The Scenic offers good value against some of its mainstream rivals and high levels of safety equipment help keep insurance premiums down. Diesel versions are frugal, with the 1.5-litre capable of well over 50mpg, along with modest road tax for a people carrier. Introduced in early 2012, the new 1.5-litre dCi is the most fuel efficient in the range and is capable of a claimed 68.9mpg.

Most versions of the Scenic sold will be diesel and the 1.5-litre has CO2 emissions of 130g/km. The 1.4 TCE is also commendable for a 130bhp petrol people carrier at 168g/km. From June 2011, the greenest model was the 1.6-litre diesel, which emits 114g/km and places it in to VED tax band C. An improved version of the 1.5-litre dCi, available from early 2012, is now the lowest emitting option at 105g/km.

This drops road tax prices and company car costs significantly.

This has been an Achilles’ heel for Renault in the past, but the company is committed to becoming one of the best manufacturers for reliability and durability. The Scenic is one of the models that should benefit from this renewed commitment so should perform much better than previous models.