Clio RS (mk 111)
Discussion
I'll be getting rid of my car in September and replacing it with one of these. I'm not keen on the Mk4 due to the number of doors and the autobox so I'll just have to find the newest MK3 possible.
Couple of questions:
1. any common faults I should look for
2. any options/things that are a "must have"
3. any other advice?
4. best forum for help?
5. best place to find the car?
thanks
Couple of questions:
1. any common faults I should look for
2. any options/things that are a "must have"
3. any other advice?
4. best forum for help?
5. best place to find the car?
thanks
I had a 197 on a 56 plate and a 200 company demo in 2011. Loved them both.
1. any common faults I should look for
Gearboxes, calipers sticking and I've heard of steering racks also.
2. any options/things that are a "must have"
Depending on age. If 197 from 2007, cup pack, Recaros, maybe go for a R27 F1 ltd edition. Came as standard.
3. any other advice?
Get one. They're great fun and do research before.
4. best forum for help?
Clio197.net, Cliosport.net,
5. best place to find the car?
In the classifieds of those forums, and on this very forum.
1. any common faults I should look for
Gearboxes, calipers sticking and I've heard of steering racks also.
2. any options/things that are a "must have"
Depending on age. If 197 from 2007, cup pack, Recaros, maybe go for a R27 F1 ltd edition. Came as standard.
3. any other advice?
Get one. They're great fun and do research before.
4. best forum for help?
Clio197.net, Cliosport.net,
5. best place to find the car?
In the classifieds of those forums, and on this very forum.
Cup pack on a regular sport (FF -Full fat) is the most desirable but suspension is firm. Try one. Recaros also extremely desirable. If when you come t sell you want a quick sale, if you've not got recaro or cup pack, expect it to sit around or knock it down in value to sell. Also the recaro seats are mega comfortable.
Limited edition Silverstone in 2011 and the Radier in 2012/13 will have these and a few extras. Loads for sale.
Limited edition Silverstone in 2011 and the Radier in 2012/13 will have these and a few extras. Loads for sale.
michaelw3628 said:
Cup pack on a regular sport (FF -Full fat) is the most desirable but suspension is firm. Try one. Recaros also extremely desirable. If when you come t sell you want a quick sale, if you've not got recaro or cup pack, expect it to sit around or knock it down in value to sell. Also the recaro seats are mega comfortable.
Limited edition Silverstone in 2011 and the Radier in 2012/13 will have these and a few extras. Loads for sale.
Excellent! Thanks, looks like I'll need a Raider. Limited edition Silverstone in 2011 and the Radier in 2012/13 will have these and a few extras. Loads for sale.
My gf has just upgraded her 182 to a 200.
Definitely give the gearbox a good stir - syncros on 4th were seemed to be the main culprit on the 200.
The "full fat" with cup suspension pack can be usually identified by the red brembos and dark grey wheels, (and bone shaking ride).
If the car says "cup" on the B-pillar, has matte black plastic mirrors and no rear head rests then it is the actual Cup version, which has lots of povvo spec bits on it (maybe even no AC?)
We've got the standard non-recaro seats - wanted leather but they are pretty rare. They look pretty basic but are very comfy and supportive.
The bluetooth radio with usb input sounds surprisingly good. Very deep bass for the size of the speakers. I think that's optional.
It's got the cup spoiler - can look a bit OTT, but doesn't stand out too much on a black car.
Finally it's got the "ID Pack" option which gives you silver bumper trim and mirrors (the bits that are normally gloss black). This looks good on the black car, otherwise it all blends together too much.
Definitely give the gearbox a good stir - syncros on 4th were seemed to be the main culprit on the 200.
The "full fat" with cup suspension pack can be usually identified by the red brembos and dark grey wheels, (and bone shaking ride).
If the car says "cup" on the B-pillar, has matte black plastic mirrors and no rear head rests then it is the actual Cup version, which has lots of povvo spec bits on it (maybe even no AC?)
We've got the standard non-recaro seats - wanted leather but they are pretty rare. They look pretty basic but are very comfy and supportive.
The bluetooth radio with usb input sounds surprisingly good. Very deep bass for the size of the speakers. I think that's optional.
It's got the cup spoiler - can look a bit OTT, but doesn't stand out too much on a black car.
