Faults:

Very few things went wrong.

When I got the car there was a problem with the tail lights: it's the rear fog lights that would be turned on instead of the tail lights when switching them on. I didn't realize it right away, but after being told off by several people I took the car to the local Renault dealership. They didn't understand what I meant in the first place (not easy to notice the difference in daylight) but I insisted and they finally fixed it. Cost 50 euros.

Otherwise there was a recall from Renault. They had to replace something in the engine (don't know exactly what). I didn't pay anything for that, but I know it was quite a big repair though. It affected all cars of these series (early dCi models without air conditioning).

The battery went dead this winter. It had been below -10°C for several days and the car wasn't used to that.

I also had the windshield washer pump replaced at 78000 km, a simple repair for 19 euros.

General Comments:

This is an excellent car, probably the most versatile small car at the moment.

It's very pleasant to drive and the comfort is also quite good for a car that size: comfortable front seats, little road noise even at 130 km/h.

The engine is only 65 hp, but the turbo does the job and has the necessary oomph to insert in traffic smoothly.

Fuel economy is just awesome. Needs only 5 liters of diesel to cover 100 km (47 mpg).

The noise of the engine is nothing compared to that of a VW TDI.

This one is a basic version so there is no air conditioning or CD player and I regret it (especially in summer).

The backseat isn't roomy at all. It's very uncomfortable for adults to seat in the back.

Faults:

Did 80K km with it and all was fine. Then, ball bearings, Head Gasket (120000), exhaust... all fell apart at the same time. Costly for a student.

General Comments:

Excellent car for youngsters, easy to drive in cities and even for long trips (I drove from Nice to Northern Scotland with it).

Faults:

Nothing serious, just the normal, expected wear and tear (I say expected meaning for the mileage, age and usage of the car)

One new clutch approximately 20 000km ago which isn't bad considering the car is used for my job as a courier in a busy city (stop and go, stop and go).

Water pump failed when driving home from Marseille (Marseille - Nantes is approximately 900 km). The weather was very hot and she overheated near Angoulême. Not extremely expensive to repair.

Sometimes have trouble with dampness in the motor - damp air from the ocean and the river (especially in summer)

No problems in winter.

Glass wipers on the front and rear need often replacement.

Minor oil leak from the filter. She has had many trips to the repair shop, but we have failed to discover the reason for it.

Wheel bearing needed replacement recently (100km ago) as the wheel began knocking violently on corners and round points.

But as I have said, nothing major has failed... yet!

General Comments:

I am in love with my Clio.

She is economical (I went from my home to England, a distance of approximately 1200km in total, and used only around 100 litres of diesel).

She is also very comfortable. I am rather tall and I have plenty of room for my legs. However the space in the rear seats is a little limited. There are only 2 doors and the tailgate.

I love the heaters. In the winter when temperatures often drop to 2 - 3 degrees here, the car is warm in no time at all.

The front glass de-mister is rather slow, which can be frustrating.

She works well at high and low speeds. Overtaking is easy, even in 5th speed at 110km/h I can reach 140km/h in no time at all for overtaking those annoying lorries! Stop and go traffic is no problem either. She maintains her economy in all conditions.

Very reliable, easy and inexpensive to fix (in France, anyway).

Maybe I am biased, being French and owning a French car, but I truly believe that this is a super car and one of the best that money can buy!

Faults:

Nothing wrong with this car.

General Comments:

The Clio has changed twice since last year, and I was quite disappointed. A new engine, new headlights, a new CD player...

But it is a good car indeed. Very comfortable, and the 1.6 8V engine has better performance than the new 1.4 16V.