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Renault Megane vs Vauxhall Astra: which is the better used buy?

On DVSA MOT records the Vauxhall Astra is the more reliable used buy: measured against cars of the same age, it comes out 9.8 percentage points ahead of the Renault Megane on first-time MOT passes. That comparison covers 71,837 real tests across every generation on the road, not a survey. A pass with rectification at the station counts as a pass here, and as a failure in DVSA's own initial-test measure.

MOT first-time pass rate

Counted from DVSA’s anonymised MOT test records. “vs age-matched” compares each model against what the national fleet scores at the same age — the only fair better-or-worse number, because an older fleet fails more whatever its build quality.

Renault Megane
Pass rate60.9%
Age-matched national71.6%
Difference-10.7
Tests9,524
Vauxhall Astra
Pass rate72.5%
Age-matched national73.4%
Difference-0.9
Tests62,313

These figures count every generation still on the road, not only the one described below: mostly Renault Meganes registered 2006–2019 and Vauxhall Astras registered 2001–2022.

Source: DVSA MOT Anonymised Data 2025 (Open Government Licence v3.0). National first-time pass rate 77.3%. Class 4 tests in Great Britain, test type NT (a normal annual test), retests excluded. A pass, or a pass with rectification at the station, counts as a first-time pass; DVSA's own initial-test measure counts a rectified pass as a failure and so reports a lower figure. Testing in Northern Ireland is run separately by the DVA under its own rules. The difference is worked out before rounding, so it can be 0.1 away from the two rounded figures beside it.

Renault Megane

Mk3 2008–2016 and Mk4 2016–2022 · family hatchback

On DVSA’s MOT data the Renault Megane has one of the weakest records of any model we cover: it passes first time 10.7 points less often than cars of the same age, and every registration year with enough tests is below the average for its year. Its one large DVSA recall (R/2013/034, a rear spoiler, builds to October 2009) mostly pre-dates the Mk3, so the evidence is owners’ reports: What Car? names clogging diesel particulate filters on the 1.5 dCi and weak CVT and torque-converter automatics.

What goes wrong

  • Safety recall R/2013/034recall
    Rear spoiler may become detached
    22,739 vehicles of this model (DVSA’s figures added up) · built between 1 September 2003 and 31 October 2009
    Large recall — 22,739 vehicles. Check a car by registration on GOV.UK.
  • Safety recall R/2014/038recall
    Rear shelf may detach
    3,842 vehicles of this model (DVSA’s figures added up) · built between 31 May 2010 and 14 October 2013
    Smaller recall — 3,842 vehicles. Check a car by registration on GOV.UK.
  • Diesel particulate filter — clogging (1.5 dCi)major
    What Car? says the diesel particulate filter fitted to some versions of the 1.5 dCi has been known to clog if the car is not taken on regular long runs, and that the Mk4 has had DPF clogging too. A long run often clears it, but remedial work outside warranty can be expensive.
    Diesel Mk3 and Mk4
    Check: Ask what journeys the car has done: a diesel used mainly for short trips is the risky one. Check for a DPF warning light and ask for any DPF invoices.
  • Automatic gearboxes — CVT, torque converter and EDC dual-clutchmajor
    What Car? says the Mk3 automatic came as a CVT, a torque converter or an EDC dual-clutch depending on the age and engine, and that the CVT and torque-converter gearboxes seem to have more than their fair share of problems.
    Mk3 2008–2016 automatics
    Check: Drive it from cold and warm, accelerating gently and hard, and ask for any gearbox service or repair history. Judder, hesitation or a gearbox warning light is a reason to walk away.
Typical asking price:
not given as a fixed figure — the model guide shows the median and middle 80% of asking prices for the cars advertised on Autoza that day, when at least 10 qualify
Fuel economy:
No sourced real-world figure for the Megane, so none is printed: the official lab figure depends on the engine and on the test cycle the car was approved under, so use the figure for the exact version you are looking at.
Vehicle tax:
£200/year standard rate from the second year, hybrids included — the alternative-fuel discount ended on 1 April 2025. A car registered from April 2017 with a list price over £40,000 when new adds the £440/year Expensive Car Supplement in years 2–6 (£640 in all). Cars registered 2001–2017 pay a CO2 band, roughly £20–£790/year (2026/27 rates).
Best years:
no single year stands out
Years to avoid:
2013, 2014, 2015
Used Renault Meganes for saleFull Megane fault guideUsed Renaults

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Vauxhall Astra

Mk7 / K (2015-2021) · A C-segment family hatchback (with an Astra Sports Tourer estate variant), sold in the UK against rivals such as the Ford Focus, VW Golf and SEAT Leon.

