Faults:

Water pump.

Carburettor.

Bottom end knocking.

Starter motor.

Head gasket blown.

General Comments:

The Renault 5 GT Turbo is simply ace when the going is good (and boy is it good) and yet it is absolutely the worst when the going is bad!!

Having wanted one of these for 7 years, having a room adourned with posters - I simply had to get one. I have not been disappointed overall and am glad I ignored all the doubters.

If you have never been in a 5 turbo in full flight then you are missing out. Goes like a stink, corners on rails and owns the road when modified!!!

It is fair to say that overheating is a problem. Therefore certain mods are essential to combat this, eg Copper core radiator. Having said that it is fair to say these cars suffer from a host of problems - blown head gaskets being among the more common and painful!

If contemplating getting one, would advise you opt for the Phase 2 version to ensure you get the more reliable water cooled turbo.

What is for sure is that the pros of the car outweigh the cons, and that is why so many of us still love the car despite the pain it causes you. In terms of value for money - you can't go wrong.

A word of warning R5`s are excessively costly to maintain - you open your wallet and drop your trousers.

Faults:

Drive-shaft oil seal problems.

Clutch cable snapped twice. Cured by fitting the relevant upgraded part that should be been done the first time.

Speedo drive disconnected @ top end from vibration.

Rear bearing failure from overloading.

General Comments:

Very comfortable to drive and plenty of space inside although the body shape does limit the boot space somewhat.

Interior is nice although with age does get somewhat creaky and rattly.

Engine is good for 52mpg at best and is fairly willing although not at its best when mated to a 4 speed transmission.

Seats are comfortable, but the cheap open style headrests are worse than useless on this model, try and find a scrapped Monaco or Baccara and get the leather seats out of that :)

Overall a nice car to drive. The Event, TSE, baccara & Monaco versions are the ones to go for if you want luxury. The Turbo and later 1.7 GTX are for the 'incoming tree' crowd.

Faults:

Original turbo went bang at 70,000.

Clutch failed at 95,000.

Anti peculation fan switch failed (£35).

Reverse gearbox light switch failed.

Eats brakes and tyres, no matter how you drive it!

General Comments:

I love the R5GTT.

OK, so it's not eco, cheap and user friendly, but as for the grin factor, it's got to be one of the tops.

I have spent well over £7,000 on my 5. WHY??? Because I have a small 1.4 old push rod, french car that can do 1/4 in 13.5 seconds and 0-60 in 5.5, and you want to see the faces of all the big pimpin £30,000+ BMW, Merc etc drivers when you pass them like they are going backwards!!!

The only bad thing is yes, they are flimbo and made from card, and do most of the mileage on the clock getting towed???

Fun V cost = R5 GTT.

Faults:

Nothing, the car is a collectors piece, having only covered 10K miles, in 11 years. Everything is as new.

General Comments:

GT Turbo's are really wonderful cars, they handle magnificently, go like stink, and never fail to put a grin on your face. This is my 7th GT Turbo, and absolutely the best! It was bought from a collector, who kept it covered in a thermostatically controlled garage. It's the best left.

Of all the cars I've owned, I always seem to pine for a GT Turbo whenever I've been without one, there really is no better bang for your buck.

I've dabbleed with a couple of 106 GTI's and although they are very entertaining, the GT Turbo really does wipe the floor with it. The steering is just so communicative, allowing for playful lift off oversteer, which remains progressive and controlled, and ultimately easy to catch.

They'll never build another one!