Last normal middle class car from the brand
The Renault Talisman faced a major challenge. He had to forget the Laguna, a name that had become somewhat contaminated after the second model generation – and despite a high-quality third. Renault worked on it again and, above all, let it grow. In the Netherlands the success was modest, with around 5,500 copies sold. How satisfied are users with their Talisman?
We were introduced to the Talisman in 2015, and it was removed from the range in 2022. It was available as a 4.85 meter long sedan and as a slightly longer station wagon. Customers could choose from different petrol and diesel engines. A striking option was the optionally available 4Control, which allows the rear wheels to steer or counter-steer depending on the speed. The Talisman will not have a successor – anyone who still wants a traditional sedan or large station wagon should skip the Renault brand.
Space and ease of use
As mentioned, the Talisman is quite a large car. The next Talisman Estate driver tells us how big. “You are very spacious in comfortable seats both at the front and at the back and the trunk is very large. The trunk is also nice, which has no lifting threshold and offers a wide and high loading opening.” How much fits in there? “Everything really fits in there. It’s always nice at Ikea when people with other cars can’t get a box with a sofa in their car and you can easily slide the same sofa into the trunk of the Talisman.”
Another Estate driver explains the space for passengers. “The space in the back seat is very generous. Ok, it’s not a Skoda Superb or Mercedes E-class. The wheelbase is 2.81 m. We are both around 1.80 meters and taller people can sit in the back seat unhindered, without getting in trouble with the driver’s seat. When I sit in the back seat, the panoramic roof doesn’t bother me.”
The sedan is also spacious, according to the owner of a luxurious Initiale Paris version. “Plenty of space of course, but that is also allowed for a car of 4.86 m long. And a gigantic trunk can possibly be expanded by folding down the rear seat (in parts), but I have only used that once so far.” Another sedan driver somewhat regrets his choice. “Next time I will choose a station wagon. We liked the sedan version better from the rear and it has sufficient luggage space, but it is much more difficult to access. Larger boxes simply cannot fit in because of the fairly high edge.”
French chairs
Armchair is a French word that creates expectations for the seating comfort in the Talisman. The driver of a Talisman in Intens version describes something different at first glance. “The chairs look a bit flimsy, but I’m comfortable in them. Because I’m not too tall (1.83 metres), I don’t have any problems with a short seat. They are a bit on the soft side, but I feel very comfortable in them.”
If you choose a more expensive version, this will have an impact on the seats. “The seats of an Initiale Paris are slightly more luxurious than the regular seats in the Intens with leather,” writes a driver who opted for the more expensive variant. “The difference is in the seat extension. This means that the support of the thighs is more adjustable as desired.” How does he experience sitting? “The support of the seats is very pleasant and I would describe the seats as medium firm. They are not so soft that you completely sink into them, but also not as hard as BMW sports seats.” Another Initiale Paris rider confirms these positive findings. “The chairs, upholstered in beautiful leather, are excellent. They can be electrically adjusted to many positions and are equipped with heating, cooling and massage.”
Infotainment and controls
Most Renault Talismans are equipped with the R-link infotainment system with portrait screen. “The large vertical screen on the dashboard provides extensive information. The TomTom cartography is fine, but the system is a bit slow,” experiences a driver. “But because I set it before departure, it doesn’t really bother me,” he adds. An experience he shares with a Talisman Intens Estate driver. “Touch screen works fine. I read that the layout is clumsy and you have to perform too many actions. It’s all correct, but you get used to it quickly, or my bar will be a little lower.” A third driver also notes that the system is not among the fastest. “Works well. Start-up is a bit slow, it also takes a while before the system responds smoothly, but after that it’s fine.” This is followed by praise for the navigation software: “TomTom in combination with an online connection is great.”
This is how the Talisman drives
We start with the handling of a relatively simple Talisman. “Road behavior is good-natured. So it is the normal chassis without 4ws and that is comfortable and predictable. No tight bounce, but just excellent comfort-oriented handling. He takes speed bumps with the greatest of ease. Wonderful!”, writes the driver of a 2021 Talisman Business Zen 140.
