This economy calls for a used car Malaysia can afford, and the Renault Fluence is it.
What cars can you get, possibly on loan, for around RM40,000? A new Proton Saga? A new Perodua Axia? Perhaps a 4-5 year old B-segment Japanese car. Very rarely do you find larger vehicles at this price point. The Renault Fluence in its time was not very popular. Some avoided it because European brands had a bad reputation for reliability. Others didn’t particularly like how it looked. Others still didn’t see the appeal of a 3-box sedan with so many SUVs available.
Why was the Fluence unpopular when new?
As a result, TC Euro Cars started slashing prices and soon priced the Fluence at RM89,000 with a 5-year warranty and 5 years of service. Today, 4-5 years later, we’re starting to see these cars appear in the used car market for RM18,000 to RM31,000. Whether you can get a loan will depend on your bank’s policies, but it’s certainly worth a try!
In this economy, I think the Fluence is the perfect sort of car for Malaysian families to consider. It came with 6 airbags, stability control, some digital elements to make it look modern, walk away auto-locking, a slim key card, and a lot of other goodies that are enjoyable still today.
What is our review based on?
Usually, Daniel handles the used car reviews on dsf.my. However the Fluence has been on my mind for a while now too. If I were to purchase a relatively new sedan on loan, the Fluence is on my list. Having done my own research and having experienced the vehicle first hand back in 2016, I thought I’d do a used car review myself.
The Renault Fluence debuted in Malaysia 2 years before I first started doing car reviews. However, in 2016, we got out hands on a long-term loaner and got to live with the car for 3 months as a daily driver.
One of my childhood friends decided to buy one for himself in 2017 and has been running it ever since. We’re basing the car’s reliability on his experiences with the car as a long-term owner.
How does the Renault Fluence drive?
The versions we’ve experienced are the facelifted model, however mechanically there weren’t any differences with the original launch model. It was still powered by a 2-litre from Nissan’s “MR” engine family and an X-Tronic CVT.
Our time with the Fluence told us that the car is engineered to be comfortable and smooth in the city and on the highway. The engine produces more than 140 horsepower and 195Nm of torque, which is actually a little more than the segment average for non-turbocharged cars. That being said, it’s not particularly punchy. But what it lacks in pulling power it makes up for in refinement. It also gets decent fuel efficiency with a light right foot.
It works perfectly as a means of transporting a small family around and we distinctly remember having a thoroughly enjoyable experience driving to and from Johor Bahru regularly.
What variants should you look for?
In Malaysia, the top-spec that was offered by TC Euro Cars was the Dynamique. We usually recommend used car purchases to go for the highest available specification you can find, but in the case of the Fluence, the higher trim level only adds minor equipment pieces, so the car’s condition would be a more important consideration. I’m not particular sure about the pre-facelift models. They were sold in small quantities for about 1 year+ in Malaysia.
Look for lower mileage cars, preferably ones with still a little bit of the manufacturer warranty intact, with tyres that are in better condition. These will all help you save money running your used Fluence daily.
How has it aged?
According to my friend, the car’s ride is still smooth and comfy with good fuel economy after 4 years. No major issues have come up, with the CVT and engine in tip-top shape since purchase. His previous vehicle was from another European brand and he says the Renault has been a lot more reliable.
That being said, he also mentioned that it was not quite as dynamic in the handling department. He also notes that the front seats are not quite as supportive as they should be for shorter individuals.
One item that did fail was an air-cond coolant pipe, and this was replaced for free under warranty.
