Test drove a 200 today...

[Harpham]

So while my 172 was in Renault for it's free health check, I thought I'd give a 200 a test drive.

Wasn't that impressed tbh...

It was a nice car, but it didn't seem as fun as the 172. Atleast ive made my mind up that I definitely want a Vee instead of a 200.


On a side note, I'm not looking forward to the bill that im going to receive when they repair the 172's hazard fault... Looking at £520 :S

 

[Gaz_]

I love them, however they are not the night and day difference over the 197 people will have you believe (had a 197 for 18 months and drove a 200). Whats up with the 172, UCH?

 

[scottiebhoy]

I test drove one too and then test drove a New golf today and to be honest id rather have the golf over 200 and think it looks slightly better too!
But still love my 182!

 

[DNP182]

200 was disappointly wasn't for me either...didn't think it had moved the game on enough from my previous R27 and I had other factors to take in mind...namely economy!

 

[Waitey]

So while my 172 was in Renault for it's free health check, I thought I'd give a 200 a test drive.

Wasn't that impressed tbh...

It was a nice car, but it didn't seem as fun as the 172. Atleast ive made my mind up that I definitely want a Vee instead of a 200.


On a side note, I'm not looking forward to the bill that im going to receive when they repair the 172's hazard fault... Looking at £520 :S

Whats the hazard fault. Please tell me its that they won't switch off. If it is then its JUST the switch. £520 lol

 

[jenic]

He's already tried the switch i think

 

[Harpham]

Whats up with the 172, UCH?

Its starting to look that way

Since the problem has ocured, my stereo doesnt work and my satnav screen doesnt even turn on, so its leading me to believe that it is the UCH as doesnt it control all the electrics...

Whats the hazard fault. Please tell me its that they won't switch off. If it is then its JUST the switch. £520 lol

Like Jenic said, ive already tried a brand new switch. Doesnt make a difference, looks like its a UCH fault ££££

 

[Gaz_]

Save your £££

Read this!

http://www.cliosport.net/forum/showthread.php?391590-Problems-with-your-UCH-Look-here.&highlight=uch

 

[Harpham]

Save your £££

Read this!

http://www.cliosport.net/forum/showthread.php?391590-Problems-with-your-UCH-Look-here.&highlight=uch

Thanks for that link!!!

Have you experienced this company? I thought that the UCH's couldnt be reprogrammed or anything?
I will be buzzing if I can get it sorted for that cheap instead of blowing that much money!!!

 

[Gaz_]

I havent, but i would for sure!

If you check the link, Mike@Rentec is a specialist on here, and used to work for Renault. So if its good enough for him thats enough for me. Give them a bell, seems straight forward!?

 

[Ads_172]

Even if the UCH needs replacing, it's not that much! Thanks Renault for their FREE healthcheck and get to a specialist.

 

[JamieG]

I reccomend BBA - used them numerous times for bits in the past.

 

[Harpham]

I havent, but i would for sure!

If you check the link, Mike@Rentec is a specialist on here, and used to work for Renault. So if its good enough for him thats enough for me. Give them a bell, seems straight forward!?

Thats a good point... I'll give them a bell tomorrow! Thanks again mate, you may well have saved me almost £400

Even if the UCH needs replacing, it's not that much! Thanks Renault for their FREE healthcheck and get to a specialist.

They said that just the UCH is about £250 and then another £220 for fitting and programming!
I didn't think that specialists could do that job, thought it was only Renault who could program he UCH?!?

 

[Sargara]

So while my 172 was in Renault for it's free health check, I thought I'd give a 200 a test drive.

Wasn't that impressed tbh...

Wash your mouth out! lol. Was it a normal 200, or cup chassis btw? Maybe its because you had the sales man with you that put you off driving the way you normally would as for me the difference of 10years development over my 172 was very clear!

 

[Harpham]

Wash your mouth out! lol. Was it a normal 200, or cup chassis btw? Maybe its because you had the sales man with you that put you off driving the way you normally would as for me the difference of 10years development over my 172 was very clear!

Just a bog standard 200. The salesman was actually telling me to out my foot down more and to give it some revs, take it up to the limiter :S.
Even if I did want a 200, I wouldn't buy one where the salesman is like that. (I also knew more about the car than he did lol).

Either way, you know a Vee is better

 

[.Kev.]

Wash your mouth out! lol. Was it a normal 200, or cup chassis btw? Maybe its because you had the sales man with you that put you off driving the way you normally would as for me the difference of 10years development over my 172 was very clear!

The Cup pack still doesnt make it worth buying IMO.

 

[richard1]

How many miles had the demo car done and how long did you drive it for?

 

[Harpham]

How many miles had the demo car done and how long did you drive it for?

Had 9000 on the clock iirc, and we took it out for quite a while. It was quite a good blast in it.

 

[Richyy182]

i remember test driving a 182 a couple of years before I purchased my one - the one i took out first felt like a bag of s**t, I then took my present one out and it felt absolutely awesome !!!

 

[ryanlenny]

Ladies and Gents!! I have just returned from my local dealer after driving the standard 200. WOW!!!

I am a part time race instructor and i work at various tracks including palmers who run cups on track. (so i like to think i know a good car when i spot one??)

I have to be honest as i want people to make an informed choice, the new 200 rs feels tight and well build, the steering is very good with very very little understeer the power delivery is very good, and as long as you work the engine it will bring you smile after smile on any road. Even more so if you know how to drive and get the best from a car. The interior was very good (for a car of this price and level) and feels much more expensive than it is. The only small thing that some people may find a problem is the short gearing, if you are in town it does need a few more changes than normal but for me it was a small point, you do not buy a RenaultSport car if you want an Auto??!!

If you want something to do 25,000 miles a year in then buy something like a golf etc... because it build for it and its comfort will proceed the clio. But..... If you do want a car that you can have the best of both worlds in then, its the best hot hatch by a country mile!! And i really mean that!

I took the car round some very testing roads and threw it into corners every which way i could and it wanted more, it was balanced, composed and a total blast. After driving lots of very expensive car's, lambo's and such like in my job, i can put my hand on heart and say i had more fun in the half hour test drive than an hour on the track!

Tomorrow i will be ordering mine for Dec delivery. If anyone can help with colour choice or has pics of a white 200 with the "Raider" wheels it would be much appreciated!!

I hope this helps anyone looking to buy one, im very sure you will be smiling just as much as i was after i drove it!

Oh and one last point, my mrs drove the last 10 miles and was averaging 37mpg!! So it can be driven with the wallet in mind!!

 

[roystinho]

It's the continents 20th anniversary special, but you get the idea. IMO they work best on bright colours, with the black front and mirrors, the black speedlines work best with white

 

[richard1]

37 MPG, I litterally drove like Mary Poppins last week and couldn't see that! Fair play to your GF

 

[furbix]

My first post sorry if it's hijacking. If your going to do a few trackdays would it be worth upgrading from the standard speedlines to the wheels with less spokes to get more cooling to the discs?

 

[JCC]

Speedlines are not standard on any 200.

 

[chris_p]

Thanks for that link!!!

Have you experienced this company? I thought that the UCH's couldnt be reprogrammed or anything?
I will be buzzing if I can get it sorted for that cheap instead of blowing that much money!!!

lol I wrote that thread, it never got sticked, so suckers like you are still getting stung CS ADMIN, SORT IT OUT...

As said in the link I used them and was totally chuffed, good company.

On topic, if you're after FUN, I don't think a vee is quite what you're after...

 

[Harpham]

lol I wrote that thread, it never got sticked, so suckers like you are still getting stung CS ADMIN, SORT IT OUT...

As said in the link I used them and was totally chuffed, good company.

On topic, if you're after FUN, I don't think a vee is quite what you're after...

