Clio 172

[bones33]

Thinking of looking at some 172s over the weekend and need some headsup on what to look out for and stuff.

Are they a good dailey car?
Any known real problems?
Rear seats how small are they and will the fit a baby seet if needed?
The boot is it null and void?
Is this a better buy compaired to whats out there for £3,500.

Thanks for your time and advice.

[John D.]

bones33 said:

Thinking of looking at some 172s over the weekend and need some headsup on what to look out for and stuff.

Are they a good dailey car?
Any known real problems?
Rear seats how small are they and will the fit a baby seet if needed?
The boot is it null and void?
Is this a better buy compaired to whats out there for £3,500.

Thanks for your time and advice.

They're fine as a daily car. If you don't gun it too much you can even get over 35mpg confortably, 40mpg even on long journeys driving like Miss Daisy. Only issue maybe the driving position which isn't ideal, personally I don't notice it until I drive another car and it does'nt cause me problems on long journeys.

Known problems:

Exhaust back boxes tend to rot and fall off. Not many last past 40k so worth checking out. Mine did about 2 months after I bought it!

4k rattle from exhaust - as revs pass through 4k rpm theres a buzzing/rattling noise, most noticable on over-run. Sometimes traced to the exhaust heat shield or centre section. Mine did this also!

Engine mounts are known to fail. Knocking in first gear is a sign.

Steering wheels fall apart. Usually the rubbery thumb grips first. Caused by exposure to sun believe it or not. Mine started to go but stopped once I kept the wheel covered when parked in the summer.

Gearboxes are'nt the most smooth or robust. Can break if abused although I've never heard of many letting go. Mine is a bit notchy sometimes.

Bonnet is easily dented above the grill in centre if pushed shut rather than dropped.

Another thing to look out for is in the service history check to see if the aux belt was changed on 36k service as it should be. A lot of Renault dealerships don't seem to realise this and don't do it Mine had'nt been done.

No idea if a baby seat will fit in back, sorry! I rarely have anyone in the back of mine.

Boot is reasonable for a small car, but again I've never had the need to transport anything very big.

I've probably missed one or two things. Check out www.cliosport.net for more tips. It was very usefull when I was looking to buy mine, and has been since for sorting out a few things.

Happy hunting!

[warren182]

Great lil cars, on my third. I'd drive the newest you can find to get an idea of how they feel. A lot of cars you'll be looking at will need (or should of already had) a cambelt change, expensive job ~£800 at Renault, so bear in mind while negotiating. Check all electrics work (auto lights and wipers, climate control), check rear dampers for leaks (if covered in oil, they're gone) which are cheap to replace but good negotiating point again.
If looking at cups, bear in mind they are harder to insure, lack of abs has led to some insurers refusing to insure.
Where are you based? I'm in Birmingham, if your local your welcome to have a nose at mine, see how a decent one drives. On www.cliosport.net, there's an excellent buyers guide.

[pbirkett]

I used to have a 182 so here goes...

Are they a good dailey car?
Fine. Was reasonably comfy had an excellent specification, was very stealthy (mine was silver with silver wheels), decent poke from the engine. Poor turning circle though. Bit too refined for my liking though.

Any known real problems?
As stated in the above post, but i'm guessing (could be wrong) that for that price you'll be looking at a Phase 1 so you might not have a problem with the thumbgrips on the steering wheel. I certainly did with mine and the dealer refused to fix it.

[b]Rear seats how small are they and will the fit a baby seet if needed?[b]
Dunno but dont see why not. The car could just about take 4 adults including the driver.

The boot is it null and void?
Two 17" CRT monitors will fill the boot, if that gives you an idea. It had a cargo net which is a nice touch.

Is this a better buy compaired to whats out there for £3,500.
Its a pretty good buy all round, but if you want more excitement, maybe consider a 106 GTI or Saxo VTS, as they are only marginally slower, but more fun, or maybe a Honda CRX, which has a better engine and better handling.

[Tycho]

I drive to work in my 182. It is 40 miles each way with about 25 on the M3 and I average about 34mpg. It is happy at 85mph but will keep up with traffic easily.

I have a Britax baby seat in mine quite a lot for my 2 year old sprog. When I tell him we are going out in the car he runs to mine rather than the missus A3 TDi.

[John D.]

Tycho said:

When I tell him we are going out in the car he runs to mine rather than the missus A3 TDi.

Good lad!

[bones33]

Thanks ever so much for the replies i think we have chosen the clio as our next dailey so we are looking as of now. I shall keep you informed.

