It makes me laugh when people go about what to buy, stating that it's the best. More often than not they have no experience of the other cars in the range and are biast as they own the model they're recommending.
You need to think about how much money you have to spend, what you want from the car and how you will use it.
Put simply:
If you're not bothered about the toys and want some old skool fun then get a 172 Cup.
If you want the toys and leather etc. then 182 with Cup Packs.
If you want the best handling Clio ever made then get a Trophy.
I have a 182 with the Cup Packs and a couple of choice mods including H&Rs. And between my friends and family we have at least one 172 Cup, 182 without Cup Packs, 182 with Cup Packs, Trophy, 197, R26 (not a Clio but an awesome car) and until recently an R27.
Before getting my 182 I was looking at 172 Cups, but I wanted things like leather and the rest of the toys. The standard 172 was never released with the Cup Packs and the revised suspension does make a difference to the handling so I went for the 182 as I couldn't afford a Trophy.
As for people saying that there's no point in a Trophy, have they ever driven one? The suspension makes a big difference to the handling of the car, giving it a sharper turn in, making it feel much more planted on bumpy UK roads and through faster corners. There is a reason why it has been voted the best handling hot hatch ever by many in the motoring press.
At the end of the day it's your decision though, so I would suggest you narrow it down to say, two different models and try examples of both out to see which you prefer.