2003 Renault Clio 172 review from UK and Ireland

Front fog lights stopped working. This turned out to be a wiring fault that was fixed under warranty.

There are three different rattles which sound like they are from the interior trim. I will try and get these looked at under warranty.

This is a very rapid car. The acceleration is frightening in first and second. I don't know if it's a fault with mine, but the esp doesn't seem able to cope in the wet. The handling is fantastic as I had expected and the brakes are very strong - in fact they are the best in any car I have ever driven.

It could really benefit from an extra gear for motorway use though. At 80 miles per hour you running at just under 4000 rpm. I guess this is par for the course for this kind of car though.

It's a real shame about the rattles. They let the car down badly as it gives the whole thing the impression of not being very well screwed together when you're driving a long a bumpy road. Come on Renault - this can't be that difficult to sort out and would make a huge difference to the feeling of quality in the cabin. Having said that, the materials in the cabin all look and feel great though, and maybe this issue has been addressed in the Clio 182.

The only other gripe I have is the driving position. The headrest feels too far forward so I can't straighten my neck fully. Also, the pedals are offset to the right which feels strange at first, but you do get used to it.

As a driving machine the Clio 172 is fantastic. It offers the same kind of point and squirt driving as my mk1 MR2 was, but with extra chili sauce.