Good Points: This car looks great. The front is meaty and imposing. The way the lines of the vehicle just flow to the back and makes it look far better than anything else in its class.
For a 1.2 it is very revvy and does poke a bit of power out. Plus 50 to the gallon means you wont have to re-mortgage the house every time you visit the petrol pump.
The drive position is very nice on the dynamic. This has a great deal to do with the sporty seats. The standard Clio really doesn’t feel as good. (Mother owns one). You can move the steering wheel up and down. The power assisted steering is nice as well. Not as light at the Corsa (New Shape) say but at least the steering rack doesn’t need to be replaced every 12000 miles.
The tyres are wide for the size and in dry and damp conditions corners like it is on rails. The suspension set-up is similar to a 172 (not quite as hard so don’t worry), there is not enough power to lose it round a bend in the dry.
Group 2 on insurance.
Brakes are very sharp especially sharp compared with other cars I have driven. 106 1.1 independence (owned), Focus 1.4 (pool car), Vectra 1.6 (pool car), Volvo 340 (Dad’s old car), Kangoo (Dad’s new cars had 2), Volvo 01 saloon don’t know model (pool car), 406 1.8 (pool car) plus about 5 or 6 others.
Safe 4 star safety badge. The test where they crash the vehicle into a girder at 40mph on the drivers side to assess if you would live. (Top Gear:2004)
It has plastic wings. Now in the last year I have been involved in 2 50/50 accidents. (Though it was their fault). Anyway in such a situation you pay for your own damage. One kick in the wing and springs back to it's original shape, a bit of t cut and Bobs your uncle. Incidentally the Alpha Romeos looked like a crushed coke cans £1500+ damage. (2 accidents with the same style of car).
Bad Points: I broke both seats recline devices. They are flimsy and weak and are really very poorly designed. On warranty not a problem without it, it would have been a real chore.
It is a 1.2 so if you have driven anything with power it will feel slow.
Sunroof is noisy and pointless.
Burned through brakes and tyres because of how well the vehicle handles.
Very poor in the snow compared with my 106.
Overall: Good value Tough and will be pretty useful in the future to own if you are a young driver on 3rd party. Spacious Nippy, but slow compared with more powerful engines, but that must be accepted Excellent handling and stopping.
I am buying a new one, it comes tomorrow I will treat this one with a little more care than the last.
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Advantages: Good MPG, Cheap insurance, looks sporty, cheap road tax Disadvantages: Renault build quality isnt brilliant! But none the less a great car!
pettsi 13.05.2008 (13.05.2008)
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Review of RenaultClio1.2 16v
Mar 8th, 2005
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