French car panache.
Discussion
I was fortunate enough to accompany my 74 year old mother round a variety of car dealers as she mused over a car to replace her diesel Ford Galaxy which she now has less use for.
The dealers were:
Vauxhall
Ford
Renault
Seat
Honda
Toyota
Nissan
MINI
Suzuki/Mitsubishi
She has since visited Chevrolet and Kia.
I have to confess that I was fairly biased against French cars but it was the new Clio which really stood out in a sea of banality with natty carbon-fibre-esque touches and some cracking red highlighting on the steering wheel, dash and exterior (on a black car with black wheels).
My mother was dismissive of the Vauxhalls and Fords, though the new Leon to be exceptionally dull (it is inside...), liked the (old model)Auris Hybrid whose boot was too small and quite liked the new Micra. Oddly, we both agreed on the Renault Clio as being the best looking and most "showroom-wow" car we saw. Other manufacturers were as dull as dishwater in comparison when you were faced with a Twizy, Zoe and new Clio (Captur was dull though).
With the new 308R, it looks like the French are actually getting there in terms of showroom appeal. She hasn't made her final decision yet but the Clio is the first Fench car for years I think I could safely recommend.
The dealers were:
Vauxhall
Ford
Renault
Seat
Honda
Toyota
Nissan
MINI
Suzuki/Mitsubishi
She has since visited Chevrolet and Kia.
I have to confess that I was fairly biased against French cars but it was the new Clio which really stood out in a sea of banality with natty carbon-fibre-esque touches and some cracking red highlighting on the steering wheel, dash and exterior (on a black car with black wheels).
My mother was dismissive of the Vauxhalls and Fords, though the new Leon to be exceptionally dull (it is inside...), liked the (old model)Auris Hybrid whose boot was too small and quite liked the new Micra. Oddly, we both agreed on the Renault Clio as being the best looking and most "showroom-wow" car we saw. Other manufacturers were as dull as dishwater in comparison when you were faced with a Twizy, Zoe and new Clio (Captur was dull though).
With the new 308R, it looks like the French are actually getting there in terms of showroom appeal. She hasn't made her final decision yet but the Clio is the first Fench car for years I think I could safely recommend.
Dracoro said:
LuS1fer said:
She hasn't made her final decision yet but the Clio is the first Fench car for years I think I could safely recommend.
Really, purely based on how it looks? (not saying the car is good or not but I read it that none were test driven).As I notted in another thread, having just returned fom a holiday in the remote Spanish mountains, i was encouraged to see most cars were French so that tends to suggest they are reliable (or at least fixable!).
My point was really that the new Clio has great showroom appeal over and above what anyone else seems to have by way of conformist design.
Have a look at the likes of Trade Centre Wales, Car Shop Cardiff or Lookers, Bristol to see if they have any auto's second-hand.
The Crack Fox said:
A recipe for disaster ?
I don't know if the auto box is the same between the Citroen DS3 and the Clio, but the DS3 auto box is the worst contraption I've ever suffered, jerkly, incredible slow, lag between inputs, it was a wretched thing. Can she try something from used stock to get a feel for it ?
Good luck, BTW.
I think at age 74, it isn't going to be crucial given the Galaxy isn't exactly the last word in automatics and she is not Stirling Moss. She once had a Starlet 1.3GL automatic, a car I derided until I drove it off road. It was great! I don't know if the auto box is the same between the Citroen DS3 and the Clio, but the DS3 auto box is the worst contraption I've ever suffered, jerkly, incredible slow, lag between inputs, it was a wretched thing. Can she try something from used stock to get a feel for it ?
Good luck, BTW.
I suspect a small petrol might struggle with a conventional auto which is why I think a CVT may be better with petrol.
She drove the last model Auris Hybrid which is a 1.8 petrol CVT and that was pretty impressive from where I was sat in the back. So we may try the Jazz Hybrid as they have an ex-management car coming in.
I take the point about not trying before you buy but autos really aren't that common in smaller cars and in fact it's one reason she has to look at new cars.
The Crack Fox said:
A recipe for disaster ?
