Clio 182 observations - are these quirks normal?
Discussion
I went to have a look at a Clio 182 the other day. It was a relatively low mileage example, allegedly in mint condition, but it did have a few idiosyncrasies - I'm just wondering if these are 'they all do that, Sir' type issues...
Firstly, there was a very slight rattle from the engine. I say that who's someone as a really automotive nitpicker, though, it certainly wasn't a machine gun rattle. Is that normal or would it be the dreaded variator failure?
Next, the clutch seemed to work fine, but it was very heavy. Again, is that normal?
The steering seemed very light, but I was only driving it quite gently round an industrial estate. Out of interest, does it weight up when leaned on a bit more and is there much feel?
Finally, the other option (Clio-wise) I'm considering is a 172 Cup. I like the idea of something a bit more raw, but I've never been in one. What should I expect compared to the 182?
Firstly, there was a very slight rattle from the engine. I say that who's someone as a really automotive nitpicker, though, it certainly wasn't a machine gun rattle. Is that normal or would it be the dreaded variator failure?
Next, the clutch seemed to work fine, but it was very heavy. Again, is that normal?
The steering seemed very light, but I was only driving it quite gently round an industrial estate. Out of interest, does it weight up when leaned on a bit more and is there much feel?
Finally, the other option (Clio-wise) I'm considering is a 172 Cup. I like the idea of something a bit more raw, but I've never been in one. What should I expect compared to the 182?
Firstly you might want to check out cliosport.net as you will find anything you ever wanted to know about Clio's on there.
With the rattle obviously it could be anything and it depends what it sounds like. The dephaser pulley is in the top left of the engine as you look at the car so if that is making a racket then that is the problem you are referring to and that is a little pricy to change and I've heard very regularly you have to get it down at a specialist Renault place as they require specialist tools. Having said that there are lots of heat shield rattles that come out of a 182 and sometime the fuel rail protection, metal gaurd at top from of the engine can be loose.
Yeah clutches on 182s are rock solid.... get down the gym and get used to it or I found swapping it for an uprated clutch did the trick.
The feel of the steering in my opinion is epic. I use my as soley a track car and you will have to do well to find a little hatch that handles and feels better than a Clio as far as I'm concerned.
They made cups in both 182 and 172's. You can get cup packs on the 182's which are very worth having. Besides that cup packs I think the main differences are in the cup you get some crap seats and no aircon to make it lighter. Personally I'd get a 182 ff if you are using it on the road.
With the rattle obviously it could be anything and it depends what it sounds like. The dephaser pulley is in the top left of the engine as you look at the car so if that is making a racket then that is the problem you are referring to and that is a little pricy to change and I've heard very regularly you have to get it down at a specialist Renault place as they require specialist tools. Having said that there are lots of heat shield rattles that come out of a 182 and sometime the fuel rail protection, metal gaurd at top from of the engine can be loose.
Yeah clutches on 182s are rock solid.... get down the gym and get used to it or I found swapping it for an uprated clutch did the trick.
The feel of the steering in my opinion is epic. I use my as soley a track car and you will have to do well to find a little hatch that handles and feels better than a Clio as far as I'm concerned.
They made cups in both 182 and 172's. You can get cup packs on the 182's which are very worth having. Besides that cup packs I think the main differences are in the cup you get some crap seats and no aircon to make it lighter. Personally I'd get a 182 ff if you are using it on the road.
RacingBull said:
Firstly you might want to check out cliosport.net as you will find anything you ever wanted to know about Clio's on there.
With the rattle obviously it could be anything and it depends what it sounds like. The dephaser pulley is in the top left of the engine as you look at the car so if that is making a racket then that is the problem you are referring to and that is a little pricy to change and I've heard very regularly you have to get it down at a specialist Renault place as they require specialist tools. Having said that there are lots of heat shield rattles that come out of a 182 and sometime the fuel rail protection, metal gaurd at top from of the engine can be loose.
Yeah clutches on 182s are rock solid.... get down the gym and get used to it or I found swapping it for an uprated clutch did the trick.
The feel of the steering in my opinion is epic. I use my as soley a track car and you will have to do well to find a little hatch that handles and feels better than a Clio as far as I'm concerned.
They made cups in both 182 and 172's. You can get cup packs on the 182's which are very worth having. Besides that cup packs I think the main differences are in the cup you get some crap seats and no aircon to make it lighter. Personally I'd get a 182 ff if you are using it on the road.
