Clio 200 - Tell me everything. Sell them to me.

[Sir_Dave]

Sometimes in life you get to a point where your priorities change, you want a house, & your silly car buying/modifiying/tinkering habit starts to wane.

Running two cars is cool, but i'll be honest, id rather not be paying two lots of everything ... previously i just didnt care, but now, for the 1st time in my life, i feel like i should maybe tone it down a little. I've got all the silly cars out of my system, so can now, after many years tone it down a little and buy something that will last me a few years, with a warranty and that nearly new car smell.

So browsing Pistonheads found me pretty much falling in love with this, front end included

Now i'll be honest, over the 12 years i've been driving, the car i have enjoyed the most (by a long shot) is the Trophy, so effectively, i want a newer version of that, that will be reliable, well equiped and most importantly, fun. BMW's are brilliant, but id always need a 2nd 'fun' car, & i dont want to do that anymore. I've also wanted a 200 since that ridiculous £199 a month deal ...

So, for a normal 200 (dont want a cup as prefer cruise/climate/more adjustable steering column, etc):

• What options are the ones to go for? I assume, Recaro's, Cup pack, Nav?
• Will it do 30mpg sat at 75 on the mway. I currently get 29/35 out the M3/Trophy, so i dont really drive that hard day to day.
• Obviously, the Silverstone is pricey, could i retrofit the glass black roof to a different model? Is the normal silver one the same colour?
• What are the service intervals? Same as the T @ 12k?
• I'm aware that the ride is quite hard, but i cant imagine its any worse that the T, but with a bit less roadnoise/more space in the cabin.

So, yeah. Sell them to me really.

 

[Christopher]

We're thinking of the exact same choice TBH mate.

I'd be interested in owner's replies too.

 

[Budgie]

I sometimes wonder about you.

How much is a 200? £13k?

Bang. http://www.pistonheads.co.uk/sales/3658259.htm and this won't be worth £4k in three years.

Back in the real world.

 

[Sir_Dave]

I sometimes wonder about you.

How much is a 200? £13k?

Bang. http://www.pistonheads.co.uk/sales/3658259.htm and this won't be worth £4k in three years.

Back in the real world.

But i'd still need a 2nd car to have fun in ...

Also, & rather unfortunately, when assessing mortgage affordability, they are only interested in my monthly income/outgoings & subsequent affordability, not the worth of my assets, i.e. cars - they dont show up on Experian lol

By lowering my monthly committments, id be able to borrow about £15k-£20k extra mortgage wise. Thats the priority now tbh.

 

[Gally]

A 200 is perfect for you Dave. The one above is nice, needs a GT spoiler though!

I think they're fantastic.

 

[Nick172Cup]

That silver 200's lovely Dave!

I must admit I had that feeling of getting a new car a while back when I drove the 200/Megane 250/Focus RS. The 200 felt okay but for me it certainly wasnt worth the brand new price tag. Maybe I didn't have a good/long enough drive of the 200 so it would be good to hear an in-depth opinion from some actual owners.

 

[MarkCup]

I'll be back in here later, haven't got time now to write up all my thoughts...but they're all good.

 

[Gally]

R27 Dave?

 

[seb]

tbh, I sold my 197 in the quest to obtain cash for a house. Sold it and bought my old 320i

So banked a lot of cash and had a much cheaper car.

I don't know what your cars are worth but if you are not selling both and then just buying a 200 and keeping some cash in your bank, I would question the validity of doing this.

Will buying the 200 be a cash purchase of the combined cost of both your cars? Or will you be financing it?

 

[seb]

Plus, your woman will be planning on getting a house, then once that is done, babies are the next agenda.

I'd personally recommend just buying a senic now and accepting your fate.

 

[Italian_Job]

Id get a M3 e46 for 10-13k and tell me it's no fun.

 

[Nick172Cup]

Plus, your woman will be planning on getting a house, then once that is done, babies are the next agenda.

I'd personally recommend just buying a senic now and accepting your fate.

Lol! So true, though I don't think will be wanting any of that just yet!

 

[seb]

OP currently has an M3, see OP.

 

[Nick172Cup]

Id get a M3 e46 for 10-13k and tell me it's no fun.

Lol, he's already got a bloody E46 M3 you numpty!

 

[Dean.]

How about an r26?

 

[Jimbo_M]

200's are awesome motors and if i wasnt saving to move out then i would defo be looking to buy one. A friend of mine had a 200 cup and it was a fantastic car, i was shocked at its capabilities tbh!

 

[Italian_Job]

Lol, he's already got a bloody E46 M3 you numpty!

LOL i should have read it first

 

[EllD90]

I think the excel spreadsheet wired into your brain wouldn't let you buy a newish Renault.

 

[Gally]

To Seb, Dave is pretty stringent with finance so any move wouldn't be stupid like say selling a 182 to buy an 6/7k 107 to save money...

