RE: PH buying guide: Clio 172/182
Discussion
VR46 said:
The only clio I would consider is the v6. Having driven them I found them very tinny, rattled like crazy and unreliable. There's a reason they're cheap-it's because they are built on a shoe string budget and cheap parts.
Give me a hot ford or vw anyday.
Drive a good one,and chose a country b-road for the drive as in city everything would be boring.Give me a hot ford or vw anyday.
As for reliability Polo Gti's are no better,yes the interior may be rattly but that comes with the cheap price,which can show the way to a fiesta st or polo anytime performance wise.
I have a Ph1 172 and it's utterly fantastic! Incredible fun and a rewarding drive.
I've upgraded it with Brembo Discs/Ferodo pads/braided hoses and decent brake fluid. Also stuck an adjustable anti-roll bar on it. With it now running Hankook R-S2 tyres it's corners like a gokart.
I specifically sought a Ph1 because of the lighter weight and cable throttle.
I'd recommend one to anyone who loves driving. Cheap to buy but make sure you get a looked after one
I've upgraded it with Brembo Discs/Ferodo pads/braided hoses and decent brake fluid. Also stuck an adjustable anti-roll bar on it. With it now running Hankook R-S2 tyres it's corners like a gokart.
I specifically sought a Ph1 because of the lighter weight and cable throttle.
I'd recommend one to anyone who loves driving. Cheap to buy but make sure you get a looked after one
Have run a 172 cup for a year now, absolutely love it, in fact I have recently sold my GT3RS and am more than happy just blasting round in the Cup, so much fun and hassle free, put the seat down in the back chuck my mountain bike in and off I go! Bang for buck absolutely amazing value!
We've had our 182 ( FF with cup packs) from new back in 2004, and it has been a brilliant little car. So far it's only needed servicing, a pair of springs (one snapped about a year ago...), and a cat and couple of lambda sensors - which is pretty good in 8 years for any car.
If it weren't for the inevitable melting steering wheel, it still looks great inside and out - I've no intention of selling it anytime soon, and when the missus finally wants a replacement, I think it will become a track toy!
If it weren't for the inevitable melting steering wheel, it still looks great inside and out - I've no intention of selling it anytime soon, and when the missus finally wants a replacement, I think it will become a track toy!
I had a 172 Cup and found it superb fun but with very limited wet grip, more oversteery in the wet than a 205GTI I once had. I replaced the Cup with a Trophy and that was simply awesome, in a totally different league. They do need a decent rear exhaust though, as they sound puny with the standard system.
I had a phase 2 172 a couple of years ago and it actually disappointed me on the whole. I'd heard great things about them but sadly I didn't enjoy it. I found the power delivery far too peaky - it only started to pull right at the very top of the rev range, and didn't feel very quick below it, the clutch was heavier than any other car I've owned, I didn't find the driving position comfortable, and the steering didn't have as much feedback as I'd have liked. The only things that impressed me were the handling, which was really good, and the economy. I replaced it with a mk1 mx5 and I wasn't disappointed at all. Perhaps the other Renault Sport Clio variants were better but I wouldn't buy another.
I have had a 182, it was ok, went well, gearbox wasn't the nicest to be honest, cornered slightly better than my ep3 I had later, however I preferred the way the ep3 handled. I found the 182 tail happy under hard braking and quite unforgiving on the limit. Aside from that, build quality was bad, my car was 4 years old, and the exhaust snapped, dropping it down and destroying the very expensive cat too. Apparently it is a common fault, but I wasn't aware at the time and that (and the upcoming cambelt change and 4 new tyres) was the final straw and led to it being traded in. I dare say the 172 is a better proposition as a cheap performance shed. However if you are thinking of the 182, for the money they cost, look at the ep3, which in my opinion is a better package - with a cam chain to boot, so you avoid one of the major pitfalls of 172/182 buying. Cambelts are not cheap no matter where you go, and many owners sell their cars before the cambelt is due (like I traded mine in.