Finally it's got the "ID Pack" option which gives you silver bumper trim and mirrors (the bits that are normally gloss black). This looks good on the black car, otherwise it all blends together too much.
ilduce said:
michaelw3628 said:
Cup pack on a regular sport (FF -Full fat) is the most desirable but suspension is firm. Try one. Recaros also extremely desirable. If when you come t sell you want a quick sale, if you've not got recaro or cup pack, expect it to sit around or knock it down in value to sell. Also the recaro seats are mega comfortable.
Limited edition Silverstone in 2011 and the Radier in 2012/13 will have these and a few extras. Loads for sale.
Excellent! Thanks, looks like I'll need a Raider. Limited edition Silverstone in 2011 and the Radier in 2012/13 will have these and a few extras. Loads for sale.
(grey or red) it might be your thing! But personally I think they're horrible. Storm Grey or Alien Green all day long for me!kayzee said:
ilduce said:
michaelw3628 said:
Cup pack on a regular sport (FF -Full fat) is the most desirable but suspension is firm. Try one. Recaros also extremely desirable. If when you come t sell you want a quick sale, if you've not got recaro or cup pack, expect it to sit around or knock it down in value to sell. Also the recaro seats are mega comfortable.
Limited edition Silverstone in 2011 and the Radier in 2012/13 will have these and a few extras. Loads for sale.
Excellent! Thanks, looks like I'll need a Raider. Limited edition Silverstone in 2011 and the Radier in 2012/13 will have these and a few extras. Loads for sale.
(grey or red) it might be your thing! But personally I think they're horrible. Storm Grey or Alien Green all day long for me!My wife has just had her Clio into the garage and been told that it needs a new gearbox. Luckily her 200 RS is a company car but goes to show the quality of Renault.
In the time we have had it (coming up to 4 years in Oct) it's had:
New Steering rack
Now new Gearbox
Issues with engine (strange grating noise when changing up at high revs which Renault have never got to the bottom of)
Upgraded the pads as the brakes were not up to much (found out due to Renault garages not performing any brake maintenance during services)
Therefore I would definitely look at buying one which is relatively new or has an extended warranty.
We went for "full fat" RS with the cup chassis. We just have the standard seats which are adequate but would have preferred the Recaro's (loved them in the Evora).
Car is great on the twisties but definitely needs to be revved to get the best out of it. However been slightly disappointed with the car, great when you want to drive like a hooligan but in normal day to day driving it does not have the urgency when you are in the lower rev range.
Will say that the cup chassis is very hard in the back so maybe something to avoid if you take a lot of passengers. The dog shudders when he goes i to the Clio!!!!
Will also add to check whether you have any local specialists around you, the Renault service dept around us have been appalling and generally would not trust them to diagnose the simplest of faults.
George
In the time we have had it (coming up to 4 years in Oct) it's had:
New Steering rack
Now new Gearbox
Issues with engine (strange grating noise when changing up at high revs which Renault have never got to the bottom of)
Upgraded the pads as the brakes were not up to much (found out due to Renault garages not performing any brake maintenance during services)
Therefore I would definitely look at buying one which is relatively new or has an extended warranty.
We went for "full fat" RS with the cup chassis. We just have the standard seats which are adequate but would have preferred the Recaro's (loved them in the Evora).
Car is great on the twisties but definitely needs to be revved to get the best out of it. However been slightly disappointed with the car, great when you want to drive like a hooligan but in normal day to day driving it does not have the urgency when you are in the lower rev range.
Will say that the cup chassis is very hard in the back so maybe something to avoid if you take a lot of passengers. The dog shudders when he goes i to the Clio!!!!
Will also add to check whether you have any local specialists around you, the Renault service dept around us have been appalling and generally would not trust them to diagnose the simplest of faults.
George
Edited by douglasgdmw on Tuesday 13th May 16:50
Edited by douglasgdmw on Tuesday 13th May 16:51
douglasgdmw said:
My wife has just had her Clio into the garage and been told that it needs a new gearbox. Luckily her 200 RS is a company car but goes to show the quality of Renault.
