Hi all first test of a 172 today

[Eric_Ti]

And wow!
Fan-f**king-tastic!


Nice 02 reg 30k in blue for 8k.
Spotless motor.

Salesman told me there was no speed cameras on this dual carriageway during the test drive and that was all the encouragement I needed

The car went so much better than the new 182 I drove but that would be down to the mileage that the car was nice and loose, and it was soooo much fun.

Its been a long time since I was grinning like an idiot when driving but today was one of those days

Wonderful steering and the car loves being thrashed, forgot what small french hatchbacks are like and God I miss them.

Then I went to see a 03 172 with higher mileage in black which looked great but there was something about it that didnt sit right with me (Not sure what but I had a funny, nagging feeling about it that something wasnt right.)

The only things I noticed which was a bit strange on both the cars is the clutch is an evil mother till you get used to it - All on or off no inbetween and its got quite a weight on it.
Also with the ignition on pos1. there was quite a noise of whining motors which the salesman told me was normal its the anti pollution valves or something...Erm... not sure.

But I fell in love with the 172 today so that will be my next car !

Just got to wait for the house sale to go through and get shot of my Rover.

Also not sure if I should go private and get a newer >aug02 172 so I get cruise control, TCS and all the other features they added after 02.

Awww... I want it now... But will have to wait

 

[D"w!Z]

all clios got heavy clutches, ull get used to it, how old do you have to be to test drive a 172 anyway?

 

[Jon_1]

hehe, sounds like u had fun!

But Id go a little lower on the price if i were you. Youd probably get lower milage 172 for around £6k - £7k if you carry on looking around but I know what you mean about fun, I never knew you could pack so much of it in such a small car! go for it mate.

 

[Eric_Ti]

Quote: Originally posted by dfifty1 on 09 April 2005

all clios got heavy clutches, ull get used to it, how old do you have to be to test drive a 172 anyway?

No idea how old you have to be but Im ancient

(Well old enough to be insured on a 200BHP grp17 Rover for not much dough)

 

[Eric_Ti]

Quote: Originally posted by Jon_1 on 09 April 2005


hehe, sounds like u had fun!

But Id go a little lower on the price if i were you. Youd probably get lower milage 172 for around £6k - £7k if you carry on looking around but I know what you mean about fun, I never knew you could pack so much of it in such a small car! go for it mate.

I had the time of my life mate

The car just felt so right if you know what I mean.

ANd I was thinking it seemed a little pricey, but he said hed knock £500 off the price if I wanted it (Showroom price is £8.5k)

Im sure theres cheaper deals out there so Ill keep an eye out for a good one at a good price.



Quick question.

IS the whirring, buzzing and clicking normal with the engine off but the ignition on?



Also what were Renault thinking when the made the rev counter look like the speedo (10,20,30 etc) when everyone one else uses 1,2,3,4 etc?

Was kind of confused at first till I worked out the car probably does more than 70mph lol

 

[Eric_Ti]

Oh and the other huge plus.



The brakes

Got back in the misses new Corsa and the brakes which I always thought were superb felt spongey as hell after the Clio.

Man the Clio brakes are excellent!

 

[phunkey_monkeh]

The whirring is probably the engine cooling down.

The clicking is the metal bits expanding due to the heat. Its normal after a good thrashing

 

[Rich_16v]

The braking power of the renaultsport clios in superb

As said above you can get a better price than 8k on an 02 plate with that mileage like mine in the forsale section to start with

 

[Eric_Ti]

Quote: Originally posted by phunkey_monkeh on 09 April 2005

The whirring is probably the engine cooling down.

The clicking is the metal bits expanding due to the heat. Its normal after a good thrashing

No this was from cold just turning the ignition on without driving the car

Salesman said it was normal - Didnt get to do that with the first one, just thrashed it hard

 

[Eric_Ti]

Quote: Originally posted by clio16v1996 on 09 April 2005


The braking power of the renaultsport clios in superb

As said above you can get a better price than 8k on an 02 plate with that mileage like mine in the forsale section to start with

Would be interested mate if youve still got it when my house sells (2-4 weeks.)



