RE: Clio Renaultsport 200 Turbo: PH Fleet

RE: Clio Renaultsport 200 Turbo: PH Fleet

Thursday 4th December 2014

Clio Renaultsport 200 Turbo: PH Fleet

A bit of a week for hot hatches; how's the Clio facing up to renewed competition?



It was with great interest that I read Matt's first impressions of Peugeot's 208 GTI 30th. By the sounds of it Peugeot Sport has played a blinder, completely transforming what was an easy to live with, if dynamically unexceptional hot hatch into genuinely hardcore product designed to entice the enthusiast. In other words, exactly the kind of magic wand waving that needs to happen a couple of hundred kilometres to the north in Dieppe. Hopefully this avalanche of praise will give Renaultsport a much-needed motivational kick up the backside.

Clio spangled up for meeting its race brother
Clio spangled up for meeting its race brother
In other news the Clio has been to meet its racing sibling at Brands Hatch. The Indy circuit was more aquatic centre than race track for Dan's drive in the Clio Cup, but despite the biblical conditions, it gave him an illuminating insight into what the road car might be like with a willing gearbox and a diff between the front wheels.

With 10,339 miles now on the clock, it's also been back to Renault for a new set of tyres. We've stuck with the standard fit Dunlop Sport Maxx RTs, and quietly crossed our fingers for a continuation of the current mild winter. I also have a sneaking suspicion it may have had an oil change at the same time, even though I didn't ask for one (and it wasn't due one) because it came back noticeably smoother and quieter. [Update - Renault got back to us to confirm it was just the tyres! - Ed.] The front brake discs and pads have already been changed back in August, leaving it feeling fresh and fighting fit once again.

All set then, for a track day at Goodwood next weekend and, having now had ample chance to bond with the Clio, a chance to revisit the head-to-head battle with the Fiesta ST that we conducted last year.


FACT SHEET
Car:
 Clio Renaultsport 200 Turbo EDC LUX
Run by: Danny Milner
On fleet since: April 2014
Mileage: 10,339
List price new: £21,835 (Basic list of £19,995 plus £650 for Cup Chassis, £300 for 18-inch Renaultsport wheels and Dunlop Sport Maxx RT tyres, £595 for Flame Red i.d. metallic paint, £295 for Renaultsport Monitor)
Last month at a glance: Mechanical wash and brush up; longing for a diff doesn't subside

Previous updates:
Clio arrives on the PH Fleet; faces an uphill struggle for popular opinion
PH 'accidentally' ends up in an impromptu Clio Cup race at Spa
Danny heads to Scotland in search of the Clio's hidden depths
Found - the Clio's wild side
Clio battles its Peugeot nemesis for Danny's affection
So, the Clio wants to be grown-up and mature - is it?
Does the NISMO Juke offer the Clio salvation?



   
   
   

Photos: Roo Fowler

Author
Discussion

madmatteo

Original Poster:

246 posts

145 months

Thursday 4th December 2014
quotequote all
I'm currently 3,000 miles into Clio 200 EDC ownership (realistically borrowed as it is on short term lease!) and I'm finding the car rather good for what I use it for, which is predominantly commuting 200-250 miles per week across country roads. It returns a consistent 32mpg or so in my hands and this seems to be creeping up ever so slightly as the miles go up.

Whilst not perfect, the gearbox is not anywhere near as bad as the initial reviews may have suggested and I quite enjoy flicking up and down the gears by simply flicking the paddles. Indeed, one thing I really love is the way the car "blips" the throttle when you drop down the gears at slow speeds as it sounds really good from inside the cabin.

There are definitely negatives with the car. The main one being the price which really is inexplicable considering the competition and, if I were purchasing with my own cash, I'm afraid to say I may have to consider saving the pennies and going elsewhere. However, on the plus side, it looks great (imo), feels much quicker than the 197/200 it replaces, handles well, stops even better and sounds good (most notably in race mode).

I would urge people to have a go if they like hot hatches but need a "one size fits all" type car. However, it does seem to me that the competition from Peugeot, Ford and VW may now start to pull away and I hope that Renault respond like they have with the RS Megane. Here's hoping for a Clio with 220hp, manual gearbox and an LSD.

WillBrumBrum

607 posts

197 months

Thursday 4th December 2014
quotequote all
They do look cool.

GTEYE

2,092 posts

209 months

Thursday 4th December 2014
quotequote all
I think the lack of comments so far sums up what PHeaders think of the new car.

