1993 Renault Clio RN Liberte 1.2 petrol from UK and Ireland

Summary:

Only worthy of being someone's first car

Faults:

The doors leak.

The sunroof leaks.

The aerial leaks.

The fan belt regularly needs attention.

The rear seat doesn't fit in it's mountings properly.

Electrics in the dash have a mind of their own.

General Comments:

It's a nice car to drive if you're not in a rush. If you push it hard it can keep up not too bad, but the economy suffers badly. Handling is no where near as good as the Saxo 1.1 I learned to drive in and performance is worse too.

Is capable of 100+ miles I do a day in it.

Would you buy another car from this manufacturer? Yes

Review Date: 4th November, 2002

1993 Renault Clio RSi 1.8 Injection from UK and Ireland

Summary:

A high performance bargain

Faults:

The oil cooler was letting oil into the water when I bought it.

There is a little bit of rust starting to show through on the offside rear wing.

General Comments:

This car is very quick and sticks to the road like glue, passing every thing in it's path.

The seats give a firm and comfy ride.

Would you buy another car from this manufacturer? Yes

Review Date: 15th May, 2002

1993 Renault Clio RSi 1.8 from Belgium

Summary:

Superb car, best in curved streets

Faults:

Leaking oil started at 112000 kilometres.

The button of the day-counter broke off at 122000 kilometres.

The roller of the distribution-belt makes a very nasty sound at 123000 kilometres.

But before, I've never had problems.

General Comments:

It's a very reliable car that handles great in curves.

The shifting works great.

You can easily leave the most cars behind you.

Would you buy another car from this manufacturer? Yes

Review Date: 25th January, 2002

1993 Renault Clio 16v 1.8 from UK and Ireland

Summary:

Super looks and power, buy one!

Faults:

Faulty battery needed changing costing £60.

General Comments:

This car is rapid and a dream to drive. It beats all my mates hot hatches. The 16v kicks in at around 4 thousand revs, that's when you really feel the power.

Would you buy another car from this manufacturer? Yes

Review Date: 16th December, 2001

1993 Renault Clio 16v 1.8 petrol from UK and Ireland

Summary:

Looks good, goes fast, and costs loads to repair

Faults:

The power steering pump seems to leak constantly, I've given up on fixing this and now I just live with it.

Uses front brake pads like they are going out of fashion.

Petrol gauge tells lies when low on fuel.

Head gasket went on me recently, this cost a packet, because everything has to be dismantled to get at it!

General Comments:

On the whole the car goes fast and looks good getting there. Be prepared to shell out when things go wrong. If you have a dead cat don't expect to be able to swing it around in the engine bay. It's all crammed in there with a shoe horn and it doesn't like coming out.

If you're looking for something fast and cheap to kill GTI's and GTE's, look no further.

Would you buy another car from this manufacturer? Yes

Review Date: 4th October, 2001

9th Jun 2008, 17:47

You'll find the power steering reservoir has a prune-style pinhole on the inside of the cap to allow power steering fluid to come out of the top. It is not a leak as such, it's a deliberate design.

1993 Renault Clio 16v 1.8 from UK and Ireland

Summary:

One hell of a car

Faults:

The only major problem I have had with a 16 valver is a worn wheel bearing.

Also because of there being a big engine in a small space, fixing and replacing parts can be time consuming and expensive.

The car also seems to go through brakes pretty quick.

General Comments:

This is my third Clio 16v and they are great cars to drive with good handling.

I must admit the 16v does need to be looked after well or it will just end up falling to bits with the engine blowing up.

The current car I have, has had a modified engine put in it which gives the car around 180 BHP and a lot of pace! :) While still giving good MPG.

Would recommend one to anyone.

Would you buy another car from this manufacturer? Yes

Review Date: 13th August, 2001

1993 Renault Clio RSi 1.8 petrol from UK and Ireland

Summary:

The best hot hatch for the insurance costs - far better than the Saxo VTR

Faults:

Engine management fuse blew twice in five miles, and hasn't done it since!

General Comments:

The performance is absolutely fantastic, particularly between 1,500 and 5,000 RPM.

The handling is good, plenty of grip and minimal body roll through corners. It really encourages you to push it through the bends, and when you do, it responds fantastically.

Seats are very supportive, and still comfortable after a 250 mile drive.

What else can I say? This car is brilliant and everyone should have one! Provided it stays reliable for the next 3-4 years I intend to keep it, I will be very happy.

Would you buy another car from this manufacturer? Yes

Review Date: 5th August, 2001

27th Oct 2001, 14:24

Yes, I agree, very nice interior & the handling is excellent.

Pity about the leaking sunroof which lets the car down quite a bit.. otherwise a nice drive.

20th Dec 2001, 13:25

Hello, I'm Raymond Felix from Amsterdam Holland.

I do agree, this car is fantastic. I'm driving one myself. I've once tried to keep up with the car of a great friend of mine which was in a Clio Williams. This was a very nice try-out. Though the Williams is faster from 0 till a 100 km/h and the top speed is also higher then the RSi, driving with a speed of 20 km/h in the second gear, both cars did accelerate equally till about 140 km/h. This was a very pleasant moment for me, but not for my friend who was very annoyed. He thought his car was much faster then mine.

The Clio 16V is much slower!!!

By the way, did you know there is a difference in acceleration speed and top speed between the three "phases"?

The RSi which was produced in 1996 is the most "heavy" one and does have other specs. knowing:

Model 1996 and 1997

Weight : 942 kilo's

150 nm by 4200 r/m.

Model (late) 1994 and 1995

Weight : 933 kilo's

155 nm by 4250 r/m.

First model 1993

Weight : 938 kilo's

155 nm by 4250 r/m.

As you can see the RSi, model 1995 is less heavy than the other two models and you can imagine this model is also the fastest one. The top speed of this model is way beyond the 200 km/h.

This I know because I've tested my car often and even with a load of 5 adult men and cases with sportswear, the meter does easily point 220 km/h, which means about 208 real km/h.

Also my fellow Clio club members do agree with my findings. The other two models, the first and the last, are slower in top speed and acceleration speed.

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