Traditionally, there was always a BIG quality step from Renault up to any other French car. Worse still were the US-built Renaults, which were equipped with baroque AMC interiors and poorly tested equipment specific to the US-market. Even in France, the state-owned Renault's products were long known for their crummy quality -- until recently. They are the GM of France.
Having owned and driven Peugeots, Citroens, and Renaults of varying vintage, the Renaults were always pedestrian and poorly built in comparison. Engines were usually pretty good (except when the product of joint development, e.g. the Alliance engines, which were done with Volvo) but everything around them was crap. Peugeot was the boring man's Citroen. Very bourgeois, very understated, but usually very durable and with that timeless Pininfarina styling (205, 306, 405, 406, 504, 505, 605 etc). Citroens were top-of-the-line, but often either bizarre at the high end (DS) or ridiculously simple (2CV), both extremes bearing unconventional engineering solutions from a company that encouraged innovation. The Renaults of the last 5-7 years are MUCH better (and this isn't easy for a Citroen man to admit), with great interiors and excellent fit & finish throughout. And if you're wondering about recent improvements at Nissan, look no further than Renault's influence for the explanation. The French car industry went through its lowest ebb in the 1980s and 1990s. Their current products, no matter which company, are generally very good. In fact, in diesel technology they've often lead the world. D. > >Message: 18 >Date: Thu, 26 Apr 2007 15:42:59 -0400 >From: Allan Streib <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> >Subject: Re: [MBZ] Frenchie diesel? > >Zeitgeist <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> writes: > >> I think I'm in love with the idea of owning a French car; not so >> sure I ever want achieve the dream, though. > >Years ago I knew a guy that had a Renault Alliance. Based on that >memory, I'd never even think of owning a French car. > > "Renault Alliance scored in worst ratings in "Engine", "Clutch", > "Driveline", "Engine cooling", "Suspension", "Exhaust system", > "Automatic transmission" and "Manual transmission" ratings." > -- The 1986 Consumer Reports "Annual Auto Issue" > >Hm. Maybe it *looked* good. Er, no -- it didn't. > >Allan >-- >1983 300D >1966 230 > > -- David Bruckmann, Toronto, Canada. Current Reality: 1970 Citroen DS21 Pallas (170,000 km) "Goettin" 1976 Citroen 2CV6 (142,000 km) "Piaf" http://dolly.bruckmann.com/ 1984 Mercedes-Benz 300TD (380,000 km) "Gertraud" 1986 Renault 9 (AMC Alliance) 1.7 (148,000 km) - as yet unnamed Shady Past: 1971 Citroen DS21 Pallas (137,000km), 1972 Citroen DS21 Pallas (502,000km) 1978 Mercedes-Benz 300D (1,200,000 km or thereabouts) "Sieglinde" 1979 Mercedes-Benz 300TD non-turbo (260,000 km) "Diva" 1981 Citroen 2CV6 Charleston (120,000km), 1988 Merkur XR4Ti (209,000km) 1981 Peugeot 505 GRD (350,000km), 1985 Toyota Camry "The Slamry" (330,000km) 2002 VW Golf GLS TDI (74,000 km) ----------------------------------------------------------------------
