197: Thinking of selling up

[ricks-197sport]

I have owned my 197 for 5 months and love it but feel its abit to advanced for me (to many electrics) dont get me wrong its great having keyless entry traction control ect. But i am wanting another impreza due to the clio breaking down on me the other day i am loosing faith in it. A friend owned one and had numerous problems costing a small fortune in total....

 

[nutnutwelshman]

It's a fiver too join

 

[GrumpyTwig]

Pretty sure the Impreza in reality has more electrical complexity, it's just not french.

 

[Willis]

If every Rolls or Aston or Bentley or Ferrari or Lamborghini owner shared this mentality that some people with French cars had of "ermehgerd it haz brokenz once, sell timez FML" then you'd be able to pick them up for about £500 a pop... I really don't get it. All cars break down, all makers make a couple of dogs of every model. The pitfalls of mass-production. Honda who make "cars that don't break" recalled nearly half a million cars in 2012. How many did PSA and Renault recall COMBINED!?!

Also we bought a brand new '10 Impreza and after around three months it deadlocked itself and wouldn't respond to the fob or the key despite the battery having ample juice. We ended up having to break into the car, which didn't set the alarm off even though it was armed. Subaru Assist came out and scanned it and it didn't show a single fault or error. We never found out the cause. Very strange. Then there's the rumours about the 2.5 lump going pop if you tune or push it too much, we had two with that engine and both were modified and both were hammered but neither had any engine problems. The Internet is a wonderful tool but unfortunately it seems to be an easy place for cars to develop inaccurate reputations.

If you want a mode of transport that will never break down then buy some trainers.

Of course, if you then get ran over, technically you'll break down too...

The least recalls by a manufacturer in 2012? Alfa Romeo. I sh!t thee not.

 

[M88KE C]

If every Rolls or Aston or Bentley or Ferrari or Lamborghini owner shared this mentality that some people with French cars had of "ermehgerd it haz brokenz once, sell timez FML" then you'd be able to pick them up for about £500 a pop... I really don't get it. All cars break down, all makers make a couple of dogs of every model. The pitfalls of mass-production. Honda who make "cars that don't break" recalled nearly half a million cars in 2012. How many did PSA and Renault recall COMBINED!?!

Also we bought a brand new '10 Impreza and after around three months it deadlocked itself and wouldn't respond to the fob or the key despite the battery having ample juice. We ended up having to break into the car, which didn't set the alarm off even though it was armed. Subaru Assist came out and scanned it and it didn't show a single fault or error. We never found out the cause. Very strange. Then there's the rumours about the 2.5 lump going pop if you tune or push it too much, we had two with that engine and both were modified and both were hammered but neither had any engine problems. The Internet is a wonderful tool but unfortunately it seems to be an easy place for cars to develop inaccurate reputations.

If you want a mode of transport that will never break down then buy some trainers.

Of course, if you then get ran over, technically you'll break down too...

The least recalls by a manufacturer in 2012? Alfa Romeo. I sh!t thee not.

Completely agree. Every car has its pitfalls and issues. We spend every day of our lives balancing risk vs reward. This is another of those times. Buying any car is a risk, but if the reward is worth it, who cares!

 

[Robo_#1]

If you want a mode of transport that will never break down then buy some trainers.

:lol:

Very good points. Its easy to get disheartened by any car once you've had a few issues though, that doesn't mean buying a different one is going to make life any better.

 

[weebob]

If you want a mode of transport that will never break down then buy some trainers.

Of course, if you then get ran over, technically you'll break down too...

Lol...

 

[ricks-197sport]

I only use the car really at weekends , use me feet in the week haha.
I had a wrx classic that was pushing a safe 380bhp and about 350 tourque. I loved it and never had a problem, only thing i changed was general wear and tear tyres ect. Alot of my mates own jap but it is true any car can break down.
I am probably going to stick with the clio, as i do like the car alot really nice to drive and i love the extras.

 

[Deaks]

Had this same situation today!

My best mate is looking to get an F1 at the weekend and I was talking to a mutual friend ofours about it and she said and I quote 'i really like your car, id never buy a clio though because theyre unreliable, it looks good though'........... She's never owned a clio and doesn't know the first thing about cars hahaaaa.

