Real Road Test: Renault 21 GTS Symphony! 

That’s my grandads old car!! I remember the day he got it!!! That was his pride and joy! He sold it to Renault with 8,000 miles on the clock and the original tyres he’d bought it with! I know how it got the dent! 😂

The interior epitomises the '80's angularity doesn't it, and it looks so scientific. It is nice to see all the plastics and fittings in almost new condition, lovely. Such neat styling and all that delicious velour. Cheers.

Christ on a bike! I went to my wedding in a Renault 21! The car lasted longer than my marriage ;-)

Brings back memories for me. I had the Renault 25 V6 Turbo of the same year, same colour.. It was THE best car I have ever driven and owned.

The car had a love/hate relationship with. I had a 21 GTX Monaco 2.2i. I loved the handling, comfort, room, fuel-consumption and (despite the good fuel-milage) quick acceleration. I hated all the litle problems it had. Electric windows that mostly didn't work properly, busted heater, busted windshield, busted heaterfan. Back then i just didn't had the money to fix all of that. Above that, back then it was "just an old car" worth nothing. I ended up giving it away to a student, because it wouldn't even sell for €250,- and he was the only one who was interested but also ddn't had the money to buy and fix it. So i called him, told him he could have it so he his budget could go to fixing the car and so he did. Even to this day i still think about that car every ones in a while, and when this video came up, my old love for the 21 came right up. Such a beautifull car. Along with the 25 of that era.

My dad sold Renaults new for many years, one of his last demonstrators was a 21 saloon on a F plate. Lovely car in its day. Good memories of these!

“Rare case of more luxury gets you more blanking plugs” like that comment.

Oh, how I would love to see a test with a Renault 25, though there are hardly any left, it would seem. I had one through a fair bit of the 90s before it died after 200,000m. Always enjoy your films, Mr Hubnut. Always a pleasure.

Brings back some memories of the ‘87 model my Dad had as a company car for a couple of years. His boss imported it to Belfast from the Republic of Ireland, as the pre-tax price was lower for new cars (due to the crippling “vehicle registration tax” Irish drivers still have to pay...) As rear seatbelts weren’t a legal requirement in Ireland until 1992, our one had to have them retro fitted! Can’t remember the spec, but it was the 1.7. Lovely looking car & so comfortable, from the little I remember of it as a small child.

Between this and The Peugeot 205 Story on Big Car, I'm in French classic car bliss today.

Always had a lot of love for the 21. Would love to see a Safrane test drive too, for peak Renault-slushiness.

My Dad had 2 Renault 21 GTS'S Ian, an 87 and an 88 I think . Wonderfully comfortable and rare enough to be individual in Ireland compared to Citroëns and Peugeots. The 1.7 had a twin venturi carb, so economical at low revs and nice and lively higher up when the second venturi kicks in , you can feel it too. She had plenty of poke for a 1.7. Incidentally my Dad also owned a 1973 or 1974 Renault 16 TL, an amazing thing, like floating on air. In those days over here we had a lot of security checkpoints with ramps. We usually climbed over these carefully in first but Dad reckoned the 16 could take them at 60 mph. Ay right Da. I believed him at the time though cos I was 6. She was our first wagon with a radio as well and the aerial was on the roof. Thanks for the R21 video. Excellent Lad. 👍

This brought back some memories. I had a 21 GTS as a company car when working as a European sales rep. I covered 62,000 miles in 2 years, taking it to 15 different countries! Not very glamorous, but superbly comfortable on long motorway trips and economical (35/36 mpg), with plenty of space inside and in the boot. Definitely needed a long journey to be appreciated; colleagues who borrowed it for short trips found the steering heavy in town and it was a pig to drive with the choke until warmed up. I had a phase 2 21 GTX to replace it, covering another 48,000 miles in two years. Fuel-injected engine was much quicker (120 bhp) and smoother, albeit less economical (32/33 mpg), power steering a plus. But it also had several electrical problems, from the sunroof to the instrument panel, which packed up completely on a trip to Ireland.

Always liked the 21, I remember my dad borrowing his colleagues for a few days and it was lovely

This takes me back my school teacher had a Monaco version very well appointed car

I have one of the few surviving little brothers of the R21: a 1.7 SPI F3N R19. Really a very good car with nearly no rust (unusual in Sweden). A bit sluggish with 73 bhp but very comfortable ride and very economical.

