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Choices? Low Mileage Williams 3 or 106 GTI?



  Clio 172
What do you reckon I should go for?

Selling the 182 to raise a bit of cash as me and my boyfriend have just bought a house.

Still want a sporty car either a williams 3 or a 106 GTI.

Undecided at the minute, which would you say to go for? :)
 
  106 GTi
Finding a low mileage 106 GTi will be easier than the Williams IMO.

Be the Williams for me if I could find one
 
  Clio 172
There are a couple on autotrader one with 55k on and one owner.

I'm finding it difficult to find a 106 GTI sadly all seem to be high mileages! :(
 

G_F

  BMW M3 & Williams 3
Both about the same, just little niggles on the two of them. Willy parts cost a bit more, but your getting a far superior car with a much better image, the Williams stands out, pug just blends in imo.

Its just finding one though, been trying to find one myself lately, but probably have a much smaller budget than you, how much do you want to spend Gem?
 
  Beetle
I might be on the lookout for a 106gti in a month or two, if you've already had a pug or two i'd go for the willy
 
Last edited:
  On the lookout
Having owned both, well a Valver... I would take the Clio any day... I think the 106 is a lovely looking car, but, the Clio out does it in power and is just as good handling... Seems to be better built as well...

Def go for the Williams, Much, much quicker, and from what I've heard better handling... Higher insurance tho...
 
  Turbos.
The thing i have against the Williams is the interior. The seats remind me of going to a pikey's house that hasn't been re-decorated since the early '80s.

I read a buyers guide for the 106 a little while ago and it was saying about the amount of problems with them. My mate had a Quicksilver and that was constantly in the garage. I would take one over the Williams though, prefer newer cars.
 
  UR R26R.5, VW Golf R
The situation is, in the next couple of weeks, she’ll have over £9k from a car sale to spend on either a Clio Williams or a Moonstone blue Peugeot 106 GTI with 25k miles. Obviously not all of the money, but up to a certain amount. There are a few minter low mileage GTI’s knocking about on the forums, 2002 – 03 registration. Looking at around £6500 for a beaut. That leaves however much left she’s willing to spend on modifications – engine tuning, suspension, wheels etc.
A low mileage Clio Williams is, by all accounts, harder to come by – I’m talking less than 30k miles. They look awesome, handle like a go-kart and have plenty of power onboard, which can be upped if needed. Cant really change the look of the car, it comes out of the box looking that good.
Both cars are temperamental. Need looking after and don’t really take abuse that well. I’d say the Williams is the stronger of the two engine-stick wise. Standard form the Williams is far more pleasant on the eye, but if putting splitters, bodykits and bigger wheels on floats your boat then the 106 GTI will destroy the Clio. Don’t know what it is about the Mk1 Clio, but it doesn’t take cosmetic modifcations too well, whereas the GTI does (in moderation of course).
I’d go for the Williams 3 as I’ve had 2 of them, but she’s had a Quiksilver 106 and Rich-D’s old China blue 106 GTI and she loved it (but sold it because the mileage was creeping up – 68k!!)
Think its swinging 106 direction at the moment, but surely the lure of the 2.0 has more to offer? ;)
 
For me it would have to be the williams, i love the look of the gti's but for ones with low mileage just go for way to much, i mean 6.5k i cudnt justify spending that on one, and the cheap ones all have near to 100k on the clock, the dash looks dated aswell. My mate wants a 172 but cant afford to run one, so his choice was between a gti & vts, and he's choose a vts for the simple fact your getting the same car but newer & less mileage for alot less money.

Have you thought about a Ph1 172?

If it was me id be looking at a Williams 3/VTS Ph2/Ph1 172
 
Williams for me. Milage isn't an issue on the engine apart from power can drop a bit with milage dependson how its been driven.
 

G_F

  BMW M3 & Williams 3
True ^^ My mate sold his when it was on 158k for £1600, not a problem with it either..
 
  UR R26R.5, VW Golf R
a Ford Racing Puma entered the field of play this evening. Still, looks like the Williams is leading the line now :)
 
Why limit the Willy to sub 30k miles? Seems to be a fair few more up to 60k for around £5k that look tidy from first impressions. Unless something really exceptional turned up I'd always be inclined to go with a well looked after regularly serviced car with just under average miles (say, 7-10k a year) than something over 10 years old which has barely moved the length of the country and back in over a decade.
 
