197 prices!

[jameswrx]

I’ve been watching them on eBay for couple of months and I could have easily got a half decent car for £2500 I reckon.

I’ve decide I now want to buy one and It seems the prices and demand has gone up all of a sudden! Has anyone else noticed?

Just yesterday two went on eBay at no res auction, ones clearly been poached by someone as it’s gone and the other is already at £3k after a day which seems strong bidding assuming it hasn’t even been viewed (was at £2900 after few hours)

Here’s ‘sold’ cars couple months ago

here’s today

a
And the cheapest at £2800 has a broken gearbox and rippled debts on drivers door (which prob won’t come out) and a dented boot lid.

Will I even like the 6 speed box in a 197?

 

[197.]

A lot of those have sold for less than what they’re worth and I reckon that’s more to do with the fact that people haven’t got jobs so the market demand has shrunk.

That was only temporary as you have seen with prices rising again. I may have one for sale but I’m waiting on someone else. In the meantime I’d look on FB. Where are you based as a lot of the time they’re cheaper in the midlands/up north.

 

[dave120]

I considered a 197 before I bought my 172 Cup. I suppose a 197 is a bit of a different ownership proposition with it being a newer car.

I really like the 197 shape but was slightly put off by what I had read was a slightly dull driving experience when compared with a 1*2.

I do realise you are going the other way in terms of ownership and I am interested to see what you end up with and what your thoughts are.

Good Luck

 

[jameswrx]

I have noticed they’re a lot cheaper oop north.

I’m in south east, which as you say is a dry spot. Only one round here is that blue one but gel plates etc, broken box and bad dents doesn’t = £2800 IMO

I even like red which I’d have thought would be a hard colour to shift but that one yesterday was red but only 66k. Someone snapped that up no doubt.

 

[jameswrx]

I considered a 197 before I bought my 172 Cup. I suppose a 197 is a bit of a different ownership proposition with it being a newer car.

I really like the 197 shape but was slightly put off by what I had read was a slightly dull driving experience when compared with a 1*2.

I do realise you are going the other way in terms of ownership and I am interested to see what you end up with and what your thoughts are.

Good Luck

I’ve no doubt it’ll be more dull but I’m looking to go a bit more ‘race car’ with my silver 172. I have a stock 172 and I’m thinking out that and buy a 197 daily (the 172 is already too loud for road) I just really love the look of the 197 and it’s got to have a lot of the hot hatch charm I love about the 1*2 just a bit different rather than having two 172’s?

 

[Gally]

Chocolate gearboxes can't be good for their reputation either? Bargain none the less also the mk3 tired a lot more than the mk2 imo. Interior trims and fixings etc always seem looser in an aged mk3.

Fiesta is similar. A leggy mk6 feels better than a leggy mk7 when in average condition.

 

[197.]

I have noticed they’re a lot cheaper oop north.

I’m in south east, which as you say is a dry spot. Only one round here is that blue one but gel plates etc, broken box and bad dents doesn’t = £2800 IMO

I even like red which I’d have thought would be a hard colour to shift but that one yesterday was red but only 66k. Someone snapped that up no doubt.

Agreed, not worth £2800 at all. There was a red 200 which has 3rd gear crunch for 2800 on the Facebook group IIRC. I think it’s about £800 for a refurbed gearbox with a new clutch (drive in - drive out), alternatively £300 for a good gearbox, or £50 for one that needs fixing.

 

[Darren61]

Given the steady rise in 172/182’s in recent months, isn’t it an inevitability that the 197’s will be impacted by this in terms of a gradual upward price trajectory?

For anyone wanting a 172/182 that is now put off by prices for a good example, they’ll look to the next more affordable version which is the 197.

Fingers crossed you can find a good one for a fair price

 

[StarWez]

What i miss about my 197 was the steering wheel,
it was nice and chunky, on my megane f1 the comparison was huge,
and now on my yellow 172 it is even more obvious

 

[197.]

Given the steady rise in 172/182’s in recent months, isn’t it an inevitability that the 197’s will be impacted by this in terms of a gradual upward price trajectory?

For anyone wanting a 172/182 that is now put off by prices for a good example, they’ll look to the next more affordable version which is the 197.

Fingers crossed you can find a good one for a fair price

It will happen and it’ll happen quicker than the 1*2s IMO as so many 197 shitters are being broken. Plus the fact that parts aren’t as cheap from broken cars means they’ll hold a higher low end market value.

 

[Matthew]

They also didn’t sell anywhere near as well as 1*2s so there weren’t as many around in the first place.

 

[VenomUK]

I really fancy myself a 225 or R26, noticed the prices of those are about as stable as the sea at the moment.

 

[Martin_172]

The cheap Méganes have done the same, it's because people want to buy them and build meglios I'd say

 

[Mr Burns]

Having owned a 172, 182, 197 and Megane 225 I'd personally opt for a Megane if I was to buy one again as a daily. As said 197 gearboxes are awful and they're really thirsty for a 2.0 n/a hatch too, worse than the Megane which is surprising.