After all the research, I ended up paying Renault for a new one... £370 down the toilet lol, but never mind, I have indicators again

I want a Vee purely for the look of it! Ive never drove one, so not sure how "fun" they are to drive, its just one of those cars that I look at and think "wow, I need to own one of those at some point in muy life"

 

[skiptontweed]

I drove a 200 Cup at the Renaultsport trackday at Oulton Park in July.......thought it was awesome.......ordered one

 

[Glenn182Trophy]

I doubt you will ever see anywhere near 37 mpg as when i had my 200 cup it averaged between 26 to 29 mpg this was going to work with a sport every now and again.

 

[KMB]

Mine averages 34mpg with mixed driving over the 5k miles it's covered (use 98RON), trip computer typically under reads by 1.5mpg

 

[aucky]

I drove one of these today just to see what all the fuss is about..

PROS:
+Superior build quality
+A LOT comfier than the trophy for every day use
+Generally feels like a nice place to sit, the gear lever is in a better place, as is the whole driving position.
+It feels well balanced, less of a nose-dive position, more akin to a small rwd car by comparison.
+It made a fairly nice noise when pushing on.

CONS:
-It felt SO slow. And I'm sure it wasn't just me imagining it because it isn't as raw as a 182...
I know the power curve is quite linear which can be a good thing but I was revving it upto 7k, waiting for it to start pulling properly.. and it JUST DIDN'T!!
-I don't like the variable electric steering, it didnt feel connected to the rest of the car (a similar feeling with the white-van-esque feather light clutch). Give me hydraulic steering anyday.
-The gear change is a lot more direct and firm which is good, but there was a clicky fragility to the selector mechanism, a little unnerving, not like the German equivilents.

So yeah, as an everyday car I would love to have one for driving to work in etc, but when you find yourself on a secluded welsh mountain road all of a sudden, I think I would be left feeling bitter and un-enthralled.

 

[Munson]

I would have thought a secluded Welsh mountain road is exactly the kind of place it would excel?

 

[aucky]

Meh, I think the lack of urgency and the slightly numb feeling of the electric steering forces me to say I'd choose the Trophy every time.

Maybe I'm being too harsh and I should drive the 200cup with the 7.5% quicker rack, but thats my impression from today.

 

[Gaz_]

I'd put very good money on it at least staying with your Trophy in a straight line. Its just the refinement making it seem slower.

 

[.Kev.]

The way people go on about the 200 on here it should smoke the Trophy

 

[Gaz_]

Lol tell me about it! They are a nicer place to be and more modern, but speed wise, meh. What people dont seem to get is that Renault purposely keep the Clio around the same speed........... Pretty much any Clio from the Williams has similar performance. If you want more speed you by a Meggy. I personally think the Clio is bob on for road use. You can keep your toe in, its quick enough, but not too quick/clinical as say a RS Focus, Meggy. They are cheap to run also, no different than any other 2.0l rep mobile. I love em

 

[R-Sport.]

Meh, I think the lack of urgency and the slightly numb feeling of the electric steering forces me to say I'd choose the Trophy every time.

Maybe I'm being too harsh and I should drive the 200cup with the 7.5% quicker rack, but thats my impression from today.

200 Cup handling is epic-

S

 

[OFFROADNICK]

i have a 172 cup and a 200 with cup chassis atbh the 172 feels more like a go-kart but the 200 is a little bit more classy imo keep the revs up and it flys along 33mpg average on a 30 mile daily commute and please if anyone buys a 200 get the cup spolier fitted it looks incomplete without it:rasp:

 

[RoryW]

Thanks for that link!!!

Have you experienced this company? I thought that the UCH's couldnt be reprogrammed or anything?
I will be buzzing if I can get it sorted for that cheap instead of blowing that much money!!!

I used them about 18 months ago on a Body control unit and it worked a treat. Saved me £1300 for a new unit!

 

[Harpham]

What a massive bump... Loads has changed since then!

I ended up ordering a RB 200 Cup (due in December) and the 172 has been long gone... Sold it about a month ago lol

I think the allure of having a brand new car and warranty swayed my decision!

 

[ForceIndia]

They aren't as much 'fun', but they best the mk2's in other area's. Despite the ultimate (ie on track) pace being about the same, 95% of people would be quicker in a mk3 because it's easier to drive.