2006 Renault Clio 197 Renaultsport from UK and Ireland - Comments

Nothing, car is only 1 month old, delivered in perfect working order.

Poor standard equipment, this car is the equivalent of the old cup spec cars with cloth seats, halogen lights, 15watt stereo and manual air con.

Handling is sublime, goes around corners better than any front wheel drive car I have ever driven. So smooth on bumpy surfaces, so much grip on B roads!

Straightline performance is poor, the engine has not been uprated enough to carry the lardy 1200kg bodyshell. This is really noticeable on the road, it is not a good car for safe overtaking.

It is more refined than my old Clio 182, and the engine note is nice, but it is a gutless car that is easily beaten by all other hot hatches in a straight line.

Before anyone statistics heroes start quoting the improved 6.9seconds 0-60 time, let me tell you that this is acheived by lower gearing, this car is the slowest Renaultsport creation to date.

I am going to sell this and buy a 2005 182 and hope Renaultsport bring out a faster and better equipped version very soon before they end up like Peugeot as hot hatch has beens!

Sorry to hear you are dissappointed in the 197.

I sat in one at the London motor show and was impressed by the comfortable sport seats (I suffer terrible backache in some cars so seat comfort is important to me). I have just read another review of the 197 and the writer complained that the seats gave him backache. How do you find the seats?

Seats are fine, big and comfortable, and the ride is not too hard either, so it is a good cruising car.

From October an £850 option is super thin Recaro seats which look awesome, but unless they seriously uprate the performance I won't be buying another 197. Buy a Megane instead, you can get them for £14K new imported, wish I had!

I was left for dead by my mates Ibiza Cupra TDi yesterday, this car is getting embarrassing : (

I'm a 182 owner and am surprised that you actually bought the car, when you've basically slated it. Didn't you take a test drive?? I did and kept my 182. Looks like you've made an expensive mistake.

Cars need running in you know, the 197 is bound to feel slower than the 182 for the first couple of thousand miles. You're not meant to thrash the living daylights out of the car in the first few months!!!

I'm a 182 owner and love the new Clio, it is a big step forwards and makes the latest Fiesta feel 20 years old inside.

When they make a Renaultsport model worthy of the name, ie atleast as fast as the old model, I will buy one.

Peugeot are not Hot-hatch has beens my friend!

They failed to capture the pure essence of the 205 GTi with the 206 GTi and the later 206 180,but then can you replicate the best GTi made with these new emissions and safety laws?

All the rest have been smashing cars eg:106,205,309 and the 306 GTi, but then that's what happens when the EU go safety crazy and spoil our fun!

I'm not trying to start a Renault and Peugeot war, but I think Renault and Peugeot are in the same boat now.

Look at their 80's Hot-hatches and you will see their cars weigh in at about 850kg-900kg and now both the Clio 197 and the 207 GTi and weighing in at probably 1200-1300kg which we all know is not good for a hot-hatch!

I know you have to move on with age, but I believe the 182 will be the last king of Hot-hatch's for Renault as like the last good GTi made by Peugeot in recent years was the 106 GTi and the 306 GTi!!1.

To all the people with 182's trust me on this the 197 is by far this best in its class if you want to thrash the bo*****s

out of it when you get the damn thing then this car is not for you.

So its more of a comfy cruiser then!

Not a hot hatch?

I test drove a 197 late last year and yes it was great, but I have a 182 and frankly the 182 is the car for me-It is so much more involving and much better fun.

I have a 182 which I've had from new just over two and a half years and I absolutely love it. I test drove a 197 last year, it was fine, but not great like the 182.If they bring out an engine update I might think about it.

I should think they will bring out a new engine for it when there is a new megane. You get the feeling the 197 has been forced to be the underdog to the megane so that it is the best.

I have seen loads of corsa VXR (chav mobile) but not many 197's. I think a lot of people have been put off by the neigh sayers and have gone and brought a car which actually isn't as good (except for slightly better straight line speed).

How can you call a VXR a chav car and not a 197? doesn't make sense, they are in the same class, although I think the corsa VXR will leave it for dead off the lights. Personally I don't think any of them are chav cars, both brand new, you won't find any of these cars in the TRADE IT for £900 yet!

Must admit love the Clio in all its shapes. The 197 looks a bit wet at the rear end that is. Don't doubt its performance though. Next year thinking of buying the new Abarth Essesse from Fiat. NOW... that's going to scare all the competition.

I am a 197 owner, & having previously owned a 172, I was so looking forward to getting my hands on the 197.. I got my hands on this import (UK spec) I paid £13.999.

Well 2 days after owning the 197 I am shocked to find out that I have a problem... my car coughs & splutters for a period of time once you set off.. I get a loss of power which caused me to nearly have a side impact when I left a junction because my car lost power. My Renault dealer told me & showed me a web page released by Renault France that said that some 197's have this problem & they were working towards a fix as their computer diagnostic machine won't show up the fault, but they know it's there.

After 2 weeks I still complained that it was happening, & that it happened often & not just when the engine was cold. I asked for an exchange or my money back & was told they did not have a returns policy, & they wouldn't do that anyway until they had inspected the car to see if they could fix it.

It got booked in, & like Renault France said, their machine could not detect the fault, but there technicians took it on a test drive & witnessed the fault 1st hand.

Anyway they did not want to give me an exchange or refund now because my 48day return option had gone by.

In total it has know been back 5 times now with same problem; still no fix & now that fault has all of a sudden changed to not a fault, but a characteristic of my car!!! They say all 197 models are the same & require the car to be started & warmed up for a couple of minutes before you drive away.

At present I am building a case against my dealership for the above reasons, & also I am now being told that my 197 was second hand when I purchased it, when I was told it was only an import.. the sales lady neglected to tell me it had a previous owner in France where it came from, & on my documents there are no signs it had a previous owner.

I have been stung big time... I have tried to sell it to see if anyone would buy it in its condition, & there was no surprise that the 2 people who came to view it picked up on these faults & did not want it.

So my message is clear before you buy one - BE CAREFUL!!

I am at present trying to find all 197 owners to get their opinion to see if they suffer with same thing.

If you can help, please email me at rchrdbam@aol.com

I have a 197, bought new in June 2008, and it coughs and splutters from cold for at least a mile or two. My dealer tells me 'they all do that sir, just warm it for a couple of minutes before you set off'...not satisfactory, anyone want a 2000mile racing blue 197!!!