reasonable expectations for a sub 2k 182

[dave21478]

Hi.
I'm Dave - I have been lurking for a while looking to buy a Clio, and would like some opinions.

Pretty much every car I have ever owned has come from the bottom end of the market, and I see that 182 prices have tumbled in the last couple of years.

So without wanting to pay more than £2000, am I looking at a world of pain, or can I expect a reasonably good car? I by no means expect a showroom fresh minter, but would think that I should be able to find something thats not completely hanging and likely to hold together for a while? Mileage is of little importance to me, as long as the cars condition is satisfactory. As for FSH - yes, it's nice but doesn't really mean that much in the grand scheme of things....the car could well have been abused or neglected between services and I would rather see a folder full of receipts for DIY service parts and so on in an enthusiasts car than just a service book with some stamps in it in a car that Josephine Bloggs trundles about doing the school run with.
Recent belt changes seem to be a good selling point, with costs at around £500 for the works, this is a quarter of the cars value! plenty sellers out there say "belts done with receipts" but you need to check the mileages as there are quite a few whose adverts imply that all is well for the foreseeable, yet the belts are actually coming up for a due change fairly soon!

172's seem to be more commonly available around £1200 - £1500, but I prefer the looks of the 182 TBH. mustn't be silver though - I hate silver cars! Cup packs...FF...yeah, would be nice, but I very much doubt I would feel a difference with or without them on the road, so realistically this comes down to grey wheels and a bigger spoiler no?
I would want the climate control to work (I will be exporting it to France) and this seems to be a sticking point at this price range....are these systems unreliable? I have directly asked a couple of sellers who don't specify if it works and both times received the classic "Don't know - I never use it/haven't tried it" which pretty much guarantees that it doesn't work.


Why a Clio? well day to day I plod about in a 4x4 which is needed for my work and I have always had a second car for pleasure - usually something fast or silly. I just sold my 306 cabriolet as at 35, fat, ugly and balding, I felt like a bit of a tit with the roof down in town so fancied something small and fast - Looked at RX8's for a while as their prices are in free fall too, but the sub 2k cars are plagued with engine troubles, so what better than a wee French hot hatch? I actually live in France, and second hand prices here are just crazy. 2500euros would get me an ok-ish Saxo VTS, but I just can't bring myself to spend that much dosh on something like that when I can pop back to UK and pick up something significantly better for the same money. Ok, the steering wheel is on the wrong side, but that's no hardship compared to the savings to be made. The cheapest Clio RS as they are called over here i have seen lately is about 5.5k!

Sorry for rambling a bit....What are your thoughts?
​

 

[Adamm.]

Most likely it'll need money spending on it. I bought a 182 for £2200 and have spent about £2k on it since the begining of the year. Obviously it might be a different case for another one but imo a 182 for under £2k with no need for TLC would be a bloody good buy.

Pick a good 172 up for £2k though.

 

[jesus]

Luck of the draw - you can get a decent one for that price these days as long as you know what to look for.

 

[nickshally]

I had the same budget as you do 2k
I wanted a 182 to begin with but ended up buying a mint 172 with 64k miles,full dealer history,cambelt done twice and 1 tiny stone chip on the bonnet
other than that looks like a new car
and Im glad I went for a 172 as would rather have a mint 172 than average 182 personally.
but thats just my opinion

 

[.Stevo.C.]

172 at £2k would be a much better idea.

 

[Jack!]

Ph1.

 

[AdDaMan]

I am in the same boat. Weighing up an average 182 or a nice 172 cup...

 

[CrippsCorner]

I bought my Clio 182 at the end of 2011 for £1,850. To be honest, it's been a minter... but I've been lucky, as I've been stung with Renaultsport's before! Mind you, that's even bigger proof that price doesn't matter because my other one cost £6,000 and it was crap!

I've spent probably under £100 on essentials to keep it running, most other things have been to keep it 'tight' i.e. new track rod ends etc.

​Also, I'll just point out that it had 109k (117k now!) and no Cup packs... which didn't bother me at all as I've put on Speedline's, coilovers and a carbon splitter

Edited just to add it came with full service history and didn't need the big belt change for another 3 years. So yeah! You can definitely get a deal mate.

 

[Daniel]

You'll either get a high mileage but well looked after 2004 cup packed car for £2k or a low (er) mileage non cup packed 2005 car with sketchy history IME.

Don't let mileage worry you, they go on forever. But whatever you buy make sure it's been serviced regularly and has recent cambelt/dephaser (by a specialist!!) and the steering feels tight. If it's loose then chances are it will need a front end refresh of all rubber bits (Bushes etc).

 

[jezcharger]

got an ebay special for a lot less than £2k, maintained by Brentwood, FSH and belts & dephaser done, 182 FF on H&R coilovers and phase 1 alloys and 124k miles, owned it 3 months now no issues spent a grand total of £30 on a new hazard switch and third eye brake light and it still does 400 miles on a tank of super. Stone chipped and a few minor dents and scrapes around it but that doesn't bother me. Prob move it on after a few track days as I need an estate but for the money it's brilliant.

