Taken the plunge - new Renaultsport Clio 200 EDC Lux
Discussion
Went for a look at the new Clio today and walked out having put down a deposit for a new black RS200 full fat with cup pack. Hopefully ready for collection next weekend - the car is unregistered but in stock so had a good look over it plus test drove a demo car.
Despite the various reviews that have been a bit critical of the new car, I found it very responsive and quick. The flappy paddles will take a bit of getting used to, but it was surprisingly quick in normal auto mode. Maybe because I currently have the 250 Megane I am used to a turbo.
Time will tell if it was the right decision but since the kids won't even get into the Megane because they feel car sick after 30 seconds, I suspect it will work out well.
Will post up some picks in due course.
Despite the various reviews that have been a bit critical of the new car, I found it very responsive and quick. The flappy paddles will take a bit of getting used to, but it was surprisingly quick in normal auto mode. Maybe because I currently have the 250 Megane I am used to a turbo.
Time will tell if it was the right decision but since the kids won't even get into the Megane because they feel car sick after 30 seconds, I suspect it will work out well.
Will post up some picks in due course.
I agree it does not feel as much of a focussed drive as the old Clio but I guess it is horses for courses - I am not a boy racer any more and when I test drove the previous RS200, it just felt like a heck of a lot of work and compromise for the few times that I would have the chance to really wring its neck. The new one is a much better car to drive for the 90% of my driving that is in and around London, so will probably better suit me. It is also deceptively quick - the engine picks up from far lower revs due to the turbo and I suspect it will be quicker in the real world than the old one.
The looks are a bit of an acquired taste but not too bad in metallic black with black wheels.
The looks are a bit of an acquired taste but not too bad in metallic black with black wheels.
jimboy2 said:
what megane have you come from? im a big clio fan and love the look of the new one.
im currently in a 08 r26 so will love hearing how you find it coming from that. i dont need space in the car. i only use it for a bit of fun!
I am in a full fat RS250 Megane at the moment. I went for one without the cup chassis since most of my driving is around town and have not regretted it at all - the car is still stupidly quick when you want to have a blast but slightly more civilised on our pot-holed roads - it is still not what I would call a "soft" ride and grips and handles well. The only real downside is that the rear seats are so dark and with very little side/rear window that my kids hate it and feel car-sick every time we go out in it. The Clio is much better in this respect so hopefully it means the car will get a lot more use - I have only done 3k in Megane in 14 months of owning it.im currently in a 08 r26 so will love hearing how you find it coming from that. i dont need space in the car. i only use it for a bit of fun!
I'll post up my thoughts on the Clio after it arrives.
Unfortunately not - collecting it on Saturday afternoon so another few days to wait. I had told them that I wouldn't take delivery until I had got rid of the Megane which didn't happen in time for delivery last weekend. In the end I have px'd it.
Deal is a bit of mixture. On paper, about £500 discount plus mats etc so not much. However, the PX I got was substantially more than other dealers had offered - they were very keen to get the deal done so that the car was registered and delivered before the 30 September which is key for bonuses.
There were much better deals on some pre-reg 13 plate Clios but none of them had the cup pack. They just don't look right without the 18" black alloys which are only available on cup pack cars so they weren't for me.
Given how new the model is, it will probably be another few months before the "normal" Renault discounts get applied.
I'll let you know how I get on this weekend!
Deal is a bit of mixture. On paper, about £500 discount plus mats etc so not much. However, the PX I got was substantially more than other dealers had offered - they were very keen to get the deal done so that the car was registered and delivered before the 30 September which is key for bonuses.
There were much better deals on some pre-reg 13 plate Clios but none of them had the cup pack. They just don't look right without the 18" black alloys which are only available on cup pack cars so they weren't for me.
Given how new the model is, it will probably be another few months before the "normal" Renault discounts get applied.
I'll let you know how I get on this weekend!
Well, picked up the Clio today. Handed over the RS250 Megane and can't say it bothered me - strange, since it was a car I had wanted for ages before I got it but never fell in love with it.
