They are massively more expensive and still have a st interior. Yeah ok so it might not break but jap interiors are ghastly!

It is a very tightly wound engine and it feels so. Not necessarily a bad thing at all, but I wouldn't want to do a motorway commute in one.

Yeah it is definitely a noisy car. Suppose it's down to preference and what you're used to. I personally love it, although I don't do many if any motorway journeys. Above 5.5k its immense!

Clio 200 provides more of an "old school" feel than pretty much anything else on offer.

Feels very nimble (and it is). It's a proper hot hatch. Handling is superb. Grips and grips and then grips a bit more.

The engine does need to be revved hard. Only comes alive after 4k.

I like the looks and styling. You'll like it even better if you are a Jimmy Hill fan. The front end was designed in his honour.

Recaros are an option. Great seats but they can (and do) wear on the bolsters. Standard Renault Sport seats are very good anyway.

Cup chassis is a must. You may find it hard to sell on if you get a car without. Quicker steering, uprated dampers and springs, red calipers and anthracite alloys complete the Cup option.

If you opt for a Cup then get one with air-con. Best choice is a Full Fat with cup chassis in my opinion because you get more toys.

Interior is a little low rent. Cup cars are worse (different dash plastics, etc)

Gearboxes (synchro) can be an issue. Quite a few boxes have been replaced. This applies to 197's and 200's

Great cars though. Very happy with mine. No faults (yet).

I've had a 182 and now own a Phase 1 172. I prefer the Phase 1, mainly for the looks, but also for cable throttle over DBW in the later cars, its also a little lighter than the 182.

It has longer gearing than the later ones, so it only does just over 3000 rpm at 70 mph in 5th. It still isn't exactly "quiet" but its certainly tolerable for a daily driver, and I drove 300 miles in it the other day and was fresh when I got out, so I find the driving position fine and the comfort excellent. I have had other cars with good driving positions, which were possibly somewhat preferable but the driving position thing is a little overplayed IMO.

Because its got taller gearing though it feels like it needs to be driven a bit harder to get the speed.

The straight line speed is reasonable. It scoots to 60 pretty quick indeed, and even in third it pulls pretty well, but after about 90 the speed begins to tail off, it will climb to 120 OK then it takes an age to get up to its top speed after that. How fast do you need to go though?

It feels quick enough in a car as small as a Clio though realistically.

It has a lot of charm, the engine is a bit of a rough old dog but its very revvy, and the car as a whole feels quite hyperactive. It is fun by the bucket load if driven right.

They are a bit temperamental though. Not the most well put together by any stretch of the imagination.

I've heard that the 197 and 200 models are better put together, have a better gearbox, the engine has been improved somewhat, have better handling and are more comfortable. On the downside, no faster in a straight line due to the extra weight and worse on fuel.

As a daily driver, I would probably have preferred a turbocharged car, but then show me a 170 bhp turbocharged hot hatch for a grand? (one that wouldn't be a total money pit as well!!).

Have they got one that has a better (lower) 6th gear now?

Sorry meant higher as for lower cruising RPM.

In my 200, 6th gear, it sits comfortably at 65mph with very little noise, 70mph is okay, but at 80 it starts to sounds a little more annoying! I tend to sit at 65mph because of this haha, but it also pulls very well in 6th, where as my 197 I used to have to downshift on the motorway if I needed to pick up the pace...

It really is very good to drive the 200, I do a very varied amount of driving, from short town stints, to long country blasts, to long country commuter style drives, and I find the fact its happy to sit in 6th gear from 30mph onwards brilliant, I don't ever have to change!

Obviously it's more fun to rag the neck, but I find it very easy to cope with as an all occasion, every day car....

So what about running costs?

95 or 97 Ron?

Economy?

Servicing? Are they flexible service schedules or are these old school 9k fixed servicing. I am looking at doing 5-6 k a year mostly urban with the odd 260 weejend A69 M6 A75 trip to Galloway with twisty roads thrown in.

I've only had mine less than a month. I've only been getting 26 mpg. Economical it isn't. Yet to go on a lengthy run but I;d probably expect the low side of 30. Servicing is every 12k. (200)