Agree totally - most will need some work doing.
The 16v/Williams take the mileage, but Id not consider a car like these as reliable daily transport. Dont get me wrong: they rarely break down with high miles, as many of the sorts of problems that cause non-starts will be cured by now (Lambda sensor, TDC sensor etc). But there will probably be problems to do with the electrics and transmission as time goes on. Never the sort of thing that makes the car immobile, but fixing them will improve the car no end.
Im going to leave the buying guide to the other posts and the guide on the cliosport main website. But if I were you Id most definitely get an AA inspection - and this is why...
I guess that I am a perfectionist (as most who see my car will agree!), but Id still had have to have done all the work Ive done to my car in the last year. That lot totals nearly £3.5k, much of it just on parts, not labour - which equals almost all my disposeable income for the last year!!
Fortunately, as a Masters student, I have the time to work on my car and no need to use it for weeks at a time if necessary. But if I had a job, Id be using a bus or buying a smaller engined/diesel Clio for daily duties.
What you will be getting though is undoubtedly the hot hatch performance icon and a car that will out handle, out accelerate and out pose almost anything for the requisite £5k or so.
Enjoy