I've had a 182 and now have a Phase 1.
Needs a few jobs doing, like new exhaust, couple of tyres, clean the throttle body, tidy up the rear arches, new brake kit for the front, but it was cheap, and it is fun to drive.
I had a Mk1 MX5 before, but I think I prefer the Clio. It just feels a lot faster, and more hyperactive, but its also practical and not totally hateful to use for work every day. Better on petrol too. Much more expensive to insure though which wipes that advantage out.
Needs a few jobs doing, like new exhaust, couple of tyres, clean the throttle body, tidy up the rear arches, new brake kit for the front, but it was cheap, and it is fun to drive.
I had a Mk1 MX5 before, but I think I prefer the Clio. It just feels a lot faster, and more hyperactive, but its also practical and not totally hateful to use for work every day. Better on petrol too. Much more expensive to insure though which wipes that advantage out.
I love hot Clios. Had a Trophy, chopped it in for a 200, but wished I didn't in a way. 200 is fantastic, but so much grip and so much more weight meant it felt less fun.
Currently rocking around in a Phase 1, and while not got the handling of the Trophy, it's still bags of fun. It's slowly being turned into a track car while I'm saving for another car and thought it might grind on me every day, how wrong I was. Every trip is a little adventure, albeit a bit tiresome if you're hungover on a motorway stuck at 50 (like yesterday). Parts are cheap too when tyres are 15s and there's loads of companies making upgrades that don't cost the earth.
Quite fancy a V6 too, possibly have one as my daily (only 10 mile commute), and then use the 172 for track - maybe a bit of hill climbing of funds allow.
If you've never tried a hot clio you're really missing out. Also I've never had one go (massively) wrong, touch wood
Currently rocking around in a Phase 1, and while not got the handling of the Trophy, it's still bags of fun. It's slowly being turned into a track car while I'm saving for another car and thought it might grind on me every day, how wrong I was. Every trip is a little adventure, albeit a bit tiresome if you're hungover on a motorway stuck at 50 (like yesterday). Parts are cheap too when tyres are 15s and there's loads of companies making upgrades that don't cost the earth.
Quite fancy a V6 too, possibly have one as my daily (only 10 mile commute), and then use the 172 for track - maybe a bit of hill climbing of funds allow.
If you've never tried a hot clio you're really missing out. Also I've never had one go (massively) wrong, touch wood
VR46 said:
Cheaper? yes; faster? No. I find the fiesta st and polo gti alot better packages albeit more expensive.
What? Are you mental?The Fiesta is slower in the straights and corners, gives out terrible MPG figures, sounds crap, has terrible ride quality...I could go on! Yes, the build quality is better, but only just. How on earth could you deem that a better package?
I'm a huge Ford fan, but in no way is the Fiesta (nor the Polo) a better drivers car. A well fettled one could keep up with the Clio, but thats beside the point.
suprised me that in the guide it doesn't mention the fact the f4r engines due to casting etc never actually push out 172/182bhp(Along with the Ford ST170 mentioned and the celica 190s)The engine needs alot of matching to be carried out to actually achieve the official figures.
At least there are plenty of tuning options and turbo conversions out there. Just to mention i am a Renault fan and have had a shed load of them. My last one being a tweaked F7R (2.0 16V) Megane Coupe.
At least there are plenty of tuning options and turbo conversions out there. Just to mention i am a Renault fan and have had a shed load of them. My last one being a tweaked F7R (2.0 16V) Megane Coupe.
NateWM said:
VR46 said:
Cheaper? yes; faster? No. I find the fiesta st and polo gti alot better packages albeit more expensive.
What? Are you mental?The Fiesta is slower in the straights and corners, gives out terrible MPG figures, sounds crap, has terrible ride quality...I could go on! Yes, the build quality is better, but only just. How on earth could you deem that a better package?
I'm a huge Ford fan, but in no way is the Fiesta (nor the Polo) a better drivers car. A well fettled one could keep up with the Clio, but thats beside the point.
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