Clio 197
Well, I must say that Im pleased!
Although there isnt as much space in the boot, and there isnt as much room for bits and pieces/spare wheel, Im still very happy. Youll see why...
My new 182 is a wee bit noisier than the 225, but a lot quieter than my first 182. I wonder whether there was something wrong with my first unbearable 182 (which convinced me to sell the first time)? Go over 80 MPH, and the 225 wins hands down for noise levels. It doesnt seem to be the tyres, but the engine more than anything.
As far as power delivery is concerned, the 182 is instant, where there is a fraction of a second lag with the 225, thus the 182 feels/is more responsive. The 182 has a nice rewarding engine noise to it too, reminding you of what youre driving. The power delivery in the 182 is far more predictable, due to fact that you an watch the rev counter/hear the engine as opposed to having to squeeze the accelerator and hope youve not over done it!
The gear change in the 182 is fantastic, as opposed to the rather loose and isolated gear change from the 225s 6 speed box. The clutch pedal is softer, and much easier to bite from a standstill, as opposed to the kangaroo jump you get from the 225 if youre not on the ball.
The brakes are just good, but require more pressure on the pedal to bite. They do not feel servod which makes you feel like youre connected to the car, as opposed to the arcade feeling in the 225. They will take some time to bed in, but already impress me. I feel that the 225 wins when youve driven through deep water, biting instantly as opposed taking one spin of the wheel to dry out like in the 182.
As for steering, well, youve probably guessed it: The 182 has fantastic steering.... so good, that I can actually feel the elasticity of the tyres through the steering wheel. The 225s steering feels like an arcade game in comparison.. poor for a sports car, but good for a family car.
The handling and grip in the 182 is something I had totally forgotten about. Particularly this time of year, the 182s grip and handling are far superior. Lets not forget that the 182 weighs 300kg less than the 225, and that its the third generation Cliosport as opposed to the teething 225.
Fake aluminium aside, the interior of the 182 is classy, thanks to the perforated alacantara. I feel that the 225 could really do with more leather as standard. For example, the 182s headrests are all leather, where in the standard 225, theyre cloth. 182s got alacantara, wheren the 225s got cloth.
The 225 does come the a 6cd changer as standard, but dodesnt sound any better than the 182s standard stereo. Still, I wouldnt mind a changer....!
My major disappiontment with the 225 was how the interior moved/rattled/creaked, feeling like it was going to fall apart when going over bumps. Many 225 owners agree that I might have owned a bad example, however, RTEs didnt want to know, and told me to expect it because it was a renault. This 182 is no different to my first one, feeling very well screwed together. The 225 wins where the plastics are concerned, and the "feeling" and "look" of quality. The reality of it is: theyre both clipped together at the same factory in the same way, therefore dont expect huge differences.
Summary:
Clio 182: Fantastic drivers car. Big grin!
Megane 225: Fast accelerating family car. Big ass!
Best regards,
Oms.
