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



Bluebeard

ClioSport Moderator
  Whichever has fuel
As soon as my kids are a bit bigger, i'll be getting another. Fantastic cars imo.

Great on track, cheap to run, built well (for a renault) and good spec.

The only downside is the fuel. Its terrible for a warm hatch. If it was 230hp 2.0T I could understand it. As a family car though it will only cover 4k per year so fuel isn't really an issue.
 

ipodsandguns

ClioSport Club Member
  GW X200 CUP
I love mine. I don't get to enjoy it like Id like to but I do love it.

Mine being a Cup it raises a few questions when Im driving co-workers and things about but FF interiors are a world better then the cup. Most don't believe it is a Clio as it swamps the mk2's.

Im really happy I got mine when I did on the £200 pcp deal, il be extending my finance.

I loved my 182 to bits but that was for different reasons. I used to love laying under it tinkering with coilover settings, tracking down underpriced speedlines and trying to get it to a better then factory standard.

It made so much sense to achieve this but starting with factory standard. Being a new car it has tamed me in a way as It has post early 2010 top mounts etc I cant go out and go mental with off the shelf parts that seem to cost nothing but cost lots in the long.

I put K-tec coilovers on my 182 they were £300 quid new or something but I didnt want to fit them unless I was fitting, new spacers, track rod arms, top mounts, new bolts and whatever else.

The cost of fuel for the 200 hit me harder then expected at first. In the 182 I wouldnt struggle to get 40mpg but the 200 is 30mpg on a good motorway run. only 10mpg, but at 25% it was an increase.

As most know Claire Mae also has one. She feel quite different about hers she hasn't had any problems with the car it just she doesn't drive it like she did her monaco. She drives this solely to commute to work and to uni. It does the job fine but not great really as the motorway is oh so dull.

I have Recaro's, She has standard seats. So many people sit in my seats and say 'oh these are so comfy!' but they arnt in my opinion. They hug me really well but there is little padding for a boney kid like me and i dread how they will feel 2 years later.

I love driving mine to and from work, To meetings up and down the A/M1 and thrashing it about on the B-roads. I don't do track days sadly as I know I will start throwing silly money into them so I cant really comment there.

Its a great all rounder, I truly love it and I'm rather proud to own it.

5876210609_111e7fa668_z.jpg

2011062618rotherhamminishoot by ipodsandguns, on Flickr
 

The Boosh!

ClioSport Admin
  Elise, Duster
With me cars out rule logic. Of I could afford a clio 200 I'd get one purely on the basis that I love them.

Screw residuals
Screw common sense
Screw fuel consumption

I'd buy one based purely on the soul the car has. Unless you have driven
One I doubt you would understand.
 
  Mini Cooper S sport
The one in the OP does look MINT.

Still don't like the front end, but I suppose I'm kind of used to it by now.
 

MarkCup

ClioSport Club Member
Just over 4k into ownership of mine now (non-cupped non cup with no options except parking sensors), and in no particular order my thoughts are;

MPG - manageable, accept it punches a bigger whole in the air, costs more fuel to get moving due to mass, and tweak your driving style accordingly, and you'll not suffer too much. Give it bootfulls everywher and you'll suffer lots.

Handling - On a par with the MkIIs, no better, no worse. Just as chuckable, just as adjustable. Seems like they're not as good as the earlier ones due to the increased grip, so to get the same experience, you need to up your pace/commitment.

Interior - positively light years ahead of the MKIIs, doesn't feel much smaller than my Focus, takes two kids in the back in seats/on boosters with ease, fit/finish and materials/textures make it a nice place to be. Gimmicky though it is, the gearshift/limiter warning beep is useful. Very useful.

Driving position - hello gear lever (no stretching), good standard chairs, reach adjustment on the steering wheel is a beautiful thing.

Gearbox - nice mechanical feel, doesn't like being rushed, very positive engagement. Short throw is nice.

Engine - feels really quite grunty low down despite the car's weight. I routinely overtake in 6th now I've learned where it works best. Seems to me like a lot of attention's been paid to tuning the noise of the car - below 2k it makes barely a sound, around 2.5k the intake and exhaust start growling a little, at 4k it makes proper noise, and from 5k upwards it's quite raucous, it encourages you to rev it hard. I'm now running 99 RON through it and it really seems to have strengthened the engine low down...has improved MPG a little too to offset the increased cost.

Brakes - stupendous, astounding, breathtaking, terrific, remarkable. Cost of OEM pads and discs from G172 on here is comparable or cheaper than OEM MKII replacements. Yet they perform the way they do. I really truly actually love them.

Pedal feel - good. May fit lines, may not, a few more trackdays will tell. Brake pedal was consistent throughout the day I did at Goodwood but I was going pretty easy on them.

Throttle response - woolly, very woolly at low revs. Seems to respond far better higher up. Am considering a Sprint Booster as a fix. This is genuinely the only negative I have about the whole car.