 

[ben_p]

Seems a bit retarded if you 'own' the cash then just have one car. What's the M3 worth? 7k ish. Just sell that, bank the cash and keep the trophy. Extra money for a deposit is better than improving the multiplier.

Or buy a 200 let it deprecate, fall to bits It and keep it for 5 years.

 

[R-Sport.]

197 FF- is where its at top spec- dont buy a 200

S

 

[Brett]

They're a great all rounder. To be honest the RS Clio is a car you will always look at and think its a great option. There aren't many cars that can be such a great all rounder, at a relatively low cost, whilst still being one of the best drivers cars on the road. The same goes from ph1 172 right through to a brand new 200.

How many Clio's have you had now Dave?

 

[LEEMJONES]

Ive owned a 200 for over 2 years now and loved 'almost' every minute of it. It definitely has a certain something about it on the road , obviously I get quite a few looks due to the like or hate it green paint job, red callipers and black cup spoiler. I know you want it 'selling' to you but firstly don't assume they will be all hassle free , In 2 years I've required a new gearbox due to an slave cyclinder implosion,had coolant pi$$ing into the car due to a leak and its developed numerous squeeks rattles and little annoying traits.

Taking all that into account I just wouldnt want to sell it anytime soon, now , that may not be an option anyway as I have basically spec'd a non desirable car. I chose AG paint and no recaros. The reason for the lack of recaros is that my partner and I want children and if that happens then this car will have to last , it will also have to last with an isofix in the front seat. If anyone was looking for a 200 and had no intention of needing the isofix then after sitting in both I would say the recaros are a superb option! The standard seats are to be honest are very good too but nothing like the recaros. I'm not a massive fan of the sat nav , my sister has it in her clio and its very in your face and will date rapidly , plus its hardly used.
Now here's the controversial bit , the cup chassis is not a must be any means.

I have the FF200 (with cup) and I love it , mainly for the way it looks if Im honest. My best mate bought a non cupped AB 200 a year ago , and its drives almost indentically. On anything other than the track no one will notice any difference what so ever , actually thats not true , we both drove over the Yorks Dales and came across some very uneven roads. The non cupped 200 absolutely left me for dead , the cup chassis was totally out of its depths whereas the non cup just gobbled up every bump. We swapped cars and the difference was huge.

So...if you spend 99% of your time on good roads and/or track then the cup chassis will be superb , if you have country roads everywhere with huge potholes then it may struggle.

As for MPG , I get about 25mpg but thats because I drive mostly like a tool , its has been over 30 on a long motorway run. I think the service is now 2 years , they changed it , and the roof could be wrapped easily as a few others have already.

P.S I owned a 197 for 2 years and the 200 is a definite improvement , only a little but in all the right places.

 

[Sir_Dave]

Plus, your woman will be planning on getting a house, then once that is done, babies are the next agenda.

I'd personally recommend just buying a senic now and accepting your fate.

lol. Nah, she's a primary school teacher, with no current interest in having any of her own for quite a while ...

Seems a bit retarded if you 'own' the cash then just have one car. What's the M3 worth? 7k ish. Just sell that, bank the cash and keep the trophy. Extra money for a deposit is better than improving the multiplier.

Own the Trophy and a 330, so thats about £7k cash.
Have a loan for the M3, which is £300 a month.

Just re-insured/taxed the M3/Trophy at a cost of £1700 for 12 months. 200 would be 700 for the same period.

Thoughts are to turn the 330/Trophy into cash to add to deposit, then sell M3/pay off loan, get a 200 on finance (with ballon) for under £200 a month. Instantly reducing outgoings considerably, whilst obtaining a newish car with warranty.

Car allowance dictates a suitable car, so couldnt just have the Trophy.

How many Clio's have you had now Dave?

A 182, 172 Cup, 2 x Trophy's over the past 7 years - have only ever sold them for financial reasons, never because i got bored ...

 

[The Boosh!]

I've not driven one on the road so not really best placed to comment on what they're like to live with on a daily basis, but I drove a colleagues at bedford for a good 10-15 laps and I was amazed at how well it went.

Stops amazingly, feels super composed at speed and you can feel exactly what the back and is doing when you're giving it a bit of abuse around the bends. The gearbox also feel awesome (not hard coming from a 182). The gears are really close together and tight compared to my 182. Wasn't a fan of the hydrolic clutch but I like the sledgehammer clutch of the 182.

If you was going to have just 1 car I would say that a 200 would be a great all rounder. If you're in a position to have two I would have something super silly (Catherham) and something super sensible (Derve bimmer?).

Worth noting that Clio mk4 is out in 2013 so it might be worth holding off a bit if you're buying new.

 

[Gally]

I can't even read that.