 

[Martin_172]

I bought a 172 for £1000 and spent £1300 on it the day I got it to make me happy with it.
now its a bit tatty on the outside/inside but it drives perfect!

 

[Dan519]

Expect to spend £500 on any car you buy. Most people sell as the car needs work. Be realistic and spot the necessary work before purchase and you won't get a nasty surprise

 

[R-Sport.]

If 2k is your top end budget I wouldn't bother thinking of a clio 182- I would go for the earlier 172 cup / 172 ff or even a PH1-

You will get a mint low mileage example of a FF 172 or PH1 for that money, & a good 172 cup.

The problem with people saying they got a good one for 2k is that theres boat loads of crap in amoungst the odd 'ok' one.
Unless you know what to look for & whats good / bad then the chances are you may end up with a dog.

Save some more money or buy something like this-

http://www.autotrader.co.uk/classif.../radius/1500/page/3/postcode/da68bu?logcode=p


Assuming its any good-

or this minter


http://www.autotrader.co.uk/classif.../radius/1500/postcode/da68bu/page/1?logcode=p


S

 

[Chip-mk1]

Depends what standard you want the car to be.

Our recently bought 182 for under 2K needed new rear shocks, front brakes in need of replacement etc, fundamentally was still useable as a road car I guess, but certainly not up to track work.

All about the individual car too, lots of 3K cars are no better than 2K ones, just over priced!

 

[DMC.91]

Sorry guys new to all this but whats the difference between a 172 and 182?

 

[Chip-mk1]

Sorry guys new to all this but whats the difference between a 172 and 182?

Nowhere near 10bhp, lol.

Only significant difference really is that the 182 looks like a bloody wheelbarrow with its silly twin exhausts and the 172 doesnt.


The exhaust manifold is different, but you wont notice that when driving, same goes for other things like the larger hubs on the cup packed cars. Nothing different that actually matters performance/handling/brakes wise etc.

 

[Loz H]

Only significant difference really is that the 182 looks like a bloody wheelbarrow with its silly twin exhausts and the 172 doesnt.

Each to their own i guess, i prefer the 182 because i love the twins on the back

 

[Chip-mk1]

Each to their own i guess, i prefer the 182 because i love the twins on the back

I actually feel a bit embarassed driving our one TBH, maybe its my age showing but it just seems really chavvy having the twin exhaust on a 4 cylinder car.

 

[Jack!]

I actually feel a bit embarassed driving our one TBH, maybe its my age showing but it just seems really chavvy having the twin exhaust on a 4 cylinder car.

Always presumed that to anyone who doesn't know much about the RS range, it looks like a chavvy after-market mod; know where you're coming from.

​I'd definitely be looking at that Ph1 Steve posted, looks tidy.

 

[Chip-mk1]

Always presumed that to anyone who doesn't know much about the RS range, it looks like a chavvy after-market mod; know where you're coming from.

Yeah this is the thing, if you are pulling into a clients place with it hoping to look like a grown up, it looks like you are some boy racer cause they wont realise that ridiculous setup was standard on the 182!

 

[Darren S]

Yeah this is the thing, if you are pulling into a clients place with it hoping to look like a grown up, it looks like you are some boy racer cause they wont realise that ridiculous setup was standard on the 182!

I don't see the issue. Have you seen how many standard hot hatches and performance hatches/saloons come with twin pipes, these days? The 182's were ahead of their game!

D.

 

[Chip-mk1]

I don't see the issue. Have you seen how many standard hot hatches and performance hatches/saloons come with twin pipes, these days? The 182's were ahead of their game!

D.

The modern ones look like its part of the design though, not just slung under a couple of semi circles cut into the bumper like some chavvy kid would do with a saxo/clio etc as an afterthought.

They just look totally out of place on the 182 rear end IMHO

 

[Daniel]

I actually feel a bit embarassed driving our one TBH, maybe its my age showing but it just seems really chavvy having the twin exhaust on a 4 cylinder car.

I wouldn't mind betting that 99% of the non petrol head public wouldn't even notice them.

 

[Adamm.]

So a 172 is a grown up car and a 182 isn't?

 

[Daniel]

There's no such thing as a 'grown up car'.

My mum is 59 and up until 2 years ago was driving around in a lowered, cambered stretch tyred MX5.

On the same note, I have a Saturday boy that drives a bog standard 1.0L polo and looks like a member of one direction.

It's horses for courses.

 

[Adamm.]

It's horses for courses.

I agree with this .

I'll refer to my original statement and change the word 'grown up' to 'professional'.

I don't think it really makes much difference to what most people think of the car just because of the twin exhaust.

