pah and my mum thinks it's her car! (Renault Clio (1991-98))

Member Name: LonelyBeauty

Product:	Renault Clio (1991-98)
Date:	25/02/02 (1267 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: safe, smooth, reliable, good m.p.g, Good value

Disadvantages: No extra features, Blind spot

****************Clio Paris******************


I started to learn to drive August 2000 when I hit 17...I started to learn to drive in a car of similar size and power to my Mum's Clio, I'd been driving a couple of months and doing great,so my Mum stuck me on her insurance and one day when I was going to the cinema to meet my boyfriend (now my ex boyfriend...shame I didn't run over him while I had the chance) she asked if I'd like to drive her car to meet him.

I was pleased, I wanted to show off to him a bit (through good driving not driving like a pillock) we'd been together like 3 years and I am a bit older than him so I can drive and he can't, this was it you see as soon as I passed my driving test we thought we'd have freedom and a little space away from our parents. He loved cars despite not being old enough to drive one, so I wanted to show him I could do this!

I got in the car, started it up and stalled it. Ok keep calm now a different car different biting point, I stalled it again, I was getting annoyed this wasn't in the plan. The plan was learn to drive, pass the test, surprise Chris one day. It was slipping away, I got more annoyed and stalled it again.

Finally I got of the drive flushed with embarassment and annoyance, I kept muttering "but I can drive in my driving instructor's car" I went to change gear into 2nd GGGGGgggggggggggrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr straight into 4th, and stalled it again, I was almost in tears of anger with myself and the car, I continued to make stupid mistakes mainly due to my anger, then as I got to the turning for the cinema I got it into 4th again instead of second, I was fuming I'd never even stalled it in the Starlet not even on my first lesson.Waiting at the traffic lights go to set off, I panicked when the traffic started to move and you've guessed it I stalled it again.

On the plus side I dragged the car into the car park an
d pulled up just in time for Chris to see my perfect parking. I was soooo relieved he hadn't seen the rest. I slunk off into the cinema pretending everything had been ok!!

It wasn't a great start but it got better, I got used to the different car and learned to start it without throwing everyone through the window. I still call the car the Beast and it hasn't been forgiven, The handling on the car is really bad, it doesn't have power assisted steering and it is hell, I am about to take my driving test (I wrote this a while ago, I passed my test a year ago now first time) and I try to practice my reversing and 3 point turn it makes your arms ache so badly you have to wrestle the beast into submission, I feel like I am trying to move a truck or something.

For such a small car it is a pain to drive.

It's a nice looking car through and very comfortable to sit in, if not drive, I often find when turning corners the metal above the window gets in the way, providing a large blind spot that isn't so bad in either the Micra or the Starlet that I learnt to drive in. However I think the clio is much better looking, and feels more spaceous inside.

The gears are a little heavy too, I rarely bugger up the 1st to 2nd change anymore but I used to have difficultly sliding it to 2nd without hitting 4th first! I got over this after a couple of weeks though.

The space in the car is good, my Grandparents are able to get in and out, they are both disabled so it's good for such a small car to have so much room. The bott is quite big but I have to put my 'cello sitting up in the front seat to take him to orchestra as in wont fit in the back, surprising considering he used to fit in the Metro we used to have.

Basically it is a good attractive small car, you just need to get a bit used to it, my Mum's Clio is only a couple of years old (P reg but registared in July therefore very nearly a R reg)
so it isn't the age that makes it's handling poor. I think it is a nice car for short distances because the stearing gets annoying after a bit, shopping in etc. It is a bit of a woman's car or maybe a single man. As long as he isn't too tall that is!

It is bog standard this meansbut no air bag/no power steering/no fog lights/no sunroof and of course no airconditioning but what would you expect for the price?

The dash board is nice and simple, no rev counter (so?) my ex used to complain about this, but obviously it has speed, water and petrol gauges and various lights telling you the car is about to explode, it has a hidden radio and tape player and a ciggarette lighter and tray (for the smokers amongst us)

A Clio of this nature is a cat 2 insurance (same as most cars of this size like the Micra and Corsa etc)although I don't pay anything (wahahahahaha)


Fuel consumption appears ok, I don't buy petrol for it! The customer servive from Renault was pants they messed up my Dad's Laguna made the indicators go the wrong way around...not at all safe, and the air bag warning light is perminantly ON they have tried 6 times to fit this all at our inconvience, not to mention the sunroof fell out one day and the back seats don't fold down any more the nice man explained this for us "you've put that seat down a lot haven't you, yeh it wont work".

It doesn't really have any features, it's just a normal little car.

I have now been driving the Clio for a year, and now that I am used to it I love the little car it is smart! I took my little beast up to university with me to take some extra stuff and managed to get from Crewe to Aberystwyth in a decent time, and it wasn't as bad as i thought it might be the handling was fine, he coped on all the little winding Welsh roads and on the small stretch of motorway. It can go fast too, in fact it is really good fast or
slow. and i reckon it does about 45 m.p.g which is good, it would no doubt do a lot more if I wasn't driving like a snail around towns and was actually going on straight roads.

I stick by everything I said before, if you are used to power assisted steering you might not be too keen on the Clio at first but

Give it a chance, you'll get used to it!

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