24/06/08

• Price16,605
• We like...Comfort, storage spaces
• We don't...Not as spacious as some

The original mid-size MPV - but can it still be counted among the best?This is the car that started it all. Back in 1997 Renault launched the Scenic and brought us a brand new type of car. Tall and spacious, it was also neat and nimble to drive. But, best of all, it would take a family of five and all their luggage. Or, if you wanted, you could take out as many seats as you wanted and free even more load space.

Its arrival sent rivals rushing to produce ‘me-too’ cars and, sure enough, they did a superb job. But can the original still be the best?

Let’s find out. Spend a few minutes in the latest Scenic and one thing’s certain: the designers haven’t lost their touch. It’s full of clever details: drawers under the rear seats, storage boxes under the cabin floor and within the boot, tables on the front seat-backs, a huge storage bin between the front two seats...the list is seemingly endless.

And, as in the original, the rear seats slide individually to and fro, tip forward, double-roll or lift out. But none of this is special, now – we could list half-a-dozen other cars, similarly priced, that’ll do, or have, all this.

There are seven engines and five trim levels to pick from, running from a few quid short of £14,000 to some way above £20k. Even the cheapest models are well equipped, because a full suite of safety aids, air conditioning and alloy wheels come as standard fitments on all. The cabins look pleasant and are of good quality, but stepping up the model ladder rewards with such treats as climate-controlled air conditioning and a panoramic glass roof.

Of the lot, we’d go for the trim one above the cheapest, called Expression, and pair it with the 106bhp version of the 1.5 diesel engine, bringing the price to £16,255. This is the more powerful of the 1.5 engines, and yields its extra pull and barely increases fuel consumption of CO2 emissions. At 54.3mpg and 138g/km, it’s a winner.

It’s a softly riding car, rarely jarring those within unless it encounters a severe road crater. You sit high-ish and the view fore and aft from the big glassy cabin is good. The diesel we’ve chosen picks up speed well and settles to a muted hum when cruising. But the steering feels remote, telling too little of what the front wheels are up to. Piling too hard into a corner will see the Scenic lean markedly – this isn’t a car intended for spirited driving. Ease back a touch, though, and it’s well mannered.

If five seats isn’t enough, there’s also the Grand Scenic, which for £1000 more has a lengthened cabin and adds a pair of chairs in the rear. Space is tight back there, however, measured against the best of its rivals, such as the Ford S-Max or the seven-seat Citrn Picasso.

The Scenic is a good car. Renault has cleverly updated its trail-blazer to keep pace with the many rivals to spring up since. But it’s no longer the best: the S-Max, Picasso and Volkswagen's Touran now lead the pack.

• Engines1.5 dCi
• Power106bhp
• 0-60 mph12.4sec
• Economy54.3mpg
• CO2g/km138
• Insurance groups5
• EuroNCAP
• Airbags8
• Seats5

Motors.co.uk value verdict: