Hi there everybody, I'm new to the forum, am thinking about making the change from 01 Octavia VRS to 02 Clio 172 Cup, am wondering if anyone has any advice about things to look out for with Mk2 172 Cups , just any general info about buying a clio. Have yet to test drive/see one in flesh so am still not entirely convinced about whether to make the change, but am looking for more of a driver's car (the octy is good for high speed cruising but am looking for something more involving to drive). Cheers in advance...
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172 Cup
If you want a fun, involving drive then they don't come much better than the 172 Cup for the money. My advice would be to try and find a 53 plate one with climate control, nice little extra to have on the later ones. 
I bought mine back in Jan for £7500, 20k miles, CC etc. Bodywork was almost immaculate.
I bought mine back in Jan for £7500, 20k miles, CC etc. Bodywork was almost immaculate.
MINI JCW
pecan said:If you want a fun, involving drive then they don't come much better than the 172 Cup for the money. My advice would be to try and find a 53 plate one with climate control, nice little extra to have on the later ones.
I bought mine back in Jan for £7500, 20k miles, CC etc. Bodywork was almost immaculate.
agree, i think i could put up with a cup if it had air con
MarkCup
ClioSport Club Member
I had a Mondeo V6 before my 172 Cup and have never looked back since I got it.
Mondeo...nice and refined, a useful engine, comfortable, relaxed, and ultimately boring!
172 Cup? I've just clocked over 56K miles in 26 months, have had only two warranty issues, and my exhaust is on its way out.
But that pales into insignificance when I leave work early on a Friday aftenoon, and the long way home (an extra 35 miles ) beckons.
On the road they're good, but on track, if you get your head down and do some work, they're astounding.
Mondeo...nice and refined, a useful engine, comfortable, relaxed, and ultimately boring!
172 Cup? I've just clocked over 56K miles in 26 months, have had only two warranty issues, and my exhaust is on its way out.
But that pales into insignificance when I leave work early on a Friday aftenoon, and the long way home (an extra 35 miles
) beckons.On the road they're good, but on track, if you get your head down and do some work, they're astounding.
Turbos.
If you start looking at Cups then ask about the 4k exhaust rattle, front suspension fix. The suspension isn't really an issue, it just makes a knocking noise on full lock.
I got a 172 the other week and already need to replace wheel bearings! Something i had to do on my first Clio...
I got a 172 the other week and already need to replace wheel bearings! Something i had to do on my first Clio...
Well just back from test drive of the clio, went well, got a good long run in it (20 mins or so) but didn't really rag it although the fella in with me was urging me on a bit. First impressions were good, car looks great, not perfect condition, there are a few scratches on paintwork here and there and driver's side rubbing strip looks faded a bit, but apart from that no kerbing to speak of, may be a cm or so on passenger front, interior looked slightly worn, the gear layout on the gearknob had worn right off, which I thought was strange for a 4 year old car (maybe too used to VAG interiors), car felt completely different to drive compared to the octy, gearchange was nowhere near as direct, clutch stiffer and shorter, but car felt more urgent, more willing to go, also felt very direct steering-wise, all in all quite impressed, but not sure its as much of a performance difference as i was hoping for compared to the octy, plus trade-in value was around a grand under book, which I reckon is a bit of an insult considering my car is well looked after. Will need to mull it over for a while, will have to ring them back and haggle a bit.
Turbos.
I'm not suprised you don't think it feels faster, the Clio is probably only a bit quicker to 60 and a second quicker to 100. Plus the Skoda probably has good in gear times on account of the turbo.
The thing about the Clio is you feel very connected, and that is when the character rubs off on you. Sadly, something that takes a while to work when you see the cheap interior and have that crap gearbox!
If you took the Cup on track then you will really see the gap in terms of handling etc.
The thing about the Clio is you feel very connected, and that is when the character rubs off on you. Sadly, something that takes a while to work when you see the cheap interior and have that crap gearbox!
If you took the Cup on track then you will really see the gap in terms of handling etc.
Bluebeard
ClioSport Moderator
Whichever has fuel
Rob1Sp said:
IMHO, you should decide on wether you really want to change into the clio from the Skoda, rather than worrying about book prices. Once you've decided on that, have a hunt round, theres plenty of them out there, you can still afford to be picky, and get one with sensible miles and an unworn gearknob!!
C
Cupster
The side mouldings look faded as they are not lacquered as standard, they have a matt finish on purpose compared to the baody panels and beautiful mondial blue.
Just to let you know I had a cup and sold it for a Golf v6 4mo, I then sold that to get another cup as it was boring when it was not on the motorway!!
Just to let you know I had a cup and sold it for a Golf v6 4mo, I then sold that to get another cup as it was boring when it was not on the motorway!!
superfastdan said:IMHO, you should decide on wether you really want to change into the clio from the Skoda, rather than worrying about book prices. Once you've decided on that, have a hunt round, theres plenty of them out there, you can still afford to be picky, and get one with sensible miles and an unworn gearknob!!
Thing is I'm in Northern Ireland, there's a distinct lack of them over here, only two in autotrader recently, one of which is mk1 and don't want to go that far back. The cambelt hadn't been changed on one I saw, fella said it was at 72k that they are due so quizzed him on it. I reckon the car has been ragged a bit, the guy that took me out in it said it kept up with his Subaru along the roads we were on, but I'm not sure if I'm just so used to the Skoda interior being bulletproof that I am being a bit too critical...
172 Cup
Oh and the print on the gear knob is pretty whack, I think it wears off on all Cups, mine is starting to fade, the two I test drove before I bought this were both faded fully. No big deal really.
One other point: You do not buy a Cup because of the interior. That should be the last thing on your mind, if you want all that stuff then the 172 FF is the one for you, or even 182.
One other point: You do not buy a Cup because of the interior. That should be the last thing on your mind, if you want all that stuff then the 172 FF is the one for you, or even 182.
X-172 Cup
Looks like you'll be hard pushed to get a decent cup in NI...if you do wan't one, and TBH you sound undecided...I reckon your best best is to buy one from England/Scotland.
The Cup is so much more of a drivers car than the Octy but you will be compromising on the cabin & creature comforts, I've had a Cup since Jan and bought one for the same reason as you, I used to have a 25k Audi Avant Quattro and can't beleive I spent so much money on a car that was not as involving to drive as a 7k Cup, ultimately the decision is yours, good luck if you decide to switch.
The Cup is so much more of a drivers car than the Octy but you will be compromising on the cabin & creature comforts, I've had a Cup since Jan and bought one for the same reason as you, I used to have a 25k Audi Avant Quattro and can't beleive I spent so much money on a car that was not as involving to drive as a 7k Cup, ultimately the decision is yours, good luck if you decide to switch.
Clio 04 172 Cup
Go for it you will not be sorry! I know the roads in NI very well and it is ideal cup ripping country!! Would say that you would be better seeing about getting one from the mainland as thier are more about to choose from over hear.
The side rubbings have fadded on mine as well! I used some auto glym bumper care to bring them up real good! As to the gear knob mine has no markings on it at all anymore and mine has only done 14k. Looks much better with only blue on it anyways.
The side rubbings have fadded on mine as well! I used some auto glym bumper care to bring them up real good! As to the gear knob mine has no markings on it at all anymore and mine has only done 14k. Looks much better with only blue on it anyways.
I am sorely tempted, dont get me wrong the interior was nowhere near as bad as I thought it would be, gearbox/clutch were off-putting, engine felt great, really felt the lift at 6000+ revs or so iirc, defo more go than octy, altho getting back into my own car it felt a bit quicker too (weird), apart from that I liked the seats/steering wheel, and love the look/personality of the car as a whole, subtly aggressive, what they call a 'Q' car isnt it! Will need to have a think before I make a decision...
Clio 04 172 Cup
I had a BMW 320 tourer before my cup and I have not been bothered by the change at all in fact I wouldnt go back. The reason I got rid of the BMW was the misses hated it as it was to big for her in doors. And she spotted the Cup on her travels, she had no idea what it was just liked the look of it! So when I found out what it was the change was made. I have never had so much fun out of a car before the clio.
I may be able to help you...
A month ago i sold my 2002 Octy vRS, having owned it since the previous April, and doing 10,000 miles in it, including a trip to the nurburgring.
To replace it i just bought a 2003 Mk2 172 Cup, and i found one with Climate Control. I paid £7800 (from a dealer) and it had 21.5K on the clock. We are at the 'ring in May, and i cannot wait.
The Skoda was the better all-round car. More comfortable, higher level of equipment, better build quality. But the Cup is more fun, and the better performance car.
Steering: The Skoda would understeer, controllably, but once it started and power was applied it would just get worse. Very frustrating. The Cup will grip, more than you will believe, and you can feed power in and decide the amount of spin, but it will still hold its' line while scrabbling for grip. This is its best point, i think; its steering and the way you can feed power in without understeer. The Skoda did have good steering, plenty of feel, but not the incredible amounts the Cup has. The Skoda is a heavy car, 1325 kilos against 1021 (!) for the Cup. You could feel it, and once it started to understeer you could feel it a lot more as it lurched onwards towards the edge of the road.
Ride: The Renault is harder, stiffer, but not uncomfortable. Its rides very well, and the hard ride is not a problem. It doesn't roll much, which i love; once you throw it into a corner (large roundabouts are almost as good as sex now) it tips a little then corners almost flat, and you can get on with it. The Skoda rolled far too much, and then the weight pushed you straight on. It was frustrating; the Skoda has a great chassis but needed to lose some weight to take advantage of it. it needed a suspension kit to press on, the Cup doesn't.