My reply wasn't very friendly

 

[Willis]

Keep the Clio until the summer at least and then once you've had a few months of nice weather to play in, you will then probably not have the slightest thought about selling. There have been a few examples on here that seem to have had a bad run of niggles (tiny amount of cars compared to the number on here), but it's so hard to judge as what are manufacturing faults and what are down to mistreatment by a past owner or even though people will never admit to it, by themselves. It's the whole French thing that is an age old stigma that for some reason is still around today, the same stigma Alfa Romeo will alway have.

Full it up, hammer it, enjoy it. :thumbsup:

 

[ricks-197sport]

This is my first clio, have owned 2 306 gti6's a 306 d-turbo and 3 206 gti's so i do like my french cars haha.
People allways slate the french cars for having poor electrics, i had some dodgy electrics on my 306 and 206 regarding locking and the heater.
Ive got AA cover now so if i break down again im covered. Hope i dont tho.
I do like to put the hammer down, and having the power at 7250rpm it loves to be thrashed lol

 

[Willis]

You'll be fine mate.

I looked at swapping mine last summer but a trip out to Wales completely erased that thought from my mind. For the money, there is nothing that I'd rather have. You could go faster in a straightline, get bigger numbers on the rollers and all the rest of it but as a complete package I don't think anything really comes close to the 197/200.

 

[Lump]

Qoute from a collleuge today that I wizzed up to VW to collect his golf
"this isn't nearly as rattley as I thought it would be, my golf rattles more than this..."

 

[jakehewitt]

You'll be fine mate.

I looked at swapping mine last summer but a trip out to Wales completely erased that thought from my mind. For the money, there is nothing that I'd rather have. You could go faster in a straightline, get bigger numbers on the rollers and all the rest of it but as a complete package I don't think anything really comes close to the 197/200.

I totally agree, iv only had this car a few months but for sheer thrills round corners nothing can compare especially for the price you pay for it!

 

[deadmau5]

The least recalls by a manufacturer in 2012? Alfa Romeo. I sh!t thee not.

That's because they just refer to problems as character, personality and soul. Who wants their car to have less of those?

 

[930Tech]

The Internet is a wonderful tool but unfortunately it seems to be an easy place for cars to develop inaccurate reputations.

.

So the chocolate piston thing is a myth then? :clap:

 

[Willis]

Well 100% of the 2.5s we owned didn't explode at least!!!

I think the problem was similar to the VXR Corsa one, cars being poorly mapped or/and ragged to death without being allowed to warm up properly and all the rest of it. I remember not so long ago on here when everyone was worrying that our plastic Rods were all about to fail because there was a couple of cases of it somewhere in the Eastern Bloc... Funnily enough, Litchy sent his perfectly working zero miles rebuild engine over that way and a few weeks later that got blown up too.

 

[litchy]

Well 100% of the 2.5s we owned didn't explode at least!!!

I think the problem was similar to the VXR Corsa one, cars being poorly mapped or/and ragged to death without being allowed to warm up properly and all the rest of it. I remember not so long ago on here when everyone was worrying that our plastic Rods were all about to fail because there was a couple of cases of it somewhere in the Eastern Bloc... Funnily enough, Litchy sent his perfectly working zero miles rebuild engine over that way and a few weeks later that got blown up too.

Its funny cause I've been told its not the first either. Spoke with the lad I sold it to and he said he's takes full liability with regard to engine failure - Good lad. Although, I cried a little tear when I heard it went bang. That engine was superb and I nearly never sold it and planned to keep it, and 210bhp NA might not be the fastest, but what a joy it was to drive.....and sounded awesome on idle

 

[Foxspeed]

So the chocolate piston thing is a myth then? :clap:

yes a myth!!!! its actually chocolate synchro rings in 197 :clap:

 

[ricks-197sport]

Had some fun in the rs this weekend in the snow, unfortunately i didnt get any pics :-( This thing loves to go sideways, first time ive drove it in the snow. Wont be getting rid for a long time now love it ;-)