[Times car review] Jeremy Clarkson: “The Renault 5 E-Tech — maybe the future isn’t Chinese”
Posted by FlipStig1@reddit | thegrandtour | View on Reddit | 28 comments
Despite how Jeremy Clarkson has made it clear that he’s not really a fan of electric cars, Renault still thought it would be a good idea for him to review the Renault 5 E-Tech Iconic Five. Needless to say, he was impressed! Here’s a preview:
“I’m not a fan of electric propulsion and will never have an electrical car, but I must say this is impressive because, unlike all the battery-powered cars I’ve driven in the past, it doesn’t set off like a scalded cock and then, half a second later after it’s given you whiplash, deliver nothing much at all. This drives as if it has a proper engine.”
(Clarkson’s Sunday Times car reviews also get the usual disclaimers.)
kartoffeln44752@reddit
The Renault 5 is probably the best reviewed car I’ve seen in years, I don’t recall any serious complaints about it - every reviewer seems to love the thing
Tyr1326@reddit
There is one common complaint - rear passenger leg room. Most of them complain about it, especially the 1.9m guys that expect someone their size to be able to sit behind them. They also all drop the seats as low as they can go and complain theres no space for their feet.
Basically what Im saying is, the only complaint they regularly have is overblown, theres plenty of space in the back if you adjust your seat correctly. If youre a giant of a man, it gets harder, but thats just how things are in life. If you aren't "normal sized", things aren't made with you in mind. :/
Schwartzy94@reddit
My only gripe would be the battery and i hope it gets long range version, bit like cupra born with its 77kwh battery
cougieuk@reddit
We've lived with a 40kwh leaf for 5 years and it's been fine. We only charge away from home on holiday and with the home charging - it's paid for itself now.
Definitely looking at the 40kwh Renault when it's second hand.
lollipoppizza@reddit
Here's hoping it's reliable too!
cbjunior@reddit
I would buy this car today if it were offered in the US.
FeherDenes@reddit
A compact EV? In America? How dare you even suggest that. Here, have this oversized gas guzling SUV instead
FraGough@reddit
Canyonero?
cougieuk@reddit
That's marketed as the Cyber Truck in the US.
Bruskthetusk@reddit
You may also have a gigantic electric SUV
chandleya@reddit
Model 3, Bolt, and leaf unfamiliar to ya?
FeherDenes@reddit
Model 3 is not that small, Bolt isn’t currently produced and Leaf is turning into a crossover and Nissan already downsized expectations for US market
chandleya@reddit
and? the prompt was "gigantic"
There are plenty of not-gigantic options. The bolt was a sales flop, folks didnt want it.
AlSi10Mg@reddit
The model 3 is not a small car.
chandleya@reddit
Whats that got to do with "gigantic electric SUV"?
It's not a micro but by general logic, it's by no means large.
https://www.carsized.com/en/cars/compare/tesla-model-3-2023-sedan-vs-toyota-corolla-2022-sedan/
It's 9cm longer and 7cm wider than a corolla. Something .. but like... not a lot. The Camry is 16cm longer and the same width as a Model 3.
Dimensions: Tesla Model 3 2023-present vs. BMW 7-Series 2022-present
A BMW 7 series is 67cm longer than a model 3 in standard wheelbase form.
The model 3 is not a large car.
AlSi10Mg@reddit
It is 80 cm longer than a Renault 5 e tech and 10 cm wider. The model 3 is a large car. The bmw 7 series is a very large car. At least for the rest of the world. And yes a vw id4 is also considered suv.
twd_2003@reddit
That seems quite reductive, to say the least. Sure the majority of the global population may live in areas where smaller cars dominate, but a good 40-50% of sales go to markets including China, Europe, North America, and MENA, where larger vehicles are not uncommon. Not all of them may have a prevalence of full-size trucks like North America, but classifying the Model 3 and up as ‘large’ makes it harder to compare sizes than if you classed it as mid-size and then have a reasonable middle ground to which you can compare everything from a sub-compact Chinese mini EV to a ‘heavy duty’ full size American truck
AlSi10Mg@reddit
Well for me a truck is not a car in the sense of a usable car in a normal environment. It is some work thing, where the rest of the world uses vans.
You are sure that 50 percent of the sales of new cars in the range of model3 and up in Europe? I don't think so.
twd_2003@reddit
Ok sure I guess that’s somewhat valid. Where I’m from (South Asia) it’s not uncommon at all for people to use mid-sized trucks and vans (at least passenger versions like Toyota’s HiAce) as personal vehicles for reasons of practicality (poor roads and/or large families). In other places where I’ve lived (the Gulf of Arabia and Western Europe), I’ve also seen a steady increase in the number of trucks being used as personal vehicles so I have no problem classifying them as such. After all, when off-roaders first came out they were purely weekend toys or utility vehicles, but over the past thirty years have quickly become the default vehicle to the point where few wouldn’t also classify it as a ‘usable car in a normal environment.’ Trucks and vans have both seen this happen in the past few decades, as enough creature comforts have been added that people can conceivably use them as primary daily transport, which is what I’m lumping all ‘cars’ into here.
Mb if I was unclear, I meant that 40-50% of total global car sales occur in markets including Europe, China, NA, and MENA, where cars much larger than Model 3s are commonplace. Therefore the average global automotive consumer likely doesn’t regard the Model 3 as particularly large, even if the average global citizen may live in areas where the Model 3 is large. The distinction I’m trying to make is that a lot of people live in areas that aren’t developed enough to have high rates of car ownership, and the unaffordability of vehicles in those markets means that the average vehicle size may be much smaller. However, as car sales are predominantly in high income countries/regions that I mentioned, the average global citizen who could conceivably afford a car in their lifetimes likely lives in an area where larger vehicles than the Model 3 abound. For the purposes of this conversation (particularly as these are the markets that auto manufacturers actually care about), the latter is what I’m considering here.
tiagojpg@reddit
Sure you don’t mean that. Here’s a RAM 3500 for picking up the kids from school.
MaroonIsBestColor@reddit
I do wish Renault came back to the North American market. Give us a Le Car EV goddamnit.
MaroonIsBestColor@reddit
This is the EV Stellantis should be selling in America.
Desperate_Reply378@reddit
Got my Renault 5 e-tech a month ago as our family 2nd car. Wasn’t expecting much but I absolutely love it, and prefer driving it over our family Merc suv. Highly recommend it.
FlipStig1@reddit (OP)
In regards to how Western car companies could compete with their Chinese counterparts, Clarkson wrote this within the same column (and I thought it would be worth highlighting):
“…the western companies must start to make cars from beryllium and myrrh and they must line their interiors with ruby-encrusted peacock feathers. They must become like those disgusting brands you now find in every airport terminal. Ralph Lauren. Tom Ford. Prada. Because the Chinese can’t compete with that.
“Unfortunately, while this policy might work for Maserati and Ferrari and Rolls-Royce — and Jaguar, which has staked its entire future on it — it’s hard to see how it might work for, say, Vauxhall.”
chengstark@reddit
Bold of him to assume the Chinese EV can’t compete with that
Rogthgar@reddit
While he might be right about the competition aspect between China and the West... going down that route also means catering to an extremely small section of the market that can both afford it and actually likes that kind of thing.
momo_46@reddit
I had it for 24 hours and its amazing little car. If I would need small car just for the city, this would be it. Interesting that entire trio likes it so much
Rogthgar@reddit
Blimey... all three of them giving a thumbs up.