Renault Vel Satis 3.0 Dv6 Initiale 3.0 Ltr V6 Diesel - Initiale Review

Good Points
Huge amount of room and very comfortable. Quite economical for one so fast, at 31 mpg. Loads of toys, in fact everything except TV, and forward distance limiter/forward parking control. Wonderful and accurate full colour Sat Nav.

Bad Points
Very unreliable and absolutely eats tyres. These are no ordinary tyres either. 255x45x18 Low profiles on big alloys. 3 sets of fronts within 30K miles. Very expensive to maintain.

General Comments
This Renault Vel Satis was a 3 year contract hire that I used in my business. Initially it got strange looks, then this moved to admiration and wonder, then we got to pity and feeling sorry for me. A large saloon/estate that is supposed to be Renault's answer to the might of Munich. Sorry but it just doesn't cut it. A £30 K car which in three years is probably worth less than £8k. Continually failed to start, or do anything due to a totally dead electrical system. Often leaving me stranded. Even a warranty battery change didn't solve the problem. Maybe there's just too much gadgetry in there. Worst thing was the wheels/brakes/tyres. Twisted Discs they said. They were supposed to put new ones on for me and told me they had done so. Yet three months ago they were telling me that I need new discs all around (£650). It was still chewing up tyres on the front despite me having complained to Renault servicing from month 3. At £160 + VAT per tyre these are just too much. They told me that this was normal for power steering cars. !!! Eventually 8 months short of the contract completion I requested that Renault take it back. I couldn't take anymore. They agreed and in fact agreed to pay all the contract termination charges. They obviously know something I would guess but they are not admitting it. I'm going for a Jeep now, and we'll see what the Chrysler 3.0 CRD engine is like. Sorry but I could not in all honesty ever recommend a Vel Satis other than for gentle local motoring, just not reliable enough and too expensive to run.