... As standard amongst quite a few Renaults these days the front wings are made of plastic. Now I know this is done for safety reasons but as an owner it is a pain. Plastic panels shrink over time whilst flexing can cause flecks in the paint work. Our Clio is not to bad on this front so far but ... Read review
Advantages: Agile, Cheap to run, cmofortable to drive for small car Disadvantages: A little light to drive
After buying an old VW Polo on EBAY that I had to scrap my wife and eye decided that we would look for a car for her to drive that would be reliable and easy to repair should the need arise.
After much debate we found her a little T reg Clio with 52,000 miles on the clock.
One of the prerequisites of buying a replacement was that I could fit in it and be able to drive it comfortably. I am 6ft 3" and need to be able ... .../>
COLOUR
The first thing that struck us about the car was the general quality of it bearing in mind it was made back in 98. Once you get over the fact that it is gold the car grows on you. Whilst these cars come in a multitude of colours we though a gold one would be different and uncommon. Alas, now that we have it there are at least three in the same area. Why does that always happen…..
After buying an old VW Polo on EBAY that I had to scrap my wife and eye decided that we would look for a car for her to drive that would be reliable and easy to repair should the need arise.
After much debate we found her a little T reg Clio with 52,000 miles on the clock.
One of the prerequisites of buying a replacement was that I could fit in it and be able to drive it comfortably. I am 6ft 3" and need to be able to drive it once or twice a week.
COLOUR
The first thing that struck us about the car was the general quality of it bearing in mind it was made back in 98. Once you get over the fact that it is gold the car grows on you. Whilst these cars come in a multitude of colours we though a gold one would be different and uncommon. Alas, now that we have it there are at least three in the same area. Why does that always happen…..
EXTERIOR
The MK2 Clio changed quite a bit from the MK1. The general looks of the car have been brought up to date to make it stand out on the road whilst still fitting in with the other manufacturers. Our Clio is the RN edition. I am not really sure what that means. 90% of the body panels are painted with standard black trim covering the door strips, front and rear bumper strips and finally the mirrors. Its nice to see a cheap car that isn't absolutely covered in standard black plastic.
The one thing that is annoying is when you come to polish the car. Polish on black trim is a nightmare to get off so you end up spending an extra 20 minutes cleaning all those. It would have been nice if they had painted them to.
The body panels have some good lines to them that help break up the appearance o the car. As standard amongst quite a few Renaults these days the front wings are made of plastic. Now I know this is done for safety reasons but as an owner it is a pain. Plastic panels shrink over time whilst flexing can cause flecks in the paint work. Our Clio is not to bad on this front so far but you can see a few marks where someone has pushed a little to hard whilst cleaning.
We also had the misfortune to have an accident within 24 hours of owning the car. Not good. The most annoying thing was that it was parked ¾ on to the pavement and we were not even in it. The neighbour across the road (drunk) decided to reverse his car out and in to the Clio causing £2000 worth of damage. But there was only one dent about 9" across just above the rear wheel. Anyway, what I am trying to say is even though your buying a cheap car make sure you insure it fully comp. £2000 for that dent was a lot of money and if I'd had to pay it I probably would have though twice about keeping it, so beware.
Remembering that this is a T plate there is little to no rust on the car. There was a little around the fuel cap area and the door seals but nothing to worry about and nothing that a little bit of touch up paint could not sort.
Our Clio also has a nice set of 14" alloys. Not to big and not to small. They provide that bit of extra on the looks front.
INTERIOR
The interior of our Clio comes with a grey patterned effect which almost feels like velvet. Its quite a neutral colour and pattern whilst being quite dark which is a major bonus on the stain front. All of the interior equipment etc is also in grey. I prefer black for looks but grey is better for practicality as it hides dust etc quite well.
