Used Renault Kadjar cars for sale

Used Renault Kadjar pros and cons

Is a second hand Renault Kadjar a good car?

The Renault Kadjar is a medium-sized family SUV that, thanks to Renault and Nissan being long-standing partners, is actually the same under the skin as a Nissan Qashqai. Does that mean it’s as tasty as sushi prepared by a French chef? Not quite…

Underneath there are basically the same engines and oily bits as you’ll find under a Qashqai, but up top there’s an all-Renault body and interior that actually manages to look a bit more imposing than the Nissan.

The Kadjar comes with big alloy wheels, lots of chrome trim, and a very impressive-looking Renault badge on its snout. Certainly, back when it was new, the Kadjar looked like it would stand-out on the school run, but these days it seems a bit more ordinary, now that everyone has an SUV. 

The imposing nature of the exterior didn’t quite make it through to the cabin, though. While the inside of the Kadjar looks distinctively different to that of the Qashqai, it’s also a rather less successful design. The dash wraps around the driver’s seat in an interesting way, but the materials and plastics used just don’t look nor feel solid enough. Go for a Kia Sportage instead, if you want a high-quality cabin. Or a VW Tiguan, for that matter, 

The Kadjar was at least well-equipped with digital instruments and a touchscreen infotainment system — which seemed fiddly when it was new, but which looks like a model of clarity and simplicity these days. 

The Kadjar’s front seats are very comfortable though, so long journeys just roll by. The driving position is good, and forward visibility is fine, but out the rear it’s not so good, so make sure you find one with rear parking sensors or a reversing camera. Equally, versions with a manual gearbox have the gear lever set up a bit too high, so you feel as if you’re reaching up for it. 

The back seats are very roomy — subjectively it feels more spacious in the back of a Kadjar than in a Qashqai, but the real differences are tiny — and there’s enough room for three adults in the back. There aren’t any clever sliding back seats like you get in a Skoda Karoq, but the boot is roomy — 472 litres — and has a nice flat floor so it’s easy to get big, heavy items in. 

Early Kadjars came with a choice of 1.2 or 1.6 turbo petrol engines, but it’s worth trading up to the post-2018 1.3-litre turbo petrols (shared with Mercedes!) which come in 140hp or 159hp forms. 

Diesel engines were always variations on the familiar 1.5-litre and 1.6-litre Renault units, with power outputs ranging from 110hp to 131hp, plus a somewhat rarer 1.8 diesel with 150hp. Automatic versions are the best to go for. 

The Kadjar is smooth and comfortable, although it doesn’t ride quite as smoothly as a Nissan Qashqai, because the Nissan uses more impressive twin-chamber shock absorbers. It’s smoother than Kia or Hyundai rivals too, but it’s not as good through the corners as a Tiguan. 

The Kadjar is also rather noisy on motorway runs, and it’s not the engine — it’s wind and tyre noise. That said, there was a good range of digital driver aids including automatic emergency braking and lane-departure warning. 

The Renault Kadjar is a handsome, easy-going family SUV that’s comfortable and spacious, but which lacks some of the higher-quality touches of Korean and Japanese rivals. 

What to look for when buying a used Renault Kadjar

There are quite a few issues with the Kadjar. The most common are problems with the central locking related to the ‘keycard’ key that comes with all Kadjars. This often fails, and can be expensive to replace. Ignition issues — including one where the engine won’t switch off — are common, while engine overheating problems aren’t unknown. The infotainment system is glitchy and often drops DAB radio reception altogether, while cabin rattles and loose trim are also common. 

The Kadjar didn’t make it into the most recent Driver Power Top 50 Cars To Own list, but Renault itself finished in a poor 28th position out of 32 brands, with 24% of owners reporting faults with their cars.