Faults:

The only problems that I have found with this car so far have been a faulty sunroof. The sunroof didn't leak, it just squeaked which was annoying when driving! This was a general Clio problem and was repaired free of charge after several visits to the dealer and complaints which took about 5 months to sort out.

When first purchased the gearbox was hard to put into 1st gear and 2nd gear, but the dealer sorted that out quickly with no problems.

General Comments:

I have been driving this car since December 2002 when I past my driving test. I find this car brilliant, despite the sunroof problems. This is one of the only things that I can fault with Renault. The customer service isn't all it's cracked up to be. I was getting told that the sunroof problem was a common problem and would get sorted under warranty. This is fair enough as it was like it then when I first got the car, but the car went in three times for repairs and I got charged. I complained and got this money back, reluctantly might I add.

Although the car is used all the time and has done 34000 miles plus, the interior doesn't make a single squeak, which makes the drive pleasurable. I like the interior, as for a small car it looks substantial, making it seem like a more expensive car. The interior of the car is also very spacious for the driver and front passenger. Unfortunately the rear passengers don't have quite so much room, which is strange considering it's a five door. Luckily I don't carry lots of passengers, as the car doesn't like it. The boot space is ample. You can't expect a Volvo sized boot space from a car like this, but the size that Renault does give you can easily handle a weekly shop with room to spare. I'm don't think it would cope well with a trip down to MFI as even with the seats collapsed it isn't extremely spacious, but you can't expect much from a small car like this.

The exterior is again substantial it is also modern looking. The look of the car is one thing that has attracted me to the Clio's. The look like they can withstand an accident well.

The safety features in the Clio's and other Renaults as superb. I haven't been in an accident so I can't tell you how well they work out, but even the standard cars like mine come with airbags and impact bars as well as ABS.

The performance of the Clio is good. High speeds in it are unfortunately aren't as pokey as the lower speeds, but it still manages more than well down motorways even if the engine does sound quite loud, although this isn't as noticeable inside the car as it is quite air tight. Considering the standard 1.2 engine, the acceleration in this car is very good and when you need to pull out onto a main road it can cope with it well. When overtaking in the car it seems like you need a diary to plan it out, as the car hasn't got the poke for this. I have found that when the car is loaded with three or more large people plus luggage the acceleration suffers as you can expect in a small car. Despite this it still manages well.

Overall I feel that this is a superb car for first time drivers and experienced drivers. The engine is brilliant and the gearbox is a pleasure making it so easy to change gear quickly and smoothly. The safety features, looks and the comfortable, spacious interior make the car wonderful and brilliant to drive. It seems like I can drive forever with no problems, and the car feels like it will go forever with ease as well. Despite the problem with the sunroof the general customer service of the dealer is brilliant which is why I have gone back to them to buy my own first car, as this Clio is my mum's. The car I am buying is a new (03 reg) Clio 1.2 16v 3dr Billabong, which is being delivered at the end of May so look out for a review of that on this site when I get it.

Faults:

So far the only problem has been a broken rear sear belt clip. The red plastic has cracked.

General Comments:

After driving company Land Rover's for the last twenty years I changed roles and had to provide my own form of transport.

Therefore I had to find a second car pretty quickly. I needed an economic, five door, small car that could take my six foot three frame plus two young children and accompanying gear. It also had to be able to deal with steep hills on a daily 13 mile commute on the edge of the Derbyshire Peak District. I wasn't asking for much then!

After years of driving Land Rovers and Volvos I had not got a clue what small car I needed or indeed what I could fit into. So the whole family visited several car supermarkets to 'try' out as many small family hatchbacks as we could.

Fiats had great seats, lousy electrics, Matiz's were too small & tiny. Ka's were far too small. I couldn't fit into a Saxo, my knee was wedged against the steering wheel and gear stick. Peugeots were too small and the ergonomics of a Toyota Corolla were far too cramped. However the Clio was just right. So a Clio it was to be.

I soon realised that a five door Clio was hard to find. Apparently for every five door sold there are 14 three doors sold!

Three doors are extremely popular and can be found in a variety of outlets. I trawled the autocar web site and by selecting my budget and locality we found a selection of five doors to check out. Best of the bunch was a 1.6 RXE fully loaded! Having started out looking for a basic 1.2 at the same price I was very pleased. It is really fun to drive, I love it.

As a one occupant car it is superb. It has a big car feel with the seat fully back and lowered. A very comfortable, ergonomic and economic drive.

On a recent trip to Bristol it cruised happily on the motorways returning 42 mpg, sat at 80mph and had a nippy feel to it. I arrived feeling quite refreshed. The seats are comfortable and all the switches are clear and easy to hand. The driving position is comfortable with a good view of the road.

Around town it is great for easy parking and gutsy acceleration. Our other family jollopy is a 20v Volvo 850 GLT Estate, it knocks spots off that!

The children love it, especially the six stack CD! The air con is great too.

I have been very impressed by this car. It feels like driving a go kart. Very positive and handles like glue.

After buying the car for me, my wife has found it superb. So much so that I now drive the Volvo to work and she has commandeered the Clio for the school run and her commute to work. I use it for long runs if I am lucky!