Was over at Renault this morning booking car in for some warranty work (surprise surprise) ans I notice the dealership had the Twingo 133, Clio 200 (cup packed) and Megane 250 all sitting lined up just waiting to be taken out for a run.
So, I jumped into the Clio first and from the start it felt different from my R27. The 200 had the standard seats, not the recaros...and while being fine, they did not feel anywhere near as good / supportive as the recaros (yes...the recaros have their problems which we are all aware off).
I started the 200 up and low and behold there was only 19 miles on the clock! Basically, this was essentially a brand new car. Now...i know that cars need run in, are tight and take several thousand miles to loosen up...but I have to say with all honesty and my hand on heart...this car felt very very tight with very little 'oomph'. I guess after reading all the positive and praising press reviews I was expecting something 'magical', something special that I had been missing out on in the 197...all I can say is 'from this initial test run, no... I'm not'. Where is this extra 20% torque that keeps being bandied about the place??? YES..the car is not even run in...I know...but I'm sorry, this just didn't feel anything special.
I remember collecting my 182 brand new many years ago and was instantly so impressed by its hot hatch performance driving from Sefton Liverpool dealership up to Aigburth...I had the biggest smile! But...I don't know whether it is because I am getting well used to driving Clio Sports now or simply because the 200 had so few miles on...but it just didn't do anything for me in terms of performance. However...the car did handle well...as should be expected and the brakes were immense...leads me to think that I need to change the pads on my own car.
So...after taking the 200 out, I immediately jumped into the Megane...WOW...such a different place to be than the Clio. The Meg had just over 200 miles on the clock...but it felt sooo much more powerful than the Clio...and I mean massively differently! The car accelerated something shocking and with so much ease! Plenty of torque...even sitting in 4th gear at low speed, you could feel the power under the acceleration. The Megane handled well, turned into corners with confidence and all without the constant need to be changing up and down gears (although I do like having to do this in the Clio).
Maybe I'm just getting older...but as much as I love Clio Sport, from this back to back session, for me, the Megane wins hands down in all departments. Coming straight out the Megane, back into my R27, I was left in no doubt about changing for a 200...for me, it just simply wouldn't be worth it...unless I was getting a very good deal...and I mean a very good deal. The Megane would probably be out of my price range, but I think I might have to start looking further afield for my next car rather than just thinking about the 200.
Of course, this is only an initial impress from a short test drive so is far from a valid or conclusive conclusion. I also remember taking a 197 out for a test drive when they first came on the scene and was left feeling quite disappointed at the time...however, as I tried different test drives in different 197s, my mind started to change. Perhaps this will be the case with the 200...but that front face I will never get used to
Dave
So, I jumped into the Clio first and from the start it felt different from my R27. The 200 had the standard seats, not the recaros...and while being fine, they did not feel anywhere near as good / supportive as the recaros (yes...the recaros have their problems which we are all aware off).
I started the 200 up and low and behold there was only 19 miles on the clock! Basically, this was essentially a brand new car. Now...i know that cars need run in, are tight and take several thousand miles to loosen up...but I have to say with all honesty and my hand on heart...this car felt very very tight with very little 'oomph'. I guess after reading all the positive and praising press reviews I was expecting something 'magical', something special that I had been missing out on in the 197...all I can say is 'from this initial test run, no... I'm not'. Where is this extra 20% torque that keeps being bandied about the place??? YES..the car is not even run in...I know...but I'm sorry, this just didn't feel anything special.
I remember collecting my 182 brand new many years ago and was instantly so impressed by its hot hatch performance driving from Sefton Liverpool dealership up to Aigburth...I had the biggest smile! But...I don't know whether it is because I am getting well used to driving Clio Sports now or simply because the 200 had so few miles on...but it just didn't do anything for me in terms of performance. However...the car did handle well...as should be expected and the brakes were immense...leads me to think that I need to change the pads on my own car.
So...after taking the 200 out, I immediately jumped into the Megane...WOW...such a different place to be than the Clio. The Meg had just over 200 miles on the clock...but it felt sooo much more powerful than the Clio...and I mean massively differently! The car accelerated something shocking and with so much ease! Plenty of torque...even sitting in 4th gear at low speed, you could feel the power under the acceleration. The Megane handled well, turned into corners with confidence and all without the constant need to be changing up and down gears (although I do like having to do this in the Clio).
Maybe I'm just getting older...but as much as I love Clio Sport, from this back to back session, for me, the Megane wins hands down in all departments. Coming straight out the Megane, back into my R27, I was left in no doubt about changing for a 200...for me, it just simply wouldn't be worth it...unless I was getting a very good deal...and I mean a very good deal. The Megane would probably be out of my price range, but I think I might have to start looking further afield for my next car rather than just thinking about the 200.
Of course, this is only an initial impress from a short test drive so is far from a valid or conclusive conclusion. I also remember taking a 197 out for a test drive when they first came on the scene and was left feeling quite disappointed at the time...however, as I tried different test drives in different 197s, my mind started to change. Perhaps this will be the case with the 200...but that front face I will never get used to
Dave
