Renault Clio road test reports and car reviews

Renault Clio 1.5 dCi 65 Dynamique A/C 2002

I bought this car in february 2008 with 70000 miles on it, since then it has needed a new clutch, gearbox, engine mount, exhaust, bonnet ( the bonnet catch failed, flew up and put my wind screen through!), windscreen and finally a new starter motor. It’s not exactly reliable, is it?!!! Moving on to build quality; it rattles and squeaks like nothing you have ever heard. Poor quality materials in cabin, bodywork and shockingly bad reliability. Buy anything but a Clio.

Responses to this review

You bought a 70,000 mile car that could have been thrashed by a lunatic and complain that it squeaks and rattles? It’s unfair to judge a car that is out of manufacturer’s warranty with such a high mileage - Scott Fuller from Renfrewshire

Me again... Just to bring you up to date on my Clio from above. A few days ago, driving home, the airbags blew out - today the back axle went on me. Also the battery keeps discharging itself, leaving it unable to start.Time to get rid of this piece of c**p - Dean from County Tyrone

Dean here again, just a reply to Scott. This car was owned by a local lady who drove it 15 miles back and fowards to work everyday and she even told me before I stupidly bought it that it had gave her trouble from day 1 when she purchased it brand new. It’s gone now anyway, insurance sent it to the scrap yard (where all Renaults belong) and I now have a lovely Peugeot 207 Sport. Bottom line is that you have to be mad to buy a Renualt, in time you will find out if you buy one yourself. P.S. If this car was thrashed by a lunatic it would have broken years ago because Renault are sh**e!! - Dean from County Tyrone

I had a Clio from new, a 1999 1.6 16v model and loved it to bits. It never broke down in 95k miles and only had to replace wear and tear parts like brakes. It had a few new batteries but I expected that. Yes it started to rattle a bit but that was after I had the suspension lowered and therefore it was a harder ride. Since then I have had 2 brand new Toyotas which were a disaster from start to finish and I ended up rejecting the second one, a Yaris. I would have a Clio any day but I now have a new Ford Fiesta which is so much better than the Toyotas but it has got problems the clio never had, which is worrying me and I have only done 400 miles - Peter from Bedfordshire

Renault Clio 1.5 D GT dCi 106 3Dr. Manual 2009

Manual C’est superb, n’est pas? This Gallic supermini oozes chic, charm, and Parisienne punch. Elle va? Elle va va voom! Wrapped up in a smart and appealing designer bodyshell, the Renault Clio Sport diesel has piquancy in plenty and practicality in abundance, with all the flair one could wish from a French stylist and all the metric nous of clever French engineers. The lucky owner of this brand new automobile can enjoy the best that motoring can offer - secure in the knowledge that the affair will be a long lasting one: you can depend on it. More and more, the British motorist, in mourning for the lost national motor industry, is turning - not without envy - to our French friends across the Channel to plug the deficit. The French motor industry produces sound, stylish and, indeed, desirable motorcars embodying a cosmopolitan feel with a Republican disdain for snobbery. These are cars for the people: sensible people. People at liberty to choose for themselves. Sandwiched between the flashy, status obsessed, top end of the market and the - ’Mon Dieu! If only I had money to buy better than this’ - grimly utilitarian bottom end, the French motor industry displays a range of appealing automobiles for every taste, purpose and pocket. The present GT model is a prime example of that. Easily distinguished by its racy lines and 16" alloy wheels, side skirts, tinted windows and twin tailpipe exhaust, it’s targeted at the sportily inclined who like a little dash, a little flash, a little fun - but want to feel that they’re getting value for money, reliability and economy at the same time. The new Clio GT diesel zips into the frame with the breezy insouciance of an Impressionist seascape. On the inside, sporting details include drilled aluminium pedals, sports front seats and a leather trimmed GT steering wheel. It’s as bracing as ozone to take a turn behind the wheel - even on a soggy Saturday in Shrewsbury. To own this little beauty is an affair of the heart. Maigret would puff a pipe or two in contemplation of its alluring lines and nod appreciatively at the competent precision of its road manners and positive sense of direction. (Sat nav is integrated in this Tom Tom Edition). You don’t need to be a great detective to discover its abundance of attributes. The 106bhp diesel is one of the best around. Smooth, and with tractor like torque (240Nm at just 2000 rpm) the car ’feels’ quicker than it actually is. Top speed though is enough for anyone at near 120mph. Six well spaced gears encourage enjoyment and, as a consequence, I could not get anywhere near the claimed combined economy figure of 61.4mpg. 48mpg is what was recorded on the trip computer - but I say ’buy the 86bhp ’Ordinaire’ if you want to pussyfoot about’: this car is about FUN. And talking of ’fun’ I covered the secret A to B section of my Shropshire test route in just three minutes less than I had achieved in a test Maserati. All down to the torquey motor and inspirational handling born of ’programmed deflection torsion beams and the use of elasto-kinematic materials hard-wired to the moon etc..’ To you and me that means it handles and rides beautifully. Whilst pressing on at a cracking pace you are in a lovely, comfortable and quiet cabin listening to the quality sound system. If you’ve any sense at all, forget your baguettes and bag one of these. For modern driving it’s even better than a Bugatti. As my pal Le Chat Noir purred to me - "This Clio’s for miaow". If one was allowed these days, I’d be tempted to raise a glass of Beaujolais to this jolly Gallic jem. A car like this makes one feel a real Eurostar here...