Willy everytime. Faster, MUCH better looking and with serious kudos to go with it. And you wont regret it. Yes, some people say they're unreliable, but my 12 year 53k miler has been bullet proof for the 3 years I've owned it. Only repairs Ive had to make are to the steering collumn and coil springs last month. Both were the original parts which is pretty good going. And its got no rust.

I bought it at 34k for less than £4.5 k, they are out there if you look well enough!

Get a good one and you'll be laughing!
 
  Clio 172
David_Jones said:
If you even have to ask this question, you will never appreciate what a williams really is. Get the 106.

I do appreciate the williams, my boyfriend owned two and I know what they can do. I've owned two 106's and loved them both the only reason I was in two minds about the williams was their age and mileage.
 
  106 GTi
David_Jones said:
If you even have to ask this question, you will never appreciate what a williams really is. Get the 106.

In this case I dont think this is true, the 106 for some maybe a more sensible option, newer ones available, easier to find one with lower miles and a cheaper insurance group. Remembering the purpose of the change in this case is to cut costs.

If the Williams are anything like my old 205 GTi of an alike age, I can see them being a money pit.
 
  Clio 172
My old 106 GTI was a money pit too, driveshafts, head gasket, axle all went.

Are williams really this bad too? I'd be planning to purchase a warranty online to cover some repairs
 
  Beetle
Just because it's older doesn't mean it's a money pit, i've had my valver a year now and the only repairs it's needed were the front brakes at m.o.t. time. With the budget you have i'd imagine you'll get a very well looked after williams that is far from a money pit.
 
Well, I just got out of my car in a car park, and I heard a woman say "Look, it's a Williams", to the group of people she was with.

My car annoys me to fook, but it's kinda worth it :)
 
Gem_GTI said:
My old 106 GTI was a money pit too, driveshafts, head gasket, axle all went.

Are williams really this bad too? I'd be planning to purchase a warranty online to cover some repairs

No, not if you get a good one. Any car which has suffered abuse over time will have problems, its not just isolated to one individual make of car (unless its a TVR). I'm still on the original clutch! Get one you know has been well looked after and you shouldnt have any real probs with it.
 

Jamie

ClioSport Club Member
nothing has ever gone wrong with my 3. imo dickheads hammer them and dont look after them, inevitably things break.
 
  RenaultSport clio 172 mk2
Gem_GTI said:
I do appreciate the williams, my boyfriend owned two and I know what they can do. I've owned two 106's and loved them both the only reason I was in two minds about the williams was their age and mileage.

The whole point is not 'what they can do' but 'what the car is'.

There are other faster cars in its class. But not other car for the money comes close to the reputation the williams has in terms of history and passion.

Owning a williams is about 'ownership appeal', weekend in Ireland on B roads, trips to the Evo triangle, mingling with other enthusiasts, not chavving it up and down your local duel carriageway with the punto boys, innit?

A williams doesnt look out of place at a meet with alot of expensive machinery around. A 106 does. Its all down to class. The williams has loads of class.
 
  Clio 172
David_Jones said:
The whole point is not 'what they can do' but 'what the car is'.

There are other faster cars in its class. But not other car for the money comes close to the reputation the williams has in terms of history and passion.

Owning a williams is about 'ownership appeal', weekend in Ireland on B roads, trips to the Evo triangle, mingling with other enthusiasts, not chavving it up and down your local duel carriageway with the punto boys, innit?

A williams doesnt look out of place at a meet with alot of expensive machinery around. A 106 does. Its all down to class. The williams has loads of class.

What are you saying?? Because it has class I shouldnt get one? Whats your problem??

I asked for opinions on the car. I know what a williams is, what it can do. And owning one is not just about ownership appeal. If I wanted one to do a few tuning mods (hillpower cylinder head mod and supersprint full system) and use it as my everyday car then thats my prerogative. Doesnt mean its not going to be looked after and kept as mint as it always was. At the end of the day if my car looked sh*t then it would reflect on me and I would never let any car I own go to waste.
 
^^^ I think the point of David_Jones comment was that you should (not shouldnt!) get the Williams over the 106 as its just got more class / kudos than the 106 and I agree. The Williams punches well above its weight and is admired by so many people for all the above reasons listed, no matter what sort of cars you are into. The 106 doesnt have this kind of reputation.
 


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