Renault Vel Satis Review Covering 2002

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Quick Summary of the Renault Vel Satis

OVERALL

The Renault Vel Satis makes a surprisingly satisfying used proposition, although many will be content to give the car another year or so for the steepest part of the depreciation curve to take effect. The 2.2-litre dCi model is probably the plum pick, but whichever version you choose, you’ll have a car that’s not only distinctive but which will also prove a conversation piece. You’ll never turn heads in a basic Mercedes E Class but the big Renault still has the ability to draw admiring (?) glances. There’s a feeling of bespoke luxury that little under £50,000 can match and for many this will be enough. One suspects Renault’s next effort in this sector may look a little more conventional.

CAN’T GET NO SATIS ACTION?

Quite how Renault thought the Vel Satis was going to punch a sizeable hole in the sales of the executive elite is a story that may never emerge from the executive boardroom. Competing with the cream of the executive car crop while sporting a mainstream badge had done for a number of better-qualified successors than the Vel Satis down the years and true to form, the big Renault bombed. Despite its almost comical failure, the Vel Satis now makes a fascinating used buy. With deep discounts offered to new buyers, low mileage used cars can be yours for a song and despite the car’s poor showing in the sales charts, driving it generates a genuine sense of occasion you’d never experience in, say, a lower order Audi A6.
Used Renault Vel Satis for sale

History of the Vel Satis

"The Vel Satis is the first real alternative to the conventional and often cramped four-door saloons predominantly from German manufactures such as Audi, Mercedes and BMW so common in this sector. The Renault Vel Satis will shake up this class with its radical and imposing looks, class-leading interior space, and luxury-Class features," claimed Renault when the Vel Satis was unveiled. While we were charitably trying to downplay their expectations and aim the Vel Satis at softer targets like the Vauxhall Omega, the Peugeot 607 and the Volvo S80, Renault was mercilessly tilting at the big boys.Spending €550 million developing the car, Renault boldly predicted 50,000 pan-European sales in Year One. This sales target was slightly undermined by the fact that only 23,000 were ever built and Renault had a tough time finding homes for these. The production target for 2003 of 30,000 cars has already slipped. Meanwhile Mercedes is still shifting over 200,000 E Class models per year with monotonous regularity. The great aspiration is rapidly grinding to a halt. There’s certainly quite a bit of choice available for Vel Satis customers. Two diesel engines and two petrol engines are offered and all have something to be said for them.
Used Renault Vel Satis for sale

Renault Vel Satis Road Test

No fewer than four engines are on offer, though the unit you’d expect (the 210bhp 3.0-litre V6 used in all the marque’s other top models) is curiously not among them. Four cylinder buyers get the choice of a 165bhp 2.0-litre petrol turbo or the 150bhp 2.2-litre dCi diesel borrowed from the Laguna. Six cylinder customers meanwhile, can opt either for a 180bhp 3.0-litre dCi diesel or a 245bhp 3.5-litre petrol unit. The last-named 3.5-litre V6 is borrowed from Nissan and Renault will tell you that it was voted America’s ‘Best V6’ three years in a row – an award based on its fitment to a range of the Japanese company’s 4x4 models.Installing such an engine into a top-drawer executive car is a very different thing of course but the transition appears to have been a very smooth one. Sixty is 8.3s away en route to nearly 150mph. You’ll pay for that at the pumps though: around town, this car struggles to crack the 17mpg barrier. For that reason and others, the 3.0 dCi is probably the better buy. It’s obviously much more frugal (over 30mpg in normal use) and the gutsy torque means that it feels hardly slower than the petrol V6 in normal use. Best of all, you’d almost never know it was a diesel, even at idling. On the twisty stuff, all Vel Satis variants hang on quite well, but roll more than you might be used to. No rival gets near the ride quality though: this model carries on the best traditions of French executive cars.
Used Renault Vel Satis for sale

Buying a Renault Vel Satis

Renault Vel Satis owners have yet to report any significant faults. Bear in mind that all cars will still be under warranty and should therefore be in pretty good shape. Look out for damage from parking knocks and scrapes, as this can be very expensive to repair. The alloy wheels are susceptible to kerb damage too.
Used Renault Vel Satis for sale

Renault Vel Satis Typical Pricing

Prices for an 02-registered Vel Satis 2.0T 16v Expression start at £12,500 with the 2.2-litre dCi diesel opening at £13,000. These two engines account for the bulk of the Vel Satis’ moderate sales, with the 3.0-litre diesel unit and the 3.5-litre V6 petrol remaining a rare sight. Both cars open at around £16,000. Insurance ranges between Group 13 for the smaller diesel to Group 16 for the 3.5-litre V6 petrol engined version.
Used Renault Vel Satis for sale

Renault Vel Satis Parts

(Based on an 02 Vel Satis 2.0 Expression) Body panels, glass and exterior trim for the Vel Satis are very costly. A new windscreen is in the region of £4100 and the mirrors alone are nearly £180 each. A front bumper assembly is £220. The mechanicals are interchangeable with other Renault and Nissan models so costs can be kept within hand here.
Used Renault Vel Satis for sale