Suspension (Cup v non Cup) - only ever passengered briefly in a Cup which is/was good for me because when I first drove mine I wasn't expecting anything other than a good handling hatch. I can honestly say that there's not one single circumstance where Cup would win the day outright for me. On track it would be sharper definitely, keener maybe, but then for the next ?,??? miles before the next trackday it's got to trudge up and down the lanes and B-roads of West Sussex rattling the car and me to bits. As someone above said, the non-Cup on a lot of day to day surfaces will definitely have the edge/pace over the Cup as its grip is very very exploitable.

Back to back Cup v non-Cup review by Evo magazine here (this was a huge factor in my buying decision)... http://www.evo.co.uk/carreviews/evolongtermtests/256042/renaultsport_clio_200_cup.html

So to sum up, get one.

Don't worry about the options unless bling floats your boat, really, none of it is needed. If you can be free on the suspension/chair/options front, the secondhand market is your friend as no one wants soft suspension (for girls only apparently) or standard chairs (wot, no recaros?), so when they come up, ridiculous deals can be done.
 
  Clio 220 Trophy
To save me writing it all out, I,ll just agree with eveything MarkCup has wrote, 12000 miles plus now on mine and still can,t wait to get behind the wheel , cup pack on mine, yes can be a bit stiff when running on some potholed roads but dont tend to notice it too much now,

Go Go and buy one
 
  172 Cup
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.

Haha Will knows that sh*t, thats bang on what should be shown...email that to renault ;) lolz
 

MarkCup

ClioSport Club Member
To add, MPG facts for me thus far are;

Best - 42.1 mpg
Worst - 29.9 mpg
Trackday - 15.3 mpg
Average over 4,165 miles - 32.41 mpg

This is versus the 37-40 mpg I used to see in my Cup.
 

Bluebeard

ClioSport Moderator
  Whichever has fuel
Mine never EVER went above 28mpg. (Maybe 28.8 but that was it)

Admitedly mine was brand new and I sold it with 4000 miles on it so it wasn't 'run in' but still, bad mpg's.
 

Sir_Dave

ClioSport Trader
I used to love laying under it tinkering with coilover settings, tracking down underpriced speedlines and trying to get it to a better then factory standard.

Being a new car it has tamed me in a way as I cant go out and go mental with off the shelf parts that seem to cost nothing but cost lots in the long.

I put K-tec coilovers on my 182 they were £300 quid new or something but I didnt want to fit them unless I was fitting, new spacers, track rod arms, top mounts, new bolts and whatever else.

I can very much relate to this, which is half my problem i feel. It is very very easy to buy things for cars that are old, need a little tinkering/arent perfect condition. As you say, a few hundred quid here & there add up very quickly!! Off the top of my head i've spent about 2 grand on 'things' for the M3 and Trophy since September - purely because if i buy something, i do it properly, & end up replacing everything lol.

Last April the Trophy went in for alternator at £200, but came out £1500 later after having pretty much everything replaced :eek:

To add, MPG facts for me thus far are;

Best - 42.1 mpg
Worst - 29.9 mpg
Trackday - 15.3 mpg
Average over 4,165 miles - 32.41 mpg

This is versus the 37-40 mpg I used to see in my Cup.

Thats not so bad, i reckon i'd get semi decent mpg out of it really. Considering im averaging just under 30 in the M3, whereas most people report figures of 23-24 ... pootling down the motorway at 70mph (slipstreaming BMW's in the outside lane) should be fairly efficient ...

To those not on the £200 a month scheme, would you be so kind as to pm me the structure/costings of your finance plan (if you have on). Need to work out whether it is better from a monthly perspective to go 18 months old, with a lower balloon payment, or brand new, with a subsequently higher baloon payment.

Rather amusingly, i saw two this morning on the way to work, dont think i've ever actually seen one before lol!!
 
  330i. E30 Touring.
Did you have enough time to recover and clean up the sick between the first and the second? Presuming you saw the front ends?
 
  LY Megane R26 230
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.


:rofl:

Let me know what you want for the cup mate ;)
 
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Gally

Formerly Mashed up egg in a cup
ClioSport Club Member
God I love the Silverstone edition. The colour combo is superb.
 

Sir_Dave

ClioSport Trader
Did you have enough time to recover and clean up the sick between the first and the second? Presuming you saw the front ends?

Traffic jam, front end hidden by other cars ;)

Dave I want first refusal on the trophy please! If not some of the parts!

lol. Of course ... could do you a good deal on an M3/Clio combo ...

They are nice cars but not as good as an R26 in my biased opinion.

Possibly not, but i dont like the feeling of boost (just reminds me of a Tdi), or the Meganes rear end, worse than the front of the 200 imho :p
 

TimR26

South Central- West Berks
ClioSport Area Rep
Possibly not, but i dont like the feeling of boost (just reminds me of a Tdi), or the Meganes rear end, worse than the front of the 200 imho :p

The power delivery is nothing like a diesel, there's no lag and it pulls to 6.5k and LSD is fantastic. And there is nothing wrong with the rear end when you're sat in it.
 

Gally

Formerly Mashed up egg in a cup
ClioSport Club Member
2nd refusal on the low mileage cherished Trophy?
 

Gally

Formerly Mashed up egg in a cup
ClioSport Club Member
He knows i'm jesting. :eek:

Anything over 40k is high mileage iirc...
 
  Saab 93 Aero Wagon
That Trophy will never leave the flock. Its like my Cup. It can't be sold or broke for parts.

Dave personally I think the time has come to subscribe. It will tick that daft company car requirement box you have and it will still scratch that trackday itch you'll ALWAYS have....just be sure to get out of my way..;)

Mike won't like it because he has the incurable version of the Bavarian bug he caught off you.....he's looking at E28 5's FFS.

Nick will egg you on because he wants the Trophy.
 
  330Ci (Fail)Sport
Dave, you're harder to read than any woman I've ever met, never saw a nearly new or a 200 as a consideration for you! I assume the finances make sense, regardless of how much you save with the monthly tinkering costs.

ps. Silverstone looks fantastic though! Just avoid the charver wing IMO. KTEC do a nice one.


Mike won't like it because he has the incurable version of the Bavarian bug he caught off you.....he's looking at E28 5's FFS.

Shhh :nono:

E28's are cool, fact! Same as all old bimmers, E21's, E24's, E9 3.0 CSL etc.
 
  BMW F21 125d
First dibs on parts/swaps from your M3 to mine Dave....!

I'm on the fence, also a little confused, is the 330 the Mrs' car? Unless i've misread this your contemplating getting rid of 3 cars and getting 1 and being a 1 car household?

Long term commitments are all well and good, but you WILL end up buying something extra for the 200. Carbon Fibre, Interior bits, something will catch your eye, granted probably not straight away or as much as the M3 and T, but IMO I wouldn't add a cost figure for additions of £0 to your new calculations.
 
  Saab 93 Aero Wagon
The 330 is another of the Sir_Dave bargain finds. Technically its not part of the fleet, Dave is just its temp custodian.
 

Sir_Dave

ClioSport Trader
I'm on the fence, also a little confused, is the 330 the Mrs' car? Unless i've misread this your contemplating getting rid of 3 cars and getting 1 and being a 1 car household?

Nah, Sarah's got a TT, 330 is mine as well ... bought it for when i sell the M3 in the summer. Blame the internet & a few beers lol.

Havent really got anything on the M3 you could have anyway really - its 100% standard :cool:

Think im just naturally drawn to Clio's really, ever since my 1st RB one back in 2005. Was only 12 months old when i got it:

DSC03490.jpg
 

Sir_Dave

ClioSport Trader
Well, a very interesting day today.

Got the specifics of my 'perfect 200' from richard1, ie Ultra Red normal 200, cup suspension, cup spoiler, black Speedlines, Recaros and carbon interior trim. Happy with the monthly payments, deposit, final payment, etc, so thought i had better drive one ...

Found one local to me, white, non-cup pack, & no-recaros, but thought it would give me a decent enough idea.

So, here's a little overview:

Looks - loved it, perfect proportions, like the vents in the front wings, rear diffuser, etc. Could imagine that with the black speedlines & cup spoiler it would look epic!! Upon closing the boot it was however evident that the clio's build quality/rattles havent really improved ... however, the car is clearer bigger than the 1*2 & a bit more grown up.

Interior - this is where is fell down, really fell down. The plastics are really cheap, thin cheap looking/feeling door cards, a dash that looked like an elephant's ar5e, a glovebox that was flimsy & didnt fit properly and a pretty naff plastic area around the handbrake, gearstick, etc. For me, the 1*2 seems better built, & certainly has a more 'plush' interior with alcantara door cards, seat trim, etc, most importantly, i expect a car designed in the 90's to be naff, not a modern hatchback! Yellow rev counter and relationship between the steering wheel/seat/pedals/gearstick was great though, along with the extra space.

The drive - gutted tbh. Over light steering (not sure if it is any heavier with the cup pack?!!?!?!) really ruins a car for me, & the 200's reminded me of the Ed30 that i had previously, but lighter. Very disappointing when compared to the Trophy, which offers a far more analogue helm. Clutch & gearbox however are superb, the former is considerably lighter, with the latter offering a really close/fast gate more akin to a CTR than the 1*2 it replaces. The engine, well again, a Honda similarity again, i found it similar to the FN2 CTR, smooth revving, easy to hit the limiter, BUT where is the 'kick' that you are waiting for/expecting? Put simply, it didnt feel particularly quick, although that is probably quite deceiving. Refinement was much improved over the 1*2 however.

So? Will i be buying one? Tbh unless somebody can confirm that the cup pack steering is heavier (as well as more direct) than the non-cup pack one, then no, i probably wont be. When asked by the salesmen for my honest opinion, i think he was quite shocked when i said that after that drive, i wouldnt swop my 182k mile Trophy one it, let alone the Trophy and the M3. Never been as gutted about a car to be honest :dapprove:

Someone please tell me the cup-pack steering is heavier like the 1*2? Please.

Thanks again to richard1, fantastically helpful as ever.
 

Gaz_

ClioSport Club Member
  Extreme mode
Not heaver but quicker ratio. Remember, the MK2 RS's have hydraulic racks, all MK3's are electric.
 


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