Renault Triber AMT long-term review: After 13,354km and one service
Our Renault Triber is back from its annual service and the results are a mixed bag. The good thing first, the fuel efficiency that seemed to be tailing off when we sent it away is back up now. The slightly uncomfortable judders and shakes from the steering wheel have been taken care of as well.
As for the not so good bits. The engine continues to run quite loud at idle. This tick has developed over time and the oil levels seem fine too. My bet is that it is a quirk of the quite lean fuelling I suspect this engine to run, given its attractive efficiency. It being a three-cylinder doesn't help either. Thankfully, this is only bothersome when I step out of the car.
The cabin shuts out most of the whine quite well. Coming back to the engine's fuelling, cold starts need some care. Especially on early morning starts, I've learnt to be especially gentle with the throttle as the engine warms through. The engine has a propensity to dole out power in lumps rather than in a steady stream here, but a few minutes out on the road sorts that out quite well.
Coming back to some other good bits. The new Yokohama rubber that we are testing on it seems to have made the Triber ride and change direction better than it already does. It softens bumps better than the MRFs we had on earlier and on my highway runs it seems to offer a touch more control too.
So to wrap up, it's business as usual with the Triber. I still haven't tired of how well it manages its space and how easy it is to weave through traffic, or how comfortable it is over longer distances. Some of the feature misses I complained of earlier have been addressed with the latest update, so if you're looking to get one for yourself, now's a good time.