2001 Renault Clio Dynamique review from UK and Ireland

Faults: Rattling sunroof, rectified by the dealer.

Dislikes: Poor turning circle for a small car and an unpleasant chemical smell from the engine when hot. I've got used to the hypnotic windscreen wipers.

This account follows twelve months ownership of a Clio dCi Dynamique, bought new.

Most of my mileage is accounted for by commuter journeys with no passengers, about 40 miles per day in the outer London area. When the time came to replace my old Xantia, I decided to downsize to something smaller and more economical. The Clio has proved to be an excellent choice: low running costs (£80 annual road tax and low group insurance on top of miserly fuel consumption. No servicing cost yet because I haven’t quite reached 18,000 miles.) Note that my own careful records suggest 64 mpg overall while the on-board computer indicates 70. I think I’m right. The Clio is competitively priced (especially after haggling with the dealer) and the safety features come as standard, not costly optional extras. Thank You Monsieur Renault. I think it’s shameful that some manufacturers leave it for the buyer to fork out for safety items on the options list. You can be quite sure that they make a healthy profit from ABS and air bags, rather than prioritising their customers’ safety.

On the road, the performance from the little diesel is good, feeling nippier than the official figures suggest. There’s more to real world driving than 0 – 60 acceleration times and I have no problem whatsoever keeping up with traffic or with motorway mile-eating. I recently drove a 1.2 16V petrol Clio for two days and found it quieter at idle (no surprise) but the tables were turned as speed increased – the dCi is only turning over at 3000 rpm at 80 mph, with plenty of power to spare. The driving characteristics are excellent, with super direct steering and excellent grip combining to make winding roads a pleasure. Hill climbing is no problem either, thanks to lots of torque, which is delivered from low revs and also allows you to potter along in high gear when the mood fits. It’s also a benefit in stop-start traffic, where the motor would be difficult to stall – a good car for learners I would imagine.

The Clio is a small car so it’s hardly surprising that rear seat legroom is limited. My children are 11 and 9 years old and there’s sufficient space for them at present. We recently chose to use it for a week’s holiday in the Lake District, rather than our Mondeo. The boot is big enough to take two large suitcases, leaving room to spare for walking boots, coats and first aid box – all we wanted to take. We recorded an all time low fuel consumption of 59 mpg whilst away, which allowed 600 miles before worrying about refilling the tank. So the Clio isn’t far off being an ideal family car either.