Looks very nice, not sure if Red or black is my fav colour.

 

[chris-b]

Quote: Originally posted by Eric_Ti on 09 April 2005

Quote: Originally posted by phunkey_monkeh on 09 April 2005

The whirring is probably the engine cooling down.

The clicking is the metal bits expanding due to the heat. Its normal after a good thrashing

No this was from cold just turning the ignition on without driving the car

Salesman said it was normal - Didnt get to do that with the first one, just thrashed it hard

mine has always done this from new,think its just the sh*tty frog elactrics!makes it feel alive anyway!!! good choice of motor! ENJOY.(and welcome)

 

[Eric_Ti]

Thank you

 

[MarkCup]

My 172 Cup is stripped out (no back seats) and the whirring youre on about I clearly hear every single day.

To me it sounds like a fuel pump priming or something...it comes from under the floorpan back near the spare wheel well.

I cant say they all do it... but Id be surprised if they didnt.

Glad you enjoyed it. Buy it. Get it out on a track

 

[172beast]

Just the fuel pump prepping, every car does it, just the Clios hardly up on comfort/sound deadoning so you notice it more then others. Open the door on your rover and turn the key to 1st position, youll hear the pump prep

 

[jonnyboy]

m8 Ive got mine for sale in on the forum, black 23k minter for 8,500 loads of people on here have seen the car at some point its very "straight" I guess you could say get in touch if your intrested but be quick as its been part xd next week

 

[Wezzie]

Quote: Originally posted by dfifty1 on 09 April 2005

all clios got heavy clutches, ull get used to it, how old do you have to be to test drive a 172 anyway?

I drove one once 2 weeks after passing my test at 17. I was pretty chuffed and didnt intend on buying it so i layed plenty of rubber out. Bought a cup at 18 too!

 

[peterh2]

Lol know what you mean about the rev counter. First time my dad had a blast in my 182 he was doing about 60 in a 30 zone. I pointed this out to him and he insisted he was doing 30. Took me a few seconds to realise he was looking at the rev counter and not the speedometer!

 

[mike]

Ive just bought my first 172 and am absoloutely chuffed to bits mate, I know what you mean about the comparison to the 182, test drove one of those first and it just wasnt worth the extra money to be honest, all you get is an extra 10BHP and twin exhausts (I know there is probably loads more differences, dont want to offend any 182 drivers, this is just my personal opinon) felt slower too but like you say, probably wasnt loosened up yet. The only things I noticed driving mine home was the wind noise on the motorway and the speakers arent all that, apart from that it is amazing. Cant quite get to gips with the clutch either, hopefully its just my driving but pulling away at normal speed is harder than going full pelt - Ill just have to drive it lots for practice!!!!

 

[Ben H]

The whirring is the ambient temperature sensor in the central console above your head (above the mirror).

I have an 02 172 in Monaco Blue, which Ive recently bought. I "downgraded" back to a hot Clio after a big turbo car and am loving it.

 

[eves]

not sure when cruise was introduced as i have a may 03 172 with no cruise!

 

[The Bear]

Dont know what youre on about heavy clutches. My 52 plate 172s clutch pedal is light as a feather and just glides up and down. It travels further than my old Pug306DT but hardly has any resistance in comparison.

My old Pug306DTs clutch was so heavy and had so much resistance its untrue. It used to make my foot ache in heavy traffic compared to the Clio.

I had trouble getting used to just how light it was at first after being used to using so much foot pressure to change gears and pull away.

 

[The Bear]

Eric_Ti - You can surely get a similar age Clio for much cheaper than that if you look around. I bought mine private last November, 52 plate, 19000 miles, well looked after/serviced and it only cost me £6800. That was with all the windows having been tinted too.

Prices may have gone up a bit since then due to the time of year but over 8k for anything less than an 03 seems way too much to me.

 

[The Bear]

Oops that shouldve been £7800 above not £6800!! I wish!

 

[Eric_Ti]

Thanks all for your help

Glad to know they all make funny whirring noises and they all have funny rev counters and clutches.