When your driving the seats provide a comfortable ride. You have to remember that this is a 1.2 and not a sport machine so with normal driving the seats are up to the job. Driving long distances can be a little uncomfortable through lack of back support in the seats, they are quite soft to sit in. Having said that, I drive the car once or twice a week on a 40 mile trip and it is a calm and comfortable drive.
Our Clio came fitted with CD player and steering wheel controls and to my surprise with 4 speakers. Radio / CD quality is always very good with a reasonable sound quality. The must to have is the steering wheel controls, very useful and something that I wish I had on my VW.
The standard speedo etc are mounted in front of the driver and are well laid out for easy viewing. One thing I come across being so tall in small cars is that sometimes the view of the dials can be hindered by the position of the steering wheel. No such problem here. The steering wheel can also be adjusted in height should you need it.
We don't have AC in ours and to be honest you don't need it. The standard blower unit and rear clear are up to the task.
The sunroof in the Clio is a little basic and reminds me of those cheap after market ones you used to get in the 80's. It tends to rattle quite a bit and needs a little tlc every now and again. It has to open positions along with the prospect of being take out and put in the boot, not the most practical thing but…
In the back of the Clio there is a fair bit of leg room for a small car. Getting in to the back is a little difficult as it is only a 3 door but possible without to much trouble. There are 3 belts in the back but I can never imagine taking 5 people in this car as it just isn't powerful enough or big enough to take the weight.
Windows in the car are all winder only, not a bad thing. The winder handle did break but a quick trip to the scrap yard sorted that one out for 50p.
DRIVING
I have to say that for a cheap and aged car the Clio drives very well. Road handling may be improved by the bigger alloys. Driving the car through corners can be good fun, plenty of grip. Steering whilst cornering is sharp and responsive but on the odd occasion can be influenced by the soft suspension.
Pedals in the car are well spaced so you should have no troubles with catching your feet on the wrong pedal. Having big feet makes this a problem for me sometimes but not in the Clio.
The Clio provides good all round visibility whilst driving and blind spots are minimal. Reversing is also very good in the Clio.
There is one thing I hate about this car. The back window at the top has a very large curve in it which always distorts the rear view so you can never really tell how close the guy behind is or the wall is when you reverse. Saying that, its not a problem if you are shorter than me as your below the curve.
PARTS AND PROBLEMS
Reliability wise the Clio has been good to us. Nothing has broken that would not be standard. The exhaust went on the car but it was the original which had seen 50000 miles. A full replacement cost me (not the wife) £105. I thought that was very good. I also decided to buy 4 new tyres costing around the £95 for all 4. The only other thing is the handbrake cable has stretched but nothing serious there.
Unlike a lot of modern cars the Clio is easy to service. I would never think of doing my VW, just to much trouble, but the Clio engine bay is clutter free and easy to work on. Plugs are easily accessible as is the air and oil filters. You would be able to service it with parts for about £40.
ANYTHING ELSE
Most of the work I have had to do on this car is mileage related and because I forgot to check the obvious things when we bought it, exhaust etc. Be careful of a car that has around 50,000 miles on it. Standard parts wear out at this point depending on how its been looked after.
Otherwise a very sound small car / runabout. There are airbags for passenger and driver giving you that little bit of extra safety.
Boot space is good for a small car. We recently drove 110 miles to Newcastle on holiday with 2 weeks worth of luggage and managed to fit it all in the boot with space to spare. The car still drove very well with the additions but was a little slow on the hills.
This model is fitted with a 1.2, 8 valve engine. Nothing fantastic, I think it produces about 65 bhp. That's enough for light loads but not for heavy. If you get the later model this increased to around 75bhp which is better. .Still the 1. is a reliable engine and without any of the new fangled electronics in the new megane and new clio.
I am not sure what the fuel economy is on the car but I would guess its not far off 40MPG. £15 in the tank the other day put it up well over half a tank.
All in, I would get another Clio if I needed one. I may tend to go for the 1.4 engine but 1.2 in fine for what we need.