Love it! My dad once had a 1994 (one of the very last) R21 GTL Symphonie (so not a limited edition and spelled that way in The Netherlands). I used to drive it myself every once in a while and I found it very smooth and comfortable indeed. Unfortunately after only 7 years on the road it failed the apk (Dutch MOT) with a rotten front crossmember and my dad traded it in for a 1996 Honda Civic saloon, of which I don't even remember how it drove...

Back in 89 I was working in Weymouth and every fortnight would hire a car to take 4 of us back to Glasgow and another to get back down on the Sunday night so I got to drive all the "repmobiles" of the time. The 21 was good but the best of the bunch was undoubtably the Cavalier and strangely I also liked the Montego. Keep the reviews coming

Love the R21! I'm from Germany. Here, the R21 was always unterrated. I had three of these. Loved the comfort and the styling. Thanks for this vid! :)

I haven't seen a R21 in years, it reminds me of being a kid they were everywhere. Always a very handsome car especially in Turbo Quadra spec. I'm in total agreement the R16 is a thing of beauty.

Another car from my youth! My Dad had a 2.1 turbo diesel and it went like stink, previous to that he had a 20 diesel and a 19 Charmade diesel too. Underated cars and not one of them gave a moments trouble. I also had an 11 GTX and I remember they called the seats 'Monotrace' and had a central mounting so you could put your legs either side of the seat.

My grandad's last car before he gave up driving was a 2nd-generation Renault 5, and the angular interior trim in this is like an upscaled version of the one in that. Happy memories.

French cars from the 80s and 90s can be so underrated. Not especially exciting but comfort-wise, for a motorway cruiser, my old Pug 405 was amazing - you never arrived anywhere feeling tired after hours of motorway driving :)

Great video. Very glad you finally did a piece on the R21! We had one in the family years ago, a 1994 Savanna 2.1 TD with 7 seats. It was absolutely brilliant and one of best cars we ever had. Remarkably sturdy as well!

What a fantastic car! I'm a Citroën man too, but I truely love the Renault 21.

Saviour of my day off. God not seen that Renault for years. Thank you once again sir.

every time I see an intermittent wiper I think of the guy (yes, a guy invented it, look it up) who came up with it, was told by every manufacturer, and not just the US and British ones, they didn't want it, no need. With in a few years, every single one of them then stole his invention, he sued and won - against every one he sued...thieves...carry on and enjoy your intermittent wipers knowing the inventor actually got his due!

Really nice car. A friend of mine a lovely diamond white 21 Turbo, and it was a very quick car and ever so comfortable. All of his friends were extremely jealous, including me.

You found exactly that car I drove after I got my license!! I also had the Symphonie. I had a Diesel and the paintjob was silver. I loved each mile with it

I had a 21 Savanna, and it was the most comfortable car I have ever owned, far better than the Audi Avant that replaced it.

I used to always go for the Renalt 21 or a Renault 19 when we had them on fleet.So different to the normal choice of a sierra or cavalier. I always remember the oil level gauge before you started the car. Another video that brings back so many memories.

Thank you Mr HubNut for a cracking video. Brought back lovely memories of my late Father's metallic blue "Turbo D" which looks to have been to this GTS spec. I agree, the pre face lifts are so much neater in design. A super car, now nearly extinct like so many of the era. I hope you had as much fun driving it as I did watching!

My nemesis at the Eagle dealership. “Perdition, thy name is Eagle Medallion.”

My dad had the 21 Turbo, that thing was an animal!

That was brilliant! I remember the 21 so well as my work colleague had one and then I had a 19 TXE. I remember the fan cutting in like that. I used to go out on the town on a Friday night and return at 3 in the morning and park it up on the driveway right outside my parent's bedroom window at the front of the bungalow. Of course the fan would cut in and roar away for ages. I was not popular in the morning! Oh happy days lol :)

My freinds parents had a 21 it was a nice looking car. It amazing how many components in the interior I recognise from the Phase 2 espace I once owned. It was one of the best cars I've ever had. Great comfort and practicality as well. As always a great review

My Dad successively owned three Savanna estate versions of the 21 between the late 80s and mid-late 90s. I appreciate them so much more now that you never see any.. ever. I remember electric windows would fail from time to time (first one was wind-up windows all round, second electric up front wind-up in the back and third car electric all round) but he clocked up plenty of miles with work and family holidays from the Midlands to the farthest corners of France and back. I also somehow managed to shut the door on my finger one day.. nail turned purple, fell off and eventually grew back but otherwise finger survived unscathed. Not enough finger safety taken into consideration by NCAP in my opinion ;) Great cars! Thanks for the review.

