3008.. However, I ended up trading in my 4 yr old 3008 for the new Renault Captur 'Plug-in' Hybrid..I really wanted to go more economical and eco-friendly without breaking the bank or risking being stranded with a flat battery, and no back up engine.. My nearest family are over 300 miles away, others over 500 miles.. Plus access to charging stages is still very limited nationwide, so I truly need that confidence of also having the petrol engine.
Both Korean... Kia is killing it, both in design, build quality and reading the market. I love the fact WLTP and real life consumption with their electric cars were bang on. In a world of _still_ range anxiety with unsure gauge numbers that is a massive leg up. But that is besides your question, but that image does rub off on the rest of the fleet. On the other hand I have a soft spot for Renault though, always have. And even though I can't use the locally sourced argument, the Renault is maybe even because of it, also a sure bet. and I like the Arkana, a lot. Long story short: Arkana. And moreover, Kia is not in my lease car list of brands... So game over. Sorry Kia ;-)
Yeah..what is "fun to drive"? My last car was a 2004 Mazda Tribute with 3 boys sitting in the back...I loved that car. It was safe and had the power to move...We need to put things into perspective. If I had passengers who complained about getting into the ARKANA, I'd tell'em to suck it up or get a TAXI - SERIOUSLY!
Love square boxes on wheels. Has always been my preference, even as a young driver. My first car was a Nissan Prairie, FFS! 🙂 Loved that thing, still ever so often I browse the web looking for a second hand one, what a treat! Renault Espace, that was a truck! But still managed 25 mpg! So this Arkana is a far cry from these people movers. But I do like it. I have had a Peugeot 508 Hybrid4 and I was pleasantly surprised by _modern technology..._ for me Hybrid for now is the way forward until battery range increases
I do like Renault's, I have just ordered my 6th one, a Clio, which uses the same underpinnings as do a few of other cars from other companies within the same group. The lights on this are now exactly a new feature as my current Megane (2019) has exactly the same layout.
Love this review! A bit tongue in cheek, but not holding any punches, a nice counterweight to all the Renault bashings I have seen in other reviews. I really don't get the need to put down a brand on criteria which otherwise are being used to herald another. If a car underperforms, fair enough, but critiquing a car for not being a sports car when it is a family hatchback is simply ridiculous. Thank you for the fair and balanced and fun review! Really enjoyed it. I think the biggest challenge for me would be the dip in performance described as the delayed response similar to a CVT. If you are in a hurry, trying to quickly steal a spot on a perpendicular road _(must be a term for that, no idea though, but you get my drift ;-)_ if this has a delayed response you might get frustrated not being able to do that. Other than that, I think the fuel economy is quite good, especially in B mode, 1:20 l/km is not shockingly frugal, but I have seen numbers eking towards 1:25 which actually is impressive. I'm thinking about adding LPG in the mix, adding range and save money at the same time as well. You have to order the Arkana with spare wheel option in order to fit the ring tank. Given the fact Renault/Dacia offers a OEM gas option I assume the engines are well equipped to host LPG also in the long run.
@@leasingdotcom Thanks for the reply mate. Love that commitment to your viewers. Liked & Subscribed! How was it to intersect in traffic? Did you feel hesitant at times or not at all?
Great review as per usual dude, I like the direction Renault are going in, buts it’s the reliability of them that concerns me…but then again my Lexus spoils me in every way.
It is a Clio as Suv Coupe look for Renault Austral Coupe it is much better than this and 200hp im waiting for it because the Inferior of the Arkana is not cheap but cheap in the way that a Clio is cheap
'Fun to drive' for me translate to acceleration ( enough to overtake when required), predictable steering, smooth braking and no unexpected engine grunt in places an average car does not need to grunt. I include cabin ambience, usable driving assistance and good infotainment system as well in the mix. A car need not do 0-100 in 6s to be fun to drive. Especially not an SUV.
Really?! I take your word for it, but I personally think ever since Tesla entered the market our expectations have skewed somewhat towards the ridiculous. 6s? That used to be super car territory or at least Porsche territory. And it is totally counterintuitive and counterproductive to our desire to be more aware of our environment. And then still that doesn't have to be a buzzkill. I think 10s are fast enough, the CVT delay characteristic described both here and in other reviews forces me to really think about how big a throwback that's gonna be for me. But I do appreciate the speed and overall experience of power. The price point of this car I think allows for somewhat lower expectations and still be an offer that is interesting enough to contemplate. If I had to choose between 6s acceleration or being able to take my bike with me, to have a multipurpose vehicle without range anxiety and enough grunt to do all the stuff I want to do and still have a smile on my face when I look at my petrol bills, I know what I prefer. And it won't be the 6s. As a second car I would totally agree with you though!