Sadly we sold this car on as we needed a bigger car. Still, I will say that for an older car the paint work still came up with a good shine.
Well my poor old Micra has been replaced, as yet she retains her space on the drive and in my affections but she is no longer my mode of transportation, that honour now falls to a P reg Clio. No less scruffy looking than the Micra it cost me less to buy, and hopefully will last me as well over thenext 12 months as she did before it.
The model I have is the 1.2, 3 door Oasis. It has in common with the Micra that it has a sunroof which is by far my ... ...expensive and silly thing to have (unless of course you suffer from asthma or similar due to traffic fumes). It used to have remote locking but at some point in its history the mechanism which operates this has been broken and the cost to repair it is too great to make it worth while. The original radio/ cassette has been replaced by a CD player which is a luxury I'm still getting used to and will save me a fortune in MP3 batteries. It still uses ...
scuba_angel 13.08.2007
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Ciao members have rated this car review on average: very helpful Review of Renault Clio 1.2
Advantages: Reliable Little Car Disadvantages: Its A Bit Girly
...replacement. I had hired a Renault Clio for the month so I had decided that perhaps this just might be the car, off to the showroom and have a look…
There is just something about a car salesman that intimidates me, it's just the fact that every single car he shows you is flawless. I find that worrying and after looking at about seven different cars I was still deep in thought. Then over in a corner I spotted her, just sitting there gleaming but ... ...Renault Clio 1.2, red in colour with only 43,000 miles on the clock. I gave her a long inpection, running my eyes up and down every single part of her slinky body. She was perfect in looks but did she have the personality to be part of my life for a few years, a test drive would determine that….She was a three door but that didn't bother me as my Fiesta was the same and that £2995 figure was looking better by the minute……..
The Clio is certainly ...
BadCompany77 02.09.2005 (08.11.2007)
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Ciao members have rated this car review on average: very helpful Review of Renault Clio 1.2
Advantages: Packed with extras (great value), 3 year warranty and AA breakdown cover, Good looks inside and out Disadvantages: Suspension is rough on bumpy roads, too much road noise at over 50mph
"New Shape" Renault Clio 1.2 16v Dynamique, first launched April 2001 -------------------------
UPDATE APPEARS AT THE BOTTOM
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I decided to buy a new car in September 2001, after having saved up. I was initially looking for something in the region of £7000, but ended up spending a little more. I wouldn't normally buy a car from new, as we all know about the huge drop in value as soon as you drive out of the showroom. However ... ...warranties. Secondly, many manufacturers like Renault offer extra incentives such as 3 years AA cover, and one year's free insurance. A new car also gives you the peace of mind of knowing that it hasn't been clocked, damaged in an accident, or just abused by its previous owner who may have hammered the engine (and believe me, reputable dealers DO sell dodgy used cars because it's happened to me in the past). Also, I have to say that I was excited ...
rdobbie 25.06.2002 (27.06.2003)
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Ciao members have rated this car review on average: very helpful Review of Renault Clio 1.2
Advantages: small, fast and roomy Disadvantages: girlie image - much improved in the new Expression range. Not many discounts available
...Papa to get her a Renault Clio. Renault are not renowned as the sexiest of car manufacturers and, in the past have suffered from the stigma that was born out of cars such as the Renault 5, disgustingly unreliable and certainly not going to improve one's image. Let’s go back to May 2001. I had been looking to replace my ageing metro for some time and decided at quite an early stage that I would go for a new car. I had the cash, it was burning ... ...absolutely abysmal ride and the Renault Clio for its undeniably good breeding. This was from a crowd comprising the above two cars, the Peugeot 106 & 206, Skoda Felicia, Rover 200, Vauxhall Corsa, Toyota Yaris, VW Lupo and Polo, Citroen Saxo and the Fiat Punto - I didn't skimp on test drives! As I was not too concerned with engine size I tended to go for the smallest in class and thus ended up test driving the 1.2 Clio Grande. The Grande appealed ...
