2004 Renault Clio Renault Sport 182 from UK and Ireland - Comments

I can understand where you are coming from, aimed at (bloke with focus rs), paying a hell of a lot more for a hot hatch, only to have the "SMIRK WIPED" from your face when a cheaper 182 clio sport gives you a good run for your money on the road, then only to make "matters worse" you are left glaring at his central mounted tail pipes as he pulls away!

The focus rs is a good machine, but value for money the clio 182 will leave it FOR DEAD!!

END OF TOPIC!!!

To the Rs guy.

As a 182 owner I am willing to concede that your (Much more expensive) RS is quicker than a 182, but not by as much as you claim. To say, and I quote " It is far quicker than the 182 " is a bit unfair and not quite the truth. Yes its quicker, but anybody who knows anything about performance cars will agree that the difference in power of an RS offset against its increase in weight will not make it " Far quicker ". You need hell of a lot more power to make these types of claims. The extra Bhp and the extra weight the Rs carries will NEVER make it much faster, faster yes, but not by the margin you claim, that's fact not opinion.

My next door neighbours son owned an RS and we have had a blast or 2 against each other and he was gobsmacked by how little he pulled away, it was not a great as gap as you make out, my experience is backed up on paper when comparing the 2 which suggests that's a more realistic comparison than your " Blown into the weeds claims " You have thrown a few stats about which suggest you take notice of whats on paper, but on paper the 182 isn`t as far behind as you are leading us to believe.

The closest match I can find doing what you have done in terms of power and weight is to compare an RS against the more powerful (by 44 bhp) and heavier by 160kg Volvo S60 T5, a similar comparison to your RS v 182. You can`t deny the Volvo is more powerful and quicker, but the difference isn`t vast in reality... the same applies to the RS and Clio. The Volvo is quicker, but not by a huge margin... as is the RS against the Clio, nobody is claiming the Clio is quicker.

If you claim that the 182 isn`t a seriously fast car then surely that stands for the RS being as the gap isn`t as massive as you claim? That's nonsense of course because the RS is a quick car... but argue all you like, so is the 182.

Furthermore you are wrong, the 182 is still indeed the quickest hot hatch hatch in it`s group. The RS isn`t in the same group as the 182 so why do you feel the need to come here and compare 2 cars in different category`s???

In general 182 owners don`t make ridiculous claims about their cars ar all, the car has won pretty much every group test going since its release and the motoring press back up tests with claims of "The best hot hatch ever (Evo) ".I`m sure if magazines praised your RS like that you wouldn`t dismiss it as a load of old tosh?

I like the RS, and I like it a lot so this post isn`t anti RS, but I find it amusing an RS owner feels the need to go and compare his car to a smaller and much less expensive car.

One of the comments on this review is from an ex 240bhp Subaru WRX owner and having actually owned both his comments are nowhere near as negative as yours towards the 182.

In terms of performance and handling the 182 is STILL a class leader when compared to other cars in it`s class.

RS v Clio (If you must) The RS is quicker or " Faster " if you like and any sensible 182 owner would agree... but " Much faster "... not by that much.

Clio 172 Owner... I have owned a Clio for 6 months have spent £1500 on Koni Suspension, Magnex Cat back system, Superchip, Pipercross Viper Induction Kit. I have removed the cats and cut them open to remove all the crap inside then refitted them. it`s been tested on a rolling road and is running at 206BHP. I have beaten loads of other cars off the lights inc. 206Gti, Fiesta RS, Corsa with 2.0 16v Engine. I have just about kept up with Focus RS, Sierra Cosworth. I Have been pulled up by loads of people at track day events with comments like What the hell have you got in that. It may not be any quicker than an RS Focus, but with £475 of Koni suspension and 18" alloys it will out corner one no problem...

The 182 is best then???

Is the 182 the best??? The best at what???

