Living with clio 197

[Mag2.0]

Morning all,
Im currently toying with the idea of picking up a 197. I used t0 drive a fiesta zetec s and then jumped onto the "turbo-diesel torque" bandwagon and after feeling alittle dissapointed looking to go back to petrol.
Basically, im looking at R53 (supercharged) mini cooper s's, however as they are still holding their value far to well (and some numpty's thinks their 02plate with 80k is still worth £8,000) im looking around and the clio 197 caught my eye. However i do have a few questions that i was hoping you nice people could help me out with.

-What are you guys getting real world mpg figures? Renault claim 33mpg combined, is this realistic?

-Any reliability issues. As far as i know the renault sport range is built in a seperate factory to the standard ranault's, however the same materials are used no? Any rattling interiors, electrical faults etc?

-Im abit worried about the day to day drivability, sure itll be a blast when im in the mood but for general commuting do you guys find it gets abit tiresome and hard work with the peaky engines?


Your help is much appreciated.

ps, i have a budget of around 8-8.5k.

 

[Mike]

I used to drive a Fiesta Zetec S aswell, and one drive of the 197 was too much, I HAD to have one!!!

As for MPG figures, the average I have had over every drop I have put in is 29,9MPG (see signature - the highest was 36,7MPG in Scotland, and the lowest was 21,1MPG in France I expect to get about 14MPG in Germany on the ring though You can click on the signature to see every penny and detail of what I have spent on fuel and MPG etc.

Reliability? It is French lol, some rattles here and there, and no doubt some will have electrical issues.

If I could drive mine daily to and from work, I would - it is the single most comfy car that I have EVER driven! It is great. Peaky engines being hard work? No way! Something I have proved with my fuel consumption figures is that UPTO A POINT the harder you drive the car, the better it is on fuel.

I hope this helps, I have done 19k miles in mine since last June and wouldn't have anything else! :book:

 

[BenW]

Hi Mag, I guess my posts over on ZSOC made you look a little further then! Pleased to see it

I'm averaging 30mpg in mine on standard octane shell fuel, it goes up slightly if I use v-power.

No reliability issues with mine, no rattles either. If you find one with recaros then check the bolsters on the base as these can wear, also check that the gear change is nice a smooth.

As I said on ZSOC, I don't have a problem with the car day to day. You will find that below about 1.5k the fiesta has more torque but with the clio's gearbox it's very rare that you'll be under 1.5k so this isn't really an issue.

I think you really need to get a test drive in one, it's the only car I drove that was as fun as the fiesta

 

[Mike]

Ahhhhhh....ZSOC...I used to occasionally go on...Ace Parsnip gas my old Zoidberg Zetec S....what a change he has made to her

 

[Ribena]

I average about 24mpg but I do very little motorway miles. I get about 30mpg on the motorway though.

The 197 is definitely a step up from the old clios in terms of build quality but you do still get some rattling...it's french after all!

It's not a difficult car to get along with, it's very easy to drive. A lot of people complain about the lack of mid range torque and a 3K RPM flatspot. Although, personally I don't find it too much of an issue. If you don't like to change gear then this isn't the car for you. You really need to work the gearbox to get the best out of the 197.

 

[jaxx]

The chap who came to the dealership to allow me to have a look at one when i bought mine was getting a genuine 35mpg lol. Although he did admit to driving Miss Daisy and having the tyres pumped to the "economy" levels.

As for the day-to day haul. I went from a big ass comfy Volvo T5 to my Clio and i had exactly the same concerns, as i was going from cruiser suspension and comfy armchairs to (in comparison) solid Cup suspension and heavily less forgiving Recaro seats. And i must admit my test drives were a little nerving!

However i got used to them very quickly and realised the Clio has no problems at all at lugging through traffic. Granted its nowhere near as comfy or as good on long distances but its much better than you would think.

Same thing with the engine, id previously been able to roll along with the engine doing no more than 1700rpm in the T5 due to its nice dollop of torque in the low end. The Clio does moan a little bit a such low rpms and speeds, but ive learned that the engine is far more efficient and easier to drive in a gear less and at around 3000rpm.

If it concerns you more, as i said previous i have Cup suspension and Recaros. I did have a sit in a non-Cup with Std seats and they felt incredibly comfortable! So if you need to do plenty of miles but still want the option for a bit of sillyness id perhaps choose the standard Full Fat car.

