A high performance bargain
Air bag warning light came on and off at its own will;
Water was found inside the headlight unit; and.
Rattling noises everywhere.
All solved by dealer under warranty.
Nice little car. The two front seats are very comfortable by performance cars' standards.
Would you buy another car from this manufacturer? Don't Know
Review Date: 22nd September, 2002
High performance, but poor build
Clutch plate split and friction pad came off into gear housing.
Gear box replaced.
Following this the gear linkages come loose and been into dealer twice.
Exhaust rattle got worse on car despite telling dealer - exhaust has been replaced.
Front doors heavy and after 7 months now rattle like a tin can.
Front dash begun to rattle and squeak - after only 7 months.
Front door window wound up the window incorrectly on one occasion and window dropped out of passenger door - not damaged, had it put back in.
Front passenger main beam light keeps going out - poor connection despite telling dealer, can't seem to resolve this.
Extremely poor build quality.
Extremely quick car non-the-less.
Expensive to run - the manufacturer recommends the 172 runs on 98 octane fuel.
Getting 34 m.p.g. on average, mainly motorway journeys.
Would you buy another car from this manufacturer? No
Review Date: 31st July, 2002
Recommended to anyone
Nothing what so ever. Though there is a noise developing at low end strains.
First of all I would like to show my sympathy for those who have had problems with their Clios, but I am please t say that mine has not had 1 single problem. The car is an absolute GEM. I can keep up with most cars on the road with no apparent problem, and it feels definitely more than the 1.2 16v (75 bhp) motor that it has. Creature comfort is very high for the price, which is nice for a change. VW should take a lesson from Renault in HOW TO BE MORE GENEROUS with their products. The CLIO is no doubt a small car, but compair this to a BM Mini, it has ample of space. Overall, it is exceptional for the value and genuine nice little motor. One more addition. As with most other small cars, the foot pedals are small and clumpy... Not the Clio. Its just like a big car has, and even good for Toe & Heeling.
Would you buy another car from this manufacturer? Yes
Review Date: 8th July, 2002
I totally agree with what you have said.
Yes I have only had the car for 2 days, but it seems, sounds, feels, looks, and is a VERY nice car to drive and look at.
I took delivery of my Dynamique 1.2 in March 2003, 9 miles on the clock.
From the very outset, I have been pleased both with the reliability and performance of this little car. I have had absolutely no problems with it, apart from a couple of stalls from idle - but I like to think they were of my doing!
Overall a gem of a car, ideal for city driving with the odd blast on the motorway. Would recommend.
Fun to drive and economical, has it's faults though
Very creaky sunroof handle on bumpy roads. Already been replaced once, and now creaks when open or closed.
Sometimes takes a couple of attempts to start when engine is warm.
Rattling noise from steering column.
Rattling noise from passenger door.
Passenger door lets water in at the bottom.
Seat belt height adjuster squeaked.
Couple of minor paint defects.
I decided to go for the small turbo diesel car, because a 1.5 litre engine, I thought would give me the power I needed. With the diesel economy as well, I was very taken with the car.
My car is the 65bhp version.
This car has great looks (new shape model).
The seats can get uncomfortable. I am 5'10", using the footrest next to the clutch causes backache.
Fairly quick car, although lacks any real power, due to being a diesel. 0-60 is quoted as taking 15 seconds in the documentation, I think it is quicker than this. It's fast off the lights, quicker than a Saxo VTR anyhow.
The interior appears plastic-ish and attracts dust easily. The stereo steering column control is very useful, and a nice feature.
This car comes with electric front windows, ABS, power steering, electric wing mirrors, four airbags, RDS radio/cassette with 6 speakers.
The car handles well enough, but I have heard the Dynamique handles better. It has better suspension and a more sporty look and feel.
Overall, this car is fun and interesting to drive. Very good value for money. I paid 8500 for mine at 3 months old (ex-demonstrator). Well worth it.
Would you buy another car from this manufacturer? Don't Know
Review Date: 14th June, 2002
Whoa, hold up! That's very risky business!
I can only assume you haven't submitted a review on here before, if you had, you would have known you NEVER EVER talk about a Saxo VTR in a negative manner. If you do you are more than likely to suffer the wrath of a thousand disgruntled 17-20 year olds who think their car is the quickest production car ever made (even if you drive something vastly better).
Just some friendly advice, I've done it to a Focus driver and judging from his reply comments, I can only assume he was on the verge of hunting me down and forcing me to race him so he could prove me wrong.
15th Apr 2003, 07:59
This is a performance sports car, running a 172bhp 2.0 engine DOES require some sacrifice to fuel economy. If you want a car that can achieve 40-50 mpg then you have picked the wrong car, buy a diesel tractor...
As for the faults, I sympathise with you on that. And I hope the problems are resolved under your manufacturer warranty.