Power: The Cup is quicker off the mark, and feels it, though as someone said the in-gear times are good on the Skoda due to the turbo and after 60 there would be nothing in it. But the delivery in the Renault is light years ahead. You can drive around and in any gear it pulls from tickover. In the Skoda you need to wait for the turbo to come in; without the blower its gutless. try a low-speed mini-roundabout in the Skoda in second gear; you come out of it at tickover and then nothing happens. I will always take a normally-aspirated car over a turbo for ease of power application.
Am i happy? Christ yes, though i would make the point that i no longer need a car for day-to-day use and the Skoda was bought for this, and it never let me down or did anything other than what it was meant to do. As an all-rounder it was fantastic. Then i bought a van and wanted a car to have some fun in. So i don't run the Cup as a day-to-day car. I can't see it would be a problem though.
Go for it, would be my advice. You won't regret it if you get a nice Cup, especially one with Climate (which the Skoda has, and i couldn't live without, hence me searching for a Cup with it). But i wouldn't go for an older one; spend the money, get a nice one and travel if you need to.
My friend was looking for Integra Type R's and we looked at 2. Then i let him drive my Cup. We looked at one for him 5 days later and he picks it up this weekend. Another one with CC, late 2003, 7600 miles (yes, really). £8200. Top money, but its almost new!
I may edit this to add more as i think about it.
Andy
A month ago i sold my 2002 Octy vRS, having owned it since the previous April, and doing 10,000 miles in it, including a trip to the nurburgring.
To replace it i just bought a 2003 Mk2 172 Cup, and i found one with Climate Control. I paid £7800 (from a dealer) and it had 21.5K on the clock. We are at the 'ring in May, and i cannot wait.
The Skoda was the better all-round car. More comfortable, higher level of equipment, better build quality. But the Cup is more fun, and the better performance car.
Steering: The Skoda would understeer, controllably, but once it started and power was applied it would just get worse. Very frustrating. The Cup will grip, more than you will believe, and you can feed power in and decide the amount of spin, but it will still hold its' line while scrabbling for grip. This is its best point, i think; its steering and the way you can feed power in without understeer. The Skoda did have good steering, plenty of feel, but not the incredible amounts the Cup has. The Skoda is a heavy car, 1325 kilos against 1021 (!) for the Cup. You could feel it, and once it started to understeer you could feel it a lot more as it lurched onwards towards the edge of the road.
Ride: The Renault is harder, stiffer, but not uncomfortable. Its rides very well, and the hard ride is not a problem. It doesn't roll much, which i love; once you throw it into a corner (large roundabouts are almost as good as sex now) it tips a little then corners almost flat, and you can get on with it. The Skoda rolled far too much, and then the weight pushed you straight on. It was frustrating; the Skoda has a great chassis but needed to lose some weight to take advantage of it. it needed a suspension kit to press on, the Cup doesn't.
Power: The Cup is quicker off the mark, and feels it, though as someone said the in-gear times are good on the Skoda due to the turbo and after 60 there would be nothing in it. But the delivery in the Renault is light years ahead. You can drive around and in any gear it pulls from tickover. In the Skoda you need to wait for the turbo to come in; without the blower its gutless. try a low-speed mini-roundabout in the Skoda in second gear; you come out of it at tickover and then nothing happens. I will always take a normally-aspirated car over a turbo for ease of power application.
Am i happy? Christ yes, though i would make the point that i no longer need a car for day-to-day use and the Skoda was bought for this, and it never let me down or did anything other than what it was meant to do. As an all-rounder it was fantastic. Then i bought a van and wanted a car to have some fun in. So i don't run the Cup as a day-to-day car. I can't see it would be a problem though.
Go for it, would be my advice. You won't regret it if you get a nice Cup, especially one with Climate (which the Skoda has, and i couldn't live without, hence me searching for a Cup with it). But i wouldn't go for an older one; spend the money, get a nice one and travel if you need to.
My friend was looking for Integra Type R's and we looked at 2. Then i let him drive my Cup. We looked at one for him 5 days later and he picks it up this weekend. Another one with CC, late 2003, 7600 miles (yes, really). £8200. Top money, but its almost new!
I may edit this to add more as i think about it.
Andy
Clio 172 Cup
thedoc said:
My cup is 52 plate, and the exhaust rusted away earlier this year, so yeah the 3 year period is right!
172 Cup
RussZS said:
Ford certainly got it spot on with the ZS. The drive differs so much from the Cup.. they're both awesome cars in different ways, the driving position, steering wheel and gearbox are perfect in the ZS. But I'll take nothing away from the Cup apart from the gear throw could be a lot shorter.