I owned a 21 estate and drove it France for a surf holiday down south, loved it, so spacious and easy to drive. Really like it’s looks.

Always had a soft spot for the Renault 21, especially the turbo. But this model is lovely. I really like the understated exterior design and the interior is just wonderful - especially the dashboard. Great cars!

Watching this I miss my 1994 Nevada 2.2 so much. Great comfortabel car for family and business.

Love this car!!! My uncle had a Renault 21 GT turbo back in 1999! That car was brill and I was so Jell!!! One of my dream cars!

My dad had a Spanish built R-21 GTS 1.7 liters carburetor with A/C. Good memories. Spanish R-21 had shorter gears than French ones due to Spain geography. Good memories come back when watching this video

good times, happy times, unique times! Brings back so many memories - my dad had a Renault 21 2.0 GTX Auto Savanna Estate in Silver with Blue Velour, that thing would go like stink in sports mode on the auto box. The centre speaker was intriguing, more like a subwoofer?, and the tape player chewed up tapes in the end, but a great family wagon. The dealer offered him a corker of a deal on a new Renault 25 TXE 2.0 Manual, pine green metallic with beige velour. Our first taste of an executive motor!! He ran that for 2 - 3 years before being lured by a Renault Safrane 2.2vi 12v RT, in brooklands green with black leather. Never had leather before, never had air con before .....until now, a whole new world beckoned! Thanks a another fab video Ian.

Some cracking cars we are being treated to. That's a beauty. Love the interior. Great stuff 👍

Thank you for another excellent video! I was so excited when I saw the car you were reviewing. We got it in the USA very briefly as the Renault/Eagle Medallion. It was during the Chrysler buyout of AMC/Renault and was very much the unloved step child the cane along as part of the marriage and was treated as such. I doubt more that a few thousand units were sold on these shores with an elongated beak for stronger bumpers and a front grill to make it more American. Coming from a Renault loving family, I was excited when it came here and disappointed it did so poorly.

I loooooove they way you have colour co-ordinated the car and hedge! I too liked the 21, but I wouldn't put it over the BX. Never really been a Peugeot lover, but the 405 was a lovely Pininfarina design.

i had a 1995 r5, loved that little car

Thanks Ian, another great and entertaining video

Really like the look of the 21 and those smoked rear light clusters. Reminds me of the Y Reg Renault 9 1.4 i used to own in the 90s. Another interesting looking car which had a lovely ride quality with seats as comfortable as sitting in an armchair.

Fantastic video - a great trip down memory lane. My parents had 2 of these (consecutively) between 94 and 01 (a G plate then K plate), but in Savanna guise. I think they were also 1.7 GTS, the first was a 5 seat with 2 retro-fitted seats (as they couldn't find a 7 seater except I think a 504 but it had rear facing seats), but as the first one was written off by a truck, my parents managed to get the insurance company to pay for a 7 seater (eventually). So, most of my early memories of cars is a 21, the dials look familiar, but I think the overall dash layout had changed, I can't really recall. It's nice to see, everything like door handles, lock indicators, the map reading light, the doorhandle blanking plug (thought that was normal) - and that centre armrest (many an argument fought over how much of it one could use up with their arm!). It's all the little things, and as you say, they are pretty much forgotten about, I can't even recall the last time I saw any 21, anywhere. Seeing this video now, I think it explains my thinking that so many other cars I went in subsequently were crap, no centre armrests, no lovely plush seats and great ride, poor practicality - my enduring memory of my only ride in a late model escort that it was an awful car - now I know its because I was given high standards when young. Now I just want to go and buy a Savanna - don't think the wife would let me, even if I could find one!

Oh the memories, my mum bought a 21 estate around 1989, had a family holiday in somerset in that thing, 4 kids, 2 adults, a dog and so much luggage, it performed well, even getting up Porlock Hill with a bit of a prayer!

Re the fan overrun - quite possibly the best impression of a vacuum cleaner a car can make.

had a 21 on an 87 e plate . Brings back french electric memories. spent most journeys looking for a hill to park on even after replacing many parts. Glad to part ex it for a seat when vw took over in the early nineties.

I learned to drive on that car when I only had 14 years old, am in love with it, hope someday I'll buy one for fun and rediscover that amazing pleasure of driving it 😍😍.