In the time we have had it (coming up to 4 years in Oct) it's had:
New Steering rack
Now new Gearbox
Issues with engine (strange grating noise when changing up at high revs which Renault have never got to the bottom of)
Have the engine mounts and gearbox mount checked. If they're the same as the 172/182, and particularly if you've had a new gearbox, it could be that it's not mounted correctly meaning the engine is moving under hard acceleration or high revs.In the time we have had it (coming up to 4 years in Oct) it's had:
New Steering rack
Now new Gearbox
Issues with engine (strange grating noise when changing up at high revs which Renault have never got to the bottom of)
Edited by douglasgdmw on Tuesday 13th May 16:50
Edited by douglasgdmw on Tuesday 13th May 16:51
douglasgdmw said:
Issues with engine (strange grating noise when changing up at high revs which Renault have never got to the bottom of)
I think they all do that at high revs, just as you've depressed the clutch to change gear? I forget what the cause is, it never bothered me on mine but possibly some interaction between the manifold and heat shield or just the shield itself vibrating in sympathy.Perhaps the engine mounts are just a bit... crap, allowing it to move just a fraction too much :\
In fact I think you can hear it on this: http://youtu.be/CRJ4SUeKd-o?t=57s
Great fun though OP, you just have to understand and appreciate what they are and what they aren't.
Edited by GrumpyTwig on Wednesday 14th May 01:58
Thanks to everyone for their input.
I'll be moving from a Cayman S so I'm no stranger to a hard ride, sheit build quality, (new engine, cats, calipers, water pump, a/c condenser, suspension arms, track rod arms, starter motor, coil packs..etc.etc) or donkey service techs/ rip-off service managers.
I'm looking forward to lower bills, not paying 20% Porsche tax, (which every tradesman you deal with, adds to the bill) and not being judged as so much of a cvn't.
Keep the advice coming!
Thanks again.
I'll be moving from a Cayman S so I'm no stranger to a hard ride, sheit build quality, (new engine, cats, calipers, water pump, a/c condenser, suspension arms, track rod arms, starter motor, coil packs..etc.etc) or donkey service techs/ rip-off service managers.
I'm looking forward to lower bills, not paying 20% Porsche tax, (which every tradesman you deal with, adds to the bill) and not being judged as so much of a cvn't.
Keep the advice coming!
Thanks again.
ilduce said:
I forgot to ask, do they all have bluetooth connectivity for a mobile phone?
Only interested in phone calls, not music, btw.
It's not standard, I think the bluetooth radio will have a 'Tel' button there but the standard one doesn't.Only interested in phone calls, not music, btw.
Bluetooth capable ones look like this:
http://static.trustedreviews.com/94/5f46e2/b310/12...
GrumpyTwig said:
ilduce said:
I forgot to ask, do they all have bluetooth connectivity for a mobile phone?
Only interested in phone calls, not music, btw.
It's not standard, I think the bluetooth radio will have a 'Tel' button there but the standard one doesn't.Only interested in phone calls, not music, btw.
Bluetooth capable ones look like this:
http://static.trustedreviews.com/94/5f46e2/b310/12...
Also- start/stop button? Does that mean putting a key in first or do you just keep it in your pocket? Is it standard?
Sorry about all the daft questions but as they aren't made any more there's no detailed info on the Renault website.
Maybe not be that simple to upgrade to bluetooth - you might need to swap the dash screen and the remote stalk? There's also the microphone by the rearview mirror.
Ours is keyless - so you just need the card in your pocket to open and start it. I don't think you get that with the basic Cup version.
Ours is keyless - so you just need the card in your pocket to open and start it. I don't think you get that with the basic Cup version.
Common faults
Recaro wear
Steering wheel melt
Exhaust manifold blows it flexis (expensive part and job) usually this is caused by one of the engine mounts being worn. First sign you get is the blown flexis.
Steering rack (sometimes the click/bang can be down to a loose bolt by the pedals inside the car rather then the steering rack though)
Gearbox (biggest and most common issue 3rd and 4th synchro wear)
Callipers stick
B pillar seal wear fast but £20 for a new set and a 5 minute job so not to bad
Rust bubbles between the rear windows and tailgate (manufacture issue of the tailgate not being fitted properly and rubbing allowing water to penetrate into the metal)
Make sure drains under the scuttle are cleaned yearly at least. If they block up they flood and water can get into your Electronics and that's a very expensive repair! Also can blow your wiper motor.
