My 197 Test Drive

[MikeDX]

Just got back from a test drive of the 197

The car is very comfortable, very responsive.

I'm used to driving a MK3, and this just seems to have the extra oomph that my car lacks, but being 111 Hp more, I'd expect that.

If I can manage it, I'll be upgrading to it, if not I'll wait a while

It doesnt have the instant appeal I was expecting sadly, but I'm going to have another drive hopefully on sunday at knebworth!

 

[Weeman]

faster than a cup in the twisties?

 

[MikeDX]

Couldnt push it that much to be honest, there was way too much traffic on the road for my liking in a car I wasnt sure of.

but I'm sure it would

 

[Weeman]

Sssschhhhhh secret squirrel, or the cup mafia will get u.

 

[MikeDX]

 

[GinandGasoline]

Just got back from a test drive of the 197

The car is very comfortable, very responsive.

I'm used to driving a MK3, and this just seems to have the extra oomph that my car lacks, but being 111 Hp more, I'd expect that.

If I can manage it, I'll be upgrading to it, if not I'll wait a while

It doesnt have the instant appeal I was expecting sadly, but I'm going to have another drive hopefully on sunday at knebworth!

was this renault watford? i'm about to head down there in my lunch hour on the off chance they have one

 

[MikeDX]

Yeah it was, they have two, a blue one that they use for test drives and a red one in the showroom.

GoO and talk to Spencer, tell him mike green recommended it

 

[GinandGasoline]

Yeah it was, they have two, a blue one that they use for test drives and a red one in the showroom.

GoO and talk to Spencer, tell him mike green recommended it

cool will do. a guy who used to work here is now a salesman there too so might have a chat with him as well. There was a nice female salesperson who i nearly bought a 182 from, havent seen her there in a while though

 

[Wazza182]

Yeah it was, they have two, a blue one that they use for test drives and a red one in the showroom.

GoO and talk to Spencer, tell him mike green recommended it

Is that spencer wilkins by any chance?

 

[MikeDX]

Spencer Lang, nice bloke.

 

[GinandGasoline]

booked a test drive for tomorrow, spencer was busy so ended up booking it with the guy i used to work with

 

[MikeDX]

Are you taking the blue one out then?

Let us know what you think!

Also, you wanna meet up with me and turbo for a drink one lunchtime?

 

[Gareth]

i wasn't impressed myself, too much wonga for too little.

 

[GinandGasoline]

Are you taking the blue one out then?

Let us know what you think!

Also, you wanna meet up with me and turbo for a drink one lunchtime?

Yes fella, it'll be the blue one. it was tucked round the back when i got there but the guy who uses it was about to go to lunch.

Drink one lunchtime sounds a good plan too, i car share though so only have the car every other week

 

[GinandGasoline]

Let us know what you think!

Quite good in some respects, liked the gearbox/gear change and the steering wheel felt particularly good, as was the lighter clutch.

I got the chance to give it a bit of stick and it handled fairly well, although I wasn't too confident in the lightness of the steering. Not really fair to compare it directly to the Trophy but whilst it handled well i found it quite easy to get out of shape at speed on a couple of roundabouts. Build quality felt pretty good, although the drivers door trim already felt loose! However, i think it has some potential but the Trophy will be with me for a while longer yet

 

[Thomss]

Hmm I would keep the Trophy dude

 

[GinandGasoline]

Hmm I would keep the Trophy dude

plan to fella. but the offer of a test drive without restrictions has to be done in the interests of comparison! lol

 

[Gary Brown]

I've just had a test drive too - I'm missing my old Cup (which I had for three years until Feb this year) and getting a bit too used to the GTA.

The car I drove was Speed Six's demonstrator in Wrexham. It had only 310 miles and was only 3 weeks old. That might go a long way to explain why it seemed so completely gutless. It sounded absolutely awesome though, especially between 5 and 7k rpm. Felt much more comfortable than my cup used to (of course) and rode very well, soaking up all the potholes I deliberately aimed it at. Apart from the lack of go the other thing that disappointed me was how easily it understeered - I accelerated hard round 2 very tight roundabouts in 2nd and it just washed wide with some screeching, where the cup would have dug in and pulled me around accelerating all the way.

I know how renault engines improve with age, and I hope the same goes for the 197, because at the moment it feels like about 160bhp pulling all 1160-odd kgs along, ie not that brill.

On the positive side I've got used to the looks more now - and the wheels don't seem so weedy in the flesh!

 

[GinandGasoline]

I've just had a test drive too - I'm missing my old Cup (which I had for three years until Feb this year) and getting a bit too used to the GTA.

The car I drove was Speed Six's demonstrator in Wrexham. It had only 310 miles and was only 3 weeks old. That might go a long way to explain why it seemed so completely gutless. It sounded absolutely awesome though, especially between 5 and 7k rpm. Felt much more comfortable than my cup used to (of course) and rode very well, soaking up all the potholes I deliberately aimed it at. Apart from the lack of go the other thing that disappointed me was how easily it understeered - I accelerated hard round 2 very tight roundabouts in 2nd and it just washed wide with some screeching, where the cup would have dug in and pulled me around accelerating all the way.

I know how renault engines improve with age, and I hope the same goes for the 197, because at the moment it feels like about 160bhp pulling all 1160-odd kgs along, ie not that brill.

On the positive side I've got used to the looks more now - and the wheels don't seem so weedy in the flesh!

the one i drove had 900 miles on it and seemed pretty loosened up. know exactly where you're coming from when you say it washed wide and gave some tyre squeel on the roundabouts!

 

[MikeDX]

I'm still unconvinced now, after giving my MK3 a bit of stick on the way to tescos and back the other day. The 197 does have more go, but weighing it up, my DCI has:

better fuel consumption
lower insurance
lower roadtax
same build quality

Maybe i'll trade her in, in 3 years time when the warranty runs out

 

[TrophyBoy]

The 197 does have more go, but weighing it up, my DCI has:

better fuel consumption
lower insurance
lower roadtax
same build quality

So has a Kia Picanto or, indeed, my grannys sideboard :clown:

 

[MikeDX]

So has a Kia Picanto or, indeed, my grannys sideboard :clown:

:O

not quite

 

[edgerfs]

Just had a testdrive in an albi 197. Overall reasnobaly impressed, the interior is superior and overall it does feel more refined. Despite this I'm not going to buy one, basically it feels about 200kg too heavy on the weight side and about £3k too heavy on the price side (17k fully loaded - having a laugh).