Loads of comments on the Clio 200 article a few lines down....

renaultgeek

473 posts

147 months

Thursday 4th December 2014
quotequote all
GTEYE said:
I think the lack of comments so far sums up what PHeaders think of the new car.

Loads of comments on the Clio 200 article a few lines down....
I just thought there isn't much in the article. bit of a non story

Axionknight

8,505 posts

134 months

Thursday 4th December 2014
quotequote all
GTEYE said:
I think the lack of comments so far sums up what PHeaders think of the new car.

Loads of comments on the Clio 200 article a few lines down....
They probably all just think "I'd rather buy a Fiesta ST instead" and move on

They'd be right, too.

cailean

917 posts

172 months

Thursday 4th December 2014
quotequote all
Really dislike the front but like the rear. So the new Polo GTI just reviewed is cheaper than the Renault?

allergictocheese

1,290 posts

112 months

Thursday 4th December 2014
quotequote all
New disks at 10,000 miles? What!!!? That's crazy.

Quhet

2,409 posts

145 months

Thursday 4th December 2014
quotequote all
WillBrumBrum said:
They do look cool.
Really?
I think they're hideous. I may be biased but I think that the 197 was the last of the nice looking clios

Blayney

2,948 posts

185 months

Thursday 4th December 2014
quotequote all
allergictocheese said:
New disks at 10,000 miles? What!!!? That's crazy.
That's what I took from it too. Actually would have been less than that as it says done in August. Why were they changed?

edit - looking back at previous updates there was no mention of the change at the time, but there was some track usage in August. Would've been around 6000 miles.

Edited by Blayney on Thursday 4th December 22:32

Danny Milner

128 posts

202 months

Thursday 4th December 2014
quotequote all
Blayney said:
That's what I took from it too. Actually would have been less than that as it says done in August. Why were they changed?

edit - looking back at previous updates there was no mention of the change at the time, but there was some track usage in August. Would've been around 6000 miles.

Edited by Blayney on Thursday 4th December 22:32
The brakes were refreshed after a track day at Spa, a trip to the Nurburgring and a track day at Bedford. We only asked for the pads to be changed but they did the discs as well. :-)

Blayney

2,948 posts

185 months

Thursday 4th December 2014
quotequote all
Danny Milner said:
Blayney said:
That's what I took from it too. Actually would have been less than that as it says done in August. Why were they changed?

edit - looking back at previous updates there was no mention of the change at the time, but there was some track usage in August. Would've been around 6000 miles.

Edited by Blayney on Thursday 4th December 22:32
The brakes were refreshed after a track day at Spa, a trip to the Nurburgring and a track day at Bedford. We only asked for the pads to be changed but they did the discs as well. :-)
Mystery solved.

Do you think there may be a different outcome against the ST this time?

I see an awful lot of STs and normal Fiestas around, barely any of this Clio, Renaultsport or otherwise.

Danny Milner

128 posts

202 months

Thursday 4th December 2014
quotequote all
Blayney said:
Mystery solved.

Do you think there may be a different outcome against the ST this time?

I see an awful lot of STs and normal Fiestas around, barely any of this Clio, Renaultsport or otherwise.
Sorry, no spoilers. Tune in next month ;-)

Blayney

2,948 posts

185 months

Thursday 4th December 2014
quotequote all
Danny Milner said:
Blayney said:
Mystery solved.

Do you think there may be a different outcome against the ST this time?

I see an awful lot of STs and normal Fiestas around, barely any of this Clio, Renaultsport or otherwise.
Sorry, no spoilers. Tune in next month ;-)
Should've expected that!

Axionknight

8,505 posts

134 months

Friday 5th December 2014
quotequote all
cailean said:
Really dislike the front but like the rear. So the new Polo GTI just reviewed is cheaper than the Renault?
I can't find a detailed price list for these yet, but bear in mind that the Renault provides 5 doors with its basic lsit price and the Polo only three, you get the double clutch box in the Renault too - but if that wasn't an issue then yes, the basic price is cheaper.

Imafreeman

117 posts

223 months

Saturday 6th December 2014
quotequote all
What on earth have you been doing to ruin brake pads, discs and tyres in a mere 10k?
Changed my discs on my BMW after a more reasonable 100k.

Dan Trent

1,866 posts

167 months

Saturday 6th December 2014
quotequote all
Well it's been round the 'ring, Spa, Bedford, etc... so it's had some use! Discs probably precautionary change but we'll check and find out more.

And as per correction/update in article Renault got in touch to clarify they only changed tyres and not oil or anything else when they had it back.

Cheers!

Dan