Used Renault Vel Satis review and buying guide (2002 to 2007): which one to buy and what to check

Which used Renault Vel Satis should you buy?

There's only one Vel Satis, sold from 2002 to 2007, so you're choosing an engine and a condition rather than a year. Nothing ties either of its known weak spots to particular build years, so don't assume a 2007 car has had them put right or that an early one is worse off.

Drive one before you get attached. It feels unlike almost anything else from behind the wheel, which suits some buyers and won't suit others, though it isn't unpleasant. The diesel is so hushed you'd struggle to tell it's a diesel at all, and the car earned five stars in its 2003 crash test.

Neither weak spot is a reason to skip the car, but both decide which one you take home. A 2.2 dCi with a sound rocker cover and a parking brake that holds and releases cleanly is a fair buy; one that fails either test isn't, however tidy the rest of it looks.

Which Vel Satis engines and gearboxes are the safe choices?

The 2.2 dCi carries the clearest warning: its rocker cover, which forms part of the inlet manifold, can warp. Once that happens, inlet and exhaust gases mix, the manifold can crack and the turbo stops pulling as hard as it should. It doesn't rule the engine out, but it's the first thing to look at on one.

There's far less to go on for the 3.0 V6 diesel, and that's not the same as a clean bill of health. One owner's 100,000 mile car began overheating above 60mph and kept doing it after a new thermostat and a two part radiator flush. That's one car, not a pattern, but it's the reason to give a V6 a proper motorway run. Nothing points either way on the gearboxes, so judge the one in front of you on how it shifts.

What should you check when viewing a used Vel Satis?

The electric parking brake comes first, since it's a known trouble spot on this car. Apply and release it several times, on a slope if there's one handy, and make sure it holds the car firmly and lets go cleanly every time. Don't accept a seller's promise that it just needs resetting.

On a 2.2 dCi, look over the rocker cover and inlet manifold for cracks or signs of leaking. On the drive, notice whether the turbo feels flat when you accelerate, because that's what happens once the cover warps and the gases start to mix. Ask for receipts if the cover's ever been replaced.

With a V6 diesel, don't keep the test drive to town. One owner's car sat at 180°F around town but climbed to 230°F and flashed a stop-the-car warning after a few minutes above 60mph, so hold a steady motorway speed for a while and keep an eye on the temperature gauge the whole time.

Paste the advert into the free check and it runs these against the listing, the MOT history and the DVLA record before you travel.