Renault Clio 1.5 dCi 86 Privilege Reviews

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Good Points: Gorgeous looking car, low price on tax and insurance, safe.

Bad Points: Noisy, hard to clean inside, clutch, cost alot to fill up.

General comments: I love my little black renult clio 1.5 DCI sport, she's speedy (but only with a full tank otherwise she moves like a snail) you can whizz her around corners without fear of landing on the top on it and the tax is great.

It costs me about £60 to fill up at the moment with the ever increasing price rise on diesel and petrol, but i have to admit that the diesel does last. I am not one for preserving my diesel by driving in high gears at low speed, i love whizzing around everywhere (in a completely safe way obviously) and will use my car when i can, but i honestly can say that a full tank of diesel will last me about 2 1/2 weeks, it also makes up for it in tax as i spend £35 a year - yes a year. The car feels safe as well, my sister has a Ford KA and whenever i drive it i have visions of having to be cut out of it if i crashed as it doesnt feel sturdy at all, but my little clio does when i first got her i almost felt i could take her to war and be safe. (I'm not mad really)

The only thing that i've had problems with is the clutch, i brought the car brand new in jan 06. There she was being lowered on my friends drive spink and span after a long trip from liverpool, after 1500 miles of driving the car in a non girl racer way like i was told the clutch started squeaking, at first it was maybe once every drive but afterwards it got more constant and alot louder, the clutch got heavy to push and you'd often here me grinding the poor gears where my hand moved faster than my foot physically could. I took her back to the local renualt garage and they re-lubricated the clutch thingy, all at once the clutch returned to normal and i was back to whizzing around without getting annoyed everytime i changed gear.

Until 3 weeks later when it started again, i trundle back to renault and again they re-lubricated it and ignored my pleas of looking into it further.

6 Weeks passed and once again it started squeaking, along with the steering column as well, i once again dragged my little clio with me to renault and i got a different fella to look at it, much to the disgrace of the guy who had "fixed" it before, the new guy took the clio into the garage and came out 15 mins later with keys to a courtesy car and a sad smile.

"I'm going to have to change the whole clutch and the steering colum, luckily i have the spear parts in, so come pick her up tomorrow afternoon, in the mean time take the courtesy car"

After the magic man fixed i went on my way for a year and a half whizzing my clio everywhere i went, until this june, when the clutch yet again started squeaking.

I haven't been back to renault yet, due to now having a job that takes up alot of time, but don't worry my next day off and the car is going in. hopefully before the warranty runs out.

Apart from my clutch nightmare the clio is still in good nick, despite my sometimes blonde driving she hasn't a scratch on her. I would definatly recommend this car to anyone who wants a safe run around that performs in every aspect.

I am about to pass her on to my little sister for an MR2, but if i win the lottery then i'd definatly buy a clio sport as a fun car. Jeremy Clarkson described this car as a puppy, eager to perform and run.......he was definatly right.

Feels more than one step removed from the car it replaces. It's grown up, but for all the extra comfort and sophistication, a lot of the fun has been lost.