Certainly many car magazines and reviewers rate it the best in class. As far as handling, performance and standard equipment goes it is the best yes, for build quality then No, but if you want a small hot hatch with build quality then sacrifice performance, handling and equipment and buy something else. I got my 182 for these 3 things and have no regrets. Sure there are other cars in its class that handle just as well, may be similar in terms of performance and have plenty of goodies as standard, but there is no other car that can claim to be better at all 3. Infact i`m certain as equipment and performance goes in it`s class it can`t be beaten, i havn`t said handling because i`m sure there will be a few other small car owners out there willing to turn this into a 10 page debate as to which is the best handling car!

Before Mr angry RS or Mr Evo comes along, i`m talking about cars in the same group as the 182 here ;-)

I have just bought a 182 in Titanium with both Cup packs, I am 32 this year and feel a bit old to be driving a small car, but life is about having fun isn't it. This car brings me back to my youth, and I am learning how to drive quickly again. Can't wait to do a trackday later this year, why not bring your Saab along dude?

I am more than pleased with my 182 Clio after trading in my MG TF 135 which I have to say was one of my worst buys. (I am a woman!!!).. The 182 is one of the best cars I have owned. I have had the car for 5 months and I am still happy with the car as I was the day when I bought it. Usually I get bored with cars easily and end up changing them after a year, but this one will be with me for a very long time..

I have had my clio 182 cup for a year now and its pretty dam amazing. i have taken it to a couple of track days and have been timed at 6.2 -60 and 16.4 -100 which makes it a very fast car indeed. i have raced rs's wrx's and type r's and there really is nothing in it. A wrx is only about 5.8 -60 and 15.5-100 so not much and add a few corners which is where it really comes to life with its amazing esp system and its all over most very high performance cars. also same speed as a vxr up -100.

I have owned a Clio 182 since March 2004. I have covered about 33,500 miles, mainly trouble free. The windscreen wiper motor burned out last week in France, of all places and I couldn’t get it repaired there - Gallic Humour?

It is fantastic fun to drive. I’m sure there are examples of makes and models that will “blow the 182 into the weeds” I doubt that many will be as good value or as practical on a day to day basis.

A couple of things that I love about the 182 (I opted for the cup suspension) are it’s very impressive turn in and just how much speed it can take into a corner and carry through without drama-queen antics.

On super unleaded 98 RON which seems much more available in both France and Spain I get around 30mpg – my major gripe is the obsession with speed cameras and a disregard for whether a person is driving dangerously or considerations of road and/or weather conditions.

Good on you Nicole

staraxippus@hotmail.com.

As a youngster at 20. I have a 182, now I've seen many 182's 172's and the like, I'm a pretty out going person in that am always out in my car, only ever seen 1 rs,,,,, i have high lift cams £400 and a remap, 215bhp rolling road test, now the rs had little chance, I was well ahead befor his turbo lag subsided. I pull 0-60s in 6.2,,,,,,regardless of what any one says this rs driver obviously feels threatend by 182 'drivers' as he can't fend them off like he hoped when he bought a ford. never mind...ey.

I've driven a fair few hot hatches, Saxo VTR, Golf Mk2 GTI, Fabia vRS, Ibiza Cupra 1.8T, Honda Civic Type R and I own the 182.

In my opinion the 182 is the most enjoyable of them all. It has the pace to pretty much match anything else in its class, if not exceed it, but its the character of this car that really shines through. The Civic Type R for example is slightly quicker, but it doesn't feel it, and if anything, its just too competent and not playful like the Clio... an example of clinical engineering - although granted its likely to be more reliable as the Clio is built by drunken french clowns, but it has genuine "personality" for a car.

Some of the other stuff is just dull dull dull, like the Ibiza.

The 182 is the last in the breed of "old school" hot hatches, since they are all overweight, lardy and uninvolving clones of each other, often with turbo chargers. Sure these cars often have more torque and require less effort to drive fast, but if I wanted that, i'd buy a diesel and get twice the miles per gallon!