The Vauxhall Astra Mk7 (K), sold in the UK from 2015 to 2021, is an affordable, roomy family hatchback whose reliability depends on engine and build year, because the 2019 facelift brought new engines. On pre-facelift 2015–2018 cars, listen for timing-chain rattle on a cold start (1.4 Turbo and 1.6 CDTi). Best buy: 2020–2021. Worst: 2016–2017.

What goes wrong

  • Safety recall R/2018/332recall
    Reduction in braking power where the brake pedal is applied slowly and constantly
    37,167 vehicles of this model (DVSA’s figures added up) · built between 23 March 2015 and 14 August 2018
    Large recall — 37,167 vehicles. Check a car by registration on GOV.UK.
  • Clutch & dual-mass flywheel wear (1.4 Turbo petrol, manual, pre-facelift)major
    Slipping clutch, a high or vague biting point, and difficulty selecting gears. A small number of cars have also been reported with the clutch pedal sticking to the floor after being pressed, and owners have separately reported a buzzing/vibration noise from the clutch slave cylinder pipe, most noticeable around 3,000-3,500rpm.
    2016-2019 (1.4 Turbo petrol, manual gearbox) · Premature dual-mass flywheel and clutch wear is typically reported from around 40,000-60,000 miles, though isolated cases of much earlier clutch failure have appeared on owner forums, so don't assume low mileage rules it out. · Roughly £500-£900 for a clutch kit and dual-mass flywheel replacement at an independent garage
    Check: Test drive uphill and in stop-start traffic: feel for clutch slip under load, a biting point that has crept high, or notchy gear selection. Listen for buzzing/vibration from the transmission tunnel around 3,000rpm, and ask whether the clutch pedal has ever stuck down.
  • Timing chain wear (1.4 Turbo petrol)critical
    A rattling or tapping noise from the engine on cold start-up that fades once oil pressure builds, caused by a stretched timing chain or worn tensioner/guides. In more advanced cases a chain guide can crack, and if ignored the chain can eventually jump timing and cause serious engine damage.
    2016-2019 (1.4 Turbo petrol) · Cold-start rattle is most commonly reported from around 50,000-70,000 miles onward, although a handful of much lower-mileage cases have also been reported. · Around £600-£1,200 depending on how accessible the chain is, more if a broken guide or tensioner has caused secondary damage
    Check: Start the engine from cold, ideally with the bonnet up, and listen for a rattle in the first few seconds that quietens as oil pressure builds. Ask for any evidence of chain, tensioner or guide work in the service history.
  • Timing chain tensioner failure (1.6 CDTi diesel)critical
    A persistent rattle on every cold start caused by a tensioner design that lacks a gasket, letting oil drain out overnight; the resulting daily rattle gradually stretches and wears the chain. Left unaddressed, this can progress to the chain jumping timing or, in the worst case, snapping.
    2015-2018 (1.6 CDTi diesel) · Rattle typically starts to appear from around 60,000-90,000 miles, and can progress to a genuine chain failure risk beyond 100,000 miles if it's never investigated. · Roughly £800-£1,500 or more for a chain and tensioner replacement; substantially higher if the engine has suffered internal damage from a jumped or broken chain
    Check: Listen for a rattle on cold start that's present every single morning rather than a one-off noise. Ask specifically whether the timing chain and tensioner have been replaced, and treat a high-mileage 1.6 CDTi with no record of this work with caution.
Typical asking price:
£3,995–£10,980, median £6,199 (middle 80% and median, cars on Autoza on 8 October 2026)
Fuel economy:
1.0 Turbo (105PS): 44–49 mpg. 1.2 Turbo: 42–47 mpg. 1.6 CDTi diesel: 55–62 mpg. 1.4 Turbo SRi: 38–43 mpg.
Vehicle tax:
£200/year standard rate from the second year, hybrids included — the alternative-fuel discount ended on 1 April 2025. A car registered from April 2017 with a list price over £40,000 when new adds the £440/year Expensive Car Supplement in years 2–6 (£640 in all). Cars registered 2001–2017 pay a CO2 band, roughly £20–£790/year (2026/27 rates).
Best years:
2020, 2021
Years to avoid:
2016, 2017
Used Vauxhall Astras for saleFull Astra fault guideUsed Vauxhalls

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Which one suits you

Renault Megane

Good for: Buyers prepared to pay for a full service history and a pre-purchase inspection, who will avoid a diesel that has only done short journeys.

