Just put a deposit down on a Clio 220 Trophy! Had a test drive at Renault Cardiff (they also have a brand new Cup-S demo car and a couple of Megane Trophy's 2nd hand). I was very impressed with the gearbox, though having not driven an auto before, I did have one accidental emergency brake moment where my left foot found the brake instead of the clutch! It doesn't quite have the grunt of the Megane, but it revs nicely and even in the pouring rain it was having no problem putting down the power. The brakes seemed excellent, there's definitely a bigger servo than the Megane as the initial bite was much more noticeable. I've heard of some having issues with brake cooling on trackdays but I'll deal with that if and when it happens. The ride was very similar to the Megane, hard, but quite well dampened. The cabin feels a lot more modern and smarter than the 250, the speedo especially. The Trophy seats are very comfortable and it was nice having the heating elements! Delivery should be at the end of Feb/start of March. I'll be sad to see my Megane go after 5 years but I'm looking forward to driving the Clio again!
Nice change. Friend of mine has one and its an impressive machine. Lovely cabin, great seats and it drives really well especially in sports mode. Sure you'll love it!
They're better than the motoring press would have you believe. My mrs has a 200t and in Race mode using the paddles, the car is mighty quick with rapid gear changes. However despite being well built and rapid, for me I'd still rather have the old 200.
Why the Clio? Have they revised the gear change time because it took an age? Just think the Clio is a bit. Meh.
I can't compare to a Mk4 Clio RS, but the wife has a 14 plate dci and I think the interior is nowhere near as nice as my Trophy. The dash is horrible frankly, including the speedo. The floating center console just looks really cheap and tacky. The rest of the dash is okay but the glove box might as well not exist. The handbrake area is no better than the Twingo I had on loan either - cheap looking. They're too long as a car overall for the width and height IMHO too - they look out of proportion. I don't mind the gearbox though (or the concept of it, having not driven one), but the number of doors ultimately puts me off. I didn't set off to be so negative OP, I'm sure you'll love the new car Get some pictures up when it arrives.
Well I considered lots of cars (and lots of types of cars!) before deciding on the Clio. I've already got a Caterham for weekends and trackdays, so while I could quite easily have gone for an Elise, I just didn't think it would be all that different to the Caterham and really they'd have the same purpose. I looked at Caymans and Boxers but ultimately decided against it as I'd like a bit more practicality to carry the dog occasionally and carry larger items in the boot. Also, I only have garage room for the Caterham and don't fancy keeping and Elise outside in the elements. I was very keen on the Leon Cupra but to get to to what I felt was a spec that could rival my Megane, it was well over 30k, which put it into Focus RS territory - which I'm only avoiding because I'd rather avoid the attention that goes with them. No interest at all in the Golf R, S3 or A45. I didn't want another Megane as I'd rather try something different. I've had the Megane 5 years and it's been fantastic, but a change is welcome. The Clio ticks all the practically boxed while being a good bit cheaper than the likes of the Cupra. I'm also pretty sure it's going to be more fun to drive (even with the auto box). The gearbox will also come in useful for my commute along the M4. I was impressed with the gearbox, it changed quickly and I'm looking forward to using it properly. I've already got a manual in the Caterham so I'll get my heel and toe kicks there Disagree totally on the dash. The Megane dash is pretty dated now, it does look a little sharper in the Trophy thanks to the red accents on everything, but the screen is far better placed in the Clio, and the speedo console is great. It would be boring if everyone liked the same thing though .
