfortable and reliable. It was built very well apart from some minor things like the door bin lids and the engine sounded great and the aisin Warner gearbox was unbreakable which was not the case on the earlier gearboxes. I now long for a Biturbo Baccara. One day I will bring one over from Europe. Hugely underrated motors.
I couldn't agree more.
I had a face lift version of the MK2 Laguna in near range tipping privilege spec and to say it was intended to go toe to toe with cars like the Ford Mondeo ot felt a class above a d much like the Safrane did most things well but was supremely comfortable. I owned it longer than most other cars I've had and still miss it very much.
Today though I'm happiest behind the wheel of my mk1 Mégane coupe despite it not being all that fast by today's standards.
The Safrane BiTurbo will be am awesome car which say never made it to the UK. I did see one for sale online somewhere in mainland Europe last year for around 12,000 Euros.
Hi their , i was lucky enough in august 2022 to buy a Safrane phase 2 executive 2.5 with only just over 42 k on the clock iv had it coming up to a year now it’s on 45 and half k, it’s a cracking car drives so well , would any of you no a real Renault specialist in the uk that would no their way around a Safrane please? As I do not want to have just any Tom dick or Jerry doing maintenance as it’s a rarely seen motor in the uk, Iv read forums and people say they have had their engines ruind from people who messed up their cambelt changes and I need someone who knows what they doing , Even tho it’s the same engine as the Volvo 850’s I hear the crank rings are different so need a different tool , I just need a guy who knows bout Safrane so I feel better when it comes to fettling and maintenance, plus the only thing that’s not working on my example is the windows , sun roof is perfect but my window don’t no down as they should not go up as they should , and I don’t want just any Tom mick and Larry gouging at me interior panels , sorry for long message and mark keep on with the videos mate youv got a great Chanel here
@@agentw211 was that the barley gold car?
The barley gold car yeah did you see it on car and classic and on RUclips the man I got it from made a few vids on it
Their is actually another Safrane on car and classic now , a blue one with 70 k on and it’s the 2.5 too, for 2 grand , bargain
Great video as usual . Very underrated in the UK big Renaults . I remember working on these when they were new . Great sounding engines even the four cylinder Volvo derived engine . The old 25 had a some auto gearbox faults but if you got a manual they where great !
Thank you.
I think.big French cars in general always punched above their weight but the often huge depreciation scared a lot of buyers off.
When researching I did note that the bore and stroke of the 2.0 4 cylinder is the same as that of the 2.5 five cylinder.
The Renault Safrane is so cool
They certainly are.
Brilliant review. Thank you 👍
Thanks.
It was great to be able to get behind the wheel of one of these. I remember seeing these incredible cars in the range brochure and being amazed by the sumptuous interior photographs.
Hi Mark beautiful car , can u do video on the laguna mark 2 , its fast disappearing car from our roads , all the best . Ps I have one u can review
Thank you.
I'm hoping to do a MK1 Laguna at some point and I'd love to get behind the wheel.if a MK2 again having owned a Privilege DCI myself in the past.
If you would like to discuss further feel free to drop me an email at markonmotoring@yahoo.com
Great video Mark! As the owner of a (sadly off-the-road atm) phase 1 Safrane, and a newly acquired Mk1 Methyl Blue (oh, so close!) Megane Classic saloon, this was right up my alley! Strangely, the voice in your facelift example is the same, but the way he talks is different. Almost like different takes or something? Also, the phase 1 definitely had a glovebox, or at least mine does!
Thank you.
Interesting to hear your Ph1 has a glovebox, does it have a passenger air bag?
I think the computer viice reminds me of the voicevfrom protect and survive. 😅 Perhaps a nice French lady voicevwould have been more soothing.
I'm glad you enjoyed the video, I'm hoping to perhaps get other models in the channel over time and have already been in talks about possibly having a Laguna MK1 on the channel.
Cheers Mark super video I'm going to save that
Thanks John.
I'm always relieved when the car owner likes the finished video. Hope I did the car justice.
@@markonmotoring You did for me Mark
Very nicely preserved car and great review. A work colleague had an H reg Safrane as his car for best, rare even in the early 90s. I remember it looking like a space ship on the dash. Renaults were very popular in Spalding in the early 90s. Edit must have been a j or k reg
Thank you.
They were released in the UK in 92 so probably would have been a J plate and definitely a pre facelift car. Some Safrane were available with velour interiors and manual rear windows but even these cars would have felt incredibly luxurious at that time. I remember when I first saw photographs of the interior with digital climate controls, double din hi-fi and leather. It was like nothing I'd ever seen before.
