Buying a used Renault Koleos (2008-2015)

It is hard to understand why Europe's biggest car makers – Volkswagen, Fiat and Renault – were so slow to move into the arena of compact SUVs that were the life-blood of Japanese and Korean brands.

The design concept that would become the Koleos dates back to the end of last century. Well the shape did anyway. Underneath the European styling sat a big crate of Nissan-sourced hardware and the whole thing was put together in Korea.

This cooperative effort between associated brands Nissan and Renault (and Samsung) didn't rob the Koleos of its continental flavour. Nor did it produce a car that was ever going to outperform an X-Trail once the bitumen ended and all-wheel drive was needed.

The first cars to arrive here featured frontal styling that worked in Europe where Renault's dissonant visuals were accepted, but just looked weird here. Then there were the names.

Leading out with a $29,990 list price was the Dynamique, with front-wheel drive and six-speed manual transmission. Combining on-demand 4x4 and CVT would add $6000 and above that sat the Privilege trim level, with mandatory 4x4, CVT and petrol engine. As the name might imply, it cost a lot more ($41,990) but also added massively to the list of standard Koleos features.

Being Privileged permitted buyers to sit on heated and electrically-adjustable seats, listen to music from their CD stacker through a network of eight speakers, glance at the stars through a sizeable sunroof and have wipers that would activate at the first hint of rain.

Engine choices were 2.5 litres on petrol with 126kW or Renault's spritely 2.0-litre turbo-diesel with just one kW of extra power but 50 per cent more torque. Manual Dynamique diesels came with the full serving of power, however those with CVT sliced 17kW off the manual figure.

August 2010 saw Renault add a new FWD-only Expression model to the range: $1500 cheaper than a Dynamique. A few months later it had also branched out into the 'Limited Edition' arena with an inventively named and leather-trimmed Dynamique Leather.

Local Renault execs reportedly hated the front-end styling of the original Koleos and could not wait for late 2011, when a less controversial shape arrived from the Korean factory.

Fans of superb sound didn't have to look far once Renault in conjunction with the folks at Bose put together a Limited Edition Bose Koleos series. These came with different wheels, special colours, superb sound and sharp pricing. Buoyed by response to Bose versions, Renault followed with a Sport Way that came only in FWD, was compulsorily painted black and had distinctive Bi-Ton 18-inch alloys.

Why buy a Koleos when used car yards are packed with examples of the more common and better supported Nissan X-Trail? That's a question that answers itself as you walk around an H45 Series Koleos... and is emphasised when a door is opened.

The Renault lives and dies via its individuality. The styling, while controversial to some eyes, attracts more positive attention than the bland Nissan with its squidgey 'eyes' and slab sides.

Then there are the longer term consequences of exposure to a European brand (ignoring where the factory is located) and where this may lead buyers in the long term; Volvo or BMW ownership rather than Mazda or Lexus.

The petrol-engined, CVT-equipped Dynamique is itself easily-found in the used market, so let's use it as our sampler.

Access is excellent for a vehicle of these dimensions and while things might look crowded in the front occupant area, the seats will be wide enough for most and the tall console doesn't intrude.

The dash seems quirky for its own sake but logical as well. The air conditioning is capable enough, however the round and under-sized outlet vents deliver narrow streams of air rather than spreading it around the car.

Looking at the Koleos tail you get the feeling that largish objects might not fit. But with the split-level hatch providing excellent access and the seats dropped there's a surprising amount (1340 litres) of space.

The back seat is kid-friendly and high enough to let them see out the side windows but cramped for adults. Life will be especially tough for the poor middle mongrel if you happen to be carrying five.

Its 2.5-litre engine produces almost identical power and torque to Subaru engines of similar capacity yet the Renault motor feels and sounds more active. Looking back 10 years to the Koleos' arrival, CVT transmissions were just becoming common and might have felt strange to people who had driven for years in conventional automatics. Today it feels normal, albeit in no way exceptional.

Media reports grumble about the Koleos' lifeless (Nissan sourced) power steering, but you'd probably need to encounter an oil-spill mid-bend before the lack of feedback caused concern. It's no worse or better than a lot of electrically-assisted systems and influenced we suspect by tyre choice and even inflation.

Outright performance would rank low on the list of reasons to buy a Koleos, yet both engines rank with the best in their categories. Add to that a good manual gearbox lifted from the Megane that makes petrol or diesel manuals a lot more fun than those equipped with CVT.

Off-road ability is restricted by the tarmac-biased suspension and minimal clearance. Great for zipping along dirt roads – being mindful that the steering is a bit slow – and perhaps taking the family on a jaunt to the snowfields but best to avoid the beach and rough bush tracks.

No safety concerns for Koleos buyers either, even for the older and cheaper models. They don't use the dangerous Takata airbags and even a basic Koleos Expression comes with front and side bags, belt tensioners, stability control and ABS. All Koleos models sold in Australia score five stars from ANCAP.

Finally we look at economy, which along with comfort features and price would present a good reason to buy a Koleos. The petrol motor when tested in a combined urban/rural cycle delivered 9.3-9.9L/100km. The diesel when not being asked to tow or work especially hard gets very close to 7L/100km.

>> Most of these cars were sold new to private owners rather than fleets so instances of multi-driver abuse will be rare. Check service histories to be sure they are up-to-date and arrange a pre-purchase inspection to minimise expensive surprises.

>> 4WD versions come with transmission locks to maintain 50/50 torque split, so try to find a loose surface to check this is working. Look underneath for bashes, scrapes and torn driveshaft boots that are symptoms of careless off-roading

>> Transmission noise, jerks or jolts are uncommon and indicate a car worth avoiding. Whining at highway speeds is a reported CVT issue but seemingly doesn't affect transmission longevity.

>> Rapid brake rotor wear (under 30,000 in some instances) affects some cars. Shuddering under light brake application and pulsing when the ABS isn't active are danger signals. Given the low values of early versions it is better to walk away from one with brake issues.

>> Cars with plastics designed for cooler climates suffer drying, cracking and general deterioration when exposed to our climate. Check the dash, console, door pulls and column stalks for cracks and discolouration.

Also consider: Toyota RAV4 , Nissan X-Trail , Volkswagen Tiguan