CareBear 30.05.2001 (14.03.2002)
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Ciao members have rated this car review on average: very helpful Review of Renault Clio 1.2
Advantages: good looking little car Disadvantages: see review
...to make. I went to Renault West London to have a test drive of one. The test drive went rather well and it was just like my mum’s model. I spoke to the guy and told him I was interested. My only problem was the price tag. There was no way I could afford it. Renault made me a deal. They said that they would slice £2000 off the price tag if I was ok with a year old Clio that had only ever been used for test drives. My uncle looked over the paperwork ... ...it. This was at a Renault garage mind you. I drove off thinking the car was now ok. It was roughly a week or so later that I said thank you via the hazard lights and again it was stuck in on mode. I took it that day back to the garage and they said it was possibly a bigger problem such as something to do with the wiring and thus I should take it to the bigger Renault garage. I did take it there but told them I didn’t think it was wiring as when I ...
znh3ra54 18.06.2009
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Ciao members have rated this car review on average: very helpful Review of Renault Clio 1.2
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The renaultclio1.2 5 door is my first car, for now over 4 years and I have loved every moment driving it.
Car Specs:
Make: Renault
Model: Clio
Variant: 1.2 Dynamique 16v 5dr
Colour: Black
Fueltype: Petrol
Bodytype: Hatchback
Transmission: Manual
Doors: 5
Power Steering, Electric Mirrors, Electric Windows, Adjustable Steering Column, Remote Central Locking, Immobiliser, Head Restraints, Height Adjustable Seat, Abs, Child Locks, Side Air Bags, Twin Air Bags, Air Conditioning, Folding Rear Seats, Rear Headrests, Cd Player, Front Fog Lamps, Metallic Paintwork and Alloy Wheels
I can't think of any more to mention!
My opinion:
The renaultclio has been a lovely drive from the day I bought it. At a modest 1.2L engine, its light bodywork has meant it has not detracted from its acceleration. The car drives extremely smooth ...
Advantages: Good MPG, Cheap insurance, looks sporty, cheap road tax Disadvantages: Renault build quality isnt brilliant! But none the less a great car!
This car is great! Ever since i was about 10 i had always loved the RenaultClio. I had decided i was going to save up and buy one as soon as i could learn to drive.
I had done alot of research into the Clio and was very impressed with the spec the car could offer. The 1.2 16V engine kicks out 75bhp, this may not sound alot, but they do shift when they need to. The car has got 6 airbags, 2 front, 2 rear, 2 side. This gives the car that 5 start saftey rating. The Dynamique looks a very sporty car with the alloys wheels, fog lights etc.
The car is great for young drivers, especially being on a Insurance group 3 it doesnt cost a silly amount to insure. Unlike most cars these days it doesn't drink petrol like there's no tomorrow. I get an average of 40MPG driving round town and about 50MPG motorway driving and about 65-70MPH ...
Advantages: Fun, cheap to run and insure, stylish and safe. Disadvantages: Leaky sunroofs.
This review is based on a 2004 RenaultClio1.2 16v Dynamique.
After having an accident in my previous Clio (a 1.6 16v Dynamique) I set out looking for a new car, eventually I found myself (after much looking) the following car?
A 2004 RenaultClio1.2 16v Dynamique in flame red, the colour I really wanted, my previous car had digital climate control and an electric sunroof so I purposefully found a car that also had these features.
Being the 2004 model it had the face lifted front end (MK2 PH3)
The car I found had the following specification:
Performance:
Engine - 1.2 16v 4cyl MPI (multipoint injection)
Power - 75bhp
Torque - 105Nm
0-60 - 12.6secs
Top Speed - 106mph
Gearbox - 5 speed manual
Interior:
Sports seats
Digital Climate Control
Electric Sunroof with sunblind
Electric windows (one touch ...