Renault Clio Sport 2001

The car is ok but it does have its faults like the rear leg room is none existant. God knows why it’s in insurance group 10 because it does not feel like a sport with a speed of 100mph tops. Things to look for when buying: Check all eletrics! Checks all around drive shafts for grease, On the test drive listen for any knocks from c.v.

Responses to this review

You didn't say what model Clio i.e. engine size you have, must be a 1.2 if the top speed is only 100mph? I had a 1999 Clio 16v 1.6 for 9 years and loved it to bits, so well balanced for size V performance V economy and I totally regret getting rid of it, have had 2 brand new Toyotas since and am so disappointed with everything about them. Stick to the Clio they are good cars to drive and are worth repairing when necessary - Pete from Bedfordshire

I completely disagree with Pete from bedfordshire about they are good cars!! My reveiw is 2 above this and I can’t stress enough, never buy a Renault because it WILL break your heart. Many of my friends got 02-03 clios or 02-03 Peugeot 206’s when they passed their test and every single one of them have had trouble with their clio’s, not the 206s. You hear many bad reports about 206’s and a mechanic told me himself as long as you take care of them they will go for ever (the 206’s), he also told me to get my head checked out because I bought a Renault. These were his exact words "If it wasn’t for Renault being such a pile of rubbish, I would have been out of business years ago". I think that says it all - Dean from County Tyrone

Renault Clio 106 6speed Dynamique S Diesel 2006

A fabulous car in every respect. On long trips it averages nearly 68 mpg and it pulls like a train!!!!!

Renault Clio 1.6 2007

I love my Clio to bits. I used to have the older 2001 model which I also loved then in a weak brainwashed moment I bought a Toyota Yaris 1.3 which was dreadful to drive and had a lot of faults. So far the Clio has not had to go into the garage except for 1 service at 18K miles. I would recommend the Clio as an all round package and it seems to be very reliable, certainly does everything better than the Yaris did, what a seriously dreadful car that was.

Renault Clio 1.2 TCE S

Renault cars play an important role in our household; reliability being the key factor in both our diesel and petrol vehicles. I can confidently recommend.

Responses to this review

If you had any sense you would have bought anything else than a Clio, especially the pre 05+ models - Graham from Cumberland

Renault Clio Dymanique 2006

I have been very impressed with the new Clio. We had the car for two years from new and not a single trip to the dealer except for a smashed wing mirror after a bus decided to overtake a little to close. I am 6" tall and the car feels really roomy up front, more so than the previous model. Would recommend the Dymanique trim over the cheaper models as it looks and feels a really good quality interior. The 1.4 is giving us an average of 36mpg which is ok, but considering power is limited I hoped it would be a little more frugal. The new 1.2 Turbo looks a great choice so would opt for that if buying again. With two child seats in the back, the middle seat is very tight, but the boot is deceptively big and even with a pram etc stuffed in, always had enough room for a normal shop. I really can’t find anything to fault on the car - it’s just lovely to drive with good road holding and a nice quality cabin. Just in the process of upgrading to a Scenic for extra space for the kids but everyday I still have the Clio I feel sad that it’s going - I really will miss this lovely car.

Renault Clio 2003

Absolutely brilliant little car. I had the Clio Dynamique 1.2 16v for two years, unfortunately after flipping it 4 times it is understandably but unfortunately a write off. I walked out the car with one bruise on my body, the paramedics could not believe i did not have any serious injuries. I am definitely looking for another Clio. The car is sturdy, safe, trustworthy, quiet to drive and had 37,000 faultless miles, had every extra that you could think of apart from a soft top of course! Comfortable sports seats, adjustable radio/CD player on steering wheel, automatic locking system when you drive off, so your safe, which is important with being a young girl. I cannot fault this vehicle as it saved my life and I dread to think what would have happened if I had been in a Peugeot or MG soft-top! Without a doubt I would recommend this car to anyone; especially first time buyers.

Renault Clio Clio 1.4 16v 2005

This car is amazing , I have just bought a 2005 Clio 1.4 16v and I am most impressed with its overall performance. The number one priority these days is economy, this is reaching a comfortably achievable 43.0 mpg and lower 34.0 mpg on shorter journeys. This car has a lot of sporty feel to it when you want it to perform open up the throttle and it soon accelerates smoothly and effortlessly when you need it to . It’s sumptuous hugging seats are superb holding you in when cornering hard or just running around giving you a comfortable ride and great feel on the road through the steering which is powered steering, but not overly powered giving a sure feel to the road with excellent grip via its wide tyres and sure-footed handling sports suspension , this is truly a mid range performer with economy to match, power delivery is of the highest in it’s class and will hold its own against other competitors in this range of the small sports hatch car market so overall its a perfect combination and the fun factor is excellent. I would certainly recommend this car !