Latest Evo just dropped through the door.

[tameracingdriver]

Thats subjective though, perhaps the author felt the Clio was more fun to drive, I dont know (as I havent read it). Just because you feel its better doesnt mean to say that they have to agree.

I read in one mag where they put a load of hot hatches around a track, and also a Subaru Impreza STI around. Now I'm sure the Scooby was "better" than all of them, and it certainly lapped the track faster, but a comment they made was that although it was faster, and technically a better car in any measurable benchmark, they found many of the £15k hot hatches more fun to drive.

Go figure.

 

[Loopz]

The FRS is better than the Clio Trophy so why isnt it above it in the list. No ones doubting that the 182 is a good fun car to drive, I own one and love it to bits.

The 182 is good but I dont think its as good as Evo make out

Why concentrate solely on the 182?

Why not mention that FRS was also beaten by 205 GTI, a twenty year old design and technology?

 

[TrophyBoy616]

People just cant seem to accept the clio is a fun car and deserves to be mentioned.

All these people who **** it off and say "no way is the clio better cos whatever car is faster", please find me a negative review of the Clio, because i am yet to see one.

Focus RS better? Perhaps. However, it was also something in the region of twice the price as well. Is it twice as much fun to drive? I seriously doubt it somehow.

The Clio gets the acclaim it does because it is one of the most fun cars (hot hatch anyway) to drive almost irrespective of price. It just makes me laugh how some peeps **** off evo for praising a car that those very people own. Would you rather they slagged it off? Would that make you feel better?

Incidentally, I'm also a member of another car forum, and this particular forum is not really associated with any particular car, and the Clio receive LOTS of praise on that forum. Are they all wrong too?

Pissedofheads

 

[Ian_182]

I thought it was a good balanced review.Ive only ever driven 1 focus RS and it took me back to my old days of having a fiesta RS1800 with spaxx spings and a loud exhaust.It can i think be a little raw for some but hey.The teg has always been a great car imho and on the right day and roads it must be a hoot.
I dont really think evo are up anyones backsides either.Renault may pay them for glossy articles and adverts but they hit the nail on the head when they took the car out for ""being the same size type as the golf gti but not doing it as good""

ian

 

[Ally]

Are EVO remembering to send the mag ON TIME to all of their subscribers? I always seem to be one fo the last to receive my subs copy and quite often see it on the shelf at WH Smith before it even lands on the doormat

 

[Iain C]

sounds a fair write up id say.
Glad someone posted the results tho so i dont have to waste £3 on that crap mag.

 

[Rich]

Are EVO remembering to send the mag ON TIME to all of their subscribers? I always seem to be one fo the last to receive my subs copy and quite often see it on the shelf at WH Smith before it even lands on the doormat

The last few months mine has taken ages, been in the shops before it has arrived. This is the first time it has been nice an early in ages.

 

[MARK A]

It seems funny that the winner isn't getting a mention! Any arguements ? I often wonder if evo is 'payed off' but am I being 'payed off' just cos I like French hatches? I guess reguadless of who you are you're always gonna have a preference, thats why cars are so great! Why not just say they're all great and go buy whatever you want to buy!

 

[Lee]

I guess that makes the Trophy the greatest FWD hot hatch of all time seeing as the Teg is a coupe.:approve:

Second to the Teg overall is fine by me. Especially looking at the cars it saw off.

I had some new rubber put on mine at the weekend, so I'm loving it again.

 

[Rich]

Still want that silver thing then Lee?

 

[Lee]

Still want that silver thing then Lee?

Some b*****d bought it Friday afternoon before I went over and placed a deposit on Saturday.

I'm going to wait until I lose 3 points and hit 30. lol

 

[Rich]

Bugger, when that happens it is not meant to be.

Not long then for the hitting 30 though! lol

 

[Lee]

That's what I thought.

Shhhh.

 

[Stevie]

anyone know when I can expect to see it in the shops?

