that's some funny shizzle!

 

Denial or delusion?

 

Renno below MG? Holy sheet!

 

I'm an ex-owner of 2 Renaultsport cars, a 'Cupped' Clio 182 and a Megane R26. I also had a Megane DCi as family wheels for a while.

In my experience, and bear in mind that I kept none of them for more than a year, you WILL have endless problems, most of which the dealer won't give a sh1t about, or 'can't replicate on the test drive', or they simply don't know how to fix. But then, quite often when they stopped working, they inexplicably fixed themselves just as the AA turned up, so Renault ownership wasn't all doom and gloom

The Clio and Meg DCi were both low mileage cars, bought less than 12 months old, and the R26 was new, so it's not like there were any good reasons for the problems, which included multiple exhausts and door handles, injectors, engine mounts, instrument pack, trim falling off, intermitent electrical faults, not starting, premature gearbox wear etc........

I did test drive a regular 197 but it was dull as ditch water compared to the 182, and they made it very low geared to compensate for how incredibly heavy it was, so I was constantly looking for 7th and 8th gear.

Steer well clear, Chris.

PS. Despite the p1ss taking above, FIAT seem to get a lot of good owner reviews nowadays, so a Punto Abarth might be worth a bit of research as an alternative - better on economy and emissions/VED too.

 

Fiesta ST???

Just got rid of mine...too small for a lofty chap like me

 

Yeah, but I'm guessing Mrs Harris isn't 6' 15" like you

 

Nope, she's a short arse. Shame about the 197.

She doesn't like EP3's, the Corsa, apart from being a Vauxhall is too chavvy, BINI's are too common. Fiat 500's are too girly.

 

GT86 then; you can both get comfortable in it!

Or get a Suzi Swift; they're giving new ones away & it's one of those cars that owners love.

Honestly, I have a prejudice that Reno buyers obviously know f uck all & did no research before buying one and thus deserve to get stung. It's a bit harsh on those who have zero interest in cars, admittedly, but it's caveat emptor for somthing so expensive. But then teenage girls with big bums seem to like Reno styling, for some reason. Presumably, they must think that silly little round glasses & pedal pushers look chic then.

 

I actually rate Renaultsport Clios - I've had three of them. The 182 I had for two years and 25,000 miles and around ten track and airfield days and no warranty work at all was required on it.
The next car was the R27 Clio, which I had for two and half years, 20,000 miles and again around ten track and airfield days. Warranty claims were for a worn Recaro seat bolster (real common fault) and a new radiator (the cooling fan had worked loose, causing the fan blades cut into the fins of the radiator and drop all of the coolant.)
Then I had a 200, for nine months. I didn't really get on with it, yes it had a little more pull lower down the rev range than the 197, but I think that by a month or two of owning I had fancied a change from Clio. Warranty claim on this was a knocking top mount.

The 197 is a good car, but whether it's a good car after three of four years is another question, as I've heard that a lot of gearboxes have failed.

Take one out for a test drive and see what you think.

 

Well, I feel obliged to reply to your insult, Nick, as I've already confessed to multiple Renault purchases.

If we all relied solely on 'research', then no-one would ever buy an S2000 either because, in various reports and forum threads they're described as too peaky, the lack of torque renders them undriveable, the steering is numb, the alignment is ceased solid at the wrong settings and anyone that drives one dies a horrible death when it spins on the motorway for no apparent reason.

Renaultsport cars are renowned for their handling and my experience was that the reputation is well deserved. Indeed, many experts rate the design of the suspension set-ups of RS cars. That was my criteria for purchasing the 182, even though I knew I was taking the usual French car risk. Apart from the exhaust, it was generally reliable, so, I felt happy to buy the R26 and DCi Megans, both of which were well rated by the press for performance and economy respectively.

Unfortunately, the Megans proved to be properly French, and the newer 197 is more akin to the Megane build and design-wise than the old model 182.

So, to answer your point, not everyone that has a different opinion to you, Nick, is an ignorant idiot. But that's the beauty of opinions, you can still have one even when it's offensive and only partially accurate. I did my research and bought what appeared to be best for someone who is very much into cars and driving but, at the time, needed practicality as well. I hedged my bets by buying cars with manufacturer's warranty, so apart from inconvenience, I didn't get the stinging I apparently "deserve" for my stupidity. However, if Chris is thinking of buying anything 3 years old or more (I'm not sure when the 197 was replaced by the 200), he won't have that benefit so hopefully my feedback, which is based on actual experience and not anecdotes, will be of use, unlike random insults.

Chris - sorry for the thread hijack.