First impressions of the Clio is that it is two cars in one. Leave it in normal default auto mode and it is just a normal hatchback - quicker than most but the auto gearbox makes it a very sedate town car. Put it in Renaultsport mode and it holds the gear for a lot longer and feels like a proper hot hatch - or to put it another way, it becomes a Renaultsport car.
I need to run it in for 500 miles before really giving it a thrash so will not be using the full sport mode for a while.
Overall impressions are that it feels a lot more "premium" than the Megane - the interior is good and the Touch screen monitor etc is very easy to use. Whilst very cheesy, the kids love the RS Soundpipe - especially the motorbike sound. It is very annoying for the driver though - cannot hear the real engine sound and revs so difficult to know when to change gear. However, the Clio V6 sounds awesome and has had me looking on Autorader tonight!!
So far, so good. Will report back again over the next few weeks, but initial impression is that I will enjoy the car. But then I thought the same about the Megane ........
First impressions of the Clio is that it is two cars in one. Leave it in normal default auto mode and it is just a normal hatchback - quicker than most but the auto gearbox makes it a very sedate town car. Put it in Renaultsport mode and it holds the gear for a lot longer and feels like a proper hot hatch - or to put it another way, it becomes a Renaultsport car.
I need to run it in for 500 miles before really giving it a thrash so will not be using the full sport mode for a while.
Overall impressions are that it feels a lot more "premium" than the Megane - the interior is good and the Touch screen monitor etc is very easy to use. Whilst very cheesy, the kids love the RS Soundpipe - especially the motorbike sound. It is very annoying for the driver though - cannot hear the real engine sound and revs so difficult to know when to change gear. However, the Clio V6 sounds awesome and has had me looking on Autorader tonight!!
So far, so good. Will report back again over the next few weeks, but initial impression is that I will enjoy the car. But then I thought the same about the Megane ........
In answer to a few of the questions in the above posts.
The ride is much better than the Megane which surprised me as the Clio has th cup chassis but the Megane did not. It is much less crashy than the Megane but feels very sorted which can only be the result of the cup chassis.
With regard to the choice of the Clio over the 208 or Fiesta, it was partly because I like the Renaultsport brand - they have always been consistently good cars. Also, I like that the Clio is fairly understated - it is obviously a hot hatch but not too boy racer. I couldn't see myself in the Fiesta - maybe when I was 20 but not now.
Jury is out on the gearbox - so far, it has been fine but it is early days. My X5 is an auto so I am very used to how an auto drives and knew what to expect. If a manual had been available, I would have chosen that without question, but it was not so I am not going to worry about it and let it spoil my enjoyment of the car. Plus, until I have run the engine in, I won't be putting it into race mode and using just the paddles so it will be a few weeks before I can really conclude as to whether it is a major drawback or actually not a problem. What I can tell is that it is a lot better than the BMW auto that was in my former 335i. That was very slow and cumbersome.
No pics taken yet but they will be shortly!
The ride is much better than the Megane which surprised me as the Clio has th cup chassis but the Megane did not. It is much less crashy than the Megane but feels very sorted which can only be the result of the cup chassis.
With regard to the choice of the Clio over the 208 or Fiesta, it was partly because I like the Renaultsport brand - they have always been consistently good cars. Also, I like that the Clio is fairly understated - it is obviously a hot hatch but not too boy racer. I couldn't see myself in the Fiesta - maybe when I was 20 but not now.
Jury is out on the gearbox - so far, it has been fine but it is early days. My X5 is an auto so I am very used to how an auto drives and knew what to expect. If a manual had been available, I would have chosen that without question, but it was not so I am not going to worry about it and let it spoil my enjoyment of the car. Plus, until I have run the engine in, I won't be putting it into race mode and using just the paddles so it will be a few weeks before I can really conclude as to whether it is a major drawback or actually not a problem. What I can tell is that it is a lot better than the BMW auto that was in my former 335i. That was very slow and cumbersome.
No pics taken yet but they will be shortly!
Overall, very happy with it. I have not driven it as much as I would have liked - my wife uses it more than me and I get left with the X5 bus!
It is now nicely run in and the mpg is creeping over 30, with lots of town driving.