My friend has a Ford Racing suspension kit on his ZS and it's sweet to drive.. I think the Cup's suspension setup is just brilliant from STANDARD, I couldn't believe it when I test drove one for the first time, the ride was firm but my no means uncomfortable, couldn't get my head around it at first. lol.
My last car was a Ka, also fitted with a Ford Racing suspension kit.. you may laugh but I loved the way it handled, bloody loved it, just obviously lacked the power.
Sorry to stray from the Skoda/Cup topic slightly, but you've got my views on the Cup at least.
I'm doing the exact opposite!!
My old man was gonna chop his vRS in for the new one, but now the Cup will be chopped in and I'm taking the mk1 vRS off him (Via Dialynx, for a Revo).
I am gonna miss the Cup for those days when you just go out grab it by the scruff of the neck and rape the crap out of it for a couple of hours, it's just one of those cars.
Unfortunatley those journey's are getting few and far between and i'm fed up with having no space. God i'm getting old!!
My old man was gonna chop his vRS in for the new one, but now the Cup will be chopped in and I'm taking the mk1 vRS off him (Via Dialynx, for a Revo).
I am gonna miss the Cup for those days when you just go out grab it by the scruff of the neck and rape the crap out of it for a couple of hours, it's just one of those cars.
Unfortunatley those journey's are getting few and far between and i'm fed up with having no space. God i'm getting old!!
Papercup said:
really? I haven't researched it properly yet.
it was the SPS unit that caught my interest, as it allows you to turn it on and off. Very handy come service and sale time.
May just wait 6 months (end of warranty) and get it Jabba'd instead.
simonjones10 said:
The SPS is the best bit - you can turn it back to standard and it will go through a service at the dealer and no fault codes or anything untoward will come up. But as a map its very old and wasn't much cop. It wasn't designed for the Octy and it boosts too hard early on, making the turbo overboost and cut out repeatedly; you can feeling it surging.
After about 4500rpm the turbo is hardly working at all; its all the motor (which is fine as due to its Yamaha-derived 5-valve head needs to rev to make power so is strong late in the rev range and weak earlier on - hence my 'roundabout and slow corner problem' comments above).
Talk to JBS; they are on second stage Custom Code now and own the fastest Octy in the UK (400hp). They are your best bet and if i was going to do it all over again i'd be there in a flash.
Nissan 350Z
Rob1Sp said:
Hi Rob, remember me?
The Octy will certainly feel quicker at lower revs, as it has the turbo to help out, the Clio needs to be thrashed to deliver really fast performance, but luckily i think the car feels alive and the power is quite linear, but i reckon its also got very good torque for a NA engine.
I had a fabia vRS and ultimately i was disappointed with it. I've had the Clio nearly 6 months now, and enjoy driving it as much as I did since day one, in fact, possibly more so, its grown on me it really has... its just got character that its not entirely possible to appreciate straight away IMO.
Go for it!
hi pbirkett, still on briskoda much? I really dont know whether to go for the cup or not, have just got a bit bored with the octy, plus i dont really need the space of the bigger car, just have to get my r's in gear and sort finances! Whats the cost of ownership like 4 the cup?
Nissan 350Z
Hi rob, no dont really go on there any more, no real point, as i dont have a skoda and have little more to add to what i've already said on there + i used to go for the NE meets but they havent exactly been very common lately either.
Cost of ownership isnt too bad to be honest. Insurance for me is slightly less than the Octy vRS, servicing is about the same price, not sure what the intervals are on the octy but on the furby it was 10k, 12k for the Clio. I've just took mine out on a blat today, and believe me i wasnt hanging about and it returned nearly 32 MPG. That goes down to 27 MPG in a congested town/city and up to 40+ on a run.
Now I'm used to the handling though I can say its really, really good. I really took liberties today and was right up the chuff of some rather more exotic machinery, and I reckon it would handle far better than any standard skoda.
Cost of ownership isnt too bad to be honest. Insurance for me is slightly less than the Octy vRS, servicing is about the same price, not sure what the intervals are on the octy but on the furby it was 10k, 12k for the Clio. I've just took mine out on a blat today, and believe me i wasnt hanging about and it returned nearly 32 MPG. That goes down to 27 MPG in a congested town/city and up to 40+ on a run.
Now I'm used to the handling though I can say its really, really good. I really took liberties today and was right up the chuff of some rather more exotic machinery, and I reckon it would handle far better than any standard skoda.
simonjones10 said:
Sooo many Revo vs Jabba vs Custom Code debates on Seatcupra.net, in the end I opted for Jabba and were able to get 220bhp and 265 ftlbs torque out of my ibiza. Power delivery was great, Revo did the 5hr free trial on mine and it was no where near in the same league as Jabba.
