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I Wanted To Love The Renault Megane RS 300…

Tree Walters

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I take the 2021 Renault Mégane RS 300 EDC out for a test drive in Liquid Yellow, a seriously good looking and capable hot hatch and one of the most interesting alternatives to my Honda Civic Type R FK8.

I headed back to L Foster Autos, the dealership where I bought my FK8 around 8 months ago, to spend some time with the Renault Mégane RS 300. This particular car is fitted with the EDC automatic gearbox and Renault's 4Control four-wheel-steering system, which makes it an interesting proposition as a performance car that could also work as a perfect fun and practical daily driver.

In this video, I take a look around the exterior of the Mégane RS 300, including the Liquid Yellow paint and RS styling, before checking out the interior and comparing some of its features with my FK8 Civic Type R. I then take the Megane RS 300 out on the road to see what the automatic gearbox, different driving modes, 4Control system and RS chassis are like in everyday driving.

One of the biggest surprises was the ride quality. Going into the test drive, I expected the Mégane RS 300 to potentially be a better all-round daily than my FK8, particularly with its automatic gearbox and four-wheel steering. However, the ride was considerably harsher than I expected.

There are plenty of things I liked about the Mégane RS 300. The interior looks more modern than the FK8's, the driving position feels good and the car has plenty of technology and adjustability through its different driving modes. But I also found that it didn't feel quite as versatile on the road as I expected.

I also wanted to experience what the Mégane RS 300 is like through corners, as this is one of the defining features of the Renault Sport hot hatch. Unfortunately, the roads and traffic during my drive didn't give me much opportunity to properly explore its cornering ability, so this is more of a real-world test drive and first impression than a definitive assessment of the car's handling.
By the end of the drive, I was impressed by the Renault Mégane RS 300 and can see why it is regarded as one of the best modern hot hatches, but I wasn't convinced enough to be swayed away from my Honda Civic Type R FK8.
Would you choose the Renault Mégane RS 300 over a Honda Civic Type R FK8? Let me know in the comments.
A big thanks to L Foster Autos for letting me take the Mégane RS 300 out. It was great to be back at the dealership where I bought my FK8, and I really appreciate them giving me the opportunity to try another hot hatch.

#RenaultMeganeRS #MeganeRS300 #FK8 #CivicTypeR

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15 Comments

@frank7231 1 day ago

I’ve got a manual 2019 i30N, but this really looks tempting

@mulletthehunter7163 2 weeks ago

Thats my old car! Glad you enjoyed it. It was an extremely sad day letting it go but had to buy a bigger car 😢.
You should have put it in race mode though for the sharper gear change and a few more pops from the exhaust!

@michael_smith 2 weeks ago (edited)

I’ve always been a Honda fan, but went across to some of these Renaultsports, they are up there with the Honda in terms of handling, also look amazing.

@ianwaghorne5327 2 weeks ago

As a fellow Honda fan. I like that very much.

@brettgosper6003 2 weeks ago

must be your back man, the recaros are crazy comfortable! I have the Trophy 300 Manual..... fantastic car

@PureLeeful 2 weeks ago

Best looking hot hatch imo.
Looks like it has spacers on, that will increase torque steer.
You need to test drive a Mk3 Megane Rs, more for the purist.

@matho8262 2 weeks ago (edited)

Long time renaultsport fan and multiple owner. Have always gone cup chassis in previous cars and they are always on the edge for UK roads. Currently have a sport chassis RS300 and it is beautifully judged for a passive set up for the UK. Car still handles beautifully and corners like nothing else I've driven. To exploit that to the full you need to be in race mode to have the rear wheel steering active up to 60ish. Wish you could buy a sport with the LSD as that would perfect. Not driven an fk8 but would love to compare. These are great cars. Btw. I test drive the Alpine A110 in the run up to buying and preferred the Mégane lol.

@jeremyleslie6229 2 weeks ago

Had one for 4.5 years loved it but a quite stressful ownership proposition. I avoided most issues like fuel pump but in the end after 80k miles rear main seal went on the edc box, ac was broke, emissions light on and 4ws had an advisory on the last mot...

@Scott555ish 2 weeks ago

Great review. I had a 2018 RS280 Cup in Volcanic Orange. So exactly the same chassis. Suspension is firm but I found it becomes more compliant above 40mph. Its certainly not as firm and pogo like my previous mk3 Focus RS. Build quality and interior with the Alcantara is a big step up by RenaultSport. Makes me want another 👍

@kanothekid408 2 weeks ago

Awesome review! However, your pronunciation of Renault is questionable.

@hartmutthomas989 2 weeks ago

der Megane war 2018 ca.8000€ teurer , wenngleich der eine geile Lackierung hat . so hab ich mich für den FK8 entschieden . 99 100 Kilometer und kein bisschen leise!

@JOSEARI011 9 days ago

Me quedo con el megane

@niwouackermann8517 2 weeks ago

Interesting saying the Megane is riding hard coming from the FK8.
I had a FK2 as a daily and that drove much harder than my Megane 3 RS (previous generstion)

@lukemartin981 2 weeks ago

A better car for the UK roads would be the RS300 and not the Trophy, the cup chassis is just too firm.

@hollowman1345 9 days ago

Everyone always seems to complain about stiff suspension when driving a performance car on the road. Just buy a fucking camry then. Nobody cares about the ride quality on a rough road enough to want to sacrifice some of that performance on a racetrack or smooth backroad. I’m 48 and I drive a daza rs3 sportback and no matter how rough the surface is I’m never switching to comfort mode even though it’s not much better.
I bought this car knowing that corner speed on a smooth surface requires a certain type of suspension and the roads here in Australia are quite rough for the most part but do you think I really care. Most certainly not.
Just thought I might add that the type r isn’t going near that megane around the nurburgring. It’s only 4.5secs slower than the RS3 which has 100hp advantage. Sorry that you were the content creator that was the straw but for the record they all do it. It’s like they’re driving on slicks complaining about the wet weather handling.