I don't know if the auto box is the same between the Citroen DS3 and the Clio, but the DS3 auto box is the worst contraption I've ever suffered, jerkly, incredible slow, lag between inputs, it was a wretched thing. Can she try something from used stock to get a feel for it ?
Good luck, BTW.
Not likely to use a PSA box I'd have thought, but you're dead right about PSA auto boxes in the 308/DS3 and down. Avoid like the plague!I don't know if the auto box is the same between the Citroen DS3 and the Clio, but the DS3 auto box is the worst contraption I've ever suffered, jerkly, incredible slow, lag between inputs, it was a wretched thing. Can she try something from used stock to get a feel for it ?
Good luck, BTW.
Krikkit said:
Definitely go for a CVT to be honest. Most of the boxes in the other small cars are single-clutch and universally crap. I've been trying to find a family friend (who's coming up to 80 now) a new car, and every non-CVT box we've tried/asked about has been a poor auto.
Clio has an EDC dual clutch six speed box. It's stunning and will be on my next car for certain.Butter Face said:
Krikkit said:
Definitely go for a CVT to be honest. Most of the boxes in the other small cars are single-clutch and universally crap. I've been trying to find a family friend (who's coming up to 80 now) a new car, and every non-CVT box we've tried/asked about has been a poor auto.
Clio has an EDC dual clutch six speed box. It's stunning and will be on my next car for certain.Have yet to look at VWs. I saw a very nice orange Polo Cross in Spain but haven't looked at them in detail as yet.
Dog Star said:
skyrover said:
Make sure your warranty is bulletproof 
Compared with what? Those bombproof, super perfect German cars? The ones that score really s
t in reliability surveys? 
You need to stop parroting the PH party line.
Japanese/Korean/American are far better bets.
LuS1fer said:
Butter Face said:
Krikkit said:
Definitely go for a CVT to be honest. Most of the boxes in the other small cars are single-clutch and universally crap. I've been trying to find a family friend (who's coming up to 80 now) a new car, and every non-CVT box we've tried/asked about has been a poor auto.
Clio has an EDC dual clutch six speed box. It's stunning and will be on my next car for certain.
Also available on the Dci 90 and the Tce 120.
The Vambo said:
LuS1fer said:
Butter Face said:
Krikkit said:
Definitely go for a CVT to be honest. Most of the boxes in the other small cars are single-clutch and universally crap. I've been trying to find a family friend (who's coming up to 80 now) a new car, and every non-CVT box we've tried/asked about has been a poor auto.
Clio has an EDC dual clutch six speed box. It's stunning and will be on my next car for certain.Also available on the Dci 90 and the Tce 120.
Dci 90 with an EDC is great.
skyrover said:
Dog Star said:
skyrover said:
Make sure your warranty is bulletproof
Compared with what? Those bombproof, super perfect German cars? The ones that score really st in reliability surveys? You need to stop parroting the PH party line.
Japanese/Korean/American are far better bets.
The Vambo said:
LuS1fer said:
Butter Face said:
Krikkit said:
Definitely go for a CVT to be honest. Most of the boxes in the other small cars are single-clutch and universally crap. I've been trying to find a family friend (who's coming up to 80 now) a new car, and every non-CVT box we've tried/asked about has been a poor auto.
Clio has an EDC dual clutch six speed box. It's stunning and will be on my next car for certain.Also available on the Dci 90 and the Tce 120.
LuS1fer said:
The Vambo said:
LuS1fer said:
Butter Face said:
Krikkit said:
Definitely go for a CVT to be honest. Most of the boxes in the other small cars are single-clutch and universally crap. I've been trying to find a family friend (who's coming up to 80 now) a new car, and every non-CVT box we've tried/asked about has been a poor auto.
Clio has an EDC dual clutch six speed box. It's stunning and will be on my next car for certain.Also available on the Dci 90 and the Tce 120.
Not many on the ground at all, we don't currently have one for anyone to drive but I hope to have one as my next demo so we do.
Gassing Station | General Gassing | Top of Page | What's New | My Stuff