How good are Clio Mk IIs?

[twosmoke300]

Aren't the 1.9d ones mk1s ?

[Pillock]

  On 02/04/2016 at 16:19, mat_the_cat said:

My cunning plan to prevent this is to glue a strong magnet around the inlet of the fuel filter. Assuming it's the in-tank pump which is prone to failure; if not I've been barking up the wrong tree!

Even if it doesn't save the fuel system from implosion, folklore suggests doing that will get you an extra 60mpg.

[SiC]

No, these are Clio 2 phase 1:

http://www.autotrader.co.uk/classified/advert/201603262357288

[Cavcraft]

The best plan for a magnet with these is to stick a massive one to the roof at the scrapyard.

[HH-R]

LOL! ^

I always thought these must be tough as old boots judging by the imperial shitload I see clearly being run on a shoestring.

[The Reverend Bluejeans]

Clios:

 

When there are  millions of 1.2 4 cyl Corsas available, and '03 onwards Fiestas.......why would you?

[tommotech]

  On 02/04/2016 at 18:12, twosmoke300 said:

Aren't the 1.9d ones mk1s ?

Mine is a van but, as above, the 1.9D was also sold as three and five door.

[SiC]

All Vauxhalls are shit, fact.

Fiestas are over priced for what they are.

 

IMO the Clios are no better or worse than either of them. The French have always been pretty good at making small cars.

[artdjones]

I have a 1.2 16v petrol Kangoo just coming up to 162k and no real mechanical problems. So the same bits in a car 2/3 the size should be OK.

[17-Coffees]

I loved the two I had, both 1.2 8V petrol, 3 doors.

 

The first one was my first car when I started my apprenticeship,due to hours I worked and lack of transport to where I needed to be. A phase 2 car. Fantastic car and only needed a pair of front brake pads and tyres in my ownership. (Tyres were no problem, as came with a set of 'winter tyres' when we my dad bought it a few months beforehand for himself)

 

The second? A true shitter!

 

1.2 8v Poverty Spec. 'gloss white', unpainted bumpers, plastic everything inside...essentially 'van spec'. Bought cheap and in the a years ownership it got so much abuse from me and the family who used it a few times. Was used a an actual van on my occasions moving stuff like bags of soil and an old dishwasher. Ended up removing the rear seats permanently. 

Never had a service despite really needing one (oil looked like tar...) and would just keep on going.

Even got used as a track car once, spent a fiver on eBay for some 'RenaultSport stickers' and a generic badge that said "Nuremberg  edition", getting christened as the "RenaultSport Renault Clio NBR Edition".  Knackered the front wheel-bearings on track (Doing down a straight bit of road sideways is't great) and it still did 8,000 or so miles like that. 

 

I miss the old girl. Wish I never punted it...

 

Maybe I got lucky with the 2?

[Ghosty]

There was a big fuss about poorly designed/insubstantial/faulty bonnet catches on these in the mid 2000s - they could potentially flip open at high speed and destroy the windscreen and aperture, also meaning you can't see where you're going. Make sure any potential purchase has had a beefed up catch installed - I can't remember but it might have been a recall item.

[17-Coffees]

  On 02/04/2016 at 22:36, Ghosty said:

There was a big fuss about poorly designed/insubstantial/faulty bonnet catches on these in the mid 2000s - they could potentially flip open at high speed and destroy the windscreen and aperture, also meaning you can't see where you're going. Make sure any potential purchase has had a beefed up catch installed - I can't remember but it might have been a recall item.

 

There was a recall.

I recall (sorry...) getting a letter asking if I wanted my first clio checked to see if the work had been carried out! This was back in 2012, and the car was an 51 reg.

[Jikovron]

My wife had one years ago as an upgrade from her mk4 fiesta ,shortly after the doomed purchase it regularly suffered electrical ftp that required the wiring under the seat to be waggled and some sort of 'reset' proceedure ,supposedly the driveshaft and wheel bearing collapsed so it was traded in towards a 207hdi which was a taste of modern diesel torks combined with 44mpg average!?

Also of note, even if you immobilise yourself with a back that feels like it consists of bread sticks and vitriolic barbed wire an engine swap is still superbly easy to achieve as is almost a sporadically bolted and click clipped in motor that can be removed from the gearbox still in situ like a rwd

[Faker]

Good 172 or 182. Awesome wee cars. Yes they're French. Yes they've shit electrics. Yes they like alternators, yes they like electric window motors, switches, relays give trouble (fuel pump, ignition) etc. They love to break springs and I found them hard on driveshafts. However..... they're fantastic to drive and you can live with the gremlins. Lesser models such as the early mk2's were definitely more reliable that later 16v cars. My old 172 I had for 3.5 years. Loved the thing.

[Faker]

Oh.... they like to eat rear wheel bearings.

[sierraman]

  On 02/04/2016 at 19:04, The Reverend Bluejeans said:

Clios:

 

When there are millions of 1.2 4 cyl Corsas available, and '03 onwards Fiestas.......why would you?

1.2 Corsa... God the thought makes my shit hang...

[Chris2cv]

I have had my Clio 2 Phase 2 for 13 years, from new. I have the 1.5dci, and can honestly say that it has been a great little car. I took it on holiday last week, and we did more than 500 miles comfortably and smoothly at around 70mpg.

 

 faults - It has had two wheel bearings, an injector and a leaky sunroof, all of which were solved fairly cheaply. I would say that's pretty good really. I do get it serviced regularly as I prefer to know that everything is ok.

 

 I could afford a newer car, and keep thinking about it, but I just love that little car. There is also the fact that I cannot bring myself to replace something that works - hence why I have a 5 year old phone, 10+ year old tv etc.   It does not have the character of the 2cv, and journeys are much less of an adventure, but sometimes you want to get back from places without worrying if it will make it!