@@jwvandegronden Yeah, I do not expect 6s or below 0-100 times for a car to be "fun to drive" for me. But people's expectation varies as you say with the advent of electric cars which give better than supercar acceleration at somewhat affordable but still premium price.
Is it... _"A car? Nah"._ It's an SUV 8-))... I used to have a Laguna some 20 years ago. Loved it. Renault's always seem to make good looking cars. Nice one Howard. I trust that your friend, the _Lady Whittler,_ doesn't keep you up at night with her whittling... Or giggling? ;-))...
Had the Alpine version of this car for 4 days. Awful wind noise on motorways. Rear is quote cramped. It's a Renault, so it's no surprise that the build quality is not top notch (assembled in Russia?). It looks a bit weird and garnered many puzzled looks. The infotainment screen is really good, nicely positioned with a slant towards the driver (why don'tall manufacturers do this?). Best Satnav presentation I've seen. Overall, the car just doesn't convince.
I find myself in a strange quirk: I prefer the RS line, but it might be out of range for what I'm willing to pay for my car, and usually the mid spec is the most often chosen version, I suspect. And as most reviewers chose the RS line I'm very happy to have a close up look on the interior of this mid spec model. But the RS line is gorgeous, and it has all the safety features which, if added as options on the mid spec, might narrow the price gap between the two to only a few hundred quid.
I’ve got the etech engineered I’m stuck with for another year. Sounds like a hoover. Infotainment system is shite. Never again.. you deffo pay for the quality with bmw Audi and merc.
You'll see the end of this car within a year or 2. A lot of the switch gear is out of older Renault as are the big knobs on the dash are out of Nissan. Its underpowered, cramped in the back, the steering wheel switches don't light up at night, the boot is not electric the body panels are too thin like coke cans, easily dented.
steering wheel buttons do light up. The knobs are a good reason to buy one now, just in case Renault also falls for the fallacy of buttonless and knobless interiors! I'm 6ft and I can sit behind myself, just, but not cramped. The room under the seats does help with that. I found getting in and out of the car more cumbersome in the front than in the back... Overall feel is really good. Especially given the price point. It hits the sweet spot for me between luxuriousness, comfort and economy. I don't give a hoot about the _hard plastics_ on the bottom parts of the interior. Hell, even on the dash itself I couldn't care less. Outstanding vehicle, bang on the money and then some.
Aw cmon... You're sitting looking at the headlights when the whole profile is like an x6 coupe thing.. Which is one of the ugliest shapes around lol. Horrible.
I went to see a Kadjar once. It was squeaking loads. The build quality was not good. The sales guy asked what car do I have? I said BMW, he replied that’s why. The BMW type sector is out of the Renaults league.
hahahahah yeah sure mate maybe in 1978 but now not so much anymore yeah maybe with really expensive ones like the 7 series but the others not so much mate.
I have the S model Hybrid bought new October 21.. bit of body roll on corners but so much better than my previous Renault Kadjar.. the Akana is not as slow as the ‘experts’ say it is but the 1.6 hybrid I have could do with an extra 50bhp. I’ve owned many cars including fast Fords, BMW, Mini, Toyota Celica and more but as for VFM the Akana is a good buy and packed with extras… the mild hybrid Akana does have the Merc unit as I had in my Kadja so if it’s top speed you want and that extra zip go for that model.. As for me I’ve been there and done it in my 48 years of driving and would recommend this car. It’s state of the art at an affordable price
I took the Arcana for a test drive ( having owned 2 x Kadjars already ), the brakes were horrific- all or nothing! I drove to the neatest roundabout ( 200m ) and left the car back. Terrible car.
POLL: ARKANA OR SPORTAGE... MONEY NO OBJECT?
3008.. However, I ended up trading in my 4 yr old 3008 for the new Renault Captur 'Plug-in' Hybrid..I really wanted to go more economical and eco-friendly without breaking the bank or risking being stranded with a flat battery, and no back up engine.. My nearest family are over 300 miles away, others over 500 miles.. Plus access to charging stages is still very limited nationwide, so I truly need that confidence of also having the petrol engine.
Both Korean... Kia is killing it, both in design, build quality and reading the market. I love the fact WLTP and real life consumption with their electric cars were bang on. In a world of _still_ range anxiety with unsure gauge numbers that is a massive leg up.
But that is besides your question, but that image does rub off on the rest of the fleet. On the other hand I have a soft spot for Renault though, always have. And even though I can't use the locally sourced argument, the Renault is maybe even because of it, also a sure bet. and I like the Arkana, a lot. Long story short: Arkana. And moreover, Kia is not in my lease car list of brands... So game over. Sorry Kia ;-)
3 years on, and I still LOVE my Arkana! And I also loved this review! Thank you!
