I drove the Megane RS a little over a week ago, and to be honest, it took me a while to figure out the best approach for this article. After sleeping with a couple of ideas I had in mind and drafting different stories I wasn't comfortable with, I decided to simply tell you my story, how I got to drive the Renault Megane RS, and how good (or bad) my experience was.
A couple of months ago, my colleagues Anas and Zaran got the car. Not because they are a part of the team, but I truly believe they are the only ones that deliver unbiased, trustworthy and real car reviews in this region. In simple English, they say what they like, and they don't like about the car. But most importantly, and above everything, they can keep a discussion and address facts. They both know I am a huge fan of the Volkswagen Golf GTI. We speak about it every two to three weeks and since they know me, I have constantly been nagging them to buy one.
Back in the day, we got this car for four days. I still remember those. They couldn't stop trying to convince me to drive it. Every single day with the same message. “Jorge, you need to try this car.” “Jorge, if you drive this car there is no chance you will like the Golf anymore.” “Come on Jorge, take it for a spin.” My answer? No, no, no. I don't want to. Just leave me alone with my own thoughts.
A couple of weeks after, Zaran's video was out I watched it over and over again. I liked it, to be honest. On top of that, I got to know that Anas’ brother had bought one and he also has a Nissan GT-R. Down the line, driving the Megane RS started to become a thought at the bottom of my mind. Something was telling me, dude, why not try it?
A couple of weeks ago we had a meeting with Renault’s PR agency, and this became a topic of discussion. Long story short, the Megane RS got delivered to our office for me to drive. Out of all the previous feedback I received about the car, it seemed like this one was the cherry on the top so I can finally stop being stubborn and drive the RS for a week.
So, overall these are the few things I couldn't stop repeating over and over during those days:
The color: This orange-ish / yellow-ish is the perfect color for this car. Don't buy it in black and don't buy it in white as it would not do justice. Black or white will look nice, but not special. And this is a special car.
The power: You get a 1.8-liter turbocharged engine that performs as if it was nearly twice its size. The Megane RS proves that driving it in "Comfort" mode feels uneasy and wrong, but in "Race" mode everything feels right, and the car feels even better.
The corners: I felt empowered to take as many corners as I could. To get sick after doing roundabouts again and again. With this car, you just want to drive 24 hours non-stop in Tecom (Barsha Heights now that we have greenery). With the Megane RS, it’s beautiful even to change lanes as opposed to a straight boring drive on Sheikh Zayed Road.
The exhaust: That power, mated to a dual-clutch transmission and that exhaust will make you think twice if you want to play the radio or connect your phone to listen to your favorite playlist.
The seats: They are like tailor-made for those corners and drives. They feel good, they grab your body perfectly.
The price: Lastly, I can get all of this with AED 138,000 which is a lot less than similar models that it competes with.
Now, 2 essential points to note:
1) I am sold. I would love to have the Megane RS in the YallaMotor garage for a lot more than a regular Test Drive.
2) I am concerned. When will I be able to drive such a great hot hatch again?