 

[2 live]

I guess that makes the Trophy the greatest FWD hot hatch of all time seeing as the Teg is a coupe.:approve:

Second to the Teg overall is fine by me. Especially looking at the cars it saw off.

I had some new rubber put on mine at the weekend, so I'm loving it again.

its no surprise the williams was beaten.......a good example would have finished much higher



im sure the williams and trophy on track would be very close......wot u reckon lee?? lol

 

[Ally]

Got home tonight and my copy's arrived...

 

[Nik]

The FRS is better than the Clio Trophy so why isnt it above it in the list.

All depends on your definition of "better" though doesnt it. I haven't driven the Focus RS so would not be in a position to claim the Trophy is better, but personally you could offer me two Focus RS's and i still wouldn't swap them for the Trophy, the FRS just doesn't appeal to me at all.

Its all about personal choice to which is best, but these guys have had the privillege to test and compare all of them and this is their informed opinion.

Would i swap for an integra? Yep!

 

[chris_m182]

being faster doesn't necessarily mean that its a 'better' car, ok the FRS is faster in a straight line and around a track, but it has more power and torque! In claiming that the trophy is a 'better' car than the FRS they aren't just taking speed into consideration, its a little more technical! Its about steering feel, suspension, how taut the chassis is, turn in, cornering, understeer, power delivery, how refined the engine is, weight, and just plain chuckability!

Ok the FRS has the speed and decent grip levels, but if all the above attributes aren't quite on the button then as a driving experience it will falter compared to its rivals! Its not about how fast it goes around a track, its about how much fun you have doing it

my 2p: ive owned and driven quite a few hot hatches and sports cars and i can confidently say that for outright driving thrills, no car has put such a smile on my face as my 182 has ........maybe all that will change when my dads elise comes along

 

[Fletcher]

anyone know when I can expect to see it in the shops?

I got my copy sat evening from Tescos in Winchester.

 

[Trophy 298/525]

Well if Renault where paying them to write nice stuff it would have been the 197 that would have won surely?

This is the most intelligent comment on the EVO/Renaultsport debate so far. Why on earth would an independent magazine promote a car that cannot possibly profit Renault? The 197 didn't even make it into the final 6, EVO love the Mini's and the MK V Golf GTI, no-one accuses them of a pay-off from BMW/VAG when these cars are still on the market.

Every 172/182 owner out there knows there are faster and BETTER cars than theirs, the point is the Trophy was a performance bargain and is one of the most exploitable and fun cars to drive full stop, the fact that could be bought new for £13K is quite incredible. I love the Focus RS and might still own one, it is faster round a track (in the right hands) and in a straight line but so what? About 3/4 of sports cars are faster than the RS. This has Fuckall to do with the group test in EVO. I don't say the Trophy is the best hot hatch ever made because I own one, I own one because I think it is.

 

[meady100]

sounds a fair write up id say.
Glad someone posted the results tho so i dont have to waste £3 on that crap mag.

If it's crap why on earth would you be interested in their conclusions?

 

[Richy123]

Is that mini gp thing in the test? How did it do?

 

[Trophy 298/525]

Is that mini gp thing in the test? How did it do?

Very well. It was only marked down because it's actually a bit too fast to be enjoyed on the road, will make an awesome track machine no doubt. IMO the addenda didn't do it any favours, it does look a wee bit like a halfords job, and could the limited edition numbering be any more crass? LOOK, I"VE GOT A GP!!! NOT JUST ANY OLD MINI!!! I SPENT £22,000 ON A MINI!!! Sorry.

 

[MarkCup]

It weighs the same as the Trophy too, should be quite a beast but for £22k they're having a laugh.

The red mirrors - reminds me too much of an old white XR3i I used to see a lot, that had red mirrors, red wheelnuts, red wipers, red door handles, red bump-strips, red aerial...

 

[2 live]

if the mk1 glf was there, and the aim was to find the best fun/drivers car..why wasnt the era turbo, 1275 gt, cooper s,....... proper minis there??


iv had me mk1 golfs......(almost new)...but i enjoyed the minis a hell of a lot more.