And mine has no rattles at all (yet!) and is better built than any Japanese car i ever owned lol (Not as good as the Volvo though, but thats a given )

 

[pez1356]

Mine has the std suspension and the std seats and i find the ride alot comfier than my mates 200 with the cup suspension and recaros. I use mine every day including for my commute to work and its an absolute pleasure to drive, so effortless, but as soon as some pr*ck in a merc comes flying up behind you, you can blow him away it's the perfect car for me!

 

[Mag2.0]

Yes, Ben, your comments along with being a passanger in my mates civic type r has made me seriously consider a 197 again (i think the civic is looking abit dated now and finding a low miles non cat d/c is a nightmare!!)

In terms of day to day driving, i do really like hard suspension. Most of the miles i do are motorway so the roads are smooth and overtaking lorries and having crosswinds a solid setup gives me the confidance. But what concerns me is having to rev the tits off it to get it to go anywhere. My friend civic isnt as bad as people make out, low down its perfectly acceptable- i was woundering if the 197 would be equally acceptable as the road tests ive read the torque is one of the lowest compared to its competitors.

I test drove a full fat version and found it to be abit soft around corners so i think the cup suspension is a must for me.

 

[A2ON]

Or get coilovers ;-)

 

[Mag2.0]

Or get coilovers ;-)

i really dont want to go down that route again. If im paying best part of 9k im wanting something ready to rock out the box. I dont mind remaps or simple bolt on bits like air filters but they're not going to make huge differences.

Thanks for all the comments guys. Keep em comming

 

[A2ON]

Depends what you want mate a remap and an air filter won't make it handle better.

Coilovers are brilliant there still on corners etc but smooth on the road long journeys etc but I understand if it's not you ATM.

I still say they are the best mod I have done / you can do to a 197 .

It is a 197 your buying not a 200 right ?

 

[Dedespo]

I test drove a full fat version and found it to be abit soft around corners so i think the cup suspension is a must for me.

You found it soft? Compared with what? And in what type of corners? What kind of speeds?

 

[pez1356]

I certainly wouldnt say the FF suspension was soft lol!!

 

[ryan197]

mines a FF 197 and agree that the suspension is soft even with lowering springs (which ive got), even had standard f1s on the way down TDF blow me on bends so the cup suspension is well set up. i fink that is the only fing i would change on mine is stiffer shocks or get coilys, so cup suspension is the one for you.

 

[Mag2.0]

Depends what you want mate a remap and an air filter won't make it handle better.

Coilovers are brilliant there still on corners etc but smooth on the road long journeys etc but I understand if it's not you ATM.

I still say they are the best mod I have done / you can do to a 197 .

It is a 197 your buying not a 200 right ?

Im well aware that those type of things arent going to improve handleing which is why i want something ready to rock straight away.

For me putting coilovers on a supposidly "sport" model is like buying a 1.0l corsa and putting a "dump valve" on it.

Yes a 197 havent found a 200 in my price range yet

You found it soft? Compared with what? And in what type of corners? What kind of speeds?

When i had a test drive it was on a dual carriageway 50mpg with a round about at each end. Cornering at variet of speeds.
Compared to mini cooper s both turbo and supercharged model (the supercharged ride is alot harder) The ride felt abit more softer than a corsa vxr too but overall the car/ride was alot better than the vxr

I certainly wouldnt say the FF suspension was soft lol!!

Not just me!

mines a FF 197 and agree that the suspension is soft even with lowering springs (which ive got), even had standard f1s on the way down TDF blow me on bends so the cup suspension is well set up. i fink that is the only fing i would change on mine is stiffer shocks or get coilys, so cup suspension is the one for you.

 

[Paul]

In all honesty there is marginal difference between the 197 cup and non cup suspension, but rock hard doesn't equal good handling at all! Its a completely different ballgame. It is set up perfectly for the A & B roads we enjoy in the UK i.e. full of potholes!

I have been out for a great blast today managed to get about 28mpg, mainly A roads but motorway there and back. TBH driving slowly/normally you arent going to see many more MPG out of it either. My average is about 31 for day-to-day driving!

They are great all round cars - it will make you smile when you need it and settle down when you dont need it!

 

[Mike]

As I have seen mentioned before "Smiles per gallon not miles per gallon"

 

[mingernick]

Personally I am glad I didn't go 'CUP'.

The standard 197 handles like nothing else, & imo could handle another 30+bhp!

It also has all the gadgets & comfort for crusing & a ride home from work...

If you want to 'give it some' - change down 2-3 gears & go for it!