 

[leeds_182]

I had a 197 from new. Great looking cars but they last the zing of the 172/182s plus I only got 28mpg from mine whereas I got 36 from my 182.

If I had 3k on a clio to spend I’d be looking for a nice 172/182 rather a 197.

 

[jameswrx]

Thanks chaps.

How are they so bad on fuel? You’d imagine they’d get better as time went on. Gearing and weight makes a difference I guess.

Think you’re all rapidly putting me off

I do like the 225 Megane but it’s prob getting a bit serious for a short trip to work daily (I already have 2 imprezas for the turbo fun)

This stupid dilemma only started when I’ve ended up wanting to track my nice 172, decided not to and instead bought a car to specifically track. I’ve ended up with 2 172’s so it was more a case of sell the nice std one and buy something different but similar (as I like the clio for grin factor). Either that or I just sell the nice one & daily the track prepped car as it’s only a short distance.

 

[leeds_182]

I think your better option would be to just keep the nice clio as a road car and just use it on track as and when.

The amount of people on here that go ‘track car’ and do one track day a decade is ridiculous. A standard ish clio with decent brakes, tyres and fresh suspension will go around the track as quick as most dedicated track cars or at the very worst not be noticeably slower.

 

[Mr Burns]

If you want a cheap reliable fun hatch, maybe try a Swift? They're cheap as chips at the moment and mine have been faultless, despite trackdays and 'Ring trips.

 

[jameswrx]

I think your better option would be to just keep the nice clio as a road car and just use it on track as and when.

The amount of people on here that go ‘track car’ and do one track day a decade is ridiculous. A standard ish clio with decent brakes, tyres and fresh suspension will go around the track as quick as most dedicated track cars or at the very worst not be noticeably slower.

That was the initial idea but I certainly won’t be doing one a decade, one a month on track day hopefully. The idea is also to do some auto solo and hill climb.

I’m not against the idea of a stock car mechanically but it’s more the safety stuff I want to do after watching someone I know smash himself to pieces the other day on track in a road car with none. It’s a bit of a wake up call when you see a freak accident like that and your life is ruined.

 

[massiveCoRbyn]

I have a 197 and I love it, just to go against everyone saying they're not worth it. Yes not quite as willing in a straight line, but a nicer road car, more grip, more planted, and more performance ultimately.

If you want fuel economy, buy a diesel. Oh, and on the gearbox thing, the 1*2 hardly has a flawless record in that department 🤣

 

[imprezaworks]

I contemplated one quite a few times as i think they have aged well. If anything i would go up a notch and get the 200, think they are a little better.

But from memory.

Negatives.-

Fuel
Exhaust
Gearbox.

Positives-

Look great imo.
Handle well.

I know there are more but that's the basics.

 

[Mr Burns]

Standard brakes are awesome too.

 

[massiveCoRbyn]

Recaro seats too. Basically, other than using a bit more fuel and not feeling quite so urgent, they're better than a 1*2 in every way 🤣

 

[Krarl]

The issues with 197's is that the balljoints are expensive and never get done but the cars are smashed up kerbs like no tomorrow, theyre slower than a 182 in standard form, less fun to drive and use more fuel

However, theyre 10x comfier, nicer places to be and imo look better (only with a cup spoiler)

 

[Starlet_gt]

197's get a bashing on here but I loved mine. Not the best on fuel but great on a B road blast and quick enough for what I wanted at the time. To me, the 197 is probably the best looking out of all the renaultsport clio models.

 

[massiveCoRbyn]

The issues with 197's is that the balljoints are expensive and never get done but the cars are smashed up kerbs like no tomorrow, theyre slower than a 182 in standard form, less fun to drive and use more fuel

However, theyre 10x comfier, nicer places to be and imo look better (only with a cup spoiler)

They're not too bad now. Just try and buy one with them already done. Other than those, the suspension stuff isn't that different in price to a 1*2 in my experience.

Don't tell @Sunglasses_Ron, as I gave him loads of stick about not having a spoiler on his, but I kinda like them without one now. With a bit of a drop and the right wheels, I think they look a bit more squat and purposeful without one in a way.

 

[Coops Mk1]

I'm definitely in the other camp, I think the 197's look rubbish really. never got on with design language of the front of that era, same reason i'm not hugely keen on that era of megane either.

200 or nothing if I had to have a mk3. but to me they're just too expensive for not much gain, want a comfy car that's economical buy a diesel, want a comfy performance car that's got the legs to match the handling, buy a megane 250. Want a cheap daily hack to knock about in, rough, ready, and mega cheap to fix, fuel and maintain? but a mk2 sport of some form.

 

[197.]

If you've got the budget for a MK3 Meg you wouldn't be looking at a 197. I can't believe how dated the interior of the 182 I drove was, but that's down to individual taste, much like the looks of both cars.

182 vs 197 - they're both old, cheap french shitboxes. Do your research (as I'm guessing a lot of ex-197 owners didn't, got burned and now are salty), go out and test drive a car for yourself and you'll be fine.