The Safrane was released in the UK in October 1992, so they began on a K plate. They stopped selling them here in February 2000, on a V plate. They did go on until that September in Europe.
Always liked a big French barge even though they’ve never been big sellers in the UK. My dad had three successive 21 Savanas so I grew up with Renaults and remember people commenting on the smooth ride. These are like hens teeth now and maybe finally cool 😎
I remember the Savannah, some had the extra time of seating in the back too
@@markonmotoring yep, my dad got the extra row of seats so they were great for family holidays to France and back with the grandparents too. Must have covered thousands of miles!
I'm sure there will be a fair few still undertaking daily duties in France as they seem to keep their cars for longer there.
Brilliant video mate. My friend bumped into you in sewerby at the weekend. I have a safrane exactly same as that same colour and spec 2.5 executive only difference is mine is P reg
Thank you.
So your Safrane is the same year as my Mégane coupe then (well mime is an early 97 P).
Who was your friend I bumped into on Sunday?
I'm actually in the process of editing that video now.
Hopefully it won't take as long as the festival of the Unexceptional video from last week.
@@markonmotoring yes he said he spoke with you and he gave me your card. I was at sewerby myself and did see your Megane. I live in Bridlington and was going to bring my safrane but i decided to have a beer that day instead 🤣🤣🤣
Ah ok.
I spoke to a lot of people in the day, there was a local guy with a young boy who had a few old cars by the sound of it, was that your mate?
@@markonmotoring yeah that was him mate hahaha
Are you aware of the French car event near Chesterfield this coming Sunday?
facebook.com/events/s/chesterfield-french-car-day/421327963243685/
How many Safranes are in Britain today? I saw an early one recently parked in Mayfair, London. I remember another Renault hatchback, the unusually styled Vel Satis. Mk1 Lagunas are also getting rare.
I don't think.thete can be very many as they were never a huge seller when new. Older cars with issues will have been parked up or scrapped as the cost of repair outweighed the value of the cars.
I've seen a few Laguna MK1 at shows and my recent Walton Classic Car Show video features a look at a Vel.Satis 3.0 DCi Initial.
ruclips.net/video/4gYduj_vgi8/видео.html
There are 46 licensed, and 145 SORN.
Great video Mark. I've always been curious about the Safrane, as you know I have a Vel Satis. The safrane seems quite conventional but actually has some lovely design touches and I love the armrest in particular that almost looks like it's inflatable! the pop out vents and talking dash are very cool.
for me the biturbo is the dream!
Your audio quality is brilliant, you may have noticed that mine is pretty poor. I notice you have a mic, what brand is the mic and what do you connect it to?
many thanks
Yes the Safrane does look very conventional compared to the Vel Satis.
Both are fantastic designs.
I soon noticed I had audio issues early on. The microphone built into a mobile phone for example is ok close up but from a distance or in a noisy environment starts to show it's limitations.
I use a Rode Wireless Go 2 plugged into a Fuju XT200 camera via a TRS (3.5mm audio cable).
I did try it with an action camera but had to use a tiny little USB adapter and dispute having tried two, both presented reliability issues.
I tend to use the Fuji as my primary camera with the mic connected but all my B Roll footage around the cars is done with a DJI Osmo action camera as the image stabilization and wide angle lens are fantastic.
@@markonmotoring sounds like you've got a great setup and some proper equipment. The mic on my gopros are pants but been struggling to get an external mic to connect to either.
I thought your audio quality was ace!
I've ended up buying a camera with a proper audio jack because I couldn't get microphones to work reliably with phones or action cameras.
Amazing cars!
They most certainly are.
It's a shane that big French barges tend not to be commercially successful as I think they are exceedingly good at creating them.
I grew up traveling in the back of a safranne and the 25 before it
We had the txe 25 and I think the executive i. The safranne
Currently looking for one to buy
We also had electric adjustable rear seats which was nice
Both are becoming rare cars these days.
I grew up riding in the back of Renault's too but at the complete opposite end of the range with predominantly base spec models of the Renault 5.
I had few of Safranes in my life and actualy i can not regret more that i sell my last on 2.5 r5 like 6 years ago all this cars was amazing ride ,and great quality
They are wonderful. The French really know how to make an excellent luxury car but sadly buyers if luxury cars tend to prefer premium badges.