Most other drivers opted for a version that does have four-wheel steering, which provides a special driving experience. “The steering rear axle takes some getting used to, but in the end you don’t want anything else,” says the driver of a 2016 Talisman Estate Intens. “Wonderfully short bends, ideal at roundabouts. Despite the fact that it is a large car, you drive it as if it were the size of the Mégane. Furthermore, a smooth and stable driving car on the highway.”
The owner of a Talisman DCi 110 Intens from 2018 also experiences this. “Steering: Really great: Long turns on the highway seem like child’s play. Around the bend: It takes some getting used to, but it’s really nice and you don’t realize you’re on the road with such a big car.” This rider has one with adjustable damping, and he has his preference. “I have an absolute preference for the sports mode. Otherwise, it cannot process the many thresholds in our village, especially at the rear, so quickly (outgoing).” The soft setting of the chassis does not appeal to this rider. “In the driving mode with the weakest suspension, it is really dangerous to drive. The car is really too weak and does not maintain contact with the asphalt.”
The next rider is also not only enthusiastic about the handling of his Talisman DCi 130 Intens. “Comfortable cruiser; “The car does bounce deeply at high speed bumps and you hear the large 19-inch wheels bouncing hard through potholes abroad, but overall it remains very comfortable,” he writes. “You can also go around a bend surprisingly fast, perhaps helped by the four-wheel steering. The car has a small turning circle (due to the four-wheel steering), making it easy to park. And it runs straight ahead as if on railway tracks, despite the large (flat) and wide tires.”
Drivers are satisfied with the engines, one of them even praises the 1.3-liter with 140 hp. “Fabulous block! Economical (really extreme), powerful and quiet.” This driver is less pleased with the EDC automatic transmission. “In the city you especially notice that the gearbox/engine combination has a bit of a hard time with the first 2 gears. Not very smooth and not very smooth either.” A number of other owners also comment on the transmission, the following driver breaks it down into three parts. “1) The electronics are too slow. Let off the gas for a moment, take the roundabout, put the gas back on. Think, think, downshift, what do you mean? Enough torque, so just continue with the same gear. So no. 2) The shifting itself works fine, very smooth and fast, provided the electronics have been thought out. 3) The clutch, that’s where it goes wrong with this gearbox, it messes up. You need a silky foot not to drive away with a jerk.” The driver of a DCi 160 with this transmission can live with it. “The box itself is fine, it doesn’t work well in traffic jams and it also sometimes needs some time to think about it when accelerating. Depends on the connection and software, I think.”
Maintenance, malfunctions and irritations
Good news, drivers of the Talisman do not report any issues that make the car notoriously unreliable. However, there are a number of mistakes about which we have read several complaints. For example, the Estate’s tailgate does not fit every car equally, sometimes resulting in paint damage. The next rider went to his dealer several times with this complaint. “In my last review I wrote that they had to correct the trunk lid again (including some paint correction), stating that I did not know how long this repair would last.” This did not turn out to be long, although the complaint was ultimately resolved to our satisfaction.
Also a striking problem: the massage position of the front seats works poorly or not at all for several drivers. “The massage position of the seats also has a problem with me,” writes the driver of a 2021 Talisman. “It appears that an inflation bellows is broken, causing things to get stuck in some positions. I know, there are worse things than a refusing massage setting…but when it comes down to it, it just has to work. I often read about this problem with Renaults with these seats. I had expected that the problem would have disappeared in this Phase 2, but unfortunately.”
A DCi 160 driver had to deal with engine problems caused by a defective wiring harness, while another diesel driver had to deal with a malfunction of the lambda sensor. A satisfied DCi 110 driver emphasizes the reliability of his car. “The expected last six months with the Talisman has (now) become more than a year and there is now approximately 201,000 km on the odometer. My experience has not changed. Still a nice travel car, no creaks or rattles and no defects.” In short, that Talisman could well be missed.
– Thanks for information from Autoweek.nl