 

[Rich]

Origional Cooper was one car the mentioned as being noteably absent in the cars that where not included write up, but no mention to why other than it was hard enough to get it down to the 15 tested.

 

[Rich]

The GTi 6 boys are bitter! From A Pug forum ...

I have driven a Integra, Civic and a Prelude 2.2 type R and NONE! of them will out handle a GTi-6. And the way the power is delivered! Nothing up to 4500rpm then its like someone has put a rocket up its arse, ok they are quick but its hardly smooth. Sorry its the 6 all the way, plus its a much better looking car.
The 6 will even out handle the Clio! and yes I driven the Clio too cause my brother has got one. Sisters Mini Cooper S is very inpressive though! Even if it does look a bit girly.
Magazines make me laugh cause they seem to make things up as they go along! They will rate whichever car someone will give them back handers to do!

 

[MarkCup]

Lol

Ask him what's his definition of "handling"...

 

[Rich]

Had to have a chuckle myself to it Mark!

 

[AE86Baz]

The GTi 6 boys are bitter! From A Pug forum ... "Magazines make me laugh cause they seem to make things up as they go along! They will rate whichever car someone will give them back handers to do!"

PMSL - do they think I paid EVO for that test of my privately owned car then? Nobbers.

Perhaps if the owners of them looked after the damn cars a bit more and it didn't have knackered dampers it might have faired better on the first day?

Got a link to that 306 forum perchance, all this internet vitriol makes interesting reading for me.

 

[John D]

Just read all the way through this thread. Why do some people (a minority admittedly) find it so hard to believe that a 172/182 can be rated as better to drive than a Focus RS or any other hot hatch? What do they base their opinion on?....0-60 times?! Have they driven all these other cars?....I doubt it. Evo is by far the best car mag I've ever read, and all these claims of Renault bias fall apart with their review of the 197 (as others have said)

Its a completely stupid argument as the testers are the only ones who get to drive all these cars back to back (lucky b******s!) so are surely in a much better position to pass judgement. What must be remembered is that Evo do not simply decide which is the 'quickest' therefore it must be the 'best'.

 

[Rich]

I would have loved the chance to drive all those cars back to back!

Mark - It would probably go on deaf ears, but I have dropped some hints for him.

AE86Baz - you will need to register but its on the PSOOC

http://www.pughosting.co.uk/forum/showthread.php?t=51301

http://www.pughosting.co.uk/forum/showthread.php?t=51340

 

[AE86Baz]

Having seen the guys in action on a day to day basis, I can say that they do deliberate quite extensively on the outcomes, they struggled to pick five to take to Wales and ended up with six for instance, and then spent hours in the pub discussing the final rankings... fair play to em I say, its not an easy task.

edit: cheers for that Rich.

 

[Rich]

Nice work if you can get it!

 

[AE86Baz]

Wasn't work, they needed an ITR last minute and I was able to lend them mine

I won't pretend it was work at all

Interesting three days nonetheless.

 

[Rich]

Sorry I meant nice work for the people who write and photograph for Evo.

My old 205 GTi was borrowed by them before I owned it back in 2000, you will be treasuring that copy of yours trust me.

 

[AE86Baz]

ah right, yeah, I could enjoy the testing side of the job but its clearly a long hours, lots of travelling type thing as well. Beats 9 to 5 behind a desk mind.

I got my subs collectors edition already, got sent a normal copy and I think I'll buy another just to keep nice... sad or what.

 

[Rich]

Not at all. Don't blame you.

 

[TheJesus]

Didn't the ITR win? I think that might be my mates, he used to post on here, but it's got a blue flame straight through and basically well over 200bhp, so no wonder it won pmsl. awesome car, cant say what a standard one is like, but I'd deffo have one

 

[AE86Baz]

ITR did win aye, but it was mine, a standard example bar uprated brake pads.