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Williams Vs 172/CUP





Surely someone on here has driven all of these 3 and can give an unbiased view on which they reckon to be the best...

The williams is said to be the best hot hatch ever according to EVO... I want to know whether thats a load of old pony or whether it can still give the 2 newest renault sports the once over?

answers on a postcard....
 
  mk2 172


well the cups the fastest 8 times out of ten id say although there are some flying williams and 172s, the cup i raced yesterdayhad an animal of a 3rd gear. as for comfort the 172 interior looks lush, the car needs lowering so iv herd tho, cup handles fine too but in not a fan of the poncey light pedals. willy feels hardcore, looks hardcore and when you sat in it and drive it you can feel the difference. i wouldnt turn any of them down tho. id have the cup over the 172 tho purely cos im a speed junkie not a comfort man.
 


You reckon the 172s a better handling car than the Williams?

Ive not had a blast in either the 172 or Cup but I know my Williams goes round corners and wont let go for love or money... just wondering if the firmness of ride and balance are still in the newer breed?
 


Best in which way? Ive owned a 172 and a Williams, and seriously hope (and intend to) own a Cup at some point in the near future.

The 172 (MK2) is packed full of goodys, is fast and fun and handles very well if lowered (and rolls too much if not).

The Williams, as Craggy says, feels "hardcore". The handling is really out of this world for a FWD car. Corners fast and flat and pulls very hard from very low down the rev range and Ive still not driven it with tyres with any tread on them yet.

As for the Cup, it sounds like a blend between the Willy and the 172, so its got to be good, right?! The 172 and Cup are both bargins for what you get for the money.

Which is better really does depend on what youre looking for.

Rhys
 
  Megane R26


In my old valver, I felt I could take corners quicker, it felt more composed than the Cup does??? Cup is definately more responsive than the valver tho. Dont know about the Williams, only had a short test drive many many moons ago.... (always wanted one of those! :D)
 


Know what you mean about the hardcore aspect of the Williams...

Mine had to go back to get a suspension spring replaced last week and they leant me a 1.2 clio Bebop as a courtesy car..:cry:

After driving it round for the day it was actually sort of a relief not to be bouncing over speed bumps on rock hard suspension...sounds gay I know but it is true that the Williams is pretty uncompromising in terms of ride.

Of course when I picked the williams back up it took all of about 0.5 seconds to start testing its new spring out to its max... and about 1 second for a broad grin to appear back on my face... I wouldnt have it any other way
 
  BMW 320d Sport


Haha you got a bebop, you should have nicked the blue carpet out of it and sold it to someone for £50.

Well Ive been in plenty of 172s and driven plenty of valvers and Willys. The Willy is the ultimate hot hatch because it comes from the era of the classic hot hatch and was the best of the bunch then. And up to now theres nothing really thats bettered it in terms of the overall package as a drivers car. It has the looks, the handling, the speed, the exclusivity and the genuine racing pedigree. You might say so does the 205 GTi, but that IMHO is not a good looking car, it has aged badly. And there are loads of them about as well.

The Clio 172 is a great looking tidy car and a lot quicker than most Willys, but again there are loads of them about and personally I dont think the newer Clios have that edge to their styling that the 16v and Williams had. Im not the first person to think that Renault should have made much more of a deal out of the exterior design of the 172 so it was more of an obvious hot hatch. All the rides Ive had in them confirm to me that the 172 is very quick indeed straight out of the box, it punches above its weight, its got all the toys, handles superbly. In pretty much any race the 172 would win against a standard Willy. Just that IMHO it has something missing which I cant put my finger on - the Williams has that missing factor, you can see it just by looking at it. Maybe its cos you have to drive it harder to get the best out of it? I dont know.
 
  Renault Laguna Coupe


The Williams has something that cant be conciously designed. Its a classic. Whether this makes it the best depends on your requirements of the car, but Id be surprised if a 172/Cup ever gets this status. Clio V6 has more chance, but is a little out of reach for most.

Ive never owned one - the best I could afford when the Willy came out was a Clio 1.9 RTD, but in 20 years time I expect to be telling my kids I wish I had a Clio Williams.

For reliable everyday transport though, especially if you do a lot of miles, a 172 is a great mix of comfort and performance.
 


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