Great stuff, thanks.With the rattle obviously it could be anything and it depends what it sounds like. The dephaser pulley is in the top left of the engine as you look at the car so if that is making a racket then that is the problem you are referring to and that is a little pricy to change and I've heard very regularly you have to get it down at a specialist Renault place as they require specialist tools. Having said that there are lots of heat shield rattles that come out of a 182 and sometime the fuel rail protection, metal gaurd at top from of the engine can be loose.
Yeah clutches on 182s are rock solid.... get down the gym and get used to it or I found swapping it for an uprated clutch did the trick.
The feel of the steering in my opinion is epic. I use my as soley a track car and you will have to do well to find a little hatch that handles and feels better than a Clio as far as I'm concerned.
They made cups in both 182 and 172's. You can get cup packs on the 182's which are very worth having. Besides that cup packs I think the main differences are in the cup you get some crap seats and no aircon to make it lighter. Personally I'd get a 182 ff if you are using it on the road.
That's exactly where the noise was coming from on this example. It wasn't particularly noisy, but sounds like it may well have been the variator.
Interesting comments on the Cup. My understanding was that the difference was pretty minimal on the 182, but it was quite significant - or at least more noticeable - on the 172? Much of it is just vanity. I like the look of the Turinis on the 172 Cup (coincidentally, were those fitted to all 172 Cups? I've seen some claiming to be Cups with standard wheels...) and I like the 'homologation special' appeal of the 172 Cup. Also, the 182 I looked at was really pushing my budget - a good 172/172 Cup would be more in reach.
Narrowed it down to a Clio or an MX5. Very different cars, I know, but finding a good example of either at the right price seems to be tricky, so just keeping an open mind on whatever pops up first.
The engines aren't the most refined sounding engines anyway. Mine has had the dephaser changed and still sounds more rattly than any other car I've had. They also take a VERY long time to warm up and unless run on 99octane fuel and platinum spark plugs they are really noisy and lumpy when cold.
If the dephaser does need doing then it is a full cambelt jobby and will be upwards of £500 at a specialist and £800 at a dealer.
The clutch is very heavy as standard, after driving one for several months then hopping in another car I almost put my foot through the floor! They get heavier the more worn they are but other than that it's the same across all 172/182's.
Performance wise the best one would be a Ph1 172 or a Ph2 172 Cup. The 172 cup was around 100kgs lighter than the standard 172. They saved weight by deleting air con, abs, esp and the windows are slightly thinner. They only come in arctic blue and a few were in Iceberg silver. They all had the 15" Turninis.
Phase 1 172's are getting quite rare but are also a bit lighter than the phase 2's and come with the cable throttle which is desirable. They came with OZ F1 wheels and there were no cups or cup packs.
The difference in weight between the 182 FF(both cup packs) and 182 cup is around 20kgs, so not much.
The 2 cup packs a regular 182 can come with are:
1. Suspension pack - Anthracite wheels and cup dampers, ride height is a few mmm lower, 5mm I think.
2. Spoiler pack - The cup spoiler which is a fair bit bigger(not to be confused with the V6 spoiler found on the Trophy) and a splitter on the front.
A standard 182 can have none, 1 or both of these packs. Only when it has both is it called an FF(full fat).
The 182 cup has both cup packs as standard and comes in only Racing blue with gordini stripes and Inferno orange.
For mostly track use the 172 cup or PH1 172 would be best due to the slight reduction in weight.
For anything else a 182FF will be better. The 182 cup is no quicker and it's nice to have the cruise, climate, xenons etc when you want them.
Sorry about the essay but hopefully it will make picking the right one a bit easier. I'm selling my 182 for £2200 if it interests you!
If the dephaser does need doing then it is a full cambelt jobby and will be upwards of £500 at a specialist and £800 at a dealer.
The clutch is very heavy as standard, after driving one for several months then hopping in another car I almost put my foot through the floor! They get heavier the more worn they are but other than that it's the same across all 172/182's.
Performance wise the best one would be a Ph1 172 or a Ph2 172 Cup. The 172 cup was around 100kgs lighter than the standard 172. They saved weight by deleting air con, abs, esp and the windows are slightly thinner. They only come in arctic blue and a few were in Iceberg silver. They all had the 15" Turninis.