Hello Folks.

I’m a Cloggy (If I'm correct,its an English saying for people who wear Clogs, referring to people from the Netherlands), living in Germany and working as an automotive engineer, surrounded by people who get a thrill of driving VWs and other boring German crap. I always say, if I want to have a ride in a Mercedes, I will take a Taxi. Germans can’t always appreciate things like that…

After having owned three Clios 16V in the past, I have been driving Alfa Romeo’s ever since. Luckily –in between- I had the opportunity to drive a 172 Clio RS for an intensive week, as well as a 226 Clio V6 (very tricky on the limit) and the all conquering 254 Clio V6, believe me, it’s like baby GT3.

Since I’ve crashed my beloved Alfa last week on the German Autobahn (doing 110 mph until some stupid WxNKxR behind a truck, pulled over to the fast lane…) I’m searching the Internet for a nice used Clio 182, mainly because a 254 Clio V6 is too impractical and too expensive for my own good (owning a Maserati 224V and Alfa race car as well). A 226 isn’t the car it should be, and a 172 would always be a second choice above a 182.

Of course, as we all do, we look for other options, a Mini Cooper S, too expensive, no rear seats, lack of power and grip, a car to be seen in, not to drive in. Type R, like the engine, gearbox and general sophistication, but as said before, it looks like an MPV. German inspired Leon is by now old fashioned and underneath it is still a VW. Even drove a Toyota MR2, nicely balanced, but lacks ultimate power.

The only two options I could come up with is a Vauxhall VX220 (Opel Speedster as the call it over here), not that much more expensive and sure as hell you will get that thrill of driving. Shame it’s so impracticable. The other option is a Focus RS. My dear colleague owns one; I drove it, very fast (he also did some engine mods), very responsive. Like the differential and the way it grips, don’t like to stiff suspension and the fact that you can only get it in blue, so people instantly recognise it as an RS. Prefer more of a Q car. One thing he also complained on is the fuel consumption, up to 15 miles to the gallon, sounds like good fun to me. As it looks now, I will stick to my surge for a 182 Clio.

Germans are not so French orientated, so there are not many 182 Clio’s around. Found a Silver one, 2004 with the Cup suspension package and probably all the other goodies you can get, such as the original full screen Navigation system. Thing is, its done 51.000 km, about 33.000 miles, almost time to change the timing belt, tires, brakes etc. Any one experienced with relative high mileage 182 Clios? How is your experience on the Sat-Nav system? Is it worth the wile?

Thanks for our response.

Bram.

Janssenbram@hotmail.com

Someone said that the clio 182 was the last of the old school hot hatch's,. I think the clio has gone too far to be called old school, its too fat and about 200kgs too heavy for that, but it can't be helped with the nanny state european union breathing down our necks.

Been saving for months to buy a nearly new car. Hadn't made my mind up yet what to buy; live in a small town in Northern Ireland called Antrim.

Decided to buy a 182 Cup. Couldn't get one over here, so went to Scotland last week with 10 grand to see my mate Arron. He had been looking for ages for me. I hadn't even seen one before; only pics on the web. When I first clapped my eyes on one, I couldn't believe my eyes, love at first sight; it was like seeing a beautiful blond walking down the street, twit wooo.

Now I'm back in my home town with that car turns heads. There's Type Rs, RS Focus's, Scoobys, Evos, all very common, but my 182 Cup stands out.

You can say what you want about my car is faster than your car, blah blah, blah, all I know is that my 182 Cup is a flying machine and I love it to bits.

I think that the most impressive feature of the 182 is its character, it has an indefinable x-factor (did not want to use that phrase, but couldn't think of anything else) that leaves you with a smile when you get to where you are going. who cares if some other hot hatch has 1 extra hp per ton or whatever, they are all boring by comparison. One drawback, I went from a small diesel to the 182, my fuel bills have quadrupled!