03 sti vs 197

[joyorbison]

hello people.

I'm aware I'm posting this on a clio forum but please be honest and truthful as possible..

I've got me next motor purchase down to an 06 197 vs an 03 scoobs STI. £6k.

I'm 39. 2 small kids. 300 mile a week commuting.

I've had a 05 wrx mod'd to 280bhp previous to the xjv8 I got now but just fancy the chuckableness FunFactor of the Clio. I'm going for a test drive of 197 tomorrow nite at a Halshaw garage..

Which would you go for? My plan is to gas convert whichever immediately.

Any comments most welcome.

J

 

[burton]

i would say the sti has better on fuel at a guess, i have a 197 which does 24mpg,if lucky, it his going after xmas hopefully back to a gt tdi 130bhp golf,can not fault the clio for fun, has kicks out nicely in the wet good fun:thumbup:

 

[N0ddie]

hello people.

I'm aware I'm posting this on a clio forum but please be honest and truthful as possible..

I've got me next motor purchase down to an 06 197 vs an 03 scoobs STI. £6k.

I'm 39. 2 small kids. 300 mile a week commuting.

I've had a 05 wrx mod'd to 280bhp previous to the xjv8 I got now but just fancy the chuckableness FunFactor of the Clio. I'm going for a test drive of 197 tomorrow nite at a Halshaw garage..

Which would you go for? My plan is to gas convert whichever immediately.

Any comments most welcome.

J

2 totally different cars tbh. Ones a family turbo'd saloon and the other a n/a hot hatch.

Its all down to personal preference but what are the running costs of the Scoob gonna be like. High tax, insurance, servicing etc? I assume silly high.

The Clio aint cheap to run either but I imagine would seem like Prius running costs against the Scoob.

However, will it both you having to squeeze the kits in the back of the Clio? Some people hate 3 doors for the purpose of putting people in the back. Just how small are "2 small kids"? We have a 5 month old baby with baby seat and have no problems fitting him in the back.

I'd go for the Clio as I think, for the money it's a very good car and ticks all the boxes for me. Also think the 03 Scoobs haven't aged well.

 

[Willis]

Hiya J,

I can't help you on how either car will react to Gas conversion.

But one thing to consider with Scoobies, as I'm sure you'll already know anyway it the servicing costs and road tax. My dad is on his third now ('10 WRXS) and his tax is just shy of £500... I think the '03 will be less than that though maybe? I'm going to be unbiased and say that the Clio works perfectly as a small family car. It does everything you need it to and the boot is ample for lots of tat if you're holidaying etc. I don't think I need to tell you too much about Scoobs with you having one previously.

If you're into driving your cars when you're not with the family, then again, the Clio is at least the equal of a Scoobie. They really are massively fun. Granted, they don't have the mid-range punch of any Turbo car, but the engine is superb and they love to be revved. On a twisty road you won't lose much, if any, ground to an Impreza. I don't know if you're a trackdayer or not, but again, straight from the box the Clio is more than capable of embarrasing ''faster'' cars.

One thing I'd say to you is make sure you REV the car on the test drive. Don't be shy, let it warm up and then absolutely thrash the thing. They come alive after 5500RPM and if you keep them up there then you end up grinning like a right tw@t.

I'm not slating the Impreza in any way, great cars. But, you will not be dissapointed with a Clio.

Newer car, lower tax, lower servicing, lower insurance, not MUCH slower round the twisties.

Let us know how the test drive goes!!!

Fuel, Clio wins ALL day.

Will

 

[930Tech]

I've wondered about a gas conversion, has anyone ever done this before?

I like the idea of 75p a litre.

 

[SarGara]

As i see it the only benefit of LPG would be the ability to pass MOTs without a CAT (if you turn up to the MOT station running on LPG they have to MOT it on LPG and due low emissions will pass). The downside is you have alot of extra weight from the LPG tank and you loose some of the performance on LPG, oh and the cost of the conversion of course.

You have to remember that LPG is a biproduct of petrol, so unfortunately its always going to rise in cost along with petrol. It seems like only yesturday it was only 40p.

 

[joyorbison]

Servicing costs.. but how much more..? Am I way out with these guestimates?


Gassed-Up Scoobs.. Gassed-Up 197

tax. £280.00 £245.00
insurance. £760.00 £550.00
servicing/MOT/bits. £400.00 £300.00 - ishes..

Its the 'servicing/MOT/bits' I'm not sure what to include..

Rev on test drive. Check.

on the LPG tip, yes you will pass MOT without putting your catted setup back on. Slight weight gain. Gas price is always going to be half the price of petrol. Government pledge I think I read somewhere years ago which seems to be holding up...

J

 

[Willis]

Annual (12Mth/12000) service can be had for around £200 mark with Genuine Renault parts... In fact, with Karl (TwingoGeeko) on here, club members get a substantial discount so if you don't mind getting your hands dirty then you'll be able to do it for less. The major service for the Clio is the Cambelt at 5 Years/72000, you're looking at around £500 from a specialist and at least double from a dealership... You can't just have it done on the cheap by Kev down the road as special tooling is needed to lock everything in place.

With the Clio being an '06, if the Cambelt hasn't been done already then make sure you barter like mad to knock at least £500 off the asking price. It SHOULD have been done, it's such a highly tuned engine from the factory that service intervals really shouldn't be ignored.

Check that the 'box goes from 2nd-3rd easily too, some cars have suffered with gearbox issues. One common fault is the rubber B-Pillar seal (you'll see when you open a door that it lines the edge of the rear window) tears and splits over time. This isn't a big fix, round about £12 for the two strips (one on each side) and it'll take you less than half an hour to swap them yourself. It's not a sign of abuse, it's just one of those things, but still, if you can use it to get the price down then go for it. The last thing I can think of is that the leather on the steering wheel can crinkle and wear over time (some say it looks like it's melting), a replacement wheel can be head for ~£150, plus fitting. It's very common, again, you this to your advantage when bartering if you can!!!

 

[Willis]

Annual (12Mth/12000) service can be had for around £200 mark with Genuine Renault parts... In fact, with Karl (TwingoGeeko) on here, club members get a substantial discount so if you don't mind getting your hands dirty then you'll be able to do it for less. The major service for the Clio is the Cambelt at 5 Years/72000, you're looking at around £500 from a specialist and at least double from a dealership... You can't just have it done on the cheap by Kev down the road as special tooling is needed to lock everything in place.

With the Clio being an '06, if the Cambelt hasn't been done already then make sure you barter like mad to knock at least £500 off the asking price. It SHOULD have been done, it's such a highly tuned engine from the factory that service intervals really shouldn't be ignored.

Check that the 'box goes from 2nd-3rd easily too, some cars have suffered with gearbox issues. One common fault is the rubber B-Pillar seal (you'll see when you open a door that it lines the edge of the rear window) tears and splits over time. This isn't a big fix, round about £12 for the two strips (one on each side) and it'll take you less than half an hour to swap them yourself. It's not a sign of abuse, it's just one of those things, but still, if you can use it to get the price down then go for it. The last thing I can think of is that the leather on the steering wheel can crinkle and wear over time (some say it looks like it's melting), a replacement wheel can be had for ~£150, plus fitting. It's very common, again, you this to your advantage when bartering if you can!!!