Phase 1 172's are getting quite rare but are also a bit lighter than the phase 2's and come with the cable throttle which is desirable. They came with OZ F1 wheels and there were no cups or cup packs.
The difference in weight between the 182 FF(both cup packs) and 182 cup is around 20kgs, so not much.
The 2 cup packs a regular 182 can come with are:
1. Suspension pack - Anthracite wheels and cup dampers, ride height is a few mmm lower, 5mm I think.
2. Spoiler pack - The cup spoiler which is a fair bit bigger(not to be confused with the V6 spoiler found on the Trophy) and a splitter on the front.
A standard 182 can have none, 1 or both of these packs. Only when it has both is it called an FF(full fat).
The 182 cup has both cup packs as standard and comes in only Racing blue with gordini stripes and Inferno orange.
For mostly track use the 172 cup or PH1 172 would be best due to the slight reduction in weight.
For anything else a 182FF will be better. The 182 cup is no quicker and it's nice to have the cruise, climate, xenons etc when you want them.
Sorry about the essay but hopefully it will make picking the right one a bit easier. I'm selling my 182 for £2200 if it interests you!
billy939 said:
The engines aren't the most refined sounding engines anyway. Mine has had the dephaser changed and still sounds more rattly than any other car I've had. They also take a VERY long time to warm up and unless run on 99octane fuel and platinum spark plugs they are really noisy and lumpy when cold.
If the dephaser does need doing then it is a full cambelt jobby and will be upwards of £500 at a specialist and £800 at a dealer.
The clutch is very heavy as standard, after driving one for several months then hopping in another car I almost put my foot through the floor! They get heavier the more worn they are but other than that it's the same across all 172/182's.
Performance wise the best one would be a Ph1 172 or a Ph2 172 Cup. The 172 cup was around 100kgs lighter than the standard 172. They saved weight by deleting air con, abs, esp and the windows are slightly thinner. They only come in arctic blue and a few were in Iceberg silver. They all had the 15" Turninis.
Phase 1 172's are getting quite rare but are also a bit lighter than the phase 2's and come with the cable throttle which is desirable. They came with OZ F1 wheels and there were no cups or cup packs.
The difference in weight between the 182 FF(both cup packs) and 182 cup is around 20kgs, so not much.
The 2 cup packs a regular 182 can come with are:
1. Suspension pack - Anthracite wheels and cup dampers, ride height is a few mmm lower, 5mm I think.
2. Spoiler pack - The cup spoiler which is a fair bit bigger(not to be confused with the V6 spoiler found on the Trophy) and a splitter on the front.
A standard 182 can have none, 1 or both of these packs. Only when it has both is it called an FF(full fat).
The 182 cup has both cup packs as standard and comes in only Racing blue with gordini stripes and Inferno orange.
For mostly track use the 172 cup or PH1 172 would be best due to the slight reduction in weight.
For anything else a 182FF will be better. The 182 cup is no quicker and it's nice to have the cruise, climate, xenons etc when you want them.
Sorry about the essay but hopefully it will make picking the right one a bit easier. I'm selling my 182 for £2200 if it interests you!
Some really useful stuff there, thanks. The 'essay' is most welcome. If the dephaser does need doing then it is a full cambelt jobby and will be upwards of £500 at a specialist and £800 at a dealer.
The clutch is very heavy as standard, after driving one for several months then hopping in another car I almost put my foot through the floor! They get heavier the more worn they are but other than that it's the same across all 172/182's.
Performance wise the best one would be a Ph1 172 or a Ph2 172 Cup. The 172 cup was around 100kgs lighter than the standard 172. They saved weight by deleting air con, abs, esp and the windows are slightly thinner. They only come in arctic blue and a few were in Iceberg silver. They all had the 15" Turninis.
Phase 1 172's are getting quite rare but are also a bit lighter than the phase 2's and come with the cable throttle which is desirable. They came with OZ F1 wheels and there were no cups or cup packs.
The difference in weight between the 182 FF(both cup packs) and 182 cup is around 20kgs, so not much.
The 2 cup packs a regular 182 can come with are:
1. Suspension pack - Anthracite wheels and cup dampers, ride height is a few mmm lower, 5mm I think.
2. Spoiler pack - The cup spoiler which is a fair bit bigger(not to be confused with the V6 spoiler found on the Trophy) and a splitter on the front.
A standard 182 can have none, 1 or both of these packs. Only when it has both is it called an FF(full fat).