Ah , beautiful car! I was able to tell which model it was from the thumbnail on your community post. I used to see a lot of them in France up until the ealry 2000s, but it looks like they're all extinct now... My mum had a Renault 9 for years when I was a kid. Good memories :)

Great review thanks. Had almost forgotten about the 21 which is shameful really because, as you said it's a lovely looking car.... Your Monaco wasn't the most HubNut of choices though I suppose it depends how old it was when you had it...... My Mam had a 19 txe on an F plate. Somewhat reminds me of it. It was quite pokey with that 1.7 motor in it and also had a wafty ride!

Great video Ian.A friend had a 21 savanna(spelling??)..For many years..Always liked the 21 quadra's in my youth!

My Uncle had one of those as a company car. He remarked that 'the more gizmos there are, the more there is to go wrong'. Goodness knows what he would of thought of todays cars!

I remember they were quite a popular site on our British roads in the late 80's. Also badged as the Eagle Medallion in North America. Amazing!

Loving the map reading light!

Thanks Mr. HubNut for the fantastic review. I had 1992 21 GTS Phase2 saloon in white. It was written off in 1999. I still have the orange Haynes manual and genuinely miss the car. The temperature gauge didn't ever really work and I did need to remove the fuse for the cooling fans due to battery drain. I was often asked if it was a Montego, 80s styling hey!

Cracking car!!! Thank you for reviewing it

My dad had a Mk2 Hatchback 2.1 litre diesel in dark green. That car was tough! The gendarmes used to have lots of them in Savanna/Nevada versions with the diesel and and they lasted forever.

Good review of a good car mate I liked the 21 and the 18 the fan's running all the time would do my head in.

A chap in the village I lived in had a gold high spec Renault 25 i used to pass it on my way to school everyday, he used it as a runabout! I though it was too nice for that. Quite liked it, you can certainly see it in this, I can see some 19 in there too

Lovely car and very comfortable. We had the 6 seater Savanna, which was huge!

I used a late Savanna as a works pool car in the early 90s. It was nearly new. It was injected and the fan still used to run on for ages after shut down.

Remember seeing more of the estate versions and also the sarfane version, well i think it was called that. Great video as always.

- "What do you think we should do for a wheelbase - 102, 104,108, or something else?" - "Yes"

Great vid informative,witty and thought provoking well done👍Alan

Wow! My pals dad had one exactly the same! It was a nice car, but didn't like ze hills up here lol 😹🤘🏴󠁧󠁢󠁳󠁣󠁴󠁿 Great video as always bro!

Remember these growing up lovely cars got to love that fan :)

Great review! But boy would I like to give this car a good proper clean and detail! It deserves it. A beautiful example. 👍

Had a 21 - E836WKN, lovely car. Future wife managed to get it into first gear at 50mph going up a hill, bent the driveshafts and all sorts of other damage. Repaired and traded in, saw it years later as a taxi in Canterbury!

Guy at the taxi company I worked in the early 90's had a R21 Savanna 2.0i , lovely car at the time.....

I agree, the pre-facelift front is the best looking. I have always loved that front styling and the low slung wipers. There is something of perfect proportions and clean lines to the front design that makes it very attractive.

This has made my day - tonights exercise viewing sorted!

Hello Ian, Thank you on 2 fronts for this video, I had my dad's R 21 Nevada estate with the full package, aircon, great stereo, 7 seats, windows and power steering, 2 litre efi. He bought it low mileage from a posh Renault dealer in London, so RHD, and then exported it to his retirement in France. It was used as a grandchildren taxi for hot summer holidays for many years in the Dordogne. I then ran it to about 250 000 miles, 1 breakdown..ignition module.. 2ndly, I used to live in Peterborough in the 70's to 80's, so it was fun to see the garden centre again... If you get a chance to do another review there, go to the March train yards.. where I used to explore the straight line possibilities of air-cooled VWs... Cordialement,

What a lovely car 👌🏻 I also wish I had those seats in my 20 year old poverty spec Polo station which behaves like a boat. Those look really comfy.