In the last 6 months what I've had done on mine (197 but they aren't massively different)
Steering arms
Driveshaft
Fuel pump
Indicator stalk
Sensors
Exhaust manifold
All new front suspension
New rear calliper
New torque take up arm
Passenger side door dropped and need a bracket replacing
Drivers side door locking mechanism jammed occasionally when dead locking so stripped the door down to get at it and cleaned/greased/oiled it.
Steering wheel melt mentioned above
4 new alloys
Must haves are personal and depend on what you use the car for. Mine does 80 miles 4 times a week for work so I went with non cup packed and that still not a soft ride!
Only options mine didn't have was the cup pack and recaros. I even have a pano sunroof and TPMS.
Get a well looked after one. Mines got a full history and was fine for 3.5 years but it's just got 90k (65k of that in my ownership) and it's starting to need attention.
The more miles a gearbox has on it the less likely it is to fail. Mine still has it's original gearbox in it (she says hoping she hasn't just cursed herself)
Clio197.net (197/200/200t) has great how to guides, bargains to be grabbed and very helpful people.
Just search around until you find one you fall in love with. You have to love these cars to put up with them sometimes
Recaro wear
Steering wheel melt
Exhaust manifold blows it flexis (expensive part and job) usually this is caused by one of the engine mounts being worn. First sign you get is the blown flexis.
Steering rack (sometimes the click/bang can be down to a loose bolt by the pedals inside the car rather then the steering rack though)
Gearbox (biggest and most common issue 3rd and 4th synchro wear)
Callipers stick
B pillar seal wear fast but £20 for a new set and a 5 minute job so not to bad
Rust bubbles between the rear windows and tailgate (manufacture issue of the tailgate not being fitted properly and rubbing allowing water to penetrate into the metal)
Make sure drains under the scuttle are cleaned yearly at least. If they block up they flood and water can get into your Electronics and that's a very expensive repair! Also can blow your wiper motor.
In the last 6 months what I've had done on mine (197 but they aren't massively different)
Steering arms
Driveshaft
Fuel pump
Indicator stalk
Sensors
Exhaust manifold
All new front suspension
New rear calliper
New torque take up arm
Passenger side door dropped and need a bracket replacing
Drivers side door locking mechanism jammed occasionally when dead locking so stripped the door down to get at it and cleaned/greased/oiled it.
Steering wheel melt mentioned above
4 new alloys
Must haves are personal and depend on what you use the car for. Mine does 80 miles 4 times a week for work so I went with non cup packed and that still not a soft ride!
Only options mine didn't have was the cup pack and recaros. I even have a pano sunroof and TPMS.
Get a well looked after one. Mines got a full history and was fine for 3.5 years but it's just got 90k (65k of that in my ownership) and it's starting to need attention.
The more miles a gearbox has on it the less likely it is to fail. Mine still has it's original gearbox in it (she says hoping she hasn't just cursed herself)
Clio197.net (197/200/200t) has great how to guides, bargains to be grabbed and very helpful people.
Just search around until you find one you fall in love with. You have to love these cars to put up with them sometimes
ilduce said:
Thanks to everyone for their input.
I'll be moving from a Cayman S ....
I have a Porsche Boxster Spyder so know where you are coming from. However the major frustration for me jumping into the Clio is that you always have to rev the proverbial off it to make decent progress when overtaking. Not an issue when I am out for a good blast but as the power is up the rev range it often becomes frustrating when you are caught out.I'll be moving from a Cayman S ....
Maybe just spoilt with having powerful cars but something to bear in mind and definitely have a test drive where you use it in normal conditions. As a point to point car it's great when you are on it and much more expensive machinery can't always keep up on tight back roads.
George
douglasgdmw said:
ilduce said:
Thanks to everyone for their input.
I'll be moving from a Cayman S ....
I have a Porsche Boxster Spyder so know where you are coming from. However the major frustration for me jumping into the Clio is that you always have to rev the proverbial off it to make decent progress when overtaking. Not an issue when I am out for a good blast but as the power is up the rev range it often becomes frustrating when you are caught out.I'll be moving from a Cayman S ....
Maybe just spoilt with having powerful cars but something to bear in mind and definitely have a test drive where you use it in normal conditions. As a point to point car it's great when you are on it and much more expensive machinery can't always keep up on tight back roads.
George
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