Yeah..what is "fun to drive"? My last car was a 2004 Mazda Tribute with 3 boys sitting in the back...I loved that car. It was safe and had the power to move...We need to put things into perspective. If I had passengers who complained about getting into the ARKANA, I'd tell'em to suck it up or get a TAXI - SERIOUSLY!
Love square boxes on wheels. Has always been my preference, even as a young driver. My first car was a Nissan Prairie, FFS! 🙂 Loved that thing, still ever so often I browse the web looking for a second hand one, what a treat! Renault Espace, that was a truck! But still managed 25 mpg! So this Arkana is a far cry from these people movers. But I do like it. I have had a Peugeot 508 Hybrid4 and I was pleasantly surprised by _modern technology..._ for me Hybrid for now is the way forward until battery range increases
I do like Renault's, I have just ordered my 6th one, a Clio, which uses the same underpinnings as do a few of other cars from other companies within the same group. The lights on this are now exactly a new feature as my current Megane (2019) has exactly the same layout.
4:11 This is precisely why I don't get the whole SUV coupe / low ceiling high floor thing. Great review, of course.
Another great review Howard.. I enjoy your reviews, no matter the car !
Howards sense of humour is exactly the same as mine...love his reviews!!
Look forward to all the reviews, Howard is simply the best, thanks for the enjoyment
That's a nice sweater he's wearing. Makes him look like James Bond.
Ritchie. Howard Ritchie. 🕶️
Love this review! A bit tongue in cheek, but not holding any punches, a nice counterweight to all the Renault bashings I have seen in other reviews. I really don't get the need to put down a brand on criteria which otherwise are being used to herald another.
If a car underperforms, fair enough, but critiquing a car for not being a sports car when it is a family hatchback is simply ridiculous. Thank you for the fair and balanced and fun review! Really enjoyed it.
I think the biggest challenge for me would be the dip in performance described as the delayed response similar to a CVT. If you are in a hurry, trying to quickly steal a spot on a perpendicular road _(must be a term for that, no idea though, but you get my drift ;-)_ if this has a delayed response you might get frustrated not being able to do that. Other than that, I think the fuel economy is quite good, especially in B mode, 1:20 l/km is not shockingly frugal, but I have seen numbers eking towards 1:25 which actually is impressive. I'm thinking about adding LPG in the mix, adding range and save money at the same time as well. You have to order the Arkana with spare wheel option in order to fit the ring tank. Given the fact Renault/Dacia offers a OEM gas option I assume the engines are well equipped to host LPG also in the long run.
Appreciate your feedback on the content.
@@leasingdotcom Thanks for the reply mate. Love that commitment to your viewers. Liked & Subscribed! How was it to intersect in traffic? Did you feel hesitant at times or not at all?
Great review as per usual dude, I like the direction Renault are going in, buts it’s the reliability of them that concerns me…but then again my Lexus spoils me in every way.
It is a Clio as Suv Coupe look for Renault Austral Coupe it is much better than this and 200hp im waiting for it because the Inferior of the Arkana is not cheap but cheap in the way that a Clio is cheap
'Fun to drive' for me translate to acceleration ( enough to overtake when required), predictable steering, smooth braking and no unexpected engine grunt in places an average car does not need to grunt. I include cabin ambience, usable driving assistance and good infotainment system as well in the mix. A car need not do 0-100 in 6s to be fun to drive. Especially not an SUV.
Really?! I take your word for it, but I personally think ever since Tesla entered the market our expectations have skewed somewhat towards the ridiculous. 6s? That used to be super car territory or at least Porsche territory. And it is totally counterintuitive and counterproductive to our desire to be more aware of our environment. And then still that doesn't have to be a buzzkill. I think 10s are fast enough, the CVT delay characteristic described both here and in other reviews forces me to really think about how big a throwback that's gonna be for me.
But I do appreciate the speed and overall experience of power. The price point of this car I think allows for somewhat lower expectations and still be an offer that is interesting enough to contemplate. If I had to choose between 6s acceleration or being able to take my bike with me, to have a multipurpose vehicle without range anxiety and enough grunt to do all the stuff I want to do and still have a smile on my face when I look at my petrol bills, I know what I prefer. And it won't be the 6s.
As a second car I would totally agree with you though!
@@jwvandegronden Yeah, I do not expect 6s or below 0-100 times for a car to be "fun to drive" for me. But people's expectation varies as you say with the advent of electric cars which give better than supercar acceleration at somewhat affordable but still premium price.