I recognize that engine, I've one in my Volvo 480. Great vid Ian 👍

Have you ever test ridden/driven a 1970's Renault 4L (That with the Umbrella gear change) ? - I was involved in my ''first'' car accident in one. I was approx 10 years old at the time, and a front seat passenger, heading to a friends house after school. (My friends mother was driving, and the friend was in the back). We came to a crossroads, with massive hedges on the left, and a clear view ahead. Friends mother went for it, and all-of-a-sudden, were were T-boned (my side) by a Volkswagen Beetle. The guy driving was a squaddie, racing along the back roads from Fort George (Ardersier, Highlands). The impact pushed us across the road, through the fence and down into into a field, where we rolled a couple of times. Not one of us were wearing seat belts, as all 4 roads are single track country type 'lanes', and no-one ever hurtled down them 'cos of all the blind corners. All I remember was a thud to this day, shit loads of glass, and my mate in the back choking on a sweetie. (Steven Ross from Carse woods, (my school-friend at the time) if you see this, it's still etched in my mind). If you can find a yellow one and road test it across a crossroads, go for it (just watch out for a white Beetle incomming from the left at a fair rate of knots) PS - here is the Google map reference, and map itself. The roads to this day have not changed at all. You can see pointing stright ahead (our intended route), and to the left, STILL covered by a blind view!!) The field we were pushed down and into is seen across the road, to the right. And yes, believe it or not, the small skinny fence posts (the white banded one and the one to the left) are the replacements put up after the car was removed - still there after 40 years) - Scary looking back at it even today! www.google.com/maps/@57.5790892,-4.0143955,3a,75y,21.74h,78.5t/data=!3m6!1e1!3m4!1szUvO2UzhPwmVL39kmW5XkA!2e0!7i13312!8i6656 .

I had an 11 GTS, a 20 TS, and a 25 GTS automatic, which all insurance companies deemed a 'Symphony', although it wasn't! The 20 was a supremely comfortable 2-litre three-piece suite on wheels, the 11 was a 1700 XR3 chaser (But NOT XR3i) and the 25 was a big cuddly wafter! :-) All 3 were lovely to drive, quiet comfortable, and efficient, but I regret losing the 11 most of all! It came off second best to a speeding SD1 at a junction! :-(

I am french and i have a Renault 21 GTS 1986. I love this car because she is beautiful and robust.

Hi I love and it was nice to see the love countryside and I wish I was living back there as I miss it and love the cars you are driving love it bro

Its not a map reading light, its a fanny light! LOL Brings back memories of more exciting times

What an interesting car! Thank you HN.

My dad had the 1.7 TL model when I was a kid, motoring nostalgia for me.

My dad went from a Montego to a Renault 25 GTS In dark metallic green. And I loved that car in around 1987/88

0:15 That grille , those wheels. I am in love. 4:15 Love the location for the choke 4:36 Ah yes, we still have that radio somewhere, with the steer column control, chewing up all tapes you feed it. Loved the thing when it worked though, such a pleasant machine. My goodness this may be my favourite dashboard of all time. 13:09 I am in love. There's no way around this. I might like this more than a BX and I haven't even driven it. I know how horribly unreliable they are, the one my aunt had was more at our place than at hers because my dad was always working on it. But oh my... Dit you know new Renaults still have a very similar stereo controller with the big volume switches on the side and a scroll wheel for channels? 18:04 Typical old Renault. Corner, slight incline, hiccup. 20:38 The Dorky. Yup, very Renault. My 5 and our 19 had the same keys.

The dashboard parcel shelf looks nice and flat. That's a sorely missed feature on modern vehicles. Where am I supposed to put my takeaway?

My father bought a 21 GTS in 1986 to replace a R9 and it served him well for 22 years until he passed. Was quite rusty and banged up by then. Very spacious, comfortable and good fuel economy, too!

Worked for Renault for 15 years in the 80s and 90s,great days,nice and easy to fix,fun cars,

My parents had a 2.0 21. We had a 1.8 Granada but it struggled to tow a caravan so they swapped to the 21. I remember as as kid how soft and comfortable the rear seats were.

Don't know how I missed this, the 21 was one of the few models we didn't own. I did like the Savannah but to find a sensible mileage and priced one proved a stumbling block, as you pointed out, very popular with taxi firms. The very Renault light / frantic steering was something I identified with all the models we owned.

Great video!!! I remember a chap who had the turbo version, leather interior, very quick car!!!

My dad had a Savanna on an E-plate, in a nice dark blue. For our family, it was the first experience of a properly "modern" car. A great motorway mile eater, a very planted front end and nicely refined all round. Drove it into the ground, it was a very decent car.

Yes, very 80's. Renaults certainly did have very squashy seats but self destructing electrics. At least , all the ones I knew did. You mentioned the 16. Now you will have to do a test of that model. Never had one but really liked the design. Thanks.

Thankyou for being on time. Maybe you could tease the Ambassador video out with some Ferrero Rocher if its still lost?

Wow, well underrated at the time . Loads a space/room, fold down seats with salloon!, gizmo lights, well set dash. Prob best with a 2.0. Basically pre espace days for renault, hence estate options with seating. Very interesting review.

More luxury gets’s you more blanking plugs, another classic Hubnutism !