@@markonmotoring i know that very very good i had as i say a few Renault Safranes,as well as Vel Satis ,also i had R25 ,Citroen C6 and XM,Peugot 605,but has also lot of Merc,BMW,Audi,And Hyundai luxury cars and i dont see where German cars was better than French or Korean,except in driving dinamyc and this cars are all about comfort and luxury not a sports cars.
I like to try most of those french cars on your list. 😅
I've reviewed a Mercedes 190E and a R170 SLK already. I can see why buyers would have payed a premium back in the 80's for a Mercedes as they really did feel a more quality product decades ago. I don't think that the modern German cars are any better built than other European cars though and the French just seem to have a style all of there own. That said I know that Renault spent a lot of money on development to ensure that cars like the Safrane and the R19 felt more Germanic than previous models.
@@markonmotoring i must say back in days true was that german cars were much beter bild quality but that all finish in begining of 2000ths last premium quality feel of all german brands i had in Audi A8 from around 2003,later models were huge disapointment,in BMW last amazing car was for me seven series E38,and with Merc W140 all of next models were poor build quality with just lot of gimicks,But you can try find first Hyundai luxury model on europian market it was Hyundai XG30 i had it and it was sublime
It's a car that is now available to export to the US as a 25 year rule vehicle.
Ah yes, If my memory serves me correctly the last big Renault officially imported into the US was the Medallion (sold as the 21 in the UK) which was replaced with the Laguna in 1994. The Safrane is larger and heavier than the Laguna. Even in Europe parts available for these cars are limited. The 2.5 engine is a Volvo unit though I'm.not sure if it has many Renault specific components.
Had one as a rental for two months. I believe it was a V6. Great car
The pre facelift cars were indeed available with a 3.0 V6 engine. This later car had the five cylinder 2.5 litre Volvo engine.
How about rust? I am looking at an initiale...but with rust... Should I?
As with any car of this age it depends on how much rust and if you have the means to put it right.
They are a wonderful car though if you find the right one.
@@markonmotoring I can get it for 1K...and about the same for paint/repairing the rust...
Hood and top have the lacquer gone... Right door has holes... Signs of rust underneath the doors (not much) above the wheels as well. Nothing major but defo rust... It has leather seats, memory, computer, nav... Pretty much all the bells and whistles... Engine ran smooth and shifted smooth... Squirks while roatitng the steering wheel, ac needs gas and that was about the most major flaws I was able to see...
Many of these sort of cars get parked up because of technical gremlins. Funding spares for a niche car will always be a challenge but if the car runs and is structurally sound then you could certainly do a lot worse.
You may need to be willing to put some time and money in or buy a better one (presuming you can find one that is).
I've had to do work on my 97 Mégane coupe but I haven't regretted it, not for a minute.
@@markonmotoring not much offer here... 3.safranes in total on the market... I drove a C5 up until refently with the exact same automatic transmission and loved it. (turbo died /engine as well.... So never a diesel again IMHO).
Anyways... Unsure because of the rust, I can spare the money.... Alternative is an x type jag that I'm eyeing on... The safrane felt more like a car..
@@vicentepallamare2608 You would have to inspect them both to see what needs going and which one feels right fit you. The Safrane will certainly have the rarity factor and probate feels more like a big comfy barge. Just won't have the same kudos in the car park.
Fix your sound quality, I thought my headphones were malfunctioning….
The Ride wireless Go 2 microphone system seems to record one audio Channel to each mic. Something that wasn't apparent at the time. Sadly I can't change that in editing but have endeavoured to insure this doesn't happen with my recent videos.
The issue is not so obvious through seekers but probably is with headphones.
The narrative is only coming through 1 speaker ..🧐
Hi Martin.
I have become aware of this issue on a small number of videos. Unfortunately I can't do anything about it now but have ensured that it doesn't happen in future videos.
It's not so obvious when listening through a speaker but very obvious when listening through headphones.
@@markonmotoring good to know thought me headphones where faulty 😬
The Opel Omega was better tho
I've driven one in a skid pan years ago.
The Omega was rear wheel drive but no where near as classy or luxurious.
Omega is a step below in class
203 круиз контролЬ 2`5 л ключи передадут В Лионе Фикс
Comfort thy name is Reno.
It really does glide over the bumps.
At this era Renault designs were bland and characterless. We could misjudged it from Opel, Nissan, or other contemporaries.
The Safrane was probably more conservative in its appearance than other models in the range at that time. I suppose Renault were playing it safe with who they thought they were marketing this model with. The Laguna and Megane had a more individual look compared to their respective competitors.
I think throughout the 90's Renault were putting more emphasis on the quality of their cars too.