Less good for: Anyone who wants the model with the best MOT record for its age, or who buys an automatic Mk3 without driving it from cold.

Vauxhall Astra

Good for: Buyers wanting a roomy, well-priced family hatch with genuinely low running costs on the smaller turbo petrols. The 2020–2021 facelift is the best-resolved version.

Less good for: Anyone considering the 1.4 Turbo SRi without confirmed timing-chain service history, or an early 2015–2016 car with a patchy record — both carry the highest risk of an expensive fault.

Frequently Asked Questions

Which is more reliable, the Renault Megane or the Vauxhall Astra?
The Vauxhall Astra. Measured against cars of the same age, it comes out 9.8 percentage points ahead of the Renault Megane on first-time MOT passes, across 71,837 DVSA-recorded tests covering every generation on the road. A pass with rectification at the station counts as a pass here, and as a failure in DVSA's own initial-test measure.
How do the MOT pass rates of the Renault Megane and the Vauxhall Astra compare?
60.9% of Renault Meganes pass their MOT first time (9,524 tests in DVSA's records) and 72.5% of Vauxhall Astras pass their MOT first time (62,313 tests). The national first-time rate is 77.3%, but cars of the Renault Megane's age average 71.6% and cars of the Vauxhall Astra's age 73.4% — so the Renault Megane runs 10.7 points worse than its age group and the Vauxhall Astra runs 0.9 points worse than its own. A pass with rectification at the station counts as a pass here, and as a failure in DVSA's own initial-test measure.
Which years of the Renault Megane and Vauxhall Astra should I avoid?
Renault Megane: DVSA’s MOT table rates 2013, 2014 and 2015 registrations below all cars registered those years by 14.6, 17.4 and 15.2 points, the widest gaps in the Megane’s table. These are Mk3 cars; What Car? says the Mk3 was a vast improvement on its predecessors but still names clogging diesel particulate filters and weak CVT and torque-converter automatics. An MOT checks safety items on the day, not engine or gearbox condition, so read the gap as a pointer to upkeep and condition. Vauxhall Astra: The 2016-2017 cars are early in this generation's run and account for a disproportionate share of the forum-reported clutch, dual-mass flywheel and timing-chain problems on the original GM-sourced 1.4 Turbo and 1.6 CDTi engines, some of which have surfaced at surprisingly low mileages on cars from this early build period. DVSA recall R/2018/332 (reduced braking power) covers Astras built 23 March 2015 to 14 August 2018, and R/2016/274 (front passenger airbag) the 1,745 built 19 July to 9 November 2016.
Is the Renault Megane or the Vauxhall Astra cheaper to run?
On fuel it depends on the engine. Renault Megane: No sourced real-world figure for the Megane, so none is printed: the official lab figure depends on the engine and on the test cycle the car was approved under, so use the figure for the exact version you are looking at. Vauxhall Astra: 1.0 Turbo (105PS): 44–49 mpg. 1.2 Turbo: 42–47 mpg. 1.6 CDTi diesel: 55–62 mpg. 1.4 Turbo SRi: 38–43 mpg. For cars registered from April 2017, vehicle tax works the same way for both: the £200/year standard rate from the second year, hybrids included, plus the £440/year Expensive Car Supplement in years 2–6 on a car that listed at over £40,000 new — the price when new, not what you pay for it used. Any Renault Megane or Vauxhall Astra registered between 1 March 2001 and 31 March 2017 pays a CO2 band instead, roughly £20–£790/year (2026/27 rates). Insurance differs mainly by driver and postcode rather than by model, so treat any model-level insurance figure with caution.

MOT figures are counted from DVSA records and are the only measured statistic here. Prices, economy and tax bands are indicative and vary by specification, condition and where the car has lived. Last reviewed: 2026-10-06 / 2026-10-06.