The 182 cup has both cup packs as standard and comes in only Racing blue with gordini stripes and Inferno orange.
For mostly track use the 172 cup or PH1 172 would be best due to the slight reduction in weight.
For anything else a 182FF will be better. The 182 cup is no quicker and it's nice to have the cruise, climate, xenons etc when you want them.
Sorry about the essay but hopefully it will make picking the right one a bit easier. I'm selling my 182 for £2200 if it interests you!
Doesn't sound like there was a great deal wrong with that 182 I looked at, then. The engine really wasn't that noisy mechanically. It sounded suitably racy when opened up too.
My gripe with hot hatches is that they often tend to feel a bit ordinary when you're just pootling round at low speed - compared to a sports car or a coupe. To a certain extent I found the same with the 182, so I'm keen to try a 172 Cup to see if that's a bit more raucous.
Interesting to hear that the 172 Cups were virtually all blue with the Turinis. I thought that was the case (it's also a great combination). Ironically, most of the 172s advertised as Cups on Autotrader seem to be black with regular wheels!
Also, what are the headlights like on the 172 Cup? The 182 has HiDs if I remember correctly, which might be useful for my B-road commute.
ETA: What do people think of this one? http://www.pistonheads.com/classifieds/used-cars/r...
Edited by Chris71 on Thursday 23 January 09:59
kayzee said:
Personally I'd be put off by the terrible wheels, and you can see other modifications as well such as the exhaust. If you want a really mint one, hit up R-Sport on ClioSport... he sells only the best, in fact I just bought some Recaro's for my Clio 182 off him
Quite liked the wheels. 
Not normally one for modified cars, but I did a spot of Googling and it seems the RS192 exhaust is quite well regarded. Providing it's reasonably quiet at tick over that wouldn't put me off too much.
To be honest, I doubt I could afford a really mint original example. I'd love a Trophy, but they're about twice my budget currently. It's really between one of the cheaper 182s or a 172.
kayzee said:
I got my Clio 182 for £1,850 over 2 years ago, bargains to be had on eBay for sure.
Didn't realise they could be had for that sort of money. I'm looking for something that's ready to go, but I don't mind whether that's a factory standard example or something which has a few subtle mods.I see you've had quite a collection of hot hatches - how do you reckon the 182 fits in with them?
Well one thing I will say is that you never know what you're gonna get...
I've had two Clio 182's now. The first one was 3 years old, cost me £6,000, top spec etc. on 45k miles. It was awful. I had so many problems (adding up to about £2,000 in repairs, but I worked for Renault at the time so didn't pay that) basically I ended up bailing after 9 months with it.
The deal I got on the second one was fantastic and I took the risk of another punt. This one although being on over double the miles of the first, has been absolutely fantastic. I've got my hands dirty with a few issues but nothing has even entered triple figures... although my cambelt is due in March which is a £600 job.
This has been the first car I've been inspired to take on track too, which was great. I'm actually much happier driving around in it that my previous car which was a 320bhp Impreza. It's not 'fast' by any means, even after exhaust/filter/remap but it does the job... I feel it really suits me! First essential modification you'll probably need is a steering wheel refurbishment. I can put you in touch with someone who does fantastic jobs (basically all the steering wheels suffer from melting!)
Before:
After:
I've had two Clio 182's now. The first one was 3 years old, cost me £6,000, top spec etc. on 45k miles. It was awful. I had so many problems (adding up to about £2,000 in repairs, but I worked for Renault at the time so didn't pay that) basically I ended up bailing after 9 months with it.
The deal I got on the second one was fantastic and I took the risk of another punt. This one although being on over double the miles of the first, has been absolutely fantastic. I've got my hands dirty with a few issues but nothing has even entered triple figures... although my cambelt is due in March which is a £600 job.
This has been the first car I've been inspired to take on track too, which was great. I'm actually much happier driving around in it that my previous car which was a 320bhp Impreza. It's not 'fast' by any means, even after exhaust/filter/remap but it does the job... I feel it really suits me! First essential modification you'll probably need is a steering wheel refurbishment. I can put you in touch with someone who does fantastic jobs (basically all the steering wheels suffer from melting!)
Before:
After:
This 172 caught my eye. Aftermarket wheels, but the seller appears to be a genuine enthusiast and there are various refreshed OEM bits on there (including the all-important cambelt). What do people think?
http://www.exchangeandmart.co.uk/used-cars-for-sal...
http://www.exchangeandmart.co.uk/used-cars-for-sal...