 

[Sir_Dave]

Worth noting that Clio mk4 is out in 2013 so it might be worth holding off a bit if you're buying new.

Nah, would never buy new, would be after something like this at a guess:

http://www.autotrader.co.uk/classif...adius/1500/page/10/postcode/rg213eu?logcode=p

'11 plate, 2 years Renault warranty left, Recaro's, Bluetooth headunit & Speedlines. Although i would want the chav spoiler

 

[ColinG]

mum and dad have had a 200 for a daily for just over 2 years now, bought it brand new to keep the miles down on the m3 (e92) and its just a brilliant, amazing little car!

its a non cup chassis but with 18" r26 wheels and the ride is spot on and certainly doesnt feel any poorer a car for not having solid suspension! It too has had a syncro fail in the gearbox, which was swapped under warranty, im led to believe this was a bad batch but time will tell when the 197's and 200's start getting older i suppose...

otherwise it has all the comforts you would realistically want day to day, climate, bluetooth with ipod connectivity, cruise, speed limiter etc..

i can definately see your plan in selling the m3 etc and just having one car to tick all the boxes, and the 200 would fit the bill IMHO, plus that silverstone above is sex!

 

[ColinG]

oh and also...if you go for a test in a newish one, dont come away underwhelmed with the performance if its low on miles,

theirs is now on 18k, and its twice the car now than it was new, it really can fly whereas up till 10k it felt veeeerryy tight and almost strangled!

 

[Brett]

A 182, 172 Cup, 2 x Trophy's over the past 7 years - have only ever sold them for financial reasons, never because i got bored ...

If the 200 will save you money then it seems like an easy decision then.

When are you planning to do the swap? If I were you I'd at least like to take the M3 to Le Mans.

 

[Revels]

You're a strange one, David.

You balance things down to the last penny, but then you want a car that's going to depreciate massively?

Why is a 200 acceptable as a company car but not a Trophy? Would the Trophy be a lot less fun if you put some decent chairs back in? Take the cage out? Get rid of those s**t wheels?

By your own admission you love the Trophy. It doesn't have a warranty but it's not going to cost you £200+ a month to finance it.

Sell the M3. Settle the loan. Keep the Trophy. Don't finance an expensive car that's going to get cheaper. A lot cheaper.

 

[Sir_Dave]

When are you planning to do the swap? If I were you I'd at least like to take the M3 to Le Mans.

Of for sure, i enjoyed doing donuts in the campsite last year in the 320d, so need to do the same in the M3 really :evil:

You're a strange one, David.

You balance things down to the last penny, but then you want a car that's going to depreciate massively?

Trophy is standard again Dan - Recaro's, Turinis, the lot!

Alas, its too old for the work scheme, M3 only gets away with it because, well, its an M3

I'm a funny one with cars though, i work things out to the penny re: depreciation, cost of ownership, then when i end up buying something, i simply throw money at them in the quest for perfection. If i bought a newish car that didnt need any cosmetic/service work done to it, i'd probably save £200 a month through not buying shiny things & service items ...

 

[Sanders]

Worth it just for the upshift beep to change gear Seriously though, i upgraded from a 172 a year ago, and haven't looked back. Much nicer place to be inside, less rattles ( so far anyway ) average 28 mpg with mixed driving, mostly hooning it about though. Think you've cracked it with the options, recaros, cup chassis, cup spoiler and speedlines. Had no issues with mine in the time I've had it

 

[Nick_P]

I find the ride really good tbh, although I did come from a very low ph1 172. Its really quiet in the cabin and I see 37mpg on the motorway and 30 cross country to work.

No cup pack btw

 

[Martin_172]

i loved mine, massive step up over a 172/182, obviously not in performance they are pretty much on par ive found, 200 handles and stops much much better though.

engines character is different from a 172/182, its smooth and nice to drive low down which i felt the older ones wern't, mid range feels a bit weak shows up the cars weight, needs revved harder than a mk2, needs 7500rpm changes to keep it on the boil.

in standard form they dont need touched they are awesome, and sound brilliant! proper exhaust noise

i will assume my engine failure was a one off and not a common issue with the car lol!

 

[Gorms]

Im on my second now. Currently have the same one as in your first post.

Apart from all the stupid little build quality issues i have had they are great fun.

 

[Will.]

Plus, your woman will be planning on getting a house, then once that is done, babies are the next agenda.

I'd personally recommend just buying a senic now and accepting your fate.

Just like the Renault advert dictates.

I think it's a sensible option tbh. But will you be willing to take it on track?

 

[aucky]

Sucked in by Renault's new advertising scheme I see

 

[Martin_172]

pitty the car featured in the advert had a dodgey engine!

 

[Will.]

Stupid advert tbh.

SHould have started him as a graduate in a normal clio, then after a few years in a 200 and then when he had a child, sell the 200, buy the mother-mobile and a 172.