Just wondering if anyone else here has an opinion on these cars? Hired
one on holiday (a 20K miles example) a few things really pissed me off
(and the other drivers in my group).

Firstly, there is the handbrake- a lever on the dash not dissimilar to a
choke control, that operates as a binary switch. No gradual application
or release-just on or off (the "off" being controlled automatically when
the clutch starts to bite). Hill starts on steep inclines were almost
impossible. In a regular car, the usual routine is to gradually let out
the clutch whilst maintaining revs and slowly releasing the handbrake,
loading the engine progressively and in a predictable manner. In the
Scenic, as the clutch bites, the handbrake is released completely in an
instant and the engine stalls. It wasn't just me- the other drivers in
my group and also other people I spoke to who hired these things had the
same problem. Why would Renault fit such a crazy feature and how is it
an improvement over the infinitely variable manual handbrake control
that is fitted to most cars?

Secondly, there's the digital speedo- I thought these went out with the
talking Maestro. What a bloody idiotic way to display the information.
Dial speedos are the most appropriate (and widely accepted as such)
because a simple glance allows the diver to gauge speed by the position
of the needle without having to actually read the numbers.

Thirdly there's the headlight controls- fairly conventional in design (a
stalk-based on/ off with rotation and dip/full with  backward
deflection. However, the torque required to rotate the on/off control is
very low, meaning that when pulling the stalk to flip between full and
dipped beam, it is all too easy to turn the lights off completely. I
discovered this, in fact, when approaching a nasty bend late at night in
the Alps and got the shock of my life.

Fourth thing is the steering- massively over assisted to the point of
being twitchy and dangerous

Fifth thing is the foot brake- sharp like nothing else I've ever driven
and almost impossible to get used to.

Seemed a pity that a car with such a nice, well designed interior could
be so flawed in other areas.

Regards, Jim.