197-My opinion

[gazcaddy]

Went for a test drive today of a black 197.

Overall I thought it was a fantastic car, better looking, more comfortable, seats were very good, better built, exhaust note sounded better, nicer to drive and more refined than the 182.

My only concerns were that yes it was quick but i didnt think it was or felt as quick as my 182. The other thing I didnt like was that despite the 6th gear crusing was no better than the 182 as the revs are still high at 70mph in 6th. The third concern was the price the spec i would have met paint, xenons, climate and you are looking at 17k.

So 17k and they offered me 9.5k for my 54 182 with 9.5k on the clock which i didnt think was too bad.

I dont think Ill be changing it for financial reasons but if I had the choice brand new between a 13k 182 or a 17k 197 my money would be going with the 197 as overall its a far superior car.

 

[Funkyjahooner]

For 17k it should be superior.

Certainly comes at a price.

 

[mij29]

horible lookin, hate them.

 

[tommyboy]

17k?

Id rather get a v6 anyday for that money

 

[Mike_SE]

there is no way i would pay an extra 7k to "upgrade" to a 197 (even if i did still have a clio). As was said, if i wanted another clio and was spending silly money like that, it would be the V6 all day long. Personally speaking of course!

 

[DieHard]

Test drove a 197 today while my Trophy was in for its 12K service. Dealer allowed me to really 'test' the car, staying away from dual carrageways in favour of a few miles of twisting country roads.

Plus points for me...

Cant argue with the claims of better build quality - it felt like a really well put together car. There was even room for people to sit in the back seats without losing all circulation in their legs !

The car looked much nicer up-close than it does in photographs, much less g-hay looking. Seats were very comfortable, even comparing them to the recaro's in the Trophy.

Ride quality was far better than the regular 182 and Trophy, making it a far nicer car for those people looking for comfort and performance (the Golf crowd).

Gearbox was a big improvement on mine, nice and tight, allowing very quick and smooth changes. Engine sounded more refined at high revs too and the closer ratio gearbox allowed me to keep the revs between 5 and 7K for much of the test.

Silly little thing, but the keyless entry is a nice quirky little feature too.


Minus Points for me...

Steering was way too light, losing much of the 'feel' of the car.

There was little or no actual feeling of acceleration. Sure the speedo rose fast enough, but I couldn't actually feel any urgency in the car.

The extra weight of this model was obvious at higher speeds on twisty B-roads, there was far more understeer in the tight bends (I turned off the ESP and did the same test-run a second time).

The grey plastic diffuser might work very well, but to me it looked like a joke when I saw it up-close. I guess some people will prefer the more discreet looks of this version, but I would have preferred to see a spoiler on the back, even just for visual effect. The Spoiler on the new white ClioCup racing cars looks great and in my view makes the car look more like a renaultSPORT.

Overall, I think those people who have to use their car as a small family car too will love it, those people, like myself, who just use the car for themselves will probably want to wait to see if the 'cup' version of the car is a more focused 'drivers' car.

 

[Rob R26r]

The 197 is hideous!

 

[ollie]

id stick with 182 to

 

[pecan]

Nice write up. I agree with most of your points. I had a test drive and posted my opinions on here in a different thread. The steering is far to light and you do lose a lot of feel due to it. When you floor it I don't think it climbs the revs fast at all. Surprised you thought it did actually.

One thing I will say about it tho, which I sorta forgot to mention in my mini-review - apart from the better build quality, better gearbox and better seats, going over speed bumps is a blessing in the 197 compared with my Cup. Smooth as you like.

 

[bunzee]

I love the 197, I just wish I could afford one.

 

[Dan@SJM]

you wont once youve driven one im afraid.

 

[bunzee]

you wont once youve driven one im afraid.

Maybe I should go test one then so I don't feel so jealous of them lol

 

[Dan@SJM]

oh you should. yours much better build quality! i cant really comment as i dont have much lieft in my 172 lol

 

[gazcaddy]

Nice write up. I agree with most of your points. I had a test drive and posted my opinions on here in a different thread. The steering is far to light and you do lose a lot of feel due to it. When you floor it I don't think it climbs the revs fast at all. Surprised you thought it did actually.

One thing I will say about it tho, which I sorta forgot to mention in my mini-review - apart from the better build quality, better gearbox and better seats, going over speed bumps is a blessing in the 197 compared with my Cup. Smooth as you like.

Yes the sterring is very light and gives little feedback, it sort of reminds me of my mums 1.0l corsa. When i was driving the 197 I thought it was quick and so did the girlfriend, but when I got back in the 182 I put my foot down and she nearly s**t herself (shes not to keen on going that fast). I think its def slower than the 182 but it feels alot slower. Agree totally about the revs as well, it seemed to take an age to get to the red line.