These threads always go one way and I always offer the same advice in the paragraph above. If you want actual experiences, talk to those who own the cars as opposed to people who follow the crowd, haven't done their own research, and perpetuate the common misconceptions of MK3 ownership.

 

[massiveCoRbyn]

If you've got the budget for a MK3 Meg you wouldn't be looking at a 197. I can't believe how dated the interior of the 182 I drove was, but that's down to individual taste, much like the looks of both cars.

182 vs 197 - they're both old, cheap french shitboxes. Do your research (as I'm guessing a lot of ex-197 owners didn't, got burned and now are salty), go out and test drive a car for yourself and you'll be fine.

These threads always go one way and I always offer the same advice in the paragraph above. If you want actual experiences, talk to those who own the cars as opposed to people who follow the crowd, haven't done their own research, and perpetuate the common misconceptions of MK3 ownership.

Absolutely. I've owned both a 172 Cup and a 197, and also a Meg 265, so probably have reasonable experience.

All have their good and bad points in reality.

 

[leeds_182]

I’ve owned several 172s / 182s and only ever had one 197.

That sums up my experience.

 

[MarkCup]

I owned my 03 reg 172 Cup from new for 8 years and 125k miles. I owned my 09 reg 200 for 18 months and 24k miles.

That sums up my thoughts on the mk2 v mk3.

 

[massiveCoRbyn]

I’ve owned several 172s / 182s and only ever had one 197.

That sums up my experience.

You also sell cars within days of buying them and collect old Volvos and Volkswagen vans, so I don't know how much stock we can put in your experience 😉

 

[leeds_182]

You also sell cars within days of buying them and collect old Volvos and Volkswagen vans, so I don't know how much stock we can put in your experience 😉

My pre volvo days were all clio though. That’s before they started getting a little too expensive.

 

[Coops Mk1]

I've driven loads of 197/200's but they look a bit pants, interiors imo are hideous and they're too expensive and thirsty for me to even consider 15k plus a year in.

They do drive very nicely though, about all they have going for them imo

 

[Martin_172]

Recaro seats too. Basically, other than using a bit more fuel and not feeling quite so urgent, they're better than a 1*2 in every way 🤣

I found this, the ONLY reason to buy a MK2 over a MK3 is ££££ imo

 

[DomP182]

Horses for courses

 

[mattf4r]

Cars have been crazy the last 4 months. I’m in the trade and we have had our biggest 3 months in 60 years of trading. Literally we could have sold our entire forecourt 5 times over.

I think demand is through the roof as people have cash burning a hole due to no holidays, cancelled plans, weddings, don’t want to use public transport etc

Not sure if this has filtered into the private market but I think perhaps the 197 has levelled out because a 1*2 has gone up in value, a good one is £3-4k now so when 197s dipped below that people probably started snapping them up for cheap track cars and now that cheap pool has dried up.

 

[Not a Diesel!!!]

197 and 200 stands out a mile because of those wide arches. Nobody does that anymore. except m cars and amg.They squeeze the performance car into std shell.

I think they have bottomed out anyway then the covid supply vs demand kicked in.

Move up the budget a little and fiesta st comes into play with nice chassis turbo torque. Better mpg and tax. With plentiful availability. But sub 5k the only competition for 197 is 182.

 

[Mbeau]

I currently have a 197 track car that belongs to a friend of mine. I am doing a bit of work on it prior to putting up for sale. It appears to of had all the weak points addressed. Gearbox all good with no crunches (feels lovely), Toyo manifold and hubs all good. I have just had all belts replaced by @renotech so timing is spot on and runs really well. It has the RS 200 17 x 7.5 wheels with new Nankang NS2R tyres, 20mm Hubcentric spacers all round, ktec coilovers, powerflex engine mounts, stainless steel exhaust system, RS 200 rear diffuser, RS rear spoiler amongst other things.

I must say it does look really smart. Even some of the neighbour's have commented on it! Very different imo to the 172/182. It is probably as quick, but just does not feel it. Handing is unbelievable and I love the sound of it. I do feel it needs a bit more power though due to the weight and I can see why people go the turbo route with them. Will get some better pictures once i have finished it, but here is one to give you an idea.

 

[dave120]

I currently have a 197 track car that belongs to a friend of mine. I am doing a bit of work on it prior to putting up for sale. It appears to of had all the weak points addressed. Gearbox all good with no crunches (feels lovely), Toyo manifold and hubs all good. I have just had all belts replaced by @renotech so timing is spot on and runs really well. It has the RS 200 17 x 7.5 wheels with new Nankang NS2R tyres, 20mm Hubcentric spacers all round, ktec coilovers, powerflex engine mounts, stainless steel exhaust system, RS 200 rear diffuser, RS rear spoiler amongst other things.

I must say it does look really smart. Even some of the neighbour's have commented on it! Very different imo to the 172/182. It is probably as quick, but just does not feel it. Handing is unbelievable and I love the sound of it. I do feel it needs a bit more power though due to the weight and I can see why people go the turbo route with them. Will get some better pictures once i have finished it, but here is one to give you an idea.

View attachment 1502758

Lovely looking car but I prefer them with no wing. Just personal preference.