 

[Edd90]

I bought my first 182 around two months ago now. I paid £1850 for it, it has part service history but had receipt for the belts being done. It needed new brakes, a front tyre and could do with the steering wheel being retrimed. It's been good so far apart from the depahser pulley went after about a week of ownership.

I've been looking for a rs Clio for ages but got a bit desperate in the end with needing a new car, so I bought this one. You could argue that the money you'd spend on fixing up a sub 2k clio, could be spent on a really good one but you also have the choice of doing your own stuff with it. For example, if you have a peference on which brakes you prefer and yours need replacing when you buy it, you can put your preferred ones on. Also regarding the steering wheels, you can get them retrimed for £150, again with these you can choose different materials etc to be used. So you're able to have it exactly how you want.

It's all just about personal choice really and whether you want to buy a car and just drive it or whether you don't mind one that might need some work and pay to get it fixed.

 

[Chip-mk1]

So a 172 is a grown up car and a 182 isn't?

Well neither are especially grown up but only our 182 actually looks not racer with its wheelbarrow exhaust (in my old man opinion)

 

[Barwy]

I bought my Iceberg 172 cup for £2500 about 4 months ago, cracking car, really enjoying it. The day after I got it the backbox decided to detach itself, and it is just going through its MOT and it's got a few brake and suspension issues which I'm working on. Probably spent about £800 fixing it up and maintaining it so far. Looking to buy some fresh tyres (decent ones, not the ditch finders I bought it with) and do the old belt changes to keep it going smooth. I cant stop recommending them to everyone I talk to

 

[I_scoff_cake]

The modern ones look like its part of the design though, not just slung under a couple of semi circles cut into the bumper like some chavvy kid would do with a saxo/clio etc as an afterthought. They just look totally out of place on the 182 rear end IMHO

I'm not a massive fan of twin pipes either especially when it is purely for cosmetic reasons. With V engines you can explain the need for twin pipes cos you have two sets of exhaust manifolds which often end up in two tail pipes. With 4 banger engines it's pretty silly though. I think some cars fake the second tail pipe with only one being used to eject exhaust gasses, this saves costly plumping.

 

[car.crash]

My £900 182 needs tax and the belts swapping.

 

[jonno_c]

I got a 05 ff 182 with 62k, fsh, 2 owners (last being for 7 yrs) for 2600. No tax tho and on original exhaust which is fooked, so had to spend a bit on her. Could be worth spending that bit more knowing its a good un, and not having to be forking out for this that and whatever? ?

 

[AndzS]

I went to look at a 54 plate 182.last night, FF one and had both doors resprayed like my 3 year old cousin had used a crayola on it and they still wanted 3k and wouldn't budge a penny so I walked away! All depends on your budget and what your expectations are.

 

[jonno_c]

I went to look at a 54 plate 182.last night, FF one and had both doors resprayed like my 3 year old cousin had used a crayola on it and they still wanted 3k and wouldn't budge a penny so I walked away! All depends on your budget and what your expectations are.

Bet it will be priced lower in a few weeks ; )
Love watching the classifieds with people saying, no offers, only to knock another £500 plus off after not getting any enquiries!

 

[Wick]

My god there's some dogged old cars being dragged up on this thread.

My mrs has my old 182. It's done 116k and its only problem is the cruise doesn't work and it looses some coolant as a non gen thermostat has been fitted. But in all honesty we'd let if go for 1200 quid. Will technically need a cambelt next year but for the price and money it costs is (sweet FA - new shocks springs ball joints and a low mileage exhaust) it's hardly worth us servicing it.

I would say you can easily buy a half decent 182 for sub 2k. But if the car is worth so little it's hard to justify spending 700 quid on belts and dephaser. When that's half the value of the car and a new engine can be had for 400 quid.

 

[benhwolves]

I bought my Iceberg 172 cup for £2500 about 4 months ago, cracking car, really enjoying it. The day after I got it the backbox decided to detach itself, and it is just going through its MOT and it's got a few brake and suspension issues which I'm working on. Probably spent about £800 fixing it up and maintaining it so far. Looking to buy some fresh tyres (decent ones, not the ditch finders I bought it with) and do the old belt changes to keep it going smooth. I cant stop recommending them to everyone I talk to

So closer to 3.5k by the time you sort the niggles and essentials. To the OP, pay 2k and expect to pay out on repairs and maintenance. As said above though, great cars.

 

[benhwolves]

Symmetry is style (in response to the twin pipes being pointless)

 

[Chip-mk1]

Symmetry is style (in response to the twin pipes being pointless)

No pipes on display is symmetrical too. And doesn't look chavvy.

 

[Daniel]

My £900 182 needs tax and the belts swapping.

Belts and dephaser are £650, tax is £250.... That's a lot of dough to be spending on a £900 car! Lol

 

[jonno_c]

Belts and dephaser are £650, tax is £250.... That's a lot of dough to be spending on a £900 car! Lol

Not if it gets you through another year is it? ? I see spending 1k a yr keeping a car on the road as cheapish motoring, no??