The original Clio 172 Renaultsport came with twin front and side airbags, climate control, leather and Alcantara upholstery and CD stereo. A six-disc CD autochanger was a £300 option, while sat-nav could be ordered at £1,500. The 172 Cup ditched the side airbags, stereo and air con to save weight, shedding 89kg with the help of thinner window glass. The Cup also did without ESP that was introduced in July 2002 as standard fitment, while the leather seats were dropped in the Cup in favour of Mossa Dark Cloth trim.
Recaros standard on Trophy, optional on 182
The 182 Renaultsport had much the same spec as the 172, but with the addition of cruise control, automatic windscreen wipers and the option of Recaro Sport Trendline front seats for £500 that did away with the side airbags. The 182 Cup kept air conditioning but swapped leather seats for Graphic Night fabric. Taller drivers should try before they buy a Clio RS as the driving position is not the best.
One problem common to all Clio Renaultsport models is the 'melting' steering wheel leather. In time, the leather simply starts to crumble and the thumb rests also wear very quickly. The only cure is a new steering wheel, which is also a chance to ditch the large 380mm item in favour of a smaller one if you don't mid foregoing the driver's airbag. The gear knob can also wear, but is easy and quick to replace.
Build quality isn't great on Clio Renaultsports, so expect from creaks but make sure all of the electrics work properly. A SERV light on the dash indicates a fault code, which can be read though the diagnostic port hidden under the ash tray.
Driving position not the best for taller folk
Seat bolsters wear in time and are a good indicator of how careful an owner is. While looking at the seats, feel in the footwells for water that might point to a blocked valve or filter in the air conditioning system. Rear window seals are also prone to leaks, so check for damp down the sides of the rear bench.
An airbag warning light is more likely to be a faulty wire under the seats. While peering in here, check a CD autochanger is present if it should be or the wiring is there if you want to add one as it was an option on later 172s and the 182.
Owner's view:
"They do seem to feel like they are going to drop to bits at any minute, after a good thrashing mine always seemed to feel a little baggier and could actually sense that you were taking too much out of it. Whether that was just psychological or not, I don't know. Still, it's well equipped."
Phillip Sanders