[boobles]

As for the baby seat fitting in, try here
www.britax.co.uk

[cannock172]

We have a 172 and 2 kids, youngest is 3 so uses a car seat, the eldest on a booster seat, bit of a squash in the back but hey, I sit in the front. The wife uses the Clio daily with the kids in it, I use it on my own on a weekend without them, great car, have had new rear shocks, new computer and cam belt since buying, its an 03 plate with 55,000 miles and have had it about 18 months. As much as I love it I doubt I could put up with the noise doing a 50 mile round trip for work each day

[Mells]

Notice nobody has mentioned the clutch. I dont know what you currently drive, but if you drive anything thats got a power assisted clutch you'll be in for a suprise. Clio clutches (not just the RS) are very heavy. You'll get used to it, but jump between a car with a power assisted cluch to the 172 it takes some getting used to imo. My wife doesnt mind it as she has got used to it now.

My 172ff on a 04 plate, 30k miles has just had a new alternator, aux belt and battery as the alternator caught fire on the way to work last week. Bar that, I cant fault the car.

The boot is quite big for a smallish car. I've been on many a weekend away and to the airport with 2 cases no problem. If you have kids the 3 door might be a problem, but you'll have the same issue with any 3 door.

One of the most common faults on a ph2 you might notice on a test drive is the climate control fan. It makes a really annoying buzzing if the blades are dirty or needs some wd40. Dead easy to sort and you'll be able to do it in 5 mins. Buy the cup and your wont have this problem.

One of the most difficult things for me is keeping the bloody thing at 70 on the motorway. I either seem to be doing 90+ or 65...

I bought the 172ff over the cup because of the toys. I'd rather get to 60 - 0.1 secs slower, but have the abs to stop it, xennons to see properly and the climate control. Oh, the half leather is nice and you'll get a proper spare wheel.

Edited by Mells on Tuesday 5th February 13:41

Edited by Mells on Tuesday 5th February 13:42

[John D.]

Mells said:

Notice nobody has mentioned the clutch. I dont know what you currently drive, but if you drive anything thats got a power assisted clutch you'll be in for a suprise. Clio clutches (not just the RS) are very heavy.

Good point. I never really noticed until I had a Fiesta hire car for a week which had stupidly light controls. It does give the left leg a bit of a workout in stop/start traffic I must admit.

[warren182]

Mells said:

Notice nobody has mentioned the clutch. I dont know what you currently drive, but if you drive anything thats got a power assisted clutch you'll be in for a suprise. Clio clutches (not just the RS) are very heavy. You'll get used to it, but jump between a car with a power assisted cluch to the 172 it takes some getting used to imo. My wife doesnt mind it as she has got used to it now.

My 172ff on a 04 plate, 30k miles has just had a new alternator, aux belt and battery as the alternator caught fire on the way to work last week. Bar that, I cant fault the car.

The boot is quite big for a smallish car. I've been on many a weekend away and to the airport with 2 cases no problem. If you have kids the 3 door might be a problem, but you'll have the same issue with any 3 door.

One of the most common faults on a ph2 you might notice on a test drive is the climate control fan. It makes a really annoying buzzing if the blades are dirty or needs some wd40. Dead easy to sort and you'll be able to do it in 5 mins. Buy the cup and your wont have this problem.

One of the most difficult things for me is keeping the bloody thing at 70 on the motorway. I either seem to be doing 90+ or 65...

I bought the 172ff over the cup because of the toys. I'd rather get to 60 - 0.1 secs slower, but have the abs to stop it, xennons to see properly and the climate control. Oh, the half leather is nice and you'll get a proper spare wheel.

Edited by Mells on Tuesday 5th February 13:41

Edited by Mells on Tuesday 5th February 13:42

Heavy clutch? You should try a 306 rallye. Couldn't believe how light the clio clutch is in comparison.

[Tycho]

cannock172 said:

We have a 172 and 2 kids, youngest is 3 so uses a car seat, the eldest on a booster seat, bit of a squash in the back but hey, I sit in the front. The wife uses the Clio daily with the kids in it, I use it on my own on a weekend without them, great car, have had new rear shocks, new computer and cam belt since buying, its an 03 plate with 55,000 miles and have had it about 18 months. As much as I love it I doubt I could put up with the noise doing a 50 mile round trip for work each day

Have you got the Michelin OE tyres? I swapped mine for a set of Eagle F1's and the noise difference is huge when on the motorway. The F1's are so much quieter and take a bit of the harshness out of the ride without loosing grip or composure even with the cup suspension. They were also £10 a corner cheaper.

[bones33]

Been to see 2 now and loved them deff going to be my next daily.

I am trying to find a good one in blue, i am in no rush so got time on my hands.

[Gav182]

I had a 04 182 for a year if im honest had a few bit s go wrong but still had warranty . Changed to a bugeye wrx for two months (don t ask!) Bought another 182 today 05 plate 14k miles , you can t have more performance/fun with such good economy .