Is it worth paying more for the 110hp Renault Fluence?
Which Renault Fluence to buy - 90- or 110hp?
There is a 700 Euro difference in price, just wondering if it's worth it or not. On the face of it the vast bulk of Fluences are 90hp, just wondering is the 110hp model a better buy, even for resale later, as it will be a lot rarer. Also, two unconnected Renault dealers are pushing much harder on the 90hp version, which says to me that the 110hp is like a special order for them. They are almost dismissing it as an option, which is odd, or maybe they are looking after me!
Is there any servicing/maintenance differences between the two different engine types? One last thing, problems with DPF, apparently it's a problem if you only drive a diesel car on solely short journeys. Is it a major issue or storm in a teacup?
Thanks
Donal Murphy (Cork)Jan 2012 Filed under: choosing new car
Expert answer
Hi Donal,
Before talking about the Renault Fluence specifically, diesel cars in general are better when used on longer trips regularly - for the DPF and other components. We're not aware of any problems with Renault's DPFs in particular.
We asked Renault Ireland about the differences between the 90- and 110hp Fluences and they essentially said that most people are more concerned with saving money, so the 90hp option is, as you've discovered, the best-seller. Here's Renault's statement:
"Both the 90- and 110hp Fluences are great value. It depends on the usage of the car by the customer. €700 can be sometimes hard to upsell these days so dealers prefer to offer the best value, which is the 90hp. It's the customer's choice, and down to what they want to purchase.
Both engines are in Band A and theyare under the same servicing/maintenance programme. For the last point (DPF), this is not an issue on Fluence."
So essentially it comes down to whether you want the extra power. In our view whether it's worth it or not will depend on how often the car is full of people and luggage. In those situations you'll want the higher power output.
Hope that helps - come back to us if you want to discuss it further.
Shane O' Donoghue - Complete Car Adviser@Shane_O_D