Some slight misinformation in here, only slight. I have a 182 Cup in Inferno.
Had it 18 months now and it's a brilliant car. The cambelt job is relatively pricey, and really does want doing by a specialist. Mine had been bodged before and the timing was out, and the aux belt setup was a bit precarious because of the bodge. Total cost in Feb 13' @Diamond Motors in Nottingham was £580. This was cambelt kit, aux belt kit, cam seals + an oil change and filter.
General rule for cambelts is 5 years OR 72k miles, aux belts 3 years OR 35k miles
172 Cups only came in Mondial Blue, not Arctic
182 Cups have ESP, and Aircon but not CC.
I'm about to do a steering and full shock refresh on mine ( 05 plate, 66k miles) as the track rod end was a advisory on the last MoT.
The steering rack bushes are becoming a more known problem as the rubber bushes perish and allow the effective alignment to change.
Springs can crack, and are expensive OEM. A lot of people put eibachs sportlines on, or prolines. Cooksports are a new option too.
OEM exhausts rot for fun, and cost in the region of £600 to replace like for like. This is the reason most end up with aftermarket exhausts. My Miltek was around £400 and I bought in a hurry for MoT so it can be had cheaper.
If you like yellow there's a fantastic PH1 in Sunflower for sale on eBay at the moment. Near Nottingham. It's a fair price for the condition and the lads sound.
Had it 18 months now and it's a brilliant car. The cambelt job is relatively pricey, and really does want doing by a specialist. Mine had been bodged before and the timing was out, and the aux belt setup was a bit precarious because of the bodge. Total cost in Feb 13' @Diamond Motors in Nottingham was £580. This was cambelt kit, aux belt kit, cam seals + an oil change and filter.
General rule for cambelts is 5 years OR 72k miles, aux belts 3 years OR 35k miles
172 Cups only came in Mondial Blue, not Arctic
182 Cups have ESP, and Aircon but not CC.
I'm about to do a steering and full shock refresh on mine ( 05 plate, 66k miles) as the track rod end was a advisory on the last MoT.
The steering rack bushes are becoming a more known problem as the rubber bushes perish and allow the effective alignment to change.
Springs can crack, and are expensive OEM. A lot of people put eibachs sportlines on, or prolines. Cooksports are a new option too.
OEM exhausts rot for fun, and cost in the region of £600 to replace like for like. This is the reason most end up with aftermarket exhausts. My Miltek was around £400 and I bought in a hurry for MoT so it can be had cheaper.
If you like yellow there's a fantastic PH1 in Sunflower for sale on eBay at the moment. Near Nottingham. It's a fair price for the condition and the lads sound.
172 Cups came in the blue and very few came in silver and there was an option for climate control a bit further into its life, they all had the same wheels which were exclusive to the 172 Cup at the time.
The 172 and 182 were very different beasts with the 172 Cup literally being a proper hardcore version of the 172 whereas the 182 Cup was more of a cheaper version of the 182 but with the added Cup packs.
The 172 Cup was 70kg lighter than the 172, it had thinner glass, less sound deadening, no A/C, no spare wheel and no ABS.
The 182 Cup was around 20kg lighter than a 182, it had the Cup suspension and Cup spoiler pack as standard (these were options on the 182), no climate but it had A/C, no leather; the interior was a Dynamique interior, it didn't have the chunkier steering wheel with the thumb cut outs, no Xenons, the rear bench wasn't split and there were no headrests in the back.
The 172 and 182 were very different beasts with the 172 Cup literally being a proper hardcore version of the 172 whereas the 182 Cup was more of a cheaper version of the 182 but with the added Cup packs.
The 172 Cup was 70kg lighter than the 172, it had thinner glass, less sound deadening, no A/C, no spare wheel and no ABS.
The 182 Cup was around 20kg lighter than a 182, it had the Cup suspension and Cup spoiler pack as standard (these were options on the 182), no climate but it had A/C, no leather; the interior was a Dynamique interior, it didn't have the chunkier steering wheel with the thumb cut outs, no Xenons, the rear bench wasn't split and there were no headrests in the back.
Another one for your perusal, gents. The dreaded cambelt hasn't been done, apparently:
http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&am...
A touch pricey perhaps, in view of that?
http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&am...
A touch pricey perhaps, in view of that?
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