 

[gazcaddy]

The 197 is hideous!

Have you driven one? If not go and drive one it is an awesome car.

Now if only it had the meg 225 engine, now that would be worth 17k!

 

[Fred@BTM]

everything is an option now! for £16K i'd expect everything to be included (climate etc etc)

 

[Gareth]

everything is an option now! for £16K i'd expect everything to be included (climate etc etc)

ditto. For 16K you don't get, Leather, Climate Control, CD Changer, Auto Lights, Auto Wipers, Spare Wheel, Metallic Paint, 4 Speakers.

 

[Daz]

Most people hated the Mk2 Clio (172 Mk1) when it came out..

Then people hated the Mk2 Clio (172 Mk2) when it came out..

Now lots of people love them.. but hate the 197.

I give it a year...

 

[Gareth]

I like it, its just overpriced right now and if I bought one it would be knowing that I am going to a slightly slower car.

 

[Steve2004]

Most people hated the Mk2 Clio (172 Mk1) when it came out..

Then people hated the Mk2 Clio (172 Mk2) when it came out..

Now lots of people love them.. but hate the 197.

I give it a year...

Give it a year.... and a 'cup' version.

 

[DebV6]

I want to like it, but I just dont, I dont like the looks of it and I though it was very dull to drive. Ok, it is a better overall car, the interiors much more up to date and the seats are nice etc, but there's no way I'd trade my car for it, I'd much rather get a v6 or 225. It doesnt seem to have that 'fun factor' or the character of my 182, which is what I buy a hot hatch for!

 

[S77CCP]

To be honest I don't expect much from any upcoming 'Cup' version. Useless Reno sort the steering (which I doubt they will) there isn't going to be much improvement in handling. And as the 'basic' model weighs in at 1250kgs without toys how are they going to strip any weight off it?

 

[Tom1600]

Dissapointing to hear about the seeminly 'gimmicky' 6th gear. Seen 3 people mention it now.

Rear spoiler option would make me well happy. 2 years time my Trophy will be replaced - a lot can and will happen with the 197 in that time! Just ignoring it for now.

 

[pecan]

And as the 'basic' model weighs in at 1250kgs without toys how are they going to strip any weight off it?

haha, good point!

Dissapointing to hear about the seeminly 'gimmicky' 6th gear. Seen 3 people mention it now.

My experience with it was that it seemed to completely shut the engine up at higher revs, which I thought was excellent! However, when I test drove it I didn't take it on the dual carriageway. I was going through country lanes, so didn't keep a consistant 70mph (if you know what I mean).

 

[gazcaddy]

haha, good point!



My experience with it was that it seemed to completely shut the engine up at higher revs, which I thought was excellent! However, when I test drove it I didn't take it on the dual carriageway. I was going through country lanes, so didn't keep a consistant 70mph (if you know what I mean).

at 70mph in 6th in the 197 the revs are very similar to the 182 at 70mph in 5th gear.

Also I forgot to mention in my original post that i test drove the car at Ezra Sudgen dealer in Worksop, Notts. The salesman was called Guy and the service he offered was excellent he really knew is stuff about the Renaultsport range which was a change from some of the dealers ive encountered in the past. I thought I would share this as we are quick to **** of poor service on here and sometimes good service isnt mentioned.

 

[Englebert]

I drove a blue one at the Sevenoaks dealership on Saturday.

I think the steering is misleading people, at straight ahead it is very light but it does improve quite a bit when you're carrying a bit of speed. Despite being a bigger car, i thought it reacted very quickly to steering inputs, not unlike my Mini which was very go-kart like.

I took it on roads i knew and it was more composed than my 172, certainly had more grip and a lot less body roll. The engine did feel a little asthmatic, undoubtedly due to the larger amount of inertia and the relative low mileage.

Personally the more i looked at it, the more i liked the looks. The arches are huge, i actually think it is looks like a normal clio mixed with a V6! I really loved it. The inside is very grown up, giving the impression it had moved up a couple of sectors. Whether the interior would rattle to death after 6 months will remain to be seen...!

Overall it reminded me of the best bits of my Mini, it sacrifices the ultimate delicacy of the 172 with more composure and maturity. As much as i don't like pub car facts though, i would always have that nagging thought of other new hatches having more power though and with the car having almost 100bhp/litre you can't see much room for upgrades in that department. Don't get me wrong though, as an all round car it is light years better than the 172.