Is it... _"A car? Nah"._ It's an SUV 8-))...
I used to have a Laguna some 20 years ago. Loved it. Renault's always seem to make good looking cars.
Nice one Howard. I trust that your friend, the _Lady Whittler,_ doesn't keep you up at night with her whittling... Or giggling? ;-))...
I'm on the fence here, should I..? shouldn't I.? I have to say i was really warming to it, but i would expect more than 40mpg from a hybrid..
I really like your review.
Had the Alpine version of this car for 4 days. Awful wind noise on motorways. Rear is quote cramped. It's a Renault, so it's no surprise that the build quality is not top notch (assembled in Russia?). It looks a bit weird and garnered many puzzled looks. The infotainment screen is really good, nicely positioned with a slant towards the driver (why don'tall manufacturers do this?). Best Satnav presentation I've seen. Overall, the car just doesn't convince.
Dos the key have it's own caring 🎒
Great review thank you
Great review!
Wriless android auto available?
Hello mate!
Is it hybrid or electric?
Hybrid.
Should have tested the RS Line, much better spec.
I find myself in a strange quirk: I prefer the RS line, but it might be out of range for what I'm willing to pay for my car, and usually the mid spec is the most often chosen version, I suspect. And as most reviewers chose the RS line I'm very happy to have a close up look on the interior of this mid spec model. But the RS line is gorgeous, and it has all the safety features which, if added as options on the mid spec, might narrow the price gap between the two to only a few hundred quid.
Superb
I’ve got the etech engineered I’m stuck with for another year. Sounds like a hoover. Infotainment system is shite. Never again.. you deffo pay for the quality with bmw Audi and merc.
Arkana tigers? 😮
You'll see the end of this car within a year or 2. A lot of the switch gear is out of older Renault as are the big knobs on the dash are out of Nissan. Its underpowered, cramped in the back, the steering wheel switches don't light up at night, the boot is not electric the body panels are too thin like coke cans, easily dented.
steering wheel buttons do light up. The knobs are a good reason to buy one now, just in case Renault also falls for the fallacy of buttonless and knobless interiors!
I'm 6ft and I can sit behind myself, just, but not cramped. The room under the seats does help with that. I found getting in and out of the car more cumbersome in the front than in the back... Overall feel is really good. Especially given the price point. It hits the sweet spot for me between luxuriousness, comfort and economy. I don't give a hoot about the _hard plastics_ on the bottom parts of the interior. Hell, even on the dash itself I couldn't care less. Outstanding vehicle, bang on the money and then some.
Not sure about that jumper your Mrs as knit you though sorry
Unfortunately, I couldn’t last more than a few minutes and his demeanour when trying to enter the rear seats was a little uncomfortable for me.
We have thousands of in stock, family SUV deals available here: buff.ly/3UbXXJ7
It is a little stiffer 🤣
Aw cmon... You're sitting looking at the headlights when the whole profile is like an x6 coupe thing.. Which is one of the ugliest shapes around lol. Horrible.
it’s a hideous thing
I went to see a Kadjar once. It was squeaking loads. The build quality was not good. The sales guy asked what car do I have? I said BMW, he replied that’s why. The BMW type sector is out of the Renaults league.
hahahahah yeah sure mate maybe in 1978 but now not so much anymore yeah maybe with really expensive ones like the 7 series but the others not so much mate.
macron sucks
this car sucks
your mom sucks good
You too
I have the S model Hybrid bought new October 21.. bit of body roll on corners but so much better than my previous Renault Kadjar.. the Akana is not as slow as the ‘experts’ say it is but the 1.6 hybrid I have could do with an extra 50bhp. I’ve owned many cars including fast Fords, BMW, Mini, Toyota Celica and more but as for VFM the Akana is a good buy and packed with extras… the mild hybrid Akana does have the Merc unit as I had in my Kadja so if it’s top speed you want and that extra zip go for that model.. As for me I’ve been there and done it in my 48 years of driving and would recommend this car. It’s state of the art at an affordable price
this vehicle is a hunk of sh**
Not at all
@@-timothydexterthegreatestp5391 oh I'm sorry you're right
Renault builds high quality vehicles
I took the Arcana for a test drive ( having owned 2 x Kadjars already ), the brakes were horrific- all or nothing! I drove to the neatest roundabout ( 200m ) and left the car back. Terrible car.
you can't drive a car..
@@SD-ur2iy I can. I choose not to drive this one.
@@YESIAM2U No i own one and you are either spitting bs or you can't drive.
Best of luck with it
I have it too from 5 months ..perfect car and best value for money