The gearbox is probably the factor that will interest most potential buyers. Left in normal mode, around town it is fine but often sits at low revs outside the power band - it changes up very early presumably for fuel economy reasons. Normally not a problem but every now and then you want to accelerate quickly and have to wait for it to drop a gear which is a pain.
In Sport mode, it is much better, holding onto to the gears for much longer and it then feels like a proper hot hatch. The downside in town driving is that it can get annoying buzzing along at 5k revs so you do tend to use the paddles to change up and down quite regularly. On a decent B road though, it is a lot of fun and feels genuinely quick and handles well.
Mine has the cup chassis, which I was expecting to result in a harsh ride but it is surprisingly comfortable over pot holes/speed bumps.
In summary, I like it a lot more than the RS250 Megane that it has replaced.
In fact, I am enjoying it so much that I am seriously thinking of getting another hot hatch instead of the X5 - hopefully test driving a 208 GTI this weekend...I have been going round in circles trying to decide what to change the X5 for and happened to see a local Peugeot dealer has an ex-demo GTI in red, had a chat and a deal seems likely subject to the test drive. Will be interesting to see how the manual GTI compares to the Clio.
It is now nicely run in and the mpg is creeping over 30, with lots of town driving.
The gearbox is probably the factor that will interest most potential buyers. Left in normal mode, around town it is fine but often sits at low revs outside the power band - it changes up very early presumably for fuel economy reasons. Normally not a problem but every now and then you want to accelerate quickly and have to wait for it to drop a gear which is a pain.
In Sport mode, it is much better, holding onto to the gears for much longer and it then feels like a proper hot hatch. The downside in town driving is that it can get annoying buzzing along at 5k revs so you do tend to use the paddles to change up and down quite regularly. On a decent B road though, it is a lot of fun and feels genuinely quick and handles well.
Mine has the cup chassis, which I was expecting to result in a harsh ride but it is surprisingly comfortable over pot holes/speed bumps.
In summary, I like it a lot more than the RS250 Megane that it has replaced.
In fact, I am enjoying it so much that I am seriously thinking of getting another hot hatch instead of the X5 - hopefully test driving a 208 GTI this weekend...I have been going round in circles trying to decide what to change the X5 for and happened to see a local Peugeot dealer has an ex-demo GTI in red, had a chat and a deal seems likely subject to the test drive. Will be interesting to see how the manual GTI compares to the Clio.
AdamC1983 said:
Get a Fiesta ST you know u want to 
Actually, I really don't!I know all the reviews say the Fiesta is the best, but in the real world there is so little difference between the Fiesta/Clio/208 that it just comes down to what you like. Personally, I like French hot hatches - I have never wanted a Ford even back in the good old days of XR2/XR3i etc.
Horses for courses I guess.
framerateuk said:
Thanks for the update TNJ!
I'm unfortunately facing the prospect of my 250 being written off after I was t-boned on a roundabout a fortnight ago, so I'm currently considering my options. At the moment the only cars that appeal are the 265 and the Clio EDC. I'm leaning towards the Clio due to the 5 doors and lower price. After having a courtesy car with 5 doors, I'm finally seeing the point in them!
AdamC1983, I'm afraid the ST just isn't an option for me. If I was still 20 perhaps (I had the previous gen ST), but the styling is a little too much for me. I also find the inside cramped, while the Clio has a lovely interior. A big step up from the ST.
Sorry to hear about the Megane - hope nothing damaged other than the car.I'm unfortunately facing the prospect of my 250 being written off after I was t-boned on a roundabout a fortnight ago, so I'm currently considering my options. At the moment the only cars that appeal are the 265 and the Clio EDC. I'm leaning towards the Clio due to the 5 doors and lower price. After having a courtesy car with 5 doors, I'm finally seeing the point in them!
AdamC1983, I'm afraid the ST just isn't an option for me. If I was still 20 perhaps (I had the previous gen ST), but the styling is a little too much for me. I also find the inside cramped, while the Clio has a lovely interior. A big step up from the ST.
Good luck with the replacement - whichever you choose, you won't be disappointed! And neither are a common sight on the road - I think I have only seen one other Clio and not many Meganes given that they have been around for a few years now.
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