2002 Renault Clio Sport 172 review from South Africa

Dashboard rattles.

Sunroof rattles.

Replaced steering rack.

Windscreen washer failure.

Extremely fun car to drive hard and a compromise between performance and practicality.

Like the old Alfa Romeos; you have to put up with questionable build quality for the sake of the driving experience. However in this day and age this shouldn't be necessary - and not at the price in South Africa.

Very much a "Q" car which surprises a lot of other machinery. Wish it had more "road presence" so that BMW's and others would let it through on motorway fast lanes.

Very willing to please dealership in Sandton Johannesburg - but lacks the skills or experience on the Clio Sport 172 to be able to diagnose and fix faults the first time. Car has been in 6 times for rattles - patience is a requisite since getting angry and annoyed doesn't help.

At first service, oil was under filled - serious enough to warranty an additional 1.5 liters, owners should double check after a service on their own.

South African imports don't come with traction control or e.s.p. (despite the sales literature) which can be a hand full if you're reliant on electronics to get you out of trouble. Also wheel sizes are different - 15" rims here, but on Michelin Pilots rather than Continentals.

Generally, a great drivers car, but not a tribute to quality control in the Renault production system, or in the dealer network.

And, enthusiastic drivers should consider getting a radar / laser speed trap detector to keep "running costs" down.

Would I buy another one? Probably.