The Clio clutch is heavy compared to a 1.2 Corsa and my Rover (even though the Rover has 200BHP the clutch is over servod nearly and as light as a feather.)



I am deffo going to go private for one, the only reason I was going to buy trade was for warranty but everyone seems to do the crap 1star RAC warranty so I may as well buy private save a couple of grand and get a warranty from the spare change.

It will also give me a bit more cash to fit an Alpine MP3 headunit, speakers, sub amps etc and possibly a nice set of O.Z 17s

Apart from maybe a panel filter thats it for mods, Im not going to mess with it (He says) Ive spent too many ££££s on modding cars and lowering reliabilty and comfort levels.



Oh and Im getting too old to keep messing with mods (yeah right!)



I will have a look in the forsale section when my house sells, should be 2-3 weeks but you know what buying/selling houses can be like...

 

[eves]

you think a 172s clutch is heavy ......try a williams

 

[D-CUP]

If youve got 8k to spend look for a decent private one. Could even get a late CUP for that money.

 

[Eric_Ti]

Quote: Originally posted by D-CUP on 10 April 2005

If youve got 8k to spend look for a decent private one. Could even get a late CUP for that money.

Dont want a cup tbh.

I like my creature comforts

 

[jph172]

I never forget the day i trading in my 1.2 for my 172. What an experience to get in a car that i had,nt ever tested driven at all just wanted one. The first touch of the excellerator jus blew me away-shot off like nothing id been in before. Ok, it may not be the fastest thing on the road but making the change was the best thing ive ever done.

 

[Chili Red]

If you want to spend 8k on a 172, buy mine! Its an 03 with 24k - import but totally UK spec with alarm (then I can get a 182 )

 

[preecy]

paid £7,500 for a 52reg 172 (non-cup) with all the extras at the weekend. very happy with it as its only got 11k on the clock. i knew it would be quick but its even faster than i thought... probably doesnt help im use to driving the girlfriends 1.2 16v clio

by the way, can u get a factory fitted sunroof on a 172? thought it was a bit strange that it has aircon, eps, etc but no sunroof.

 

[mike]

I found it very fast too, faster than I was expecting, ie: a bit faster than my 16V but it is in a totally different league altogether, still smiling now!!

 

[subz]

Quote: Originally posted by preecy on 12 April 2005


paid £7,500 for a 52reg 172 (non-cup) with all the extras at the weekend. very happy with it as its only got 11k on the clock. i knew it would be quick but its even faster than i thought... probably doesnt help im use to driving the girlfriends 1.2 16v clio

by the way, can u get a factory fitted sunroof on a 172? thought it was a bit strange that it has aircon, eps, etc but no sunroof.

y would you need a sunroof when u have climate control?

 

[jonnyboy]

yeah I would have liked a sunroof on the 172, fair enough its got aircon but its nice to have a sunroof in the summer!

Got to say a 2-3 year old 172 is probably the vest value for money car you can possibly buy, not just saying that cos Im selling one, but it was a cracking car for 12k new. Mine has 23k on and its aging well, no mechanical probs whatsoever still an awsome car enjoy it m8

 

[182 sport]

172s dont have a sunroof.

 

[Temp]

Wow.... I remember the day I swapped my clio 1.2 for a 172, driving down the road wondering what all the fuss was about, then came to a dual carriageway and va va voom, nearly va va boom with all that power an little experience.

 

[Lagerlout]

iirc Cruise Control was introduced september 03 . My Nov 2003 53 plate has it. Not that it ever gets used.lol.

 

[MT172]

Typical - from the man driving around in an august 03 model without cruise

 

[Eric_Ti]

Well, the Rover went this morning, lucky guy got a good car at a bargain price so now just one more thing to wait for... The house sale.



I will deffo be buying a private one, probably from here

Ill have a look in the for sale section when I get the money.

Not sure Ill find it much quicker than the Rover, but its got loads more toys, will be more reliable, better on fuel and insurance and Clios go round corners too



So Im sure all that will make up for being slightly slower once rolling.



Cant wait