RENAULT MEGANE (1996-03) is a small family car, best known in Britain as a practical hatchback. It sits in the mainstream compact-car class, offering useful everyday space without the footprint of a larger saloon. It competed with the Ford Focus, Vauxhall Astra and Volkswagen Golf as an approachable European alternative. Its comfortable, easy-going character makes a used Renault Megane suited to commuting, errands and modest family duties. A roomy cabin, simple controls and range of petrol and diesel choices helped it appeal to first-time buyers and households wanting value. Distinctive rounded styling gave it more personality than many sensible rivals. Mycarcheck.com records 1,320 look-ups across 848 different VINs, a useful sample for this older model. Checks show an average recorded mileage of 98,000 and annual use of 5,000 miles; cars had about 3.5 previous keepers on average. The average private-